RLn 03-16-23

The View From Knoll Hill The Stakes

and the Breakdown

Twenty-year Conflict Continues Over China Shipping

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

For more than 20 years homeowners and environmental activists have been fighting to bring the Port of Los Angeles’ approval of the China Shipping terminal into compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA. That fight continues in recent court filings in advance of an appeals court trial, with oral arguments expected sometime this spring. At issue are four specific pollution mitigation measures in addition to the core question of CEQA compliance, as well as a proposal for outside oversight to finally ensure that full compliance occurs.

Breaking Ground on $10 Million Front Street Beautification Project

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

On March 9, CD 15 Councilman Tim McOsker and Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka and other port officials broke ground on the $10.3 million Front Street Beautification Project on the LA Waterfront. The site, the original flashpoint of the long battle between the port and the community over the public’s access to its waterfront, has now been turned into a project to enhance connectivity and public access to the LA Waterfront for Wilmington and San Pedro.

This project is only one half of the Front Street beautification plan focused on the north side of the street between Swinford and Pacific Avenue. The beautification effort will take up to 18 months to complete. It will also coincide with the California State Route 47 interchange project coming off the Vincent Thomas bridge. However, the south side of Front Street, which was a part of the China Shipping mitigation settlement, is still being planned and will come at a later date.

“This project is one of many initiatives in the One-Five [CD15] that will improve the quality of life for our local Port communities, as well as for all Angelenos,” wrote Councilman Tim McOsker via a press release by the port. “This new green space and multi-use pathway will serve as a safer and welcome public access link between our San Pedro and Wilmington communities. The residents have been patiently waiting for this project for over 10 years and I want to thank them for their dedication to making this project happen.”

In fact, it has been more than 15 years since the project’s inception. It has been delayed by railroad right-of-way disputes, multiple agency approvals and many other delays. McOsker even recognized

At first, in 2001, the port didn’t even think it needed to do an environmental impact report (EIR) for the terminal project. A trial court said, “No problem,” but an appeals court decision told them otherwise: CEQA required an EIR, and CEQA had to be followed.

That pattern could be about to repeat itself, with a slight twist.

This time, trial court Judge Timothy Taylor found last June that “The port violated CEQA in several ways” with its supplemental EIR (SEIR) to deal with mitigation measures it had secretly failed to enforce; but his remedy, setting aside the SEIR and requiring a new one, allowed CEQA violations to continue. Now an appeals court is being asked to reverse that remedy and require CEQA to be followed.

The heart of the problem is the lack of enforceability: the measures in question rely on a lease amendment to enforce them — an amendment to which China Shipping has never agreed. Taylor called the assumption that it would agree “completely baseless.” Which raises the question, “Why would a new SEIR be any different?”

“This Court should reverse the trial court’s erroneous remedy decision and require compliance with CEQA,” the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) argued in an appeal brief filed on Dec. 6. 2022 on behalf of four other organizations, two representing San Pedro homeowners. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) filed its appeal the same day. The port responded on Feb. 7, and both NRDC and AQMD replied on Feb. 27. So the outlines of the arguments have been laid out.

Specifically, NRDC and AQMD alleges:

• “The trial court’s [remedy] ruling that it

Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles below Knoll Hill along Front Stree. Photos by Arturo GarciaAyala Bottom: Councilman Tim McOsker, right, along with Port of Los Angeles officials, breaks ground on the Front Street Beautification project on the LA Waterfront. Photo by Chris Villanueva.

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

AGCC Curatorial Call

Join a virtual meeting to learn more and ask questions about Angels Gate Cultural Center’s current curatorial call for exhibition proposals. This meeting will take place on Zoom.

Angels Gate is accepting curatorial proposals for contemporary art exhibitions in 2024 and 2025. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., May 21.

Time: 7 p.m., March 21

Details: https://tinyurl.com/AGCC-curatorial-call

Household and Hazardous and E-Waste Drive-Thru Collection Event

Safely secure items in your trunk/pick-up bed. Hazardous waste items must be in your truck/ pick-up bed with no other items.

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 19

Cost: Free Details: 800-238-0173; info@lacsd.org

Venue: Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple Ave., Torrance

Save Sacred Grounds

San Pedro’s community coffee spot is set to potentially close June 2023 due to renovations to the Warner Grand Theatre. This space is set to be repurposed.

Help save this cultural icon, and ensure it is preserved for future generations. Below, find a link to the petition to save this great space. So far, it has garnered nearly 1,700 signatures. Keep it growing.

This community meeting space for decades has provided free Christmas dinners and other special community events, art and entertainment, open to all. Not to mention a great cup of coffee. Details: https://www.change.org/p/save-sacred-

grounds

Venue: Sacred Grounds, 468 W. 6th St., San Pedro

POLA Summer Internship Program

College-enrolled student interns gain handson experience working at one of the world’s busiest ports, with assignment opportunities in fields such as engineering, marketing and real estate.

The program is open to current graduate and undergraduate students with interest in on-the-job skill building and networking in a dynamic environment.

The 10-week program begins June 5, and runs through Aug. 11. Interns may work up to 40 hours per week and should be available to work on-site at the Port of Los Angeles Administration Building,

or port facilities in San Pedro or Wilmington, from Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer interns earn between $18.48 to $22.91 an hour, based on assignment.

Applications will be accepted through March 31.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/POLA-summerinternships

Sidewalks in Harbor City Face Neglect by City of LA

By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter

The sidewalks at six intersections in Harbor Gateway South have not seen a lot of services from the City of Los Angeles. All six run across Harvard Boulevard, including Del Amo, 204th, 206th, 207th, 208th and 209th Street. They do not have wheelchair accessible ramps on all curbs of their intersections. A few of the curbs are damaged, with chunks of cement missing.

In addition, these streets do not receive regular street cleaning. But 205th and Harvard has wheelchair accessible ramps, and regular street cleaning.

“That’s just ludicrous, to think that one street gets it,” said Rick Thomas, an activist who lives in Harbor Gateway South. “But how can it be that other streets don’t get it?”

Thomas said that 205th Street isn’t busier than the other intersections nearby. He has lived near those streets for seven years, and says that when he moved to the area, it had unfinished ramps on the intersections — and they still haven’t been finished.

However, representatives for the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works said that the city’s sidewalk repair program has not started work on these locations.

Thomas criticized former Council District 15 Councilman Joe Buscaino for not doing anything about it, but said that Councilman Tim McOsker told him he would fix it.

Sophie Gilchrist, communications director for McOsker, said her team looked into the issue

of the incomplete ramps. Her team is working with the Public Works Bureaus of Engineering and Street Services. She said there is a great need for ramps that meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

“We’re also going to work with them to ensure that projects that have begun will be completed in a more timely manner,” Gilchrist wrote via email.

Gilchrist said that McOsker’s office is compiling a list of sidewalk and ramp repairs in CD 15.

“Typically we get more requests for sidewalk repairs and blue curbs but we do also receive requests about ADA compliance which is very important to us,” Gilchrist wrote.

Dept. of Public Works representatives said that the city has an access request program that allows people to make requests to repair pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks and curb ramps. In 2018, the city council approved a prioritization and scoring system that awards a certain amount

Front Street Project Breaks Ground

the role of Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council and other community “partners” in moving forward on this project, saying that, “sometimes conflict is good as it makes people think of better solutions.”

POLA Now Accepting Applications for Community

Investment Grant Program

Applications for the Port of Los Angeles Community Investment grant program are now being accepted through May 8.

Grant applications and information about the award process are available on the port’s website. Interested local organizations can learn additional details about the grant application process at a virtual workshop to be held April 12. Grant applications are due by 4 p.m., May 8. To be considered for a community grant, an applicant must represent a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Time: 6 p.m., April 12

Details: https://www.portoflosangeles.org/ community/grants

Up To $5,000 Available For IncomeQualified

Households

Unpaid utility bills? Get up to $5,000 as an income-qualified household. Learn how to apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP and Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program or LIHWAP.

This was kind of an understatement as the CeSPNC spent years lobbying and negotiating with the POLA on both sides of the Front Street project and recently continued to remind them that the community had not forgotten about the port’s promises. It must also be noted that the entire legal battle over China Shipping terminal’s lease and environmental impacts, which are still being litigated, started with whether Knoll Hill would be bulldozed to expand the terminal.

Some will remember that the $65 million settlement was the beginning of the port’s turn towards better environmental practices and policies that ended what one harbor commissioner called “the 100 years war with the community.” Some still believe that the skirmishes of that war are still ongoing.

“This multi-use pathway and surrounding landscaped area will open up an entirely new section of our LA Waterfront to pedestrian access,” said Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi. “The beautification along Front Street will not only provide a new pathway to access our waterfront, but also fills in one of the last gaps of waterfront promenade that will connect Wilmington and San Pedro. This project underscores, once again, what port staff and community stakeholders

can achieve by working together.”

“When this project is completed next year, it will provide a safe space for walking, jogging and cycling as well as connect the Central and Northwest San Pedro communities,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It also adds another pedestrian linkage between the Wilmington and San Pedro waterfronts.”

The Front Street Beautification Project will include the design and construction of a landscaped gateway area at the northeast corner of Front Street and Pacific Avenue, just north of the Vincent Thomas Bridge (SR-47). The area will feature a 22-foot-wide multi-use pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as a 5-foot

landscaped strip along Front Street. In addition to providing new linkage between San Pedro and Wilmington along the LA Waterfront, the project will feature new pedestrian lighting and additional landscaping.

The Front Street Beautification Project meets select environmental mitigation measures for both landscaping and beautification. The project will also complete a section of the Pacific Coastal Trail and is projected to be completed in 2024. The south side of the project has yet to be revealed. For the sake of transparency, James Preston Allen is a member of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

Activist Rick Thomas sits on a sidewalk with an incomplete wheelchair accessible ramp in Harbor Gateway South. Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala

[See Sidewalks, p. 4]

[Front Street, from p. 1]

Concept rendering of the Front Street beautification project courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles

REP Watch

Councilman McOsker Making Good on Campaign Promises; Barragán Calls for Medicare to Cover Dental Care

Compiled by Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

A Fix for the Paseo del Mar Slide?

Last month, Councilman Tim McOsker moved the Los Angeles City Council to instruct the Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks to report back on updates to the Paseo Del Mar Roadway Plan and its options. He further moved the city council to request that the city administrative officer, in partnership with the Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks, report back with a multi-year phased funding plan for the Paseo Del Mar roadway plan’s options.

The Paseo Del Mar roadway in San Pedro provides east-west access to residents in the southernmost area of San Pedro. Paseo Del Mar is bound by the White Point Nature Preserve to the north and property owned by the County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. To the east is Weymouth Avenue and to the west is White Point-Royal Palms County Beach Park.

In 2011, an approximately 400-foot section of the Paseo Del Mar roadway collapsed due to the White Point landslide.

The city undertook several construction projects to mitigate the effects of the landslide. This work included: stabilizing the slope; rerouting the utilities; grading the site to drain stormwater; and fencing the portion of Paseo Del Mar and the immediate surrounding area impacted by the landslide. The total landslide mitigation cost was approximately $9 million.

Turning Food Deserts Into Food Oases

On March 3, Tim McOsker moved the city council to instruct the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) to report on expanding the Healthy Neighborhood Market program to Council District 15, with a focus on the qualifying neighborhoods of Harbor City and Watts.

He further moved to instruct EWDD to collaborate with the council office and local stakeholders in determining site selection to ensure community and operational support for future applicants and program participants, subject to eligibility.

Healthy Neighborhood Market Network (HNMN) was formed to ensure, for all Angelenos, access to fresh produce available within a half mile of their residence. Many areas of the harbor region and South Los Angeles are considered food deserts, as there is a high concentration of comer markets, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants in junction with a dearth of supermarkets. This phenomenon primarily impacts lowincome neighborhoods and communities of color and infringes upon access to healthy diet options in these areas.

Since 2016, the HNMN program has completed six transformation projects, provided training to more than 50 store owners, helped increase average produce revenues by 124%, and increased average weekly profit for these stores by $1,453. These markets are providing critical access for residents in these areas to healthier food options and increasing the economic vitality of their communities. By expanding the existing program into underserved areas of Council District 15, the HNMN program can enhance food options in these communities and build toward a healthier future for all Angelenos.

Police Reps for Unarmed Service Calls

Last week, McOsker moved the city council to request the Personnel Department and the Los Angeles Police Department to report back on the current hiring, training practices, and policy pro-

tocol for police service representatives when it comes to unarmed crisis response-related service calls. This should include procedural mapping and technology needed for implementing a “decision tree” for unarmed crisis response-related service calls. He argued that the departments should report on best practices from other municipalities.

The motion asking for the creation of the office of unarmed response and safety itself names eight different agencies that could potentially be responding to 911 calls. With so many different resources available, and with the possibility of more pilots and programs coming online, it’s crucial that PSRs have the tools to make swift and accurate referrals for the sake of our communities’ safety.

On March 2, McOsker moved the city council to have the chief legislative analyst (CLA), with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), report on the feasibility of diverting 28 types of calls identified by the Los Angeles Police Protective League in its released statement to the press on March 1.

The report should include: An analysis of each call identified, including entities with the jurisdiction, expertise and capacity to respond absent an LAPD first response; and an overview

of communication systems and dispatch capacity needed to allow for diversion of calls to appropriate responders, including personnel, equipment and training. He further moved that CLA, with the assistance of the LAPD, city attorney, and any other departments as necessary, report on the feasibility of deploying non-sworn civilian first responders to 9-1-1 calls for service that do not require an armed response and identify potential departments, including any authority required for civilian responders to enforce city laws and an overview of any calls for service legally requiring a sworn response by a law enforcement officer or another first responder.

McOsker Calls for More Parking

On March 3, McOsker moved the city council to call on the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of City Planning, to prepare a parking study of Downtown San Pedro to assess the area’s parking needs, including an inventory of existing parking, an evaluation of current and future parking needs, recommendations for improving parking management, such as the implementation of diagonal street parking and other creative solutions.

McOsker’s call for the parking study comes

[See RepWatch, p. 5]

Sidewalk Neglect in Harbor City

of points to each requested area. If a requested area is in a residential area, it gets 15 points; if it’s within 500 feet of a bus or transit stop, it gets 15 points; and if it’s been in the queue for more than 120 days, it also receives 15 points. All three can stack, and the highest a requested area can have is 45 points.

Public works representatives said that Del Amo and Harbor Boulevard has 15 points, as does Harbor and 208th, and Harbor and 209th. The intersections of Harbor with 204th, 206th and 207th streets have 30 points each.

“Currently, the estimated wait time for completion of an Access Request with a score of 30 is in excess of 10 years,” public works representatives wrote via email. “This is subject to change.”

Public works representatives said that the sidewalk repair program receives requests daily, about 70 a month.

“We currently have over 3,500 eligible Access Requests,” the public works representatives wrote.

Even though the streets do not receive street cleaning on a regular basis, the city did clean the streets in the area in early February. Thomas says this is because he sent an email about a lack of street cleaning to McOsker and other city representatives.

“Normally what happens … is that the trucks come around to ticket and tow, which they’re supposed to do that, and they never ticket and tow,” Thomas said.

Thomas said that instead, the tow trucks simply move on to another area, because there are too many cars parked on the street for the street sweepers.

“They always kind of give a pass to this area,” Thomas said. “And of course, that’s why we don’t get the services.”

Thomas sent the email to city officials be-

cause he saw signs stating there was going to be street sweeping on 206th Street — but Thomas was unsure if it was going to happen. But the day after he sent the email, the city cleaned the streets.

“I shouldn’t have to be that proactive,” Thomas said. “These are things that we deserve, these are things that we need, but the neighborhood has never been more neglected.”

Gilchrist gave a possible explanation for this.

“Throughout this city, unfortunately, not all council districts have equal distribution or access to street cleanings,” Gilchrist wrote. “In CD15 only a third of our streets are currently posted for cleanings. We’d like to explore a program to have street sweeping on a more regular and equitable basis.”

Public works representatives said that 205th Street has a posted route, and gets swept on a biweekly basis.

“The current posted route network has remained in place for many years; due to personnel constraints, StreetsLA has not been able to add any additional streets to the network,” the public works representatives wrote.

Public works representatives said that the previously mentioned streets are not part of the posted routes.

“Those streets are part of what we call “open routes,” which are swept when resources are available,” the public works representatives wrote. “If there is a particular block that is in need of cleaning, StreetsLA is able to send a sweeper to perform a one-time special sweeping. The Bureau is more than happy to work with local community partners on this type of effort.”

Thomas said there are a lot of families and elderly people in the area.

“I have like three or four veterans that live on our block,” Thomas said. “One of the guys, he doesn’t want to cross the street, because … he’s an older guy, it’s too hard.”

The city finalized an agreement with disability advocates in 2016 in a case called Willits v. the City of Los Angeles. As part of the agreement, the city agreed to pay $1.37 billion over the course of 30 years to fix broken sidewalks, curb ramps and other pedestrian issues.

In November 2021, the current city controller, Ron Galperin, released a report detailing the problems with the city’s strategy for fixing sidewalks.

At the time of the report’s writing, the city had repaired sidewalks at 2,100 sites under the Willits settlement. This is only a fraction of the sites that need repairs. In addition, the city also started a “fix and release” policy in 2016, with the intent of fixing all the sidewalks in the city. After the Public Works Department’s Bureau of Engineering fixes a parcel of sidewalk, the bureau releases a certificate of compliance. According to the controller’s 2021 report, only 4,879 certificates had been released. The report estimated that Los Angeles has about 640,000 parcels of sidewalk.

The report argued that part of the problem was that the city was repairing entire parcels of sidewalk where only a portion of the parcel has a defect, even though the ADA and the Willits settlement do not require this.

“Just because people aren’t engaged, don’t vote, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve services in the streets, to have handicap ramps,” Thomas said. “That is unacceptable.”

REP Watch

as multiple developments have come online over the past few years, from commercial to residential units in downtown San Pedro and the LA Waterfront. This resurgence has spurred local and visitor traffic, leading to greater demand for parking.

McOsker specifically identified the development that is about to be raised at the former San Pedro courthouse into a high-rise apartment building, which eliminated a surface parking lot, at a loss of 80 spaces that served customers of the nearby shops and restaurants.

Barragán and Cardin Call for Medicare to Cover Dental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 6, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) reintroduced legislation that would extend comprehensive dental health benefits to all adults who rely on Medicaid, replacing the current state-by-state system and providing mandatory dental coverage to all of the nearly 48 million adults currently on Medicaid.

The congresswoman noted that dental care should not be a luxury and that adding mandatory adult dental coverage to Medicaid will make it accessible for millions of low-income individuals across the country and allow them to get the care they need, regardless of where they live.

“Dental health is critical to overall health,” she said. “Expanding dental coverage to all adults who rely on Medicaid is vital to reducing health disparities.”

Poor oral health can make chronic conditions

such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke more difficult and expensive to manage. Among adults facing cost barriers to dental care, racial disparities have widened in the last decade and barriers to accessing dental care are among the most overlooked examples of health disparities. Adults with low incomes; Black, Hispanic, and other people of color; tribal communities; people with disabilities; and those in rural America face the steepest barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable dental services. This kind of healthcare barrier has forced nearly twice as many Black and Latino American adults to suffer from untreated cavities than white adults.

The Medicaid Dental Benefits Act would require state Medicaid programs to provide mandatory adult dental and oral health services. At a minimum, this bill would require state Medicaid programs to provide coverage to prevent and treat disease, promote oral health, restore oral structures to health and function, reduce pain, and treat emergency conditions. This coverage would include: routine diagnostic and preventive care including but not limited to dental cleanings, exams, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, X-rays and other necessary services; basic dental services such as fillings and extractions and major dental services such as root canals, crowns, restorations and both complete and partial dentures including adjustments, repairs and relines; emergency dental care; Temporomandibular (TMD) and orofacial pain disorder treatment; other necessary services related to dental and oral health (as defined by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services).

San Pedro Mom and Daughter Head to Capitol Hill

Harbor Area teen, Jurnee Weaver, a Principal’s Honor Roll freshman at San Pedro High School Gifted Magnet School was the first and only teenager to be invited to speak during a Women’s History month event on Capitol Hill,

Washington D.C. hosted by the Women Veterans Public Policy Caucus March 16.

Dr. Felicia Banks Weaver leads the West Coast Delegation of Women heading to Capitol Hill where she will represent the West Coast as a keynote speaker.

Each year during Women’s History Month, the Women Veterans Delegation hosts Public Policy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. The event provides women veterans, active-duty military women and military family members an opportunity to visit with their elected representatives, learn more about the legislative process, learn about civic leadership in America, and provide their input to members of Congress about the reallife, ongoing trials and triumphs of America’s military women and military families.

Newly elected Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA 37) will give the welcoming address.

Dr. Banks is a 23-year Army veteran and chairperson of USC LA Veterans Collaborative Military Families. She also worked with Inglewood Mayor James Butts’ office to host the only

LA event honoring the WWII 6888th all women army battalion after she fought for the women to receive The Congressional Gold Medal signed by President Joe Biden March 2022. She also

Jurnee Weaver is a product of San Pedro Schools (Leland, Dana and now SPHS Magnet). She has a life of service feeding homeless vets on Skid Row, developing programs to provide clothing for homeless children. Jurnee is passionate about expanding STEAM resources for kids. She plays soccer and is enrolled in Honors Animation. Her goal is to have a career at NASA.

Jurnee Weaver, local teen who spoke at Women’s History month event, poses with Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA 30). Photo courtesy of Dr. Felicia Banks

Trust — A Greater Value than Money

Politicians and pundits are always shocked when banks fail, but they shouldn’t be

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

In Donald Trump’s 2020 state of the union speech, he derided what he cast as a drift toward “socialism” in the Democratic Party.

“Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. ... Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country,” he said, prompting applause from congressional Republicans as they stared at the Democratic side of the House chamber. This, after he signed the biggest rollback of bank regulations since the 2008 global financial crisis. Until Trump came along, the Dodd-Frank Act required the Federal Reserve Fed scrutinize banks with assets valued at $50 billion or more.

Interestingly enough, Gregory W. Becker, the CEO of the now failed Silicon Valley Bank, was among those who lobbied to raise the regulatory threshold to $250 billion. Keep in mind that only 38 of the approximately 6,500 banks in the United States have assets exceeding $50 billion — the top fraction of a percent of banks. Becker along with the other techy libertarian free marketeers all believe that government regulations stifle innovations, never giving any thought to the value of protecting the public interests in the marketplace or the havoc they create when their investments turn sour.

One has to wonder exactly what Trump, the Silicon Valley billionaires and his MAGA supporters don’t get about the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Social Security, Medicare, free public education . All of these and more are

a form of “socialized” protections for the people of this nation. Actually, when you come to think about it, public health, police and fire departments as well as libraries are all government-owned enterprises. So why should banking be any different? The money that they use is printed by the U.S. Treasury and backed by the full faith the U.S. government will continue in perpetuity — a faith enshrined in the antiquated words “In God We Trust” on the dollar bill. Perhaps it should say “In the People We Trust” because when you get down to it, it’s the people through this government that creates the trust and backs up the value.

If the Federal Reserve Bank and U.S. Treasury had not stepped in to guarantee de-

posits following the failure of Silicon Valley bank, there would have been a significant collapse in trust. But oddly enough, it will be the Fed’s own rate hikes that will be seen as the cause of the bank’s collapse along with speculation on risky investments. What caused the run on these two banks is the “panic” to withdraw cash. In the case of Silicon Valley bank it was $42 billion in 48 hours! Nobody has that much cash locked up in their vaults except the U.S. Treasury. However, financial panics are contagious, just like pandemics, but caused by the psychology of distrust in the marketplace. Simply put, it’s caused by fear. And the history of this country is punctuated with panics and depressions dating all the way back to The Panic of 1819, followed by another one in 1837 and then 1873 and 1907.

After the last one of these, the Federal Reserve was created to stem the tide of these panics in which all depositors lost everything. Then came the stock market crash of 1929 after a decade long binge on Wall Street speculations commonly known as the Roaring ‘20s and the banks failed again. In all, 9,000 banks failed — taking with them $7 billion in depositors’ assets. In today’s dollars you could add several zeros to realize the significance of this disaster. In the 1930s, there was no such thing as deposit insurance — this was a New Deal-era reform. When a bank failed, the depositors were simply left penniless. The life savings of millions of Americans were wiped out by the bank failures.

When President Franklin Roosevelt instituted a banking holiday in 1933, all banks were ordered to cease operations until they were deemed solvent. This was the beginning of the end of the bank runs, but the pain was far from over, but it was the beginning of the end of bank runs and since the 1933 creation of the FDIC, no depositor has lost a penny when a bank has failed — bank investors suffer the losses.

Roosevelt was called a socialist for this and for Social Security too, as well as the Works Progress Administration. But most of this created a new economic foundation for America and one that the working classes have supported ever since. It’s the one percenters who castigate this as “communism” or “creeping socialism” and yet what it has

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

Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya

“A

—Mark Twain Vol. XLIIII : No. 6

Random Lengths News is a publication of Beacon Light Press, LLC

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach.

done is protect the vast majority of people from having their life savings ripped off by unscrupulous and unregulated market speculations.

The bottom line is that the value of money is not based on the numerical denominations on the dollar, but whether there is trust in the system to freely transact business knowing that a dollar is a dollar and that when you go to pay your bills that the vendor and the banks will accept your payments as legal tender and that there’s actually money in your bank.

Without trust, all of this is just fancy printed paper, plastic cards and a bunch of numbers on your bank statement — the problem with cryptocurrency is that it is not backed by the full trust

of anything at all.

In the end... after all the free market apologists are done wringing their hands and scratching their behinds — the Franklin Deleno Roosevelt quote used during his inaugural address as he assumed the presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, remains true to this day... “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

I might add that we also have to fear billionaires who are prone to wild speculations, exaggerated numbers on their spreadsheets and disgraced former elected politicians who use “socialism” as a scare tactic to persuade people from voting against their own best interests!

Journalistic Malpractice on Trial

the Dominion Voting System tells us about how the media sacrificed their credibility to partisan falsehoods

By Nolan Higdon

“This is direct evidence of knowing falsity” exclaimed RonNell Anderson Jones, professor of law at the University of Utah, in a February 2023 interview with Jon Stewart. Jones noted that in most defamation cases “the likelihood that you will find evidence of them [news outlets] saying, ‘We know this is a lie and we would like to move forward with it anyway is deeply unlikely.’” However, in the case of Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News, “the filing contains just this trove of evidence of emails and text messages and internal memos that are ‘rare’ both in terms of the ‘volume of the evidence and as to the directness of the evidence.’” This sentiment was echoed by Harvard law professor Laurence

Columnists/Reporters Melina Paris Assistant Editor/Arts Hunter Chase Community News Reporter

Fabiola Esqueda Visual Journalist/ Social Media Director

Tribe, who noted, “I have never seen a defamation case with such overwhelming proof that the defendant admitted in writing that it was making up fake information in order to increase its viewership and its revenues.”

In the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, Dominion Voting Systems accuses Fox News Channel of falsely reporting that Dominion’s voting machines fraudulently delivered victory to Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Court documents obtained by other media outlets reveal that hosts and other high-ranking Fox News Channel officials — including the chairman and CEO of Fox’s parent company news

[continued on following page]

Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com

Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com

Internship Program Director Zamná Àvila

Photographers Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Harry Bugarin, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva Contributors Mark Friedman, Nolan Hidon, Ari LeVaux, Greggory Moore

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newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.”

What

We Need to Talk About Fox News

In a stunning development, we now know that Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the media empire that owns Fox News, admitted under oath that Fox hosts “endorsed” Donald Trump’s Big Lie on air despite knowing full well that the claims were false.

This latest bombshell comes on the heels of other documents in the same lawsuit against Fox documenting Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and other top Fox hosts and executives privately in text messages and emails calling the Trump team’s claims of voting irregularities “mind blowing nuts,” “insane,” “shockingly reckless,” and “dangerous as hell.”

Of course, those same hosts then became a megaphone for the Big Lie—spreading the Big Lie to millions of viewers—all in pursuit of ratings and revenue.

We cannot underestimate how destructive Fox News is to our country. President Joe Biden has called Murdoch “the most dangerous man in the world.” And he’s right.

Robert Reich

Former U.S. Secretary of Labor

[from previous page]

Malpractice

A Sick Joke

Ha, ha! I saw the ad for the Los Angeles County gun buyback. What a sick joke! Taxpayer funds are going to be spent to gather what? Old, non-functioning junk?

$200 for a long gun? That’s about 1/10 what they’re worth. So, taxpayers are going to be told some ridiculous story about the hundreds of guns that were collected, but most of them probably don’t work.

Ralph J. Ortolano San Pedro

Sixth Street Sign is About as Visionary as SP Can Get

James, I just read your article on the “sign” proposal and was reminded just how bad San Pedro is and how they (almost everyone there) always seem to do the political or “normal” thing rather than anything really new, boldly different or special for 6th Street. Arts district my ass. Only when you rid that special area of typical ideas, cars and plain old blacktop, will it become all that it could be. Walkable up to Pacific — anytime.

If you want, please be my guest and thrust forward an idea I also put forward back in 2007. See if you get any response. I dare you.

Richard Pawlowski Oregon

corporation, Rupert Murdoch — knew these reports were false, but aired them because they were more concerned with confirming their audience’s belief that Donald Trump won the election.

The evidence presented in the court documents speaks to the journalistic malpractice that plagues the cable news industry. Journalistic malpractice refers to professional journalists who privilege ideological bias and profits over truth in their reporting. Fox News Channel is patient zero for the plague of journalistic malpractice. It was created in 1996 by Rupert Murdoch and the late Roger Ailes, a media consultant for several Republican presidents, as a political project to sell conservative culture and policy to the American public with pro-conservative propaganda disguised as journalism.

Liberals were right to assert that such chicanery was propaganda, not journalism. But before liberal readers scold Fox News viewers, they should remind themselves that the plague of journalistic malpractice has also infected the liberal leaning cable networks such as CNN and MSNBC. Researchers and scholars have noted that the advent of cable and then the internet saw news media outlets shift from attaining the largest audience possible to focusing on a more specific or narrow demographic of the audience. While Fox News Channel sought to cater to Republican Party voting viewers, CNN and MSNBC did the same for Democratic Party voters.

This gave the Democratic Party influence over programming that was tantamount to what the Republican Party long enjoyed at Fox.

The partisan falsehoods in cable news includes the production of powerful, long-running false stories designed to convince their audiences that the other party is wrong and crazy. For years now, conservatives and Fox News Channel perpetuated the baseless Q’Anon conspiracy, which alleges that a cabal of Satan-worshiping

pedophiles — mainly in the Democratic Party — runs global affairs but Trump will break up the conspiracy. The absurdity of this conspiracy is tantamount to liberal leaning news media’s reporting on Russiagate, which sought to discredit Republicans. Since 2016, Russiagate — the story that Russia meddled in and influenced the outcome of the U.S. election in 2016, had direct connections to Donald Trump and his associates, and worked to help defeat Hillary Clinton for the presidency — was perpetuated by a series of false stories from Democratic Partyfriendly media.

Conservatives rightly see this reporting and believe liberals are insane. Both factions need to look in a mirror. While audiences can clearly see the insanity in other networks’ viewers, they rarely seem to see it in themselves.

Without a robust media system that privileges truth over preaching to the choir, the public will have endless debates devoid of facts on key issues such as critical race theory, vaccine efficacy, the origins of the COVID-19 virus, climate change, transgender issues, Ukraine, mysterious balloons, and more.

While the courts are unlikely to deliver solace from political party propaganda disguised as journalism, they have provided some wisdom. Both Rachel Maddow and Tucker Carlson, of MSNBC and Fox News Channel respectively, have been brought to court for spreading false information and were exonerated because the judges concluded that no reasonable person would believe either of them were telling the truth. That is good advice, and viewers would be wise to remember it every time they consider watching cable news.

Nolan Higdon is an author and university lecturer at Merrill College and the education department at University of California, Santa Cruz. Higdon’s areas of concentration include podcasting, digital culture, news media history, and critical media literacy. Higdon is a regular contributor to Savage Minds and a Project Censored national judge.

China Shipping Conflict Continues

could ‘only’ set aside the SEIR was wrong as a matter of law.”

• “The Port’s greenhouse gas fund measure fails to meet CEQA’s standards.”

• “The Port’s deletion of the drayage truck mitigation measure without any replacement violates CEQA.”

• “The Port violated CEQA by failing to adopt all feasible mitigation for the vessel speed reduction program.”

• “The Port’s rejection of a zero-emission demonstration project for top handlers and large forklifts [violated CEQA because it] was not supported by substantial evidence.”

• “The Port improperly ignored requests to appoint an independent third party to monitor compliance with mitigation measures.”

Underlying these arguments is a profound difference in perspective. CEQA requires all feasible mitigation. To eliminate mitigation measures, or reject replacements, CEQA requires substantial evidence that it wasn’t feasible. While POLA claims to have done so, NRDC and AQMD disagree. They view the case historically, as the latest chapter in a 20+ year saga, for a 40-year project, with a seven to 12-year zero-emission target and a “rapidly changing technological landscape.” This unique set of facts conditions what counts as feasible, which CEQA defines as “capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time.” POLA interprets the italicized words narrowly, ignoring the special circumstances that NRDC and AQMD see as central to the case. For example, regarding drayage trucks, AQMD specifically argues, “The Port used an unlawfully narrow

definition of feasible by omitting the time component required by the statute.”

Here’s a summary of the specific arguments on each side:

Remedy

NRDC and AQMD argue that the remedy ruling was wrong as a matter of law, which gives the appeal court the power to review it “de novo” — without deference to the trial court’s decision as if the case was being heard for the first time.

POLA argues that “CEQA affords the trial court discretion to tailor writ relief,” which the court did “properly.” Thus the appellate court should not review it “de novo,” but only consider if the court abused its discretion.

But if it’s wrong as a matter of law, that’s a judicial error, not an abuse of discretion.

It sounds hyper-technical, but it all boils down to this: should POLA — and China Shipping — be required to follow the law?

“The Port does not—and cannot—show how a requirement to implement mitigation at the conclusion of a new SEIR process years from now remedies the CEQA violation of the Terminal operating without full mitigation today,” AQMD wrote. “Because the trial court did not adopt a remedy that requires CEQA compliance, that remedy is deficient.”

Greenhouse Gasses

NRDC argues that “The Port’s greenhouse gas fund [lease] measure fails to meet CEQA’s standards,” saying that, “First, the amount is woefully insufficient” — $2 million to pay for one year of CO2 emissions (2030) at “the current

[2019] market value of carbon credits ($15.62)” which “leaves the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from the decades-long project unmitigated.” In short, “The Port does not explain why China Shipping should pay for only a single year’s worth of climate effects, rather than for all years’ worth.” And, “Second, the measure is also flawed because it lacks sufficient restrictions on where any offsets may come from, and accordingly fails to ensure those offsets are real, ‘enforceable,’ and ‘not otherwise required.’”

POLA’s “kings X” defense argues that none of that matters, because it’s a lease measure, not evaluated as a mitigation measure, thus not covered by CEQA, and it talks about the other greenhouse gas measures it has.

In response, NRDC calls that “semantic maneuvering [that] fails to relieve the Port of its duty to comply with CEQA,” noting that “the record shows that the Port found such payments to constitute feasible mitigation for the project’s significant greenhouse gas emissions … in its Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations.”

Vessel Speed Reduction

AQMD argues that POLA “violated CEQA by failing to adopt all feasible mitigation for the vessel speed reduction program,” specifically by lowering the required compliance rate from 100% to 95% for ships within 40 nautical miles.

POLA argued that the original requirement was dropped because it “determined that 100% compliance is operationally infeasible because it failed to take into account conditions outside of the control of the Terminal operator or other issues.” It also pointed to the historical compliance record.

AQMD responded that “Under the Port’s constricted interpretation of ‘feasibility,’ the SEIR would only require mitigation that would uphold China Shipping’s existing pattern of environmental negligence.” It also pointed out that “other major terminals have already determined 100% VSRP compliance to be feasible under CEQA,” and that “the Terminal’s own data tracks rising VSRP compliance over time. … In fact, China Shipping achieved greater than 95% compliance in four of the last six years included in the administrative record.” What’s more, AQMD argued, “even assuming 100% is infeasible, the compliance rate could have been set at 98%, the rate actually achieved at the Terminal.”

Drayage Trucks

AQMD argues that POLA’s “deletion of the drayage truck mitigation measure without any re-

placement violates CEQA” and that it “used an unlawfully narrow definition of ‘feasible’ to reject every near-zero or zero-emission technology to mitigate drayage truck emissions,” specifically by “entirely disregarding the phrase ‘within a reasonable period of time.’”

POLA chose to emphasize something else, arguing that AQMD “ignores that ‘feasibility’ under CEQA is defined as ‘capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account economic, environmental, social, and technological factors,’” [emphasis added] adding, “Here, the evidence shows, when the SEIR was prepared, the technology was simply not there yet for Terminal-specific implementation, but there was a foundation for a Port-wide program.”

As noted above, AQMD countered this argument by focusing on the “reasonable period of time.” While POLA had argued that feasibility “is not an open-ended inquiry,” AQMD noted that “importantly zero-emission drayage technology has a precise end point—100% by 2035—that the Port itself set in its 2017 Clean Air Action Plan.”

Cargo-Handling Equipment

NRDC argues that POLA’s “rejection of a zero-emission demonstration project for top handlers and large forklifts was not supported by substantial evidence.”

POLA argued that — except for smallcapacity five-ton forklifts — “zero-emissions cargo handling equipment are … not commercially or technically viable, or not yet a demonstrated, proven technology for the specialized needs of a marine terminal,” and that it was supported by substantial evidence.

But NRDC argued that “If anything, current infeasibility only bolsters the argument for demonstration projects,” particularly “[given the unique facts of this case—the rapidly changing technological landscape, the 40-year life of the project, and the Port’s own goal of all zero-emission cargo handling equipment by 2030,” plus the fact that demonstration projects were already scheduled at the Ports of LA and Long Beach as of 2018.

A key point of contention was what counted as “a reasonable period of time” for technology to become feasible. POLA defined

Janet Gunter, one of the original plaintiffs in the China Shipping litigation listens to the late Andrew Mardesich discuss the issues of port pollution in 2009. File photo [See China Shipping, p. 15]

Hybrid production takes theater in new direction

By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor

Known for its innovative visual, performing and media arts, it’s only fitting that REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) and CalArts Center for New Performance in February co-presented Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side. Written by award-winning playwright, lecturer and author Adrienne Kennedy (91), the play and this production challenged conventional expectations of theater.

Adrienne Kennedy is one of the American theater’s seminal writers. Funnyhouse of a Negro, which premiered in 1964 and won an Obie Award is still her best known and most frequently mounted play. Kennedy utilizes symbolism and dreamlike conditions to convey messages about racism, sexism, colonialism and other destructive forces. Her stories also incorporate her own personal history and feature Black women as protagonists.

Kennedy has authored about two dozen plays in her six decade career. According to New York Theater critic Jonathan Mandell, in referencing a series of her plays put on in the 2022 New York Theater Festival, they are more frequently studied than produced, as Kennedy herself has complained. Kennedy’s work is admired but many of her plays are difficult for directors to stage — and for audiences to absorb. Her work has been called dark, difficult and abstract. However, at the age of 91, Kennedy made her Broadway debut in December with her play, Ohio State Murders (1992).

In this production, Etta and Ella Harrison are talented academics on the Upper West Side — as well as sisters and rivals. After a lifetime of competition, they are on the verge of destroying each other.

This story has been called baffling. It raises questions that could have varied, ambiguous answers - if at all. In fact, the script reads like a narration which was, at first, puzzling until it became clear this is how the production is staged, with the characters

narrating as well as acting. However, amidst the raw emotion and psychological aspects at this story’s core between sisters — Etta, intense and vulnerable and Ella, smooth and confident — and director Monty Cole’s merging of theater and film, a lucid struggle between freedom and madness emerges.

In honor of Kennedy’s rhythmic language and calling back to the original movie houses, the play opens with live pianist Maleke Clemmons who plays a beautiful, melancholic solo. Clemmons later, also commands attention with his velvety baritone when he sings an old spiritual song.

Etta calls Harold Troupe. She leaves a message on his machine.

“I want to talk to you about a coming murder Harold,” said Etta. Troupe is a writer and professor at City College. His books are on Black music and he’s compiling an anthology on Negro Spirituals. Etta lives across 89th Street in a brownstone in a room Troupe can see from his office. Sometimes Etta leaves five messages a night on Troupe’s machine.

While this is happening, sister Ella moves about the stage providing narration — along with some background; Troupe’s stature [handsome, melancholy] and his taste for bacon cheeseburgers. About Etta and her voice message on Troupe’s machine, Ella satirizes her sister.

“Not only did she teach and write, she sometimes acted in her own plays. Her desperate voice is dramatic.”

Through Troupe’s narrative we discover Etta is angry that Ella has written a story about her sister’s devastating years in college, garnering much attention and even selling it to television. Yet, the press barely noticed Etta’s version of her own life

[See Etta & Ella, p. 11]

Ella (Tori Danner) and Etta (Sarajean Francois) in Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side. Photo courtesy of REDCAT

y son Remy was supposed to bring cheese and crackers for the ski team potluck, so of course he wanted to bring California Rolls. It was a lot more work, but a good idea. Everyone loves California Rolls. And I am well-trained in making them.

The California Roll is actually from Canada. Japanese-born Chef Hidekazu Tojo first served it in the 1970s at Jinya, a restaurant in Vancouver. Tojo wanted a sushi roll that would appeal to a North American audience that was often skeptical of eating seaweed and raw fish. He concealed the seaweed by rolling it with the rice on the outside, and he used fake crab and avocado to mimic the experience of eating raw tuna. Originally called the “Inside Out Roll,” the staff at Jinya noticed that guests from California were especially enthusiastic about it, so they changed the name.

I was Remy’s age when the California Roll was new and still exotic, but today it’s normal. My local supermarket stocks them pre-made, as well as every ingredient, including the imitation crab, a.k.a “krab.” This pink and white processed food is made from pollock, a fish that’s abundant in the cold, northern waters. The pollock fishery is so healthy that fake crab is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to eat ocean protein. Seaweed is light on the earth as well. It’s farmed in the ocean and needs neither soil, water nor fertilizer. Both ingredients deliver wild, umami-rich complexities.

I made my first California Roll in a sushi class when I was 15. We met one night a week for eight weeks. My teacher was disciplined and precise, like a martial arts master, and drilled us in the techniques, such as fanning the rice while you stir it. The California Roll was only a few years old at the time and was popular and revolutionary enough that we spent a class learning how to make this trendy roll. We used plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking to the bamboo mats as we rolled them inside out.

The rice gets mixed with a surprising amount of sugar, to balance the salt and vinegar that’s also there. Altogether, the sweet, salty and sour flavors in the rice alone account for three out of the five basic tastes. Bitterness is present in the California Roll from the seaweed

I Wish They All Could Be California Rolls

By Ari LeVaux, Ilash In the Pan Columnist

and wasabi. The fifth and final basic taste, umami, is in the seaweed, avocado, fake crab and soy sauce.

These universal flavors appeal to everyone, old and new, including those who don’t purport to love sushi. At the potluck at the base of the chairlift, Remy’s rolls were the toast of the party. Kids were running around in their ski boots with their fists full of sushi rolls, and the platter was quickly wiped clean.

Sushi Rice

This is how we made rice in sushi class. You will need a pot with a lid, a large mixing bowl, and a wide, thin, wooden, or plastic spoon. And you will need a fan, or some type of flat, lightweight object to wave at the rice – a large Tupperware lid works well. Makes 8 rolls

Two cups sushi rice (short grain, Japanese)

½ cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

Rinse the rice in the pot by covering it with water in a pot and sloshing it around with your fingers. When the water gets milky with rice starch, dump it and replace it. Do this as many times as necessary until the water runs clear. Drain the rice of all rinse water, and place it in a pot with 1 ¾ cups of water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Put it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high for five minutes. Then turn it down to medium-low for 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, dissolve the salt and sugar in the vinegar in a bowl. It will take some stirring with a whisk or fork.

Eating on a Budget

Everybody Seems to Have a Favorite Struggle Meal

By Micah Smith, Editorial Intern

Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of my money, but my parents sheltered me from this knowledge. The only time I ever suspected that there wasn’t $800,000 tucked away in our attic was when I’d swing open the refrigerator door. We definitely had more food than we needed to survive, but it was rarely choice cuts and salmon filets. Often it was ramen noodles, hotdogs (in a folded slice of white bread), lunchmeat, bread, peanut butter, jelly, and maybe a bag of chips and some TV dinners inside what was otherwise a pretty barren kitchen. The internet refers to these types of entrées as “struggle meals,” things you eat when you don’t have a lot of money.

I decided to reach out to members of the San Pedro community to see if we have shared experiences and what types of struggle meals they ate during times when things were tight.

“We always wanted cookies and stuff, but my mom only bought real food,” said Sheryl Cateras, whose mother followed the same pragmatic plan for buying groceries that mine did as a child.

“My mom did a lot of rice, chicken and rice, neckbones and rice,” Cateras said. “She’s from the south, so they grew up with a big family.

“We never starved, but we would open the fridge and see the same things in there and close it like, ‘Dang! It ain’t nothing here to eat,’” Cat-

Transfer the rice to a large bowl, ideally a wooden bowl. Then, with one hand fanning the rice, use the flat spoon with your other hand to slice into the rice and fluff it. Always slide it into the rice edge first, and be careful not to mush the rice. You will see the steam flying from the fan. Keep fanning until there is no more visible steam. Pour the sweet and salty vinegar over the rice, and gently slice it in with the flat spoon until mixed.

Let it cool to room temperature.

California Rolls

To roll you will need a bamboo sushi mat, available in large supermarkets, or Asian supermarkets, or online. And a sharp knife. If you want to roll it inside out, you will also need plastic wrap.

2 cups prepared rice, as above, cooled to room temperature

1 package of nori seaweed

1 12-ounce package of imitation crab, preferably in stick form

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into long, thin pieces

eras said.

“Grilled cheese!” exclaimed her nephew Brandon over her shoulder.

Nineteen-year-old Carlos Murray shared his experience with struggle meals.

“Sandwiches bro. Two pieces of bread and some ham, then I’d get some chips and put those on the sandwich too,” Murray said.

“We didn’t really have anything, just eggs and bread lying around and ham, so I was just like you know what? I’m going to make some sandwiches, and I’d eat like five of those a day when I was younger,” Murray said.

I recommend putting chips on the sandwich. Nacho cheese Doritos and Jalapeño Kettle Cooked Lay’s are solid choices.

Being a child and rooting around for something good to eat due to not being able to order takeout or go to the store is revisited in university, if one chooses to take that pathway. I am a college student and work to provide food for myself. This is a big responsibility that I need to budget my money in order to maintain. I find myself in the same place when I was once a small child at times, opening the refrigerator door for the third time in an hour hoping a Wendy’s 4 for $4 will appear if I concentrate hard enough.

2 avocados, cut into long, thin pieces

Optional: mayo

Soy sauce and wasabi for serving

In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup each of rice vinegar and water. Use this to keep your hands wet so the rice won’t stick to them. Wet the end of the sushi roll to seal it, and wet the knife to keep the rice from sticking to it when you cut the rolls.

Lay a sheet of nori on a rolling mat. Spread a third of a cup of cooked rice over two-thirds of a sheet, leaving the final three inches blank.

If you want to make inside-out California Rolls, flip the riced nori onto a piece of plastic wrap, atop the sushi mat.

Pull a stick of fake crab in half, the long way along the grain. Lay the two pieces end to end across the middle of the rice, flanked by cucumber, avocado, and mayo. Carefully curl the mat around the sushi so the rice goes all around the contents, squeezing the mat as you roll it a little bit at a time, keeping everything as tight as you can.

Wet the knife with vinegar water and slice each roll into 6-8 pieces. (If you rolled it inside out, peel off the plastic before slicing.)

I’m not alone in this struggle, however. I met Richard McCarthy, a graduate college student who prioritized cost-effective eating while studying at school.

“Pasta sauce, rice, spaghetti, you can buy 50 friggin’ pounds of rice for like $14 today, so it was even cheaper back then,” McCarthy said.

In any form they come in, God’s gift of provisions is an enormous blessing. Eating rice five nights a week out of necessity is still something to be grateful for. It is just easy to lose sight of why you should be grateful while you are experiencing hard times.

“I had siblings, and my mom had three jobs, so we weren’t really starving but sometimes supplies were low,” said Shanar Williams, a man who reminisces on his upbringing very fondly.

“Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with banana, we had to get creative,” Williams said.

Regardless, though, he expressed gratitude for his upbringing and the fact that he never went without.

“Us and our neighbors were so family oriented that we could go to our neighbors if we didn’t have what we needed. I had a good childhood,” Williams said.

My heart was warmed by his appreciative-

A slice of California Roll, photo by Ari LeVaux. Above, sushi rice mixed with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, file photo

Etta and Ella at REDCAT

story. Troupe has respect for Etta but he had forgotten about the sisters in recent years, who weren’t prominent anymore in his circle.

He recalled seeing Etta, who was once beautiful, on Broadway at the bookstore. She looked hopeless and her dress was careless. A huge contrast from the dazzling suits she and her sister used to wear.

He had been surprised to discover Etta was a member of the Vanishing

answers, then perhaps an understanding.

I mention this to note the novelty at the core of Kennedy’s dreamlike, intense play and Cole’s harnessing that juxtaposition into this hybrid stage/ film noir production. Cole’s cinematic approach provides an intricate blend of monologue, dialogue, voiceover and prose in a work that is part experimental play, part narrative thriller.

Through his film noir, Cole has created another character by way of an on stage

screen. Just like the movies, but the screen is cloaked in a sheer, pleated curtain adding to the dreamlike narrative where subtle emotions are perceptible. The actors (Tori DannerElla, Sarajean Francois - Etta and Wesley T. Jones - Troupe) perform narration on film that, at times, suddenly transform into real time action — on stage.

of an Obie Award for Sleep Deprivation Chamber, which she co-authored with her son Adam. Other awards include a Guggenheim Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature, the 1990 American

Book Award, and induction into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2018, for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater.

Details: centerfornewperformance.org and redcat.org/events/2023/etta-andella

Literary Club. Troupe recalls how the successful sisters had written together and over time, it became impossible to distinguish their experiences, thus creating their turmoil. The sisters write from experiences in their own lives — and accuse the other of plagiarizing from each other. They use the same character names and they even fight over the same name, Suzanne, for their characters. They had both planned to write separate books about their brother and each had the idea of holding imaginary conversations with him.

Both wear their hair in an “upswept style” and they even wear the same costume, a floral black and white smock and white sneakers. Later, the sisters make one costume change, into identical black evening dresses.

Taking this all in, curiosity overwhelms you. Is Etta haunted by her sister, this apparition? Was she murdered? Does Ella exist or was she created in Etta’s mind? Is she part of Etta’s psyche or a character in a story of hers?

Early in the play, you’re still not certain about any of this. These queries usher you deeper into the events that have formed Etta’s precarious subconscious. A rabbit hole that becomes the hook, leaving you determined to discover, if not

To experience Cole’s effective use of dual mediums with seamless technicality and the actors’ fluidity between stage and screen — highlighted via musical score/ soundtrack — unleashes the imagination. Indeed, this experience embodies theater anew through intimate and multifaceted encounters.

Monty Cole is an award-winning theater and film writer-director based in Chicago, Illinois.

He has directed for The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Center Theatre Group, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, CalArts Center for New Performance, Alley Theatre, American Blues Theater, and many others. He is an Artist in Residence at CalArts Center for New Performance, a fellow at Hermitage Artist Retreat and a research scholar of the Bridge to Faculty at University of Illinois Chicago.

“Adrienne Kennedy is a masterful writer who creates beautiful puzzles, mysteries, nightmares, personal exorcisms that exist within their own understanding of time,” said Cole in the program notes. “For this world premiere production of Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side, the creative team was interested in how we could build an experience that honored Adrienne Kennedy’s unique storytelling in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

Adrienne Kennedy is the recipient

Acclaimed playwright Adrienne Kennedy. Photo courtesy of Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater

MUSIC

March 17

The Bracken Band St. Paddy’s Party

This show features Irish jigs, misty moor ballads, rowdy rebel songs and traditional folk reels, led by Irish singer/guitarist Marian Tomas Griffin. Lyons Academy of Irish Dance will open the show.

Time: 8 p.m., March 17

Cost: $23 and up

Details: https://grandvision.org/ event/the-bracken-band-st-patricks-day-party/

Venue: The Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

March 22

What Makes It Great?

The award-winning composer Bill Kapilow has brought the joys and wonder of music to audiences with his What Makes It Great? presentations, which dissect and examine the mysteries of music in terms everyone can grasp. The evening concludes with part three, a spirited Q&A on the work.

Time: 7:30 p.m., March 22

Cost: $55

Details: 562-916-8500; www.cerritoscenter.com

Venue: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts,18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos

March 25

Bravo! Broadway

The Long Beach Symphony performs music from some of Broadway’s iconic musicals, including Funny Girl, The Wiz, Sweeney Todd, Lion King, Rent, Cabaret, Chicago, Westside Story, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Dreamgirls, Hello Dolly and The Tina Turner Musical.

Time: 8 p.m., March 25

Cost: $30 to $180

Details: 562-436-3203; LongBeachSymphony.org

Venue: Long Beach Arena Pacific Ballroom, 300 E. Ocean Ave., Long Beach

March 26

Spain and the New World

The Long Beach Camerata Singers continue their 57th season with a performance by the Catalyst Chamber Ensemble of Spain

and the New World. The concert will be performed by Camerata’s new all professional group, The Catalyst Chamber Ensemble.

Time: 4:30 p.m., March 26

Cost: $40 to $65

Details: www.LBCamerata.

org Venue: Los Altos United Methodist Church, 5950 E. Willow St., Long Beach

March 29

Grocer Philadelphia band Grocer prides itself on being truly DIY, often performing repeat visits and highlighting local bands. Two Long Beach locals, Jagged Jein and Slice, will join Grocer for the show.

Time: 9 p.m., March 29

Cost: $12.88 https://tinyurl. com/GrocerLB

Detail: https://tinyurl.com/ GrocerLB

Venue: Alex’s Bar, 2913 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach

March 30

Arnold Livingston Geis with Grant Gershon, Piano Geis has recently been seen on some of the top stages across the country, some of which include: Los Angeles Philharmonic/Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Hall, LA Opera and Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center.

Time: 8 p.m., March 30

Cost: $10 to $26

Details: https://elcaminotickets. universitytickets.com/w/

Venue: El Camino College, Campus Theater, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance

ENTERTAINMENT

March 18

Experience 38: ICONS

Drag performers from around Los Angeles will perform at El Segundo Museum of Art, taking inspiration from Experience 51:TIME and showcasing costumes and music from Rick Carter’s blockbuster filmography. Must be ages 18+ for entry.

Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 18

Cost: Free

Details: https://esmoa.org

Venue: ESMoA, 208 Main St., El Segundo

THEATER

March 16

Amélie the Musical

Amélie is a unique young woman who perceives the world in extraordinary ways. One day, she decides to do random acts of kindness to enrich the lives of the people around her.

Time: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and 3 p.m., Sunday March 10 to 26

Cost: $15 to $25

Details: https://tinyurl.com/amelie-the-musical

Venue: El Camino College, Campus Theater, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance

All in the Timing

This evening of comedies will remind you of a polished Pick of the Vine — combining wit, intellect, satire and just plain fun — served as a series of short plays.

Time: 8 p.m., Friday, Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday, March 10 to March 26

Cost: $20 to $30

Details: 310-512-6030 voicemail or text: 424-203-4707; https://tinyurl.com/all-in-the-timing

Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 S. Centre St., San Pedro March 17

Venus in Fur

Nothing is what it seems, yet everything we crave. Through the lens of power dynamics and gender roles the company explores the erotic longing of sexuality and desire, revealing the truth of the roles we play in our lives, and who we really are beneath our skin. The play runs March 17 to April 15.

Time: 8 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Cost: $18 to $30

Details: www.thegaragetheatre.

org

Venue: The Garage Theatre, 251 E. 7th St., Long Beach

COMEDY

March 21

Underground Comedy & Cabaret Show

For a night of laughter and excitement, check out this show. It features some up-and-coming comedians and Cabaret performances.

Time: 8 p.m., March 21, 28

Cost: $15

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Harvelles-comedy-and-cabaret

Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach, 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach

March 16

Helen Cammmock: I Will Keep My Soul

British artist Helen Cammock’s first exhibition in the United States features film, poetry, performance, archival documents and books rooted in the social history, ge-

ography and community of New Orleans. Helen Cammock: I Will Keep My Soul is a gathering of encounters and observations, figured in text and image, of her experiences in the city. In Collaboration with the California African American Museum, the show runs through Aug. 5.

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday

Cost: Free

Details: https://artandpractice. org/exhibitions

Venue: Art + Practice, 3401 W. 43rd Place, Los Angeles

Rock Records of the Future

Join a conversation with Richard Turner, Michael Davis and Paul Harris, the artists of Uplifting Tales and Eroded Histories. This ingallery event will explore the art of the exhibition and the science and history surrounding its inspiration, the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The exhibition, which runs to March 25, presents a speculative geohistory of the peninsula.

Time: Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays

Cost: Free

Details: Reservations: http:// ow.ly/tzly50N2oaj

Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro Connective Threads Fiber Art from Southern California Connective Threads, a survey of contemporary fiber art in Southern California, provides a window into what is currently engaging fiber artists, even as this discipline continues to evolve and change.

Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 28 to April 15

Cost: Free

Details: https://pvartcenter.org/ connective-threads

Venue: PVAC, 5504 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes

Lee Krasner: A Through Line

The exhibition provides a context to explore Lee Krasner’s important abstract paintings and collages from the 1940s to the early 1960s.

Time: 12 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, through May 19

Cost: Free

Details: www.csulb.edu/carolyncampagna-kleefeld-contemporary-art-museum

Venue: Carolyn Campagna

Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach

MOLAA Hosts Yolanda Gonzalez Exhibit

The Museum of Latin American Art hosts an in-depth exhibition of the Chicana artist Yolanda Gonzalez. Her work dates back to the 1980s and includes a variety of sculptures, paintings and prints in an exhibition called The Evolution of Visions and Dreams.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Feb. 19 to July 30

Cost: Free on Sunday, $15 general admission, $10 for students

Washed Ashore — Art to Save the Sea

This new exhibit features 16 largescale sculptures made from beach waste. Washed Ashore – Art to Save the Sea is a nonprofit organization committed to combating plastic pollution through art and education. The sculptures were built by the organization and its volunteers to inspire and spark changes in consumer habits. This exhibit provides education behind what’s possible to limit waste, particularly our single-plastic use.

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1.

Ongoing

Cost: Free with garden admission of $0 to $15, or adventure package for $29

Venue: Philippine Expressions Bookshop, 479 W. 6th St., Suite 105, San Pedro

FOOD

March 16

Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week

Featured eateries will offer a Long Beach Cambodian restaurant week special or offer $5, $10, $15 and $20 menus at participating Cambodian restaurants and food businesses.

Time: March 16 through March 23

Cost: $5 to $20 and specials

Details: https://cambodianrestaurantweeklb.com

and seniors

Details: https://molaa.org/2023yolanda-gonzalez

Venue: The Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach

March 18

Family Art Workshop Honoring

Corita Kent

In honor of Women’s History

Month, the March workshop will be celebrating the legacy of artist, educator and advocate for social justice Corita Kent. Angels Gate Cultural Center is joined by the Corita Art Center and Calimucho Screen Printing to make posters with messages inspired by her life and work.

Time: 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 18

Cost: Free

Details: Register at, https://tinyurl. com/printmaking-with-Corita

Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro

March 19

Fragments

The Long Beach Creative Group is hosting special events in connection with its current exhibit, Fragments, which features the outstanding work by students at the Cal State Art Department.

Time: 5 to 7 p.m., March 19

Cost: Free

Details: https://longbeachcreativegroup.com

Venue: LBCG at Ron Briggs Gallery, 2221 E. Broadway, Long Beach

March 25

CO/LAB 5 – Los Angeles and The World Angels Gate Cultural Center studio artist Ann Weber will participate in CO/LAB 5 – Los Angeles and The World in the main gallery at the Torrance Art Museum. The exhibition opens on March 25 and runs through May 6.

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.torranceartmuseum.com/upcoming-exhibitions

Venue: Torrance Art Museum, 3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

April 1

Reflections on a Warming Planet

Join a multimedia event curated by Lucinda Luvaas, with screeings of the films: Birth of Industry by Gabriela Tollman, This Mortal Plastik by Jess Irish, and Road 721 by Lucinda Luvaas. Following the film screening is a reading by author William Luvaas and then a panel discussion featuring Gabriela Tollman, Nigella Hillgarth, and Marina Moevs.

Time: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., April 1

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/warming-planet

Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro

Details: 424-452-0920; https://tinyurl.com/washed-ashore

Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula

April 7

Skirting Issues: Hula Moves Stateside

Catalina Museum for Art & History presents this exhibition through original artifacts, music and related ephemera, including historical photographs exploring the Hawaiian craze of the late 1890s to the present. The museum will host an exhibition opening event during First Fridays April 7. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Monday.

Time: April 7

Cost: $12 to $18

Details: CatalinaMuseum.org/ Upcoming-Exhibits

Venue: Catalina Museum for Art & History, 217 Metropole Avenue, Avalon, Catalina

DANCE

March 19

Kenneth Walker Dance Project

Join KWDP as it brings comedy, classicism and more to the Alvas stage. The program includes company premieres galore, rarely performed gems, and the return of audience darling Senza Fretta by Salvatore Aiello, staged for the company by Richmond Ballet ballet master Jerri Kumery.

Time: 2 p.m., March 19

Cost: $18

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Kenneth-Walker-dance

Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

LITERATURE

March 21

LBPL Virtual Author Talks

Join Long Beach Public Library’s ongoing virtual author talks series, featuring award-winning and bestselling authors live each month. March includes authors who will discuss adaptive Southern cooking, and take you on a journey back to World War II resistance in Brussels. All talks include a live Q&A with each author. Registration is required and participants are encouraged to register and submit their questions.

Time: 1 p.m., March 21, Chef Jernard Wells; 4 p.m., March 28, Pam

Jenoff

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.longbeach. gov/library/news/march-authortalks/

Venue: Online

March 25

Pinay Gathering In celebration of women authors of Philippine ancestry, Philippine Expressions Bookshop presents book talks, readings and book signings in honor of Women’s History Month.

Time: 2 to 6 pm., March 25

Cost: Free

Details: info@philippinebookshop.com, 310-514-9139

Venue: Various participating locations in Long Beach

March 18

Craft Beer LB Homebrew Invitational

Craft Beer LB Homebrew Invitational is both a festival and competition. It will feature 40+ homebrewers from all over Southern California. There will be a BJCP beer judging competition to be performed by local brewers and judges. The event will also have a pro brewers lounge featuring local Long Beach breweries, as well as food and live music. Proceeds benefit Rancho Los Cerritos.

Time: 12 to 5 p.m., March 18

Cost: $35 tp $55

Details: 562-206-2040; www. craftbeerlbfest.com/homebrew

Venue: Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach

Gaelic & Garlic

The public is invited to Gaelic & Garlic in San Pedro, an event featuring Irish and Italian arts and culture.

Time: 4 to 9 p.m., March 18

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/gaelicand-garlic-san-pedro

Venue: Pepper Tree Plaza, 629 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro

FILM

March 16

San Pedro International Film Festival

The Oscar Nominated Shorts Series will be screened at the Terrace Starlight. Tickets for the Oscar Short Series are on sale now.

Time: Various, through March 17

Cost: $15 and up

Details: www.spiffest.org

Venue: Terrace Starlight Cinemas, 28901 S. Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes

COMMUNITY

March 17

Night Market

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Night Market. Stop by and check out the local vendors, live music, face painting and more.

Time: 6 to 10 p.m., March 17

Cost: Free

Details: www.facebook.com/ TimMcOskerLA

Venue: 533 Nelson St., between 6th and 7th streets, San Pedro

Palos Verdes Art Center Estate

Sale —Collected Treasures

You will find beautiful linens, China, silver, fine and costume jewelry at Collected Treasures, a curated collection of special items at special prices.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 17 to 18

Cost: Free Details: https://pvartcenter.org

Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 Crestridge Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes

Curtain Call

She Kills Monsters: A Lite Meditation on Self-Empowerment and Belonging

By Greggory Moore, Columnist

It’s 1995, two years since average, 20-something Agnes (Deva Marie Gregory) lost her nerdy little sister Tilly (Fiona Burrows) and their parents in a car crash. While cleaning out the house, she discovers a Dungeons & Dragons module created by Tilly, a major force

of pivotal moments ), but both are clearly upstaged by supporting players. Chief among these are Grant Thackray, who portrays his ingame character with an easy slacker grace, and Elli Luke, whose turn as Farrah the Farie is the show’s high-energy point.

The SP Fish Market’s Last Day

in local D&D lore. With the help of 17-yearold Dungeon Master Chuck (Derek Delmar), newbie Agnes enters Tilly’s world in a betterlate-than-never effort to really get to know her.

As a middle-ager who even as a middleschooler couldn’t care less about D&D (or role-playing in general), undoubtedly some of the potential charm of Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters is lost on me. Not being a nostalgic person, I don’t get a chuckle at the first occurrences of retrospective rib-ticklers like “56k [modem speed] per second — we’re talking blazing” or excitement about the new Smashing Pumpkins CD, let alone the eighth. And frankly, maybe I’m simply aged out of a play that reads like a romping 21st-century theatrical iteration of an ABC Aftershool Special.

But Long Beach Playhouse is staging it for general audiences, so here we are. Because Nguyen’s script probably isn’t intended to withstand close analysis, we’ll ignore logical inconsistencies with its conclusion; and because believable action is completely beside the point, we’ll forgive the fight choreography. But I’m not sure we can overlook the flatness of some of the acting. As played by Burrows, Tilly comes off too aloof in even the relatively few moments when she’s supposed to be betraying real emotion for us to care much about her — which is a bit of a pickle to begin with, since what we’re seeing isn’t actually Tilly but Agnes’ projection of her.

As Agnes — an emotionally meatier role — Gregory does better (especially in a couple

The President Visits LA

Director Shinshin Yuder Tsai’s complete commitment to a low-tech aesthetic pretty much moots any complaints one might make about the mise en scène. She Kills Monsters is what it is, and — for better or worse — production value won’t change that one bit. In fact, Tsai gets some mileage from playing up such limitations.

But there’s nothing anyone can do about the play’s limited messaging. Granted, there’s something touching about Tilly’s world creation as wish fulfillment (e.g., she was gay and, while she never really came out in her young life, in D&D she openly makes out with her hot demon girlfriend in a realm where literally everyone is gay), but it doesn’t really go anywhere. So she felt disempowered in life and created a world in which she’s a badass. Great. And…?

To be sure, I am often unmoved by what passes for powerful in pop culture. Perhaps She Kills Monsters falls into that very broad category, particularly with nerds (not a disparaging term in context) like Tilly who venture into imaginary worlds partly because of how hard this one can be on those who don’t fit snugly within the hegemonic boundaries of the so-called “normal.” That alone may be of value, because everyone should feel like they belong.

She Kills Monsters at Long Beach Playhouse Times: Friday, Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. through March 25

Cost: $20 to $30

Details: 562-494-1014; LBplayhouse.org

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

Struggle

ness. I stopped into a 7-Eleven after doing some interviews and began to shoot the blue with the clerk while I made a cup of coffee and grabbed some peanut butter crackers (my struggle meal that morning).

He asked me not to name him, but he told me that the real struggle meals are made inside of correctional facilities. I asked him if inmates really make “spread,” a concoction of soggy ramen, chips, a chopped beef stick, cheese spread, and pickles merged into a loaf. He confirmed this.

“A guy in there taught me how to make menudo with the stuff from commissary,” the clerk said, referring to the store that inmates can access to buy snacks and other goods.

“You take pork cracklings, the shrimp ramen packets, corn nuts, hot sauce and sardines and

then mix it up and it actually tastes like the real thing, with some pickles too.”

I didn’t pry into his criminal background but was astonished by the ingenuity employed by people who are incarcerated to use processed foods to prepare struggle meals similar to what they’d eat on the outside by choice.

The United States Department of Agriculture stated that 33 million Americans, including 5 million children, are food insecure as of 2022. This is not right but makes one more appreciative of the fact that they did not go to sleep hungry as a child even if all they had to eat was rice. The types of foods we ate when we had very little shape us in a way. Tomahawk steaks taste better when you’ve come from ramen noodles and sugar bread.

[Struggle, from p. 10]

San Pedro Fish Market, the last remanent of Ports O’ Call Village, saw its last day on March 3. The six-decade institution is set to move into temporary digs before taking its place at the West Harbor. The fourthgeneration head of the San Pedro Fish Market said there is no set timeline for the move to the temporary location. Above are families visiting the old fish market for the last time. Photos by Chris Villanueva

LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn and LA Mayor Karen Bass greet President Joe Biden at LAX during a rain storm. The president was visiting the area to speak to the community of Monterey Park, the site of a recent mass shooting. He announced a new executive order on gun violence. Photo courtesy of Supervisor Hahn’s office

Agnes (Deva Marie Gregory, center, faces off against mythical creatures in a scene from She Kills Monsters at the Long Beach Playhouse.

JOB OPPS

RLNews is looking for freelance food and music writers who are knowledgeable about Harbor Area restaurants, culture and music scenes. Committment to writing to deadline is a must. Having a strong social media following and bi-lingual skills is a plus. Submit inquiries and any links to your writing to editor@randomlengthsnews. com or call 310-519-1442 weekdays.

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HOME & GARDEN

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME

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MISC.

Moving Out of State? Licensed and insured, fullservice, nationwide movers. Call now to get a free, instant price quote on your next move. 1-866-590-6549

Men’s Sport Watches Wanted. Advertiser is looking to buy men’s sport watches.

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BathWraps is looking for calls from homeowners with older home who are looking for a quick safety update. They do not remodel entire bathrooms but update bathtubs with new liners for safe bathing and showering. They specialize in grab bars, non-slip surfaces and shower seats. All updates are completed in one day. Call 866-5312432

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LONG DISTANCE MOVING: Call today for a FREE QUOTE from America’s Most Trusted Interstate Movers.

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PETS

PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.

AUTOS

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PUBLIC SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

that the undersigned intends to sell miscellaneous business and /or personal property described below to enforce a Lien imposed on said property pursuant to section 2170021716 of the business & professions code, section 2328 of the UCC, section 535 of the Penal code and provisions of the Civil Code.

The undersigned will sell items at a public sale by competitive bidding on 03/27/2023 at 9am on the premises where said property has been stored and which are located at Plaza Self Storage, 630 S. pacific Ave. San Pedro, Ca. County of Los Angeles, State of California. The Following:

114 Edward Haywood

161 Margaret Ramirez

F David Villarreal

40 Elizabeth Adcox

80 Rosario Amezola 89 Rochelle Solombrino

Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash only. All purchased items are sold as is and must be removed at the time of sale.

Sale is administered by Daniel Jackson’s Auction Services, Bond number 64819405, phone number (559)970-8105

Published: March 16, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023-023621

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Ride with Paris, 2051 Elberon Street, Rancho Palos, CA 90275, County of Los Angeles

Registered owner(s): Paris Thomas, 2051 Elberon Street, Rancho Palos, CA 90275; California. This business is conducted by: an individual

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/2010 I declare that all in-

formation in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ Paris Thomas, Individual

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on February 1, 2023

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

[continued on following page]

“Bird is the Word”— who knows where it’ll end up.

Bulletin Board

Don Marshall CPA, Inc. (310) 833-8977

Don Marshall, MBA, CPA Specializing in small businesses

CPA quality service at very reasonable rates www.donmarshallcpa.com

PLEASE HELP!

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.

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

If you think oxygen therapy means slowing down, it’s time for a welcome breath of fresh air.

ACROSS

1. Rubbed out, gangster-style

6. Feasted

9. Laundry issue

14. Island near 11-Down

15. Bit of a beverage

16. “Why am ___?”

17. Tiny solution for cleaning up (like an understaffed moderation team)

19. Original “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” host

20. Lyrical poem

21. Symbol of clumsiness (like announcing, then canceling, an $8/month verification system)

23. Royal sphere

25. Mine contents

26. EGOT winner Moreno

27. Wood for wine barrels

29. Wanna-___ (imitators)

30. Packers’ org.

33. Official imprint

36. Shipping units?

38. “Gotcha”

39. Use unfair tactics (like suspending accounts from just one side of the political spectrum)

42. Paleozoic, et al.

43. “A Death in the Family”

Pulitzer winner

44. Centrifuge inserts

45. Place to study

46. Turn purple, perhaps

47. Shriner’s cap

48. Days long past

50. Fla. NBA team, on a scoreboard

52. Baryshnikov’s former co.

55. Evoking both happy and sad feelings (like a social network that’s provided both joy and frustration)

59. Wonderment sounds

61. Skips

62. U.K. “Love Is All Around” band which lost 40% of its members in 2022 (like a certain website that’s apparently hemorrhaging users)

64. Handles

65. Acting instructor Hagen

66. Background distraction

67. Nail file stuff

68. Spill cleaner

69. Message that can be seen hidden in order in the five longest answers (which might not be seen anymore if its platform implodes)

DOWN

1. Eight, for starters

2. “Lord of the Rings” ringbearer

3. Less in number

4. Summer, in Paris

5. Bench press muscle, briefly

6. Fur-trading tycoon John Jacob

7. Spine feature

8. Fencing sword

9. Marina of “Star Trek: The Next

Generation”

10. Taking things badly?

11. Greece/Turkey separator

12. Pleasant feeling, in reggae songs

13. Fledgling’s place

18. Moon of Endor dweller

22. “___ Off the Boat”

24. Really fails

28. Long-armed animal

29. Computer memory unit

31. Dipped, like stocks

32. “___ Make a Deal”

33. Tool building

34. Radial, e.g.

35. Whenever

36. Old Venetian VIP

37. Wowed feeling

38. Island famous for its nightlife

40. Jacket over a shirt, e.g.

41. Mother of Abel

46. Elegantly clad

47. Got off the ground

49. Weasel’s aquatic relative

50. Give credit for

51. Draw upon again

53. Stardust alter ego 54. The ones nearby 55. Femur, for one 56. Mosque figure

57. Done laps in the pool

58. Sidewalk sale pop-up

60. Don’t delete

63. Part of a car rescue

LEGAL NOTICES & DBAs

[from previous page]

address of a registered owner.

A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 2/02, 2/16, 3/02, 03/16/23

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 23LBCP00010

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Petition of: JULIE ANNE DUENAS

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

Petitioner JULIE ANNE DUENAS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

JULIE ANNE DUENAS to JULIE

ANNE SOLA-DUENAS

The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing:

Date: 02-24-23, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: 27

The address of the court is 275 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, Ca 90802

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Daily Journal and RLn.

Date January 13, 2023

David W. Slayton

Judge of the Superior Court 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/16/23

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2023-033144

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Integrity Professionals Moving & Art Installations, 25410 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717, County of Los Angeles

Registered owner(s): James Eagle Manos, 25410 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717; California. This business is conducted by: an individual

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/2010 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ James Eagle Manos, Individual This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on February 13, 2023

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. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 3/02/23, 03/16/23, 03/30/23, 04/13/23

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023-043914

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Cheap Alternatives, 25410 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717, County of Los Angeles, 2.) Cheap Vintage, 3.)Cheap Thrift, 4.) Cheap Furniture, 5.) La Ronde Coop 6.) Greenwood Co 7.) J.R.J. Greenwood

Registered owner(s):The Greenverd Company, 25410 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717; California. This business is conducted by: a Corporation

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/2010 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ Russell Anthony Greenwood, President This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on February 13, 2023

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. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

3/02/23, 03/16/23, 03/30/23, 04/13/23

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023047376

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

S.B.A.C.M. SAVE BUYING @ CMART, 420 S PACIFIC AVE UNIT, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731 - 2626 County of LOS ANGELES

Registered owner(s): RONALD JOE BENNETT, 420 S PACIFIC AVE, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731-2626; State of Incorporation: CA This business is conducted by an Individual The registrant(s) started doing business on 08/2015.

($1,000)).

S/ Shuronda Bradley, OWNER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 03/03/2023.

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. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious

China Shipping

it narrowly — before 2021, “But,” NRDC countered, “what is ‘reasonable’ must be evaluated in the context of the project: the continued operation of the terminal until 2045.”

Independent Monitoring

NRDC argues that POLA “improperly ignored requests to appoint an independent third party to monitor compliance with mitigation measures.”

This request, in light of POLA’s long history of compliance failures at China Shipping, was made in comments three times.

requested’ were not required under CEQA,” which NRDC argues is not true, because of the project’s troubled history.

Moreover, “CEQA requires a ‘good faith, reasoned analysis’ in response to comments. ... ‘Conclusory statements unsupported by factual information will not suffice,’” NRDC argued.

Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 03/16/23, 03/30/23, 04/13/23, 04/27/23

dissolution of the PCAC [Port Community Advisory Committee],” Dr. John Miller said at the time. “If that group were still in existence we would have been discussing the present problem collaboratively years ago and working collaboratively to resolve it.”

In response, “The Port tersely stated that the ‘comment is noted’ and that the ‘elements

In fact, the lack of independent monitoring was directly implicated in POLA’s failure to implement the original measures, as Random Lengths noted in 2015 when that failure first came to light.

“This is a direct result of the

The PCAC was created by Mayor James Hahn in 2001, and its responsibilities were expanded by the settlement in the first China Shipping lawsuit, but it was first disabled, then disbanded under Mayor Antonio Villiaragosa’s administration. In light of what’s occurred since, Mayor Karen Bass would be well advised to revive it, and not wait for the appeals court to rule.

3/02/23, 03/16/23, 03/30/23, 04/13/23

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. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT

File No. 2023-031715

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Cryptospace, 1379 Park Western Dr., San Pedro, CA 90732, County of Los Angeles,

2.) Cryptospace

Registered owner(s):Huerta Consulting Services LLC, 1379 Park Western Dr., San Pedro, CA 90732; California. This business is conducted by: a Limited Liability Company

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/2010 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ Princess Nava, Manager This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on February 10, 2023

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a

Fictitious Name Statement generally

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)).

S/ RONALD J BENNETT, OWNER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 03/03/2023.

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. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 03/16/23, 03/30/23, 04/13/23, 04/27/23

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023053778

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Engineer Makers Project, 830 W 29th St APT D, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731, County of LOS ANGELES

Registered owner(s): Shurhonda Bradley, 830 W 29th St APT D, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731; State of Incorporation: CA This business is conducted by an Individual

The registrant(s) started doing business on 01/2021.

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars

[China Shipping, from p. 8]