A March of Her Own Chadwick School senior leads the march on Torrance Refinery By Leslie Belt, Contributing Writer
As every fortunate teacher and student knows, the most valuable assignments are the ones that teach us about ourselves. It’s a lesson Chadwick School senior, Kate Chappell, learned the loud way in front of the Torrance Refinery on a recent Saturday morning.
‘H
ey, hey. Ho, ho. MHF has got to go,” the 17-yearold yelled into her megaphone on April 20, as she led a large group protesting the use of toxic modified hydrofluoric acid, MHF, in two facilities in the South Bay. The Torrance Refinery and the Valero Wilmington Refinery are the last two refineries in all of California where this dangerous chemical is still in use. Chappell said that what had begun as a class research project on local environmental hazards quickly grew into a crash course in civil engagement. She has been a passionate advocate for a phase-out of MHF for the health and safety of the community since learning about a near catastrophic event, which occurred at the refinery in 2015. On the morning of Feb. 18, an explosion tore through the facility and launched a heavy piece of equipment within feet of the highly-toxic MHF tank. If debris from the explosion had struck the tank, 50,000 residents and their children at 22 schools — an area from the west side of the refinery to the beach — could have been injured or killed. Confirming the scope of the potentially deadly disaster six months later Cal/OSHA fined then-owners, Exxon Mobil, $566,600 with 19 separate citations. Among these, 18 were classified as “serious” or “willful” because the oil behemoth had either failed to eliminate known hazardous conditions or was intentionally non-compliant with state safety standards.
North Gaffey farmers fight garden closure, city to replace faulty water pipes p. 2 New developer, new plans, San Pedro Courthouse project on track again p. 4
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Donald Trump’s Attorney General William Barr did his best to muddle the redacted Mueller Report prior to its release on April 18, but he was met with a swift response that included Southern California congress members. Acting more like Trump’s defense attorney than a servant to the nation, Barr obscured the fact that Mueller found substantial evidence that Trump was guilty of obstructing justice in at least four distinct ways, most notably by trying to fire Mueller or curtail his investigation. The report also “identified numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign,”…“the evidence was not sufficient to charge any campaign official.” House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff called Barr’s performance “a grave disservice to the country,” while the House Committee on Financial
AG obscured the fact that Mueller found substantial evidence that Trump was guilty of obstructing justice but didn’t recommend prosecution Services Chair Maxine Waters called it “shameful.” “I’ve lost all faith and credibility in Bill Barr,” Judiciary Committee member Ted Lieu said, in light of his earlier misleading four-page summary and “additional misstatements of fact” in the press conference. “He really looks like just a partisan hack.” On Facebook, Schiff said, “Mueller’s report is not a vindication of Trump, but a condemnation.” “I’m a former prosecutor and you can’t go through Volume 2 without coming to the conclusion that Donald
Trump met all the elements of obstruction of justice,” Rep. Lieu said. [The elements are: an obstructive act, a nexus between the act and an official proceeding, and corrupt intent.] “The Special Counsel’s report describes Trump’s repeated efforts to fire Mueller, remove former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and even tamper with witnesses by dangling pardons,” said Waters in a written statement, “At this point, Congress’ failure to impeach is complacency in the face of the erosion of our democracy and constitutional norms,” Trump’s lawbreaking was so clear-cut that by late the next week, Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano weighed in as well, in a video that went viral: When the president asked Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, to
May 2 - 15, 2019
Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna features a local performer p. 17
Beyond Barr’s Muddling of the Mueller Report
LB Playhouse Silent Sky runs until May 4 p. 11
[See March, p. 3]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Kate Chappell, 17, leading the April 20 demonstration at the Torrance Refinery. Photo by Benjamin Garcia
[See Barr Muddles, p. 6]
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Community Announcements:
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RLN Exclusive
Registration Open, Angel City Games
One Hundred Urban Farmers Fight Closure By Mark L. Friedman, RLn Reporter
City is proposing to shut down farms for a year in order to replace faulty water piping
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Over the past 50 years, the 300 community farm plots on North Gaffey Street in San Pedro have been an institution and a source of food and exercise for thousands of residents. Today, the urban farmers who coax nourishment from this land are battling the city of Los Angeles to retain the right to farm produce as they have for generations. The city is proposing to shut down the farms for a year to replace faulty water piping. The plots have had access to free recycled water for decades, but these urban farmers would be paying for future water supply through water meters linked to communal plots. “We are finally getting fruit. All my plants will die under the proposed closure,” Lourdes Ortiz, one of the farmers, complained to Random Lengths News. “Besides, I give away most of my fruit. My mom only gets $300 a month Social Security, so she can’t afford the new proposals.” Nearly 100 urban farmers attended an organizing meeting and rally to save their gardens April 25. “Up until recently, the farmers received receipts from the organization’s treasurer,” explained Luis Ascencio, a community gardener for 25 years and long-time Gardeners Association president. “But now, we pay $50 in cash with no receipts. Previously, the money was diverted back to the farmers. Now we wonder where that money is going.” Other farmers explained that these gardens sit atop oil pipelines and that if water was cut off for a year, all of the vegetation would die. “This area would become a fire hazard,” said one of the potentially displaced gardeners, David Vigueras. “This garden is really like a park. It absorbs a lot of CO2 coming from the port and it is also a migration route for birds in search of roosting areas and food.” All of the farmers were vocal in their opposition to the garden’s closure. “People have been here for many years and it is not right to close and reopen,” added Edgar Esparza. “We are afraid the city might not allow us to come back, or the price we would pay for recycled water, which cannot be sold, anyway, will be so high that we cannot afford to return.” The city-appointed community gardens president, Carlos Aguilar, increased plot rental rates to $50 per year in 2014. Under prior administrations, which were elected by the Gardener’s Association, plot rental rates were $20. Aguilar supports the city of LA closure attempts. “We used to have water 24 hours a day. So we’d come and water anytime,” Esparza said. “Now water exists for only three to four hours and with 100 people trying to access it 2 simultaneously, that is a problem.”
Registration is now open for the 5th annual Angel City Games, the leading adaptive sports festival in California, at UCLA on June 20-23. This year’s event will offer seven adaptive sports clinics and competitions — track and field, swimming, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, archery, volleyball and table tennis. Launched in 2015 and sanctioned by Adaptive Sports USA, Angel City Games is an annual celebration of adaptive and paralympic sport that features inclusive competition open to athletes of all skill levels who have physical or visual impairments. Angel City Sports provides year-round adaptive sports opportunities in Southern California for children, adults and veterans with physical differences and impairments Time: June 20 to June 23 Cost: By donation Details: https://www.angelcitygames.org/AthleteParticipation/Registration. Venue: UCLA Drake Stadium, 340 Charles E Young Drive North,Los Angeles
Call for Art Issued for Summer Soiree
Luis Ascencio has tilled the soil at the Gaffey Street Farms for 25 years. Photo by Steven Guzman
The plots are 20 feet by 40 feet. The farmers grow dozens of different vegetables and fruits including tomatoes, cactus, avocados, bananas, oranges, lemons, loquats, squash, peppers and beans. “Farmers would lose up to $100 per month if they were to buy the equivalent foods from a market,” José Miramontes, a 38-year urban farmer, told RLn. “For many people, this is their life,” gardener Antonia Fereraza agreed.
Some suspected an outside company was interested in the land and the city’s announced plan to install new pipes was a pretext for removing the farmers. Farmers added that they would willingly work for free to install pipes in the 20 percent of plots that need them to increase water flow. “We would labor for our land as we have for generations,” another added. Port of Los Angeles High School teacher and [See Farm Closure, p. 4]
Saving Jobs By Destroying Them? By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Deconstructing PMA’s flawed automation argument As the Port of LA Board of Harbor Commissioners postponed voting on the automation permit requested by APM Terminals on April 16, the Pacific Maritime Association released a report aimed at standing reality on its head: automation will preserve jobs, not destroy them, the report argued. Its title —”Sustaining the San Pedro Bay Community Ports of Los Angeles & Long Beach”— added insult to injury, attempting to steal the mantle of “sustainability” that local activists have long advanced as a cornerstone of their criticism of port operations, and that Harbor Commissioner Diane Middleton underscored in recent comments about broadening the definition of environmental impacts to include the human social impacts. On the one hand, the report argues that automation is essential to preserve the ports’ market share of cargo in the coming decades, because costs-per-container are too high. On the other hand, the report argues that jobs will be protected — because other terminals won’t automate. Specifically, the report states: Automation of Pier 400 longshore
positions will not automatically mean a reduction of work, as the ILWU dispatch hall will enable them to be reassigned to nonautomated terminals and not all will automate their terminals. It’s an astonishing contradiction at the very heart of the report’s argument, so Random Lengths News turned to UCLA law professor Scott Cummings, author of Blue and Green: The Drive for Justice at America’s Port, for analysis. “I agree with that characterization,” Cummings said of the contradiction. “It’s a potential race to the bottom scenario, particularly now with the Panama Canal as a route to different ports. “It seems like to me a huge leap of faith to believe that other ports won’t respond in kind,which would, if they did, ultimately result in the elimination of a lot of jobs and the decimation of the union, of the ILWU.” In a footnote, the report cites a statement by Sal Ferrigno, vice president of SSA Marine in Southern California, in a Journal of Commerce article: “SSA is not prepared to invest in automation, with 20 years required for a return on investment.” But APM’s automation could easily change that calculus, and the report doesn’t even consider that kind of question. [See Jobs, p. 7]
The San Pedro Waterfront Arts District is looking for artists who are willing to show their work and offer it for sale at its annual fundraiser, Summer Soiree. This is a juried show, all submissions for consideration must be submitted via email to galleryazul@yahoo.com. Deadline for email submissions is June 23. Details: www.sanpedrowaterfrontartsdistrict. com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/summersoiree-call-for-art.pdf
Planning for the Environment
Learn about the policies and regulations that guide environmental analysis, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). You can also watch a webinar, 6 to 8 p.m., May 29, RSVP. Time: 6 to 8 p.m. May 23 Cost: Free Details: https://planning.lacity.org/ Venue: Harbor Banning Landing Community Center 100 E. Water St., Wilmington
Celebration of the Sea Fundraiser
The 9th annual Seafood Feast features Seafood cioppino by Chef Robert Bell of the famous Chez Melange Restaurant. There will be a presentation on Ocean Plastics Pollution Conference. Proceeds will support the Animo Marine Biology Club to help finance four students for trips to International Environmental and Ocean Plastic pollution conferences in Japan and Cuba. You can make donations of $15 or sponsor a student for $40. Time: 3 p.m. May 25 Cost: By donation Details: RSVP manager@pryc.club Venue: Port Royal Yacht Club, 555 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach
New Effort to Recruit Foster Parents
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Probation Child Welfare has launched Fostering Home, an advertising campaign urging L.A. residents to open their homes and hearts to one of the area’s thousands of children and teens in need. Fostering Home (fosteringhome.org) provides a portal for anyone looking to sign up or simply learn more about becoming a foster parent. Video advertisements can be viewed on the site and will be airing across multiple digital platforms, streaming, and television networks over the coming months. The Fostering Home partnership will host an information event listed below. Time: 2 to 3:30 p.m. May 19 Cost: Details: 323-207-0260 FosteringHome.org/events/ Venue: Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
Adopt-A-Block Program Launched
The Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council has officially released its Adopt-A-Block Program. The pilot program encourages involvement in San [See Announcements, p. 4]
[March, from p. 1]
A March of Her Own
Kate Chappell at the Torrance Refinery. Photo by Steven Guzman
kind of protest before. Having the opportunity to be out in front of it and leading it was so cool.” Kate is quick to credit the more than 1.5 million other young adults, children and their supporters who participated in the #schoolstrikes4climate in 125 countries this past March for inspiring her to take a leadership role. But she is particularly appreciative of the help that she received from the members of TRAA. “They were so incredibly kind and supportive. They provided me with a lot of resources like pop-up tents and yard signs. But most importantly, they took me seriously and valued my voice as a young person.” Long time TRAA member Steven Goldsmith views the excitement that Chappell’s youth march against MHF has generated with a mixture of pride and respect. “Katy proved that when a person takes initiative for a just cause people respond. It is especially gratifying to see young people with a stake in the future working to put an end to such dangerous relics of the past. It’s why our doors will always be open at TRAA.”
What Kate Chappell Wants You to Know … About the Dangers of Modified Hydrofluoric Acid (MHF)
“MHF is a strong and potentially lethal industrial chemical used in the manufacture of high-octane gasoline. If released, MHF forms a toxic ground-hugging cloud that can drift for miles, causing damage to bones and tissue and even death to those in its path. MHF is in use at just two refineries in California. Torrance Refinery keeps 25,000 gallons on site, and Valero, Wilmington keeps 55,000 gallons”
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
“It was really startling to me to discover that when I was a 13-year-old 8th grader there had been such a potentially lethal incident so dangerously close and I had not even known.” Chappell notes recalling the start of the four-year journey that brought her to the front of the large group of protesters marching down 190th Street on April 20th. Initially, Chappell began attending bimonthly meetings of the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance (TRAA) as part of her ongoing environmental science class assignment. But today, she credits this grassroots organization of residents and business owners who live or work in neighborhoods surrounding the Torrance and Wilmington refineries with igniting her growing commitment to environmental justice. “I had no idea there was so much activism going on in Torrance. I had always thought that being involved was the same as being informed. But the more involved I became, the more I began to realize that I could make a difference by stepping up. I had never participated in any
About the Arguments Against Banning the Use of MHF
“You’ll find everything you need to learn more about the organization and the issues online at www.traasouthbay.com. As well as everything you will need to get started advocating for safety at the Torrance and Valero refineries.”
May 2 - 15, 2019
About the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance
“There is a huge misconception that banning MHF would result in a shutdown of the refinery and a loss of jobs. This is simply just not true. If anything, there will be more jobs created to manage the phase-out process. Not to mention that the Torrance Refinery supplies 10 percent of all the gasoline demand in California. Shouldn’t they bear the responsibility of budgeting for the cost of looking out for the people, families and schools they neighbor?”
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Community Announcements:
Harbor Area
[Announcements, from p. 2]
Pedro by providing a simple, fun way for volunteers to make a significant impact. Residents adopt a block within the central San Pedro area for one year through monthly clean-ups. In return, they are recognized with an Adopt-A-Block sign bearing the group’s name that is posted on the designated block for one year. For this first round, 10 locations will be selected. Applications are open until May 17. Go to www. CentralSanPedro and click on the Adopt-A-Block image. Announcement of selected applicants is June 11 at the monthly board meeting.
Maritime Training Program Now Enrolling
GRAYS HARBOR, WASH. — The Seafarer Collective is now enrolling students for its new entry-level merchant mariner course. Starting June 17, enrolled students can begin one of two different self-paced course options. The Seafarer Collective is the new workforce development program of Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, which owns and operates the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. The collective offers low-cost alternatives for aspiring mariners to gain trade skills, mentorship, and licensing support as they enter and advance through a variety of maritime career pathways. Scholarships are available for students wishing to enroll in the entry level Merchant Mariner Course. Details: theseafarercollective.org.
Lunch & Learn with West Basin Water District
These free classes taking place the second Friday of each month are designed to inform residents about our region’s water supply, and West Basin’s leadership in the areas of recycled water, conservation and the study of ocean water desalination. Space is limited; RSVPs are required and accepted on a first come, first served basis. Time: 12:30 p.m May 10 Cost: Free Details: www.westbasin.org/lunchandlearn Venue: West Basin Donald L. Dear Building, 17140 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson.
Hahn Releases Los Angeles County Budget For 2019 to 2020
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn released a budget statement for 2019 and 2020. The budget statement includes DA’s New Mental Health Division of $1 million and four positions that will help sentencing and allow DA to provide resources to those with serious mental illness and $4 million for the School Threat Assessment Response Team. $424 million will go toward Measure H to help the homeless. $1.8 Million with 12 positions for Rent Stabilization Program in unincorporated areas. $19.4 million for body-worn cameras, $517,000 for trackable bracelets and new positions for Project Lifesaver and replacing the Men’s Central Jail with a Mental Health Treatment Center.
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Construction is Planned on the Former Site of the San Pedro Courthouse By Hunter Chase, Editorial Intern
At the April 9 meeting of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, Genton Cockrum Partners presented preliminary designs for an apartment complex with commercial space at the site of the former San Pedro Courthouse. Genton Cockrum Partners plans to demolish the former San Pedro courthouse and build a six-story mixed-use housing complex with 263 units and commercial space on the first floor. The firm expects to have final plans in two or three months. A committee formed by the Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Works chose Genton Cockrum to build the complex on Dec. 18, 2018. The county agreed to a six-month exclusive negotiation agreement with Genton Cockrum. During this time Genton Cockrum is required to create designs for the project and secure permits with its own funding. Eleven percent of the 263 units are reserved for affordable housing, meaning that tenants will pay 30 percent or less of their income on rent. The ground floor has 18,000 square feet of commercial retail space, which will likely be used for a grocery store. The complex will have four retail parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of commercial space. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Housing Investment Trust will fund 75 percent of the project, but not until the project is finalized. Private investors involved with Genton Cockrum currently fund it.
Genton Cockrum Partners’ rendering of the mixed-use development proposed for the site of the former San Pedro Courthouse. Courtesy of Genton Cockrum Partners
The project has a Proposed Labor Agreement, but it is not finalized, said Fred Cravea, project manager for the county. Construction could begin in 12 to 18 months, depending on the permitting process, Cravea said. If the current plans meet zoning requirements construction will begin sooner. The county issued a request for proposals to develop the property in July 2018. Previously, the county selected Holland Partner Group to develop the project but could not reach an
agreement. Holland Partner Group’s exclusive negotiation agreement expired in March 2018. Los Angeles County purchased the majority of the property from the state for $5 million and invested $500,000 in the project, Cravea said. In June 2018, Genton Cockrum sold an office building in South Pasadena for $31 million. Genton Cockrum bought the property in 2014 for $20 million and changed it from an apartment complex to an office building.
[Farm, from p. 2]
Farm Closure
founder of the school’s Green Festival, Rachel Bruhnke, attended the organizing meeting at the North Gaffey garden along with half a dozen students. “We are here to support you,” Bruhnke told the farmers. “The way forward is more urban gardening. We cannot allow this garden to close, like the 2006 community gardens closure in South Central [Los Angeles].” While the gardeners have expressed a willingness to work with the city and have participated in a couple of meetings with City Councilman Joe Buscaino’s staff, the gardeners are becoming increasingly pessimistic that the
A garden plot on North Gaffey. Photo by Steven Guzman.
city will work with them. They claim that public notices calling for a meeting on March 3 weren’t timely or adequately posted. The gardeners allege the notices went up around Feb 19 and did not explicitly explain that the meeting was to discuss the garden’s closure. Under public pressure, the city has agreed to a temporary closure suspension of August 1 from the original April 1. Buscaino’s office, which is spearheading garden closure, was contacted multiple times over several days by phone and e-mail but would not comment or answer any questions posed by Random Lengths News for this article.
Newsom Directs State Agencies to Prepare Water Resilience Portfolio for California
SACRAMENTO — As climate change continues to threaten the state’s water infrastructure and reliability, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order April 29 directing his administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to build a climate-resilient water system. The order seeks to broaden California’s approach to such existing water challenges as unsafe drinking water, major flood risks that threaten public safety, severely depleted groundwater aquifers, agricultural communities coping with uncertain water supplies and native fish populations threatened with extinction. The order directs the secretaries of the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to identify and assess complementary actions to ensure safe and resilient water supplies, flood protection and healthy waterways for the state’s communities, economy and environment. The agencies will seek input over the coming weeks and months through listening sessions, information workshops and public meetings to help inform the water resilience portfolio that will be recommended to the governor.
Public Can Comment on Ports’ Cargo Handling Equipment
SAN PEDRO — The public is invited to comment on a draft assessment of new cargo-handling equipment technology that will help the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles reduce air pollution and reach the ambitious zero-emissions goals set by the Clean Air Action Plan or CAAP. The draft assessment examines the current state of technology, operational characteristics, economic considerations, infrastructure availability and commercial readiness relating to cleaner cargo-handling equipment. Download the assessment here, www.cleanairactionplan.org. Comments will be accepted through May 31, and can be emailed to caap@cleanairactionplan. org.
17-year-old Male Arrested for Sexual Assault of Wilson High School Girls
Hahn Welcomes President of the County Assembly of Dalmatia
LONG BEACH — On April 23, the Long Beach City [See News Briefs, p. 6]
Candidate Alex Villanueva greeting supporters before he was elected Sheriff of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. File photo
cases are being reviewed. The county, and its board of supervisors, took Villanueva to court in March over whether he had the authority to put Mondoyan back on the job. The county’s lawyers also questioned the legality of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission the new sheriff formed to reevaluate terminations under revised guidelines. In March, the court declined to issue an injunction to stop Mondoyan from carrying a badge and gun, and drawing pay. The next court action on the case is scheduled for late June.
At the Carson town hall, in response to this reporter’s question, Villanueva said, going back at least 10 years, “the organization [the department] went off the rails” and “internal processes” were compromised. “I’m stuck picking my way through the rubble. My predecessor didn’t resolve the issue,” he said. Villanueva said that if an internal affairs investigation was compromised, then an employee who was terminated could sue and collect— taxpayers’ money. There is an excess of 100 such cases in superior court. He charged that under the previous administration, witnesses were under a “gag order,” in which they risked “undermining the department” if they testified “truthfully” to the Civil Service Commission. He has rescinded that gag order. He said he directed his division chiefs to go through all termination cases, and although there were some good decisions, there were also some “stinkers” that “we gotta deal with for the next two or three years.” He said of the two termination cases the county and press criticized, “exculpatory evidence was knowingly concealed” so “we cut our losses” by putting the deputies back on the job, rather than go through a lengthy court battle. “If you fired them properly, they’re not coming back,” he assured the audience. “I’ve already terminated 16 employees [for] DUI, domestic violence, etc. It’s just part of the job.” [See Villanueva, p. 10]
Tenants Go on Rent Strike After Eviction By Hunter Chase, Editorial Intern
Not waiting for the Long Beach City Council to pass legislation that would force landlords to pay relocation fees to tenants evicted without just cause, one company gave its tenants a Faustian choice: Move out before April 19, less than a month after the notices were sent, and receive $1,000. Or, move out within 60 days and receive nothing. With both options, the landlords expected the tenants to continue to pay rent. Turnstone Capital, landlords of a twobuilding, 20-unit complex on Alamitos Avenue in Long Beach, sent eviction notices March 21 to each tenant. Housing advocates believe the landlords did this so they would not have to pay relocation fees. “Once the ordinance is signed, the landlord would have to tell these tenants why they’re being kicked out,” said Josh Butler, executive director of Housing Long Beach. “We see this as a way the landlord is trying to get out of having to pay these folks relocation assistance.” Phan Property Management listed the complex for $4.2 million this past February, but
the price was dropped to $4 million four days later. Phan sold the property to Turnstone in March. The buildings are in poor condition. They have mold, rats, cockroaches. The tenants have sent letters to management asking for repairs but management responds slowly, said Brisslisset Hernandez, a tenant of the complex. “It’s OK, for the amount we pay, but they were kind of like slumlords,” said Vanessa Aguire, another tenant. “I mean, look at the wall. They’re nasty, they don’t really take care [of] what they’re supposed to. But it’s something I was able to afford.” Many tenants did not complain because they were afraid of being evicted. Despite the conditions, Phan spent an average of $252,000 in alterations every year for the past decade before selling the property, according to property tax records. “The old property [owners], they didn’t give us a heads up that they were selling the property so we could be already ready for it,” said Alexis
Ramirez, Aguire’s husband. “The new owners come and they gave us a 60-day notice out of nowhere to leave.” Hernandez expressed a similar sentiment, she would have saved money if she had known earlier. “The reality is yes, they will have to move because majority of the time, these companies don’t want to keep these tenants,” Lopez said. “They want to beautify the building and then raise the rents and bring in a new class.”
[See Renters, p.10]
Divorce $159-$289 + Filing Fee Bankruptcy $695 + Filing Fee Living Trust $375 Will $175 • Probate $299 Basic Prices for Simple Cases
May 2 - 15, 2019
LB City Council Names Its Chamber After Ex-Mayor
For much of the nearly six months since Alex Villanueva was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County, he’s been embroiled in controversy, primarily regarding several personnel actions. On Tuesday, April 23, he fought back against the criticism while conducting a town hall meeting in Carson — the first of several town halls scheduled in the communities his department serves. “It’s due process. Someone asked, is this the hill you want to die on? I said, yes,” he responded, resorting to a military expression. Villanueva spoke to Random Lengths News shortly before last November’s election, he accused his opponent, then-sheriff Jim McDonnell, of teminating employees first and asking questions later. “In so doing he’s wracked with wrongful termination suits, just like he did in Long Beach [McDonnell was formerly the Long Beach police chief] on a much bigger scale.” Shortly after Villanueva became sheriff, several deputies fired under McDonnell’s administration were rehired or reinstated — and even which term applies to those personnel actions has been a subject of controversy. One, Caren Carl Mondoyan, was fired in connection with alleged domestic abuse. Another, Michael Courtial, was fired over an excessive-force incident. Villanueva has stated to the press on multiple occasions that 68 more deputies’ termination
LOS ANGELES — President of the County Assembly of Dalmatia, Croatia, Petroslav Sapunar, was welcomed by Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Janice Hahn at the Board of Supervisors meeting on April 23. Sapunar is here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Splitska Noc, with CroatianAmerican communities and the Croatian Heritage Foundation, which organized Sapunar’s visit to San Pedro. The main event of Splitska Noc takes place in the Sister City of Los Angeles, Split and is celebrated throughout the world.
By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
LONG BEACH — A 17-year-old male was arrested by the Long Beach Police Department for suspicion of sexually assaulting two girls, ages 17 and 16, at his residence on the 3700 block of Lime Avenue Officials say there may be more victims. The suspect allegedly met the victims at Wilson High School. During the last few years he would bring them to his home, drug them and sexually assault them. He would then use a rideshare app to transport the victims to their homes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LBPD at 562-435-6711 or Child Abuse Detective Denise Green at 562-570-7321.
Sheriff Defends Controversial Personnel Actions
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[Barr Muddles, from p. 1]
[News Briefs, from p. 5]
Council voted unanimously to name its meeting room in the new city hall after former mayor, Bob Foster. Foster provided the early impetus for the new civic center which will open this summer.
Long Beach Ranked One of Worst in Nation for Particle Pollution
LONG BEACH — The State of the Air report for 2015 to 2017 ranked Long Beach the worst in the nation for ozone pollution and fifth worst for annual particle pollution, in which it increased in reports this year. Officials say that Long Beach has had the hottest years on record just in the three years covered. According to the reports, unhealthy ozone and particle pollution levels estimated at 43.3 percent, 141.1 million exposed to unhealthy air, which was an increase of 133.9 million as of last year’s report and 125 million from 2017.
Speed Humps for Your Neighborhood
Concerned about vehicle speeds in your neighborhood? LADOT will begin accepting requests for speed humps, which are designed to reduce vehicle speeds on residential and collector streets that have a single lane of travel in each direction. Approved applications go to a neighborhood petition then to review by the department. For specific information on the application process, please visit the speed hump request page at, https://ladot.lacity.org/how-do-i/ request-speed-humps Applications open at 8 a.m. on May 1, and may reach full capacity within that same morning.
Garcetti Proposes 2020 Budget
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti has unveiled his $10.6 billion spending plan, which he says strengthens the city’s finances and includes record spending to end homelessness and improve Los Angeles’ infrastructure. The proposed budget bolster’s the city’s fiscal foundation: For the first time since the recession, reserves exceed 8 percent. The Reserve Fund is increased to $399 million, and includes a Budget Stabilization Fund of $110.9 million and an Unappropriated Balance of $20 million. The proposed budget calls for a record $940 million to improve and update the city’s infrastructure — $140 million more than the previous year. Also included is $348 million for street repairs and maintenance, and $117 million for Vision Zero and traffic and pedestrian safety projects. It allocates funding to advance the Mayor’s sustainability goals with $38 million in Measure W funds going toward clean water infrastructure, and $3 million for the city’s Cool Pavement Program and investments in tree planting. The proposed budget includes the city’s largest-ever investment to end the homelessness crisis — with $457 million in permanent housing, temporary shelter, services, and facilities to help homeless Angelenos transition off the streets. The budget anticipates spending $36 million in Homeless Emergency Aid Program funds that the city received, from the state last year. As part of funding from the Prop. HHH initiative, $281 million will go toward 27 new permanent supportive housing and affordable housing projects providing more than 2,126 units.
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Barr Muddles Mueller Report
get Mueller, that’s obstruction of justice. When the president asks his then-White House counsel [Don McGahn] to get Mueller fired and then lie about it, that’s obstruction of justice. When he asked Don McGahn to go back to the special counsel and change his testimony, that’s obstruction of justice. When he dangled a pardon in front of Michael Cohen, in order to keep Cohen from testifying against him, that’s obstruction of justice. It was no longer a question of whether Trump had repeatedly broken the law, and violated his oath to “ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.” It was a question of whether America’s political system had become fatally compromised or whether something could be done to save it from further — if not utter — destruction. This was further underscored when Barr reportedly refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee — openly defying Congress’s constitutional oversight powers. On April 24, the Washington Post published a Hillary Clinton op-ed in which she called on Congress to “hold substantive hearings that build on the Mueller report and fill in its gaps, not jump straight to an up-or-down vote on impeachment.” And she pointed to the Watergate example of the House Judiciary investigation being led by John Doar, highly respected for his frontline role as a DOJ attorney in the early 1960s civil rights struggle. This seemed to capture the mood of most House Democrats. Indeed, Barr balked specifically at the idea of being questioned by a staff attorney, a practice specifically intended to reduce partisan drama and enhance effective fact-finding. “The Special Counsel’s report is deeply concerning for many reasons. Most notably are the President’s efforts to obstruct justice,” Rep. Nannette Barragàn told Random Lengths. “President Trump needs to be held accountable for abuses of power and unacceptable behavior outlined by the Special Counsel,” Rep. Alan Lowenthal said. “We can’t take impeachment off the table—but the process must be open and must be credible in the eyes of the American people. A narrow, partisan process, which would certainly be blocked by the Senate, could further harm our institutions and undermine confidence in the democratic process.” “No one is above the law and Congress must be firm in sending that message,” Barragàn said. “I fully support my colleagues in the House Judiciary, Oversight and Intelligence Committees as they conduct investigations in the following weeks and seek to subpoena witnesses and obtain the full unredacted version of the Mueller report with all underlying evidence.” “The next steps are clear,” Lowenthal added. “We need to hear from Special Counsel Mueller, and from key witnesses, including former White House Counsel Don McGahn. If the President ignores subpoenas, we must be prepared to use all the tools at our disposal, including the courts, to compel testimony.”
“I’m a former prosecutor and you can’t go through Volume 2 without coming to the conclusion that Donald Trump met all the elements of obstruction of justice.” — Rep. Ted Lieu
“At this point, Congress’ failure to impeach is complacency in the face of the erosion of our democracy and constitutional norms.” — Rep. Maxine Waters
“Mueller’s report is not a vindication of Trump, but a condemnation.”
— Rep. Adam Schiff
Attorney General William Barr testified before Senate and House intellegence committees on his role in releasing the Mueller Report. File photo
Trump’s strategy seems crystal clear: attempt to portray the normal process of congressional oversight and inquiry into executive wrongdoing as an extraordinary partisan attack. “We’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Trump said on April 24, a blanket declaration that would undermine his arguments in court, where “They don’t like me!” is not a valid legal argument. There’s also the largely overlooked issue of Russia’s attack on elections, and the Trump campaign’s cooperation, as outlined by Steven Hall in a Washington Post op-ed that same day, “‘No collusion’? I managed Russia operations at the CIA. Read between the lines.” Lowenthal found this more than just troubling. “Special Counsel Mueller did not find evidence to charge the President or members of his inner circle with a criminal conspiracy, but he found ample evidence of unethical conduct including willingness to accept Russian aid and support,” he said. “This should outrage every American, and all campaigns must pledge not to use any hacked or illegally obtained materials in the future.” The concern isn’t just retrospective, either. “The Russian threat isn’t going away, and President Trump continues to avoid taking strong steps to prevent it,” Lowenthal said. “The House Intelligence Committee is in a strong position to continue to monitor these threats, and to inform the American people with public hearings. These investigations will continue and can build on the Special Counsel’s findings.” And far from being a distraction, it’s directly related to the Democrat’s legislative agenda.
“H.R.1, the House’s top legislative priority which I cosponsored and which passed earlier this year, included strong provisions to fund voter security systems, to crack down on dark money in politics and to develop a national strategy to protect our institutions from interference,” Lowenthal added. “I will continue to urge the Senate to pass H.R.1 as soon as possible.” Trump’s strategy—backed up by the rest of the GOP—seems to be a direct attack on truthseeking. In a story about Trump’s recordingbreaking mendacity this week, the Washington Post noted, “All told, the president racked up 171 false or misleading claims in just three days, April 25-27. That’s more than he made in any single month in the first five months of his presidency.” In line with that, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that 58 percent of Americans believe Trump lied to the public about matters investigated by Mueller. But only 37 percent favored starting impeachment, while 56 percent were opposed—figures some pundits have used to say Democrats should just drop their investigations. But polls show that support for impeaching Nixon was similarly low earlier in the process of public exposure, which is precisely why the firm, but measured approach laid out by Clinton and endorsed by Barragàn and Lowenthal makes sense. The GOP response is another thing altogether. So far, it has repeatedly chosen party over country. There is no sign of changing course— with the exception of a few heretics like Judge Napolitano.
The FBI Stops Plot to Bomb Rally in LB By Hunter Chase, Editorial Intern
About 200 demonstrators dodged shrapnel April 28, when the Justice Department announced the arrest of Army veteran Mark Steven Domingo for plotting to detonate an improvised explosive device days before the demonstration. The bomb was never set off. Demonstrators were there to counter-protest a rally organized by the United Patriot Front, a white nationalist group, at Bluff Park in Long Beach. That group removed the event from their Facebook page more than two weeks prior and never showed up. Accoding to an FBI affidavit Domingo asked a confidential source working for the agency to put him in contact with a bomb maker. After an undercover officer gave him the fake bomb, [Jobs, from p. 2]
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part of efficiency at the ports,” Cummings said. “But they also did so in such a way that allowed for the preservation of a lot of the essential longshoreman jobs, and then reallocation of jobs in other parts of the system, that have again allowed for some balance between automation and live personnel,” he pointed out. “So I think that’s an important precedent just to think about and recall when we’re at a moment when automation is being presented as a solution.” In the present case, “One of the significant focuses of the cost analysis on the LA/Long Beach side was compliance with environmental mandates, particularly the Clean Air Action Plan,” Cummings noted. In turn “that suggested that there needs to be reductions in other places,” but it ignored the prospect that other ports will ultimately “have to make similar kinds of changes in order to promote environmental compliance.” Ultimately, he said, “We want to be pushing up, toward equalizing standards across the board, as opposed to driving them down by shifting, or potentially threatening to shift away from one port to the next.” That’s not the only blindspot in the report, Cummings noted. “One of the gaps of analysis is just focusing on automation as a kind of cure-all solution in ways that don’t take into consideration other kinds of alternatives,” he said, “including thinking about the way that resources are allocated within these big global logistics firms that pay executives a lot of money, and issue a lot of dividends to their shareholders.” There’s also the question of just how much loss of market share is due to the widening of the Panama Canal, and related investments in East Coast and Gulf ports. New ships too large for widened canal have already become part of the mix, and will increasingly tip the balance back toward POLA and POLB. But there’s no analysis on that front, either. And, of course, automation isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. A McKinsey & Company report from late last year—widely cited by longshore leaders and members in recent meetings—found that “productivity actually falls, by 7 to 15 percent.” Failure to live up to industry expectations could then be used as yet another justification for further cutting labor costs—yet another way of driving an ongoing race to the bottom. All of this means that a much more nuanced, more thoughtful, and more comprehensive approach is needed, as talks convened by Mayor Eric Garcetti continue. A rush to judgment, based on faulty data and slanted analysis, is the last thing anyone needs.
Domingo that event would still happen and Domingo planned on placing the bomb among the protesters of the white nationalist group. Domingo told the FBI source he wanted to use guns registered to his own name for a shooting, but the FBI source convinced him to use an improvised explosive device instead. Domingo brought up this idea several weeks later and the FBI source told Domingo he knew someone who could make such a device, the affidavit stated. Domingo discussed targeting Jewish people, churches, the military and the police with the FBI source, before settling on the rally in Long Beach, the affidavit stated.
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Rather, the report presents a highly distorted picture of the situation, highlighted by the claim that “The economic value of these port complexes for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) represent 31.4 percent of the $1.0 trillion dollars of Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP) projected for 2019...” This figure — making it seem like the whole region is in dire economic peril—is wildly out of synch with other analysts, as well as the rest of the sentence: “and a total of 179,108 direct, indirect and induced jobs.” There are roughly 6.2 million jobs in the LA MSA, according to the Federal Reserve, so that’s less than 1 in 34 jobs, 2.9 percent, accounting for 31.4 percent of the economy? A 2017 report, “Goods on the Move!” from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, provides a more credible picture of the role of goods movement in the regional economy (including the Inland Empire): “The industry cluster contributed $135 billion in value-added, accounting for 13.1 percent of the regional gross product.” A much smaller job figure — “nearly 68,253”— involved “discretionary cargo movement” that could go through other ports in 2018, according to PMA’s own report. That’s 1.1 percent of metro-area jobs, and, proportionally, 4.5 percent of the regional gross product. There’s no doubt that these jobs are important — especially here in the Harbor Area, where they are most concentrated. But regional panic over losing them—which the PMA report tries to stoke with its 31.4 percent figure—is clearly manufactured in order to cloud and disorient public judgment. And to shift attention away from jobs actually and immediately at stake at Pier 400. For the port complex and industry as a whole, any losses would be spread over many years, so it’s vital not to panic, but to think things through much more carefully than PMA’s report would have us do. “As a matter of historical context, automation and the potential impact on labor has long been a source of conflict between the ports and the ILWU,” Cummings said. “Roughly 25 to 30 years ago, there was a big conflict over the use of cranes,” he recalled. “The terminal operators cried that the sky was going to fall if cranes weren’t inserted, and lots of jobs were proposed to be eliminated.” However, after a struggle, “What ended up happening was the deal was struck, where obviously cranes have come in and been a central
Mugshot of Mark Steven Domingo paired with photo taken at an earlier time. File photo
Domingo went with the officer to scout out Bluff Park, the location of the rally. Shortly thereafter, the FBI arrested Domingo The affidavit also stated that Domingo initially planned to target the white nationalists. Then he learned that United Patriot Front possibly canceled the rally. Domingo also discussed attacking Santa Monica Pier with the FBI source. The FBI source told
7
Caution is Advised On the way to a crime scene By James Preston Allen, Publisher
Pier 400 automation permit, a TV reporter called the ILWU protest “a strike.” It was not. It seems quite frequent that some reporters don’t know the difference between a strike, a stop action, a lockout and a protest. The union members who picked up the report instantly on their cell phones confronted the reporter immediately demanded and received a retraction. This, I might add was a rare occurrence — a direct confrontation between a broadcast journalist and the subject(s) of a report actually resulting in corrective action. The waterfront unions should make note of this moving forward. More often, the subtleties of the facts that are gathered into the news of a crime get lost in the rush to report on them. The recent apprehension of a would-be terrorist bomber by the FBI before he could explode an “inert device” at a white nationalist rally at Bluff Park in Long Beach is a curious example. Very little was made of the fact that who showed up at the rally were exclusively some 200 counter-demonstrators of the white nationalists and that this misguided “terrorist,” if he’d been successful, would have killed the wrong victims as this hate crime was directed — curiously enough — at the group routinely responsible for acts of terrorism. The white nationalists just didn’t show up. What I find even more curious is how little reporting has been done to expose the roots of this group, which obviously wants to disrupt our communities. However, greater caution should be advised when reading foreign news reports in the American press. The current rush to judgment in the mainstream press reporting on “the coup in Venezuela” harkens back to the days of reporters being fed the news from the Department of Public Information under the Ronald Reagan administration or worse, the CIA-influenced news reports on every country not aligned with American interests. This creates wildly false conclusions about foreign governments and in this particular case the apparent meddling of the United States in the political process of a sovereign nation’s elected president. Does this sound hypocritically familiar to what the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report accuses Russia of doing in the 2016 elections? There is so little critical reporting of the Venezuelan “crisis” in our national press that I advise readers to log onto Democracy Now!, the Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Sitting in my office on 13th Street, I have gotten used to the sirens routinely screaming up and down Pacific Avenue. The northbound ones are usually the Los Angeles Fire Department engines and the southbound are mostly Los Angeles Harbor Division squad cars racing toward the Point Fermin area in the afternoons. On any given day I can almost tell what time it is by the sirens heading south but on this Tuesday before we went to press the sirens came early and I started to count them. I counted up to six when I got up to look out the door only to hear more coming down the street. They drove past at high speed running the red light. The homeless guy on the corner looked at me and said, “That’s been eight now.” I hear more on the way and think, “This must be something big.” I looked down Pacific Avenue and see the red lights have passed 22nd Street but have stopped someplace just beyond. Later that morning when I arrived at the yellow tape crime scene an officer tells me that they are looking for “a black man with a gun who assaulted someone.” The helicopter is flying overhead and there are at least three K-9 units and some 20 or more Metro Los Angeles Police Department officers in combat gear getting ready to search Denison Street. I asked the senior Metro sergeant who they’re looking for. He described him as a “male Hispanic with a gun.” I wondered if they actually know who they’re looking for? There’s often confusion that fogs these incidents, like the investigation into the 11th Street rapist a month ago in San Pedro. The police put out an artist’s sketch of the suspect which was widely distributed that depicted a clean shaven Latino man with a thin mustache and straight hair. When the LAPD finally arrested a suspect the picture sent out in the press release is of a black guy with a scruffy beard. It makes me wonder about jumping to conclusions and how both police and the media report on active crimes. Reporters and broadcast news media are particularly vulnerable to the mistakes of “instant news” reporting that often goes uncorrected leaving the public with misconceptions. In one recent incident that happened at the Port of Los Angeles hearing on the
May 2 - 15, 2019
Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya
8
“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XL : No. 9
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com
Real News Network or to read the foreign press to get a less adulterated version of what’s truly taking place abroad. As a last note on critical reporting (and thinking), if you ever have any doubts about what our government has been doing overseas since the end of World War II, which has earned the US so much animus abroad, I recommend reading Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner. It is a detailed history of the Central Intelligence Agency from its inception after World War II, through the Cold War years and the War on Terror, to the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 and beyond. The book is based on more
than 50,000 documents, primarily from the CIA’s own archives and hundreds of interviews with CIA veterans, including 10 directors of Central Intelligence. One of the stellar endorsements for this book is the CIA declaring that anyone who wants a “balanced perspective of the CIA and its history” should steer well clear of this book. Obviously the revelations in this well researched critique of the agency are so embarrassing that in another era it would have been banned! In the meantime, caution is advised and critical thinking required when consuming the news!
In Pursuit of an Agro-Industrial Model City By Rachel Bruhnke I was at the Gaffey Street Gardeners organizing meeting with several of my students on April 25. It was frustrating to hear about Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office, but not surprising. There is a pattern here that needs to be addressed: Insane Land Use policies. The only thing that is going to get us out of the social/climatic/ economic crisis we are in is a redistribution of land from urban/industrial to an agro-industrial (at best) model. As one farmer at the San Pedro Gardens put it simply to me: “Mas vegetacion.” “Greening” the city means nothing less than, literally, greening the city. Land must be turned over to “mas vegetacion.” It can bring jobs, it
Columnists/Reporters Lyn Jensen Reporter Richard Foss Restaurant Reviewer Andrea Serna Arts Writer Melina Paris Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Jessie Drezner, Benjamin Garcia, Raphael Richardson Contributors Leslie Belt, Rachel Bruhnke, Dennis J. Freeman, Mark L. Friedman, Benjamin Garcia, Ari LeVaux, Gretchen Williams
can capture CO2 and pollution, and it can help people in a myriad of ways. A few ideas that were mentioned at the meeting that I think should be highlighted: An idea that the farmers themselves help with the labor required to re-plumb the land. Government should literally work with people, not shove them aside and take over-especially a space they do not appreciate nor understand. “Union contract work” is bogus in this way, sorry, and is not the future. All workers are workers. We should be “united” as such. My take on it, I know it’s controversial. Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office should be
Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker Design/Production Suzanne Matsumiya, Brenda Lopez Editorial Interns Hunter Chase, Carissa Diaz, Steven Guzman Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 Fax: (310) 832-1000 www.randomlengthsnews.com Random Lengths News office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731.
[See Green, p. 9] Address correspondence regarding news items and tips to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email: editor@randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor to james@randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed with address and phone number (for verification purposes) and be about 250 words. For advertising inquiries or to submit advertising copy, email: rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com. Annual subscription is $36 for 27 issues. Back issues are available for $3/copy while supplies last. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2019 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters Reaction to Daily Breeze Opinion
After reading the Daily Breeze editorial from April 10, written by George Will, a conservative columnist, “Another Chance for Lawmakers to Sink Jones Act,” I am thinking they hired a foreign spy to write their editorials. I cannot forgive, but understand how Sen. Mike Lee from Utah, author of a Bill to gut the Jones Act could have his head where the sun doesn’t shine in his land-locked state, but in the Daily Breeze? I can hope and pray that your excuse is ignorance and not treason. Ignorance that sinking The Jones Act would also sink what is left of our United States Merchant Marine which is already in dire straights for various reasons including politicians scuttling our shipyards in the 1980s and our American companies using the flag of convenience system throughout the world. Ignorance of how the Jones Act protects our country from threats from abroad and prevents threats becoming domestic. Without our Jones Act, foreign interests would be all the way up the Mississippi. Ignorance of what our American Merchant Marine means to our country and always has since 1775. We supplied and continue to supply our soldiers all over the world. Foriegn shippers who have no loyalty to the United States have refused to carry our military cargo in every war and conflict we have ever had. Ignorance of our history and how the Jones Act needs to be built up not gutted. Sen. Wesley Jones was correct in 1920 when he said, “There is nobody nowadays to look after American interests except we Americans ourselves. It is said this will drive foregn shipping from our ports. Granted I want to do it.” Unfortunately, the Jones Act
is not enough. Currently, there are less than 200 ships in our United States Fleet, that is less than two percent of the vessels visiting our American ports. Without the Jones Act and the Maritime Security Programs [MSP] our fleet would all but disappear leaving our great country with our 95,000 miles of coast without our own Merchant Marine. It’s a flat out lie that Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico would be better off without the Jones Act. American ships and crew provide and protect all our states. With 98 percent of foreign vessels importing and exporting cargo in the United States, you are proposing to get rid of the Jones Act to make it 100 percent foreign flag vessels. I think that is treason. Furthermore, I cannot understand why someone would think that doing away with our meager two percent of shipping would drastically even meagerly affect the prices of our goods. I am sending along educational materials so this port paper can learn the importance of our Jones Act, Merchant Marine, American jobs and what they mean to our country. Mark Hurley Former SUP Agent Wilmington Dear Mark, Why a good union man like you or any other union workers in this area would think that the Daily Breeze would support the Jones Act is beyond me. That particular newspaper has for its entire lifespan under various corporate ownerships always had an antiunion bias. That it claims to serve this Harbor Area which is one of the bastions of union power where voter registration is 65 percent Democrat, is a curious oddity. Even more to the point is that
[Green, from p. 8]
Woman’s Right to Abortion?
Response to “Defend Abortion Rights” RLn 3/21 to 4/3/19 Women who feel that they have a right to access abortion need to consider a few things before terminating a pregnancy. The brain waves of a fetus are recorded at forty days (six weeks) on an electroencephalogram (EEG). The Catholic Church actually considers that at the time of conception is when life actually starts. If it is growing, it is alive, if it has human parents, it is human, and human beings like you and me are valuable. If the unborn are the most helpless of all humans, then this is an argument that the unborn should have greater protection under the law and not less. Since 1991, over 1,500 abortion facilities have closed representing a 70 percent decrease in facilities nationwide. One of the main reasons for closing facilities is staff turnover. Who would want to see what takes place in an abortion facility? The movie, Unplanned tells the true story of a former Planned Parenthood director, Abby Johnson. We encourage you to see it.
We have to pass laws that prohibit abortion as much as possible, as abortion should not be tolerated in a civilized society. The main reason for outlawing abortion is that it is not moral. Every human life is precious and sacred in the eyes of God and every person has a dignity that comes from God. John and Patty Winkler San Pedro Dear John and Patty, The religious conservatives of America would be on much higher moral grounds if they also lobbied against the death penalty, stopped supporting war and started funding [See Letters, p. 20]
Alert
State of the Presentation
District
City of Los Angeles 15th District Councilman Joe Buscaino will delivery his state of the city address. This is a San Pedro Chamber of Commerce fundraising event and not open to the general public without paid admission. RSVP. Time: 11:30 a.m. May 2 Details: 310-832-7272; www. sanpedrochamber.com Venue: Topaz Building, 226 W. 6th St., 11th floor, San Pedro
Cesar Chavez Day
It’s ironic that this nation isn’t observing the last Monday in March as Cesar Chavez Day. Cesar transitioned April 22 1993. I can’t understand why the Congressional Hispanic Caucus hasn’t brought this to the floor so that it can be voted on and passed into law. Like Dr. King, Mr. Chavez stood for worker’s rights and
Rachel Bruhnke is a master gardener and former Green Party candidate for the state assembly (AD-70).
May 2 - 15, 2019
engineer on our side. The nuts and bolts of this is crucial. If not, the city can treat this as a “you have no idea of the scope of the work” issue. And they would be right, actually. We need an actual, boots on the ground, counter-plan. How could the garden remain open and the work be done in sections? How could the farmers help with the labor? How could the (legitimate) water usage concerns be addressed and the farmers encouraged/trained to be more water-wise? The coordinator at the 6th Street garden, Peter O’Brien, who is an architect by trade, said he would look into that and saw the importance of having the engineering/architectural expertise on our side. I am looking into it, too. It’s not just fossil fuel industry that needs a “just transition.” We need to transition our land use politics. Even, and perhaps especially in highly industrial areas. We need an AgroIndustrial model. Imagine the amazing, inspiring, socially and environmentally-beneficial work that that entails. When I ran for state assembly as a Green Party member, my No.1 campaign issue was land reform. “Greening a city” literally means greening a city.
notified and asked to be involved. The recentlyreleased County Sustainability Plan is being commented on around the County. Our District’s comment meeting is May 28 in Wilmington, although she should be contacted now. LA’s Office of Sustainability should be contacted. This move is at odds with their office, a wedge should be started, or if not, the hypocrisy be publicized. The very visible folks who tried to save the South Central Farm in 2005-2006 should be notified. They will be livid, and I believe, want to help. Martin Sheen, in particular, just lost a dear friend, Blase Bonpane, who worked with and for the Latin American community all his life. Farmers. And towards the end of his life he became particularly interested in urban gardening in LA. The abuse of “farmers” is a deep issue with the Latin American community. Of course, Joe is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He touts his “old country” credentials, growing and canning food a la Italiano ... yet, of course, doesn’t get it. His hypocrisy on this should be exposed as traitorous to his roots. “What would an Italian do?” Lastly, and vital for this: We need a water
equality for all. Please let Chairman Castro of the CHC know the time has come to give Cesar Chavez his due by making the last Monday in March a national holiday. Pedro Baez Los Angeles
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Green City
when you hear the words “liberal media” you can certainly count that the new corporate owners, Digital First Media, are anything but liberal. You and other readers might find this brief history of some use. In August 2006, the company took out around $350 million in loans to purchase four newspapers from McClatchy Co. Among those providing the loan was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It came out of bankruptcy in March 2010 under the majority ownership of its lenders. The MediaNews creditors then removed Media News president, Jody Lodovic, and its chairman, William Dean Singleton, who was reassigned to the position of “executive chairman of the board.” The Singleton-Lodovic appointees to the MediaNews board were replaced by new directors representing the stockholders group led by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund, which has acquired a large — though not controlling — stake. As of 2012, the combined newspapers and online media outlets managed by the company had 66.6 million readers. Alden Global Capital has been accused of “strip mining” its newspaper holdings. All of which is just say that you can tell the bias of a news media by who owns it. Thanks for writing, James Preston Allen Publisher
9
[Villanueva, from p. 5]
Villanueva
Villanueva did not make a formal speech. Instead he spent roughly 90 minutes responding to more than a dozen questions from the floor. Most were submitted via cards, but some audience members simply shouted questions. Besides the controversial personnel issues, topics addressed included homelessness and cannabis enforcement. Responding to a question concerning marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Harbor Gateway, Villanueva said policies are still being defined. “We’re trying to get rid of the black market but
protect legal operations,” Villanueva said. “The black market is trying to take out legal ones. If you think one’s going on, report it to the sheriff.” Several questions about homelessness were addressed in a single response. Villanueva introduced Lt. Jeff Dietrich, who supervises the homeless outreach services team. Dietrich said the department is adding more deputies to deal with homelessness, and Carson is the only station that has two deputies assigned to the team. Dietrich also said that as of 2018, Carson had 481 homeless persons, with two-thirds of them living in vehicles.
[Renters, from p. 5]
Renters Strike
Cynthia Macias, president of the Board of Housing Long Beach, said this practice is common in Long Beach. She has seen landlords evict tenants, paint the buildings and significantly increase the rent for the next group of tenants. On April 2, the Long Beach City Council advanced a proposal to make landlords pay relocation fees to tenants who are squeezed out after rent increases of more than 10 percent in a year, or who are evicted without just cause. Since
from Turnstone Capital, and included contact information for the manager of the property. However, the manager did not answer or return Hernandez’s phone calls, or respond to this paper’s inquiries. The tenants and Housing Long Beach sent letters to the property owners to negotiate, but they have not received a response yet, said Cynthia Macias, the president of the board of Housing Long Beach. Tenants will not have an easy time finding housing in Long Beach. Most are families in need of two-bedroom apartments.
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Maria Lopez and the tenants of 900 and 904 Alamitos Ave. in Long Beach protested their eviction from the property. Photo by Hunter Chase
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the proposal has not yet become law the landlords can evict the tenants without penalties. Maria Lopez, director of community organizing for Housing Long Beach, said tenants were given a choice between two unsavory options: either they move out before April 19, less than a month after the notices were given and receive $1,000, or move out within 60 days and receive nothing. Lopez said the landlords expected the tenants to continue to pay rent with both options. “The sad part is that all of these are working families, with over 12 kids in the building,” Lopez said. “These families can’t ever, in Long Beach reality, move with a thousand dollars.” In response, the tenants went on a rent strike. They demanded 90 days to move and “realistic relocation assistance.” Less than a week later, the landlords sent 3-day notices to pay rent or leave. Brisslisset Hernandez, a tenant, had no idea on where to go next. “We just think it’s impossible how we’re getting kicked out in 60 days and yet they want us to pay rent,” Hernandez said. “How are you going to pay two months of rent and still have money to make a deposit and pay another new apartment?” The eviction notice and 30-day notice came
“The rents are crazy anywhere, you’re going to need a minimum of five grand,” Macias said. “These people are already working two to three jobs, paying more than 60 percent of their income to rent.” The Long Beach Housing Board and tenants have not discussed the possibility of staying in the buildings, Lopez said. “The discussion is really one-sided,” Lopez said. “We’re usually forced to make decisions with the least amount of communication from landlords. That’s really the problem, that we want to promote healthy, transparent communication for what these families are living and need, and the landlords are just flipping buildings, and not really ever here.” Managers she has spoken with are usually unable to answer her questions and tell her to speak to the landlord. “And where’s the landlord? We never find the landlord,” Lopez asked. Lopez sent a letter to the agent that sent the eviction notices at the beginning of April. The letter was sent back to Lopez a week later, as no one was present to sign for it.
Loren Bowen as Henrietta Leavitt and Holland Renton as Annie Cannon in Silent Night at the Long Beach Playhouse.
Delivers More Laughs than Inspiration By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist
place. So with the help of younger sister Margaret (Amber Hill), she is able to use her dowry money to finance her Massachusetts move so she can undertake her dream career: studying the heavens. Upon arrival, however, she is disappointed to find that, rather than manning the telescope, her gender relegates her to the woman’s work of computing, which in 1900 means manually processing data — in this case, cataloging the celestial objects captured on photographic plates by the male astronomers who get to use Harvard’s big refracting telescope. With little choice, she pours her disappointed passion into this work, and before long she is turning heads with the quality of her findings. One of those heads belongs to her supervisor, Peter (Austin James),
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Unless you’re quite the astronomy nerd, you’ve never heard of Henrietta Leavitt, but it’s partly because of her that you know the universe is expanding. Edwin Hubble (the Hubble Space Telescope is named for him) made this discovery using the fruits of her 20year career as a “computer” at Harvard College Observatory. Although the real-life Leavitt didn’t live to know of the lasting contribution she made to humanity, in Silent Sky playwright Lauren Gunderson imagines a Henrietta who glimpsed the possibility of such permanent connections, and perhaps even her own place among them. We meet Henrietta (Loren Bowen) as a hearing-impaired, Radcliffe-educated 30-something dying to get out of rural Wisconsin. The world out there is simply too vast for such an intellectually curious person to spend her life in such an isolated
[See Silent Sky, p. 17]
May 2 - 15, 2019
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Blended Lemon Bender By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist
If I could get across one point today, it would be that people should be putting lemons in blenders, everything but the seeds. Don’t stop blending until all the lemon flesh, pith and zest have been homogenized into a creamy vortex in the center of the blender. Blending a lemon makes a pale yellow puree with a bright flavor that embodies everything good about lemons. Any recipe that calls for lemon juice, from ceviche to salad dressing, lemonade to lemon pie, will also benefit from this lemony foam. Blended lemon does lemon juice’s job, but with more zeal and texture. And there is more of it, per lemon, than juice alone. Eaten straight with a spoon, it’s a blast of sharp, refreshing complexity. The aromatic oils from the zest, sour sweetness of the fruit, and bitterness of the pith create a symphony of citrus that many will find exciting as is without sweetening or salting. The thick structure won’t separate, thanks to pectin from the pith, which binds it all together. There are a few things worth adding to
BIG NICK’S PIZZA
blended lemon. Lime juice fills out the lemon flavor, a combination captured in Sprite. But lime pith is ruthlessly bitter, so it doesn’t work to blend whole limes as we do lemons. Squeeze the limes, the old fashioned way. I’m still glowing from a recent batch of scallops, marinated in the fridge overnight in blended lemon puree, with lime juice and soy sauce. Since then, I’ve mixed blended lemon with olive oil, lime and salt into a simple, refreshing salad dressing. But let’s be realistic. You will probably be adding sugar to your blended lemon, along with that lime. Blending in the sugar makes the texture even smoother and makes the slurry so dangerously edible you might need to hide the spoons. You are now at the lemonade stage of the blended lemon sequence. From here, mix this concentrate with water, in a blender or in a glass, at about a tablespoon concentrate per cup of water. You are now ready for summer. The next stage of the blended lemon sequence is what I call the custard stage. It
Tradition, variety and fast delivery—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and our amazing selection of signature pizzas. We offer a wide selection of appetizers, salads, beer and wine. Call for fast delivery. Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Big Nicks’ Pizza, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro • 310-732-5800 www.bignickspizzasp.com
BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA
A San Pedro landmark for over 44 years, famous for exceptional award-winning pizza baked in brick ovens. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and handselected ingredients that are prepared fresh. Dine-in, take-out and catering. There are two locations in Long Beach. Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Buono’s Pizzeria, 1432 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro 310-547-0655 • www.buonospizza.com
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
THE CHORI-MAN
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Fourth-generation artisanal chorizo and meats. Purchase chorizo by the pound or try our burritos and tacos! Menu specials change weekly. Open Wed. and Thurs., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fri. - Sun., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For catering email: info@ thechoriman.com for catering and special orders. The ChoriMan, 2309 S. Alma St., San Pedro • 424-287-2414
CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL
Conrad’s menu reflects the cuisine of his native Oaxaca with a fresh focus on local, seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It features classic dishes from Oaxaca and regional Mexico, such as mole sauces, ceviche, empanadas and sopecitos. Sourcing the freshest ingredients, combining them with traditional flavors and rewriting familiar recipes into exceptional cuisine is Conrad’s mission. Ask about Conrad’s vegan menu. Caterng available. Hours: Mon. 8 am. to 8 p.m.; Tues, and Wed. 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Thurs. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Conrad’s Mexican Grill, 376. W. 6th St., San Pedro • 424-264-5452 www.conradsmexicangrill.com
GAFFEY STREET DINER
At the north end of Gaffey Street, where the 110 Fwy. delivers you back to San Pedro, is where you’ll find the Gaffey Street Diner. Made famous 10 years ago by
Lemon curd made with the whole blended lemon. Photo by Ari LeVaux.
Guy Fieri’s Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Gaffey Street is a destination breakfast spot serving the “Original” John Wayne Breakfast. The menu has Mexican and allAmerican fare, plus a taste of the Islands with dishes such as Spam and eggs, and Portuguese sausage and eggs. Open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon. - Fri.; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Gaffey Street Diner, 247 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro 310-548-6964
HAPPY DINER AND HAPPY DELI
The Happy Diner isn’t your average diner. It’s the idea of fresh creative dishes in three San Pedro locations. The selections range from Italian- and Mexicaninfluenced entrées to American Continental. Happy Diner chefs are always creating something new—take your pick of grilled salmon over pasta or tilapia and vegetables prepared any way you like. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Happy Diner #1, 617 S. Centre St., San Pedro • 310-241-0917 • Happy Diner #2, 1931 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro • 310935-2933 • Open for breakfast and lunch: Happy Deli, 530 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro • 424-364-0319
LA BUVETTE WINE BISTRO
Welcome to La Buvette Wine Bistro, San Pedro’s French bistro located in the historic waterfront district. La Buvette offers rustic French cuisine featuring the freshest ingredients from valued local purveyors. La Buvette pays tribute to the classic French bistros of various regions of France where good food, good wine and friends come together to create the special joie de vivre. Free, private parking lot in rear Hours: Tue.Thur. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. La Buvette Wine Bistro, 335 W. 7th St., San Pedro • 424-342-9840 www.LaBuvetteBistro.com
includes the likes of blended lemon pudding, pie, curd, pots de crème and bars. Pots de crème have a decadent, cheesecakey body, but the cream is slightly at odds with the lemony zing. Cream would be better added in whipped form, atop a lemony treat. A pot of blended lemon curd, meanwhile, stirred carefully in a double boiler, has a taffy-like density and piercing lemony flavor. But at the end of the day, it’s a pot of yellow goop. A pie is basically a baked version of curd and the baking gives it a rich and dense texture, but who has time for crust? Not I. You won’t find me shaving frozen butter or rolling out batter or powdering the room with flour. I just apply a dusting of flour on the bottom of a pan and pour the curd mixture over it. The butter in the curd seeps down into the flour while it’s baking, forming a crustlike material that does what I need crust to do. Namely, it allows me to remove my goodie cleanly, with no chunks left behind and leave the pan easy to clean, and disappear. The relative blandness of this invisible crust does, admittedly, offer a pleasant refuge from the deluge of bright flavors in the baked custard. The flour humbly does its job, giving the curd
[See Lemons, p. 16]
PHILIE B’S PIZZA
Welcome to Philie B’s, where New York style pizza, Sicilian rice balls and pizza-by-the-slice are the specialties. Fresh hot or cold sandwiches gourmet pizzas and salads too. Try the “white pizza” with smooth ricotta, mozzarella and sharp Pecorino-Romano cheeses topped with fresh basil. Extended hour accommodate San Pedro’ s unique work schedules. Catering and fast local delivery available. Hours: Sun. - Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Philie B’s on Sixth, 347 W. 6th St., San Pedro • 310-514-2500 • www.philiebs.com
SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY
A micro brewery and American grill, SPBC features handcrafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, BBQ, sandwiches, salads and burgers. A full bar with made-from-scratch margaritas and a martini menu all add fun to the warm and friendly atmosphere. Live music. Open daily from 11:30 a.m.. San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-831-5663 • www.sanpedrobrewing. com
THE WHALE & ALE ENGLISH RESTAURANT & PUB
The Victorian oak panels & elegant brass fittings will make you feel like you’ve crossed the Atlantic. Featuring popular pub fare such as Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, Choice Steaks, Roast Prime Rib, Beef Wellington & Roast Rack of Lamb. Seafood selections include Chilean Sea Bass, Atlantic Salmon, Jumbo Tiger Shrimp & Sand Dabs. International draft beers & ales, and domestic craft beers on tap. Full bar; free, gated parking lot. Happy hour five days a week. Hours: Mon. 5 to 9 p.m., Tues.Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat. 1 to 10 p.m., Sun. 1 to 9 p.m. The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro • 310-832-0363 • www. whaleandale.com
Mother’s Day Brunch and Beyond
[See Brunch, p. 14]
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$ 99
3-Egg Omelets Served with your choice of toast or fresh baked muffin.
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$ 99
Breakfast Croissant Sandwich
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$ 99
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon and aged American cheese inside a flaky butter croissant. Served with crispy tots.
Ask about our Senior Discounts
New Location!
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May 2 - 15, 2019
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1030 N. Western Ave., San Pedro
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The Whale & Ale Bring the mother in your life to celebrate at The Whale & Ale. The restaurant-pub has a large menu with all sorts of dishes. Every mom will get a glass of French champagne on the house. Time: 1 to 7 p.m. Cost: Varies
Plus fresh fruit
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Last year, bigger party sizes accounted for more than 65 percent of brunch reservations — 58 percent of reservations for 3 to 6 guests and 7 percent of reservations for a big crew of 7 or more. As a result, parties of 2 made up only 35 percent of guests who dined at brunch, which is down 20 percent from a typical Sunday. And it’s not just about mom after all. Diners are looking for a cuisine that’ll please
2 fluffy pancakes 2 sausages or strips of bacon 2 eggs
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Three or more is a party on Mother’s Day!
Magnificent Six Breakfast
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Surprisingly, eggs and mimosas may not be exactly on the top of the list. However, not by much, 46 percent of guests (in a recent survey) dined on Mother’s Day, which is slightly more than 41 percent of guests who opted for brunch. This might include mimosas. And moms are all about prime time dining. This past year, diners searched most for tables at 7 p.m., followed by tables at 12 p.m. This year is not much different. So far, 7 p.m. is once again the most sought after reservation time, with 11:30 a.m. as the second most desired.
SERVED ALL DAY
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Mom Knows What Mom Wants
the whole family. The most highly sought after food in 2017 was American (30 percent), with Italian (10 percent), bar/lounge (10 percent) and seafood (9 percent) competing for the number two spot. After looking at all reservations on the books so far for the current year, diner behavior isn’t expected to change. So far, American food accounts for 50 percent of reservations already on the books with Italian (10 percent) and Steak (3 percent) in their respective second and third positions. Not shockingly, most sought after Mother’s Day spots serve those popular cuisines. While you may not be able to book very popular restaurants, we have news for you: 2 percent of area restaurants that aren’t typically opened on Sundays for brunch and dinner are opening their doors this year just for the special day. Make sure to check your favorite spots. And, if you haven’t done any planning yet? As it turns out, you’re not alone: 50 percent of all meals on Mother’s Day were made by reservation, with 18 percent of reservations made the day of, 10 percent the day before and 36 percent within a week before. Here are some of the favorite places to try out locally.
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Think Valentine’s Day is the busiest dining holiday of the year? Think again. When it’s Mom’s Day, everyone comes out to dine! Seriously, on Mother’s Day 2017, restaurants were up 63 percent from the average on a normal Sunday. So here are some analytics into guest and restaurant behavior around this holiday. When are people booking? What are the popular cuisine choices? Is it “Mom and I” time or a whole family affair? What times are guests most eager to dine? Here are some of the answers.
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[Brunch, from p. 13]
Brunch and Beyond
Details: 310-832-0363 Venue: The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro Los Angeles Yacht Club Reservations are a must for this special brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day Time: 10 to 1 p.m. May 12 Cost: $15 to $45 Details: reservations@layc.org Venue: Los Angeles Yacht Club, 285 Whalers Walk, San Pedro Conrad’s Mexican Grill This is not your typical Mexican restaurant,
Conrad’s serves Oaxacan mole, fresh seafood and traditional tacos and burritos with a flair, as well as an extensive vegan menu. It’s a small place with excellent food but no alcohol. Time: Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost: $ 9 $24.95 Details: 424-264-5452 Venue: 376 W. 6th St., San Pedro Malainey’s Grill Enjoy an oceanfront champagne and all you can eat buffet. Treat mom to a special Mother’s Day brunch on the bay at Malainey’s Grill. Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 12 Cost: $34.99 Details: 562-598-9431 Venue: Malainey’s Grill and One Hell of an Irish Bar, 168 N. Marina Drive, Long Beach Marie Calender’s In San Pedro Treat mom to a special Mother’s Day with a slice of her favorite pie. Marie Calender’s has moved across Western Avenue next to Ralph’s with a new fast and easy service but still with many of your favorite choices for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In the days leading up to the celebration, stop by and order one of their tasty pies and make a reservation and check out their new menu. It’s the place where children take mom to dinner. Time: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost: Moderate prices Details: 310-832-4559 Venue: 1030 N. Western Ave., San Pedro (Next to Ralph’s Market)
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
For more options check out the RLnews Dining Guide in this issue on page 12 or go to www.randomlengthsnews.com/dining-guide/
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W.6th St., San Pedro
May 3
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20 • 5 1 2 Y A M MUSIC May 3
The Paul Gormley Trio Bassist Paul Gormley brings his trio to The Whale & Ale, featuring Roger Neumann on tenor sax and Riner Scivally on guitar. Time: 7 p.m. May 3 Cost: Free Details: 310-832-0363; www.whaleandale.com Venue: The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro
May 4
Sounds of the Americas Experience a night of diverse sounds from the Americas in conjunction with Museum of Latin American Art’s exhibition Grafica America. Time: 7 to 10 p.m. May 4 Cost: $27 to $30 Details: 562-437-1689; www.molaa.org Venue: MoLAA, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach Celtic Woman Ancient Land Celebrating the centuriesold Irish tradition of telling stories through song — stories of the land, stories of love and dancing. Celtic Woman combines the country’s finest musical talents with epic stage production to present a uniquely inspiring live experience. Time: 7:30 p.m. May 4 Cost: $39 to $150 Details: Ticketmaster.com Venue: Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
May 5
May 9
May 11
Kimberly Ford In true homage to Joni Mitchell’s quintessential classics, Ford has gathered a group of stellar musicians with backgrounds in jazz, classical and rock to cover all facets of Mitchell’s career. Time: 8 p.m. May 11 Cost: $25 to $35 Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Popfuji Summer Concert Starcrawler will co-headline this cocert with Popfuji veterans Death Valley Girls and local legend mike watt + the jom & terry show. Time: 6 p.m. May 11 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Y59h6iqv Venue: Brouwerij West, 110 E. 22nd St., San Pedro Little Brazil Little Brazil revisits the defining moments of Brazilian music from a contemporary perspective. The trio fills their repertoire with pieces from the best composers, and original songs and arrangements from their new album, Vem. Time: 7:30 to 10 p.m. May 11 Cost: $20 Details: www.eventbrite.com Venue: Casa Arjona, 4515 E. Harvey Way, Long Beach
May 12
Douyé & Trio Enjoy this Bossa Nova Deluxe project that features classic Bossa Nova tunes fused with Latin and African sounds. Time: 4 to 6 p.m. May 12 Cost: $20 Details: www.alvasahowroom.tix. com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Pedro’s Got Soul! Windy City Entertainment presents the first San Pedro Music Festival with 30-year San Pedro resident and world renowned vocalist, Windy Barnes Farrell. Artist lineup includes Howard Hewett, jazz saxophonist Azar Lawrence and all- female smooth jazz ensemble, Jazz in Pink. Time: 4 to 7 p.m. May 12 Cost: $35 to $75 and up Details: www.grandvision.org
El Segundo Concert Band 20th Anniversary Give the gift of music this Mother’s Day. Join the El Segundo Concert Band performance with Maestro Steven Allen Fox. Time: 7 p.m. May 12 Cost: Free Details: 424-242-3722; www.sbmusic.org Venue: El Segundo Performing Arts Center 640 S. Main St., El Segundo
THEATER May 3
Fiddler on the Roof Come see a timeless classic, performed by the talented Miraleste Middle School cast. Time: 7 p.m. May 3, 4, 2 p.m. May 4 and 11, and 4 p.m. May 5 and 12 Cost: $10 to $15 Details: 310-732-0900; www.ShowTix4u.com Venue: Miraleste Intermediate School, 29323 Palos Verdes Dr. East, Rancho Palos Verdes
May 10
Spring Forward / Fall Back Thus begins the latest stage adaptation of one Jane Yeh’s novel’s. Follow Qiu Xiaomei on this humorous and Heartfelt journey as she experiences the many faces of love. Time: 8 p.m. May 12 Cost: $20 to $30 Details: www.torrancearts.org Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr. Torrance
May 11
The Tempest Politics, broad comedy, vengeance, romance, servitude, forgiveness and magic make The Tempest one of Shakespeare’s most intriguing and entertaining works Time: 8 p.m. May 11, 17 and 18 Cost: $15 Details: www.centerforthearts.org Venue: El Camino College, Campus Theater, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
May 16
Dead Accounts Quick-witted Jack, a banker from New York, unexpectedly returns home to Ohio after several years in the Big Apple. His smart, acerbic and yearning-for-more sister, Lorna, and his worried and talkative mother, Barbara, immediately suspect he is in trouble. Time: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday 2 p.m. Sunday, May 16 through
DANCE May 3
The Secret Garden The Secret Garden brings to life the emotional, Tony Awardwinning musical adaptation of the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. After the sudden death of her parents, 10-year-old Mary Lennox is sent to live with an uncle whom she has never met. Time: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 3 through 18 and 2 p.m. Sundays through May 19 Cost: $45 to $85 Details: 562-916-8500; www.cerritoscenter.com Venue: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos Spring Advanced Dance Concert The Spring Advanced Dance Concert features the choreographic works of one guest artist in the professional dance field, dance faculty members from El Camino College and several original works from students. Time: 8 p,m. May 3, 4 Cost: $10 to $15 Details: 310-329-5345; artstickets@elcamino.edu. Venue: Marsee Auditorium, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
FILM May 6
Jerusalem — Sacred & Profane This is the city where history began, and some believe, where history will end. It is a place of conquerors who believed their stories would last forever, but whose names have long since faded from memory. Time: 7:30 p.m. May 6 Cost: $12 Details: 310-329-5345; artstickets@elcamino.edu. Venue: Marsee Auditorium.16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
ARTS May 2
May First Thursday Pottery Sale Students and members of Blue Water Clay show and sell their wares. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 2 Cost: Free Details: 424-264-5364; www.bluewaterclay.com Venue: Blue Water Clay, 803 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Survivor, Here There & Everywhere Artist and educator Jerri Allyn, facilitator of stencil poster workshops that ask participants to explore ideas of “freedom” and “captivity,” that address the phenomenon of human trafficking. Opening reception First Thursday Art Walk. The exhibition runs through May 29 Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 2 Cost: Free Details: 310-489-1362 Venue: Findings Gallery, 470
Ojos de Madera blu Prints Gallery opens its new exhibit Ojos de Madera (eyes of wood), featuring wood cut engravings by Carlos Torres and Francisco Rogido. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 3 Cost: Free Details: 714-612-1484. www.bluprintsgallery.com Venue: blu Prints Gallery, 300 E. 4th St., Unit 104, Long Beach
May 5
Arid West Cody Lusby creates a surrealistic approach to the historical struggle for water in California by combining black and white desert scenes with lush full colored bathers Exhibition runs through June 29 Time: 1 to 4 p.m. May 5 Cost: Free Details: www.michaelstearns studio.com Venue: Michael Stearns Studio at the Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro Edge to Edge The Venice Institute of Contemporary Art presents an interdisciplinary exchange of art and ideas from one cutting edge of Western culture to the other — from the Southern California/Los Angeles basin to Estonia and the Baltics. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 2 Cost: Free Details: www.veniceica.org Venue: Venice Institute of Contemporary Art, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro
May 9
Annual LBCC Student Show The Long Beach City College art students will host an opening reception. The exhibit runs through May 25. Time: 6:30 p.m. May 9 Cost: Free Details: 562-938-4815; tnorris@lbcc.edu Venue: LBCC Art Gallery, 4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach
May 11
District Wine Katrina Rocha and Katie Stubblefield’s wxhibition opens at District Wine in conjunction with the LB Art Walk. Time: 6 to 10 p.m. May 11 Cost: Free Details: 562-612-0411; www.districtwine.com Venue: District Wine, 144 Linden Ave., Long Beach
WELLNESS May 11
DIY Natural Home Cleaning Workshop Learn how to create simple homemade natural cleaning products in this first workshop of the Green Urban Dweller Series. RSVP. Time: 3 to 5 p.m. May 11
Decadent Desserts with Jackie Bruchez Join Jackie Bruchez, aka The Seaside Baker, for a lesson in how to make fruit the star of your culinary show. Time: 2 to 3:30 p.m. May 4 Cost: Free Details: www.natfab.org Venue: Pacific Food & Beverage Museum, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
COMMUNITY May 3
Beachlife Festival The BeachLife Festival will bring together more than 40 headlining touring bands and legendary musicians, California culinary stars, and multiple surf and skateboarding components for a three-day immersive experience celebrating Southern California beach culture. Time: May 3 through 5 Cost: $97 Details: https://beachlife festival.com/tickets/ Venue: Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach First Fridays Natural History Museum Get ready to explore the Museum after hours! Maybe you want bands, DJs, cocktails, and food trucks. Start your weekend at First Fridays. Time: 5 p.m. May 3 Cost: $20 to $25 Details: www.nhm.org/site/ activities-programs/firstfridays Venue: Natural History Museum, Exposition Park, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
May 4
Recycle Your Bicycle Donate unwanted bicycles at any of eight locations throughout Long Beach, as part of Long Beach Bike Month activities. Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m May 4 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/ recycleyourbike First Saturdays, Music In the Park This is all for fun and the public is encouraged to take a chance on a Saturday afternoon at the Point Fermin Park stage and hear some great music. Time: 2 to 4 p.m. May 4 Cost: Free Venue: Point Fermin Park, 807 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro Family Science and Story Time Bring your family to experience a hands-onscience exploration of the Peninsula’s Rattlesnake. Then listen as our wonderful librarian, Carla Sedlacek shares related children’s literature. RSVP. Time: 11 a.m. May 4 Cost: Free
[See Calendar, page 16]
May 2 - 15, 2019
Terminal A, Jody, Rufrano The first show of May brings some unbelievable talent. Terminal A, Jody, Rufrano. The show includes food trucks and beer specials available from Brouwerij West. Time: 9 p.m. May 9 Cost: $7
Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra This joint venture between Guo Yazhi, renowned Chinese wind player and composer-keyboardist El Camino College faculty Alan Chan weaves between orchestration and spontaneity, and combines the essence not only of the culture of East and West, but also jazz. Time: 8 p.m. May 10 Cost: $10 to $26 Details: 310-329-5345; artstickets@elcamino.edu. Venue: Marsee Auditorium, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
Linda Wang, Robert Thies The Second Sundays At Two concert series presents violinist Linda Wang and pianist Robert Thies. Time: 2 p.m. May 12 Cost: Free Details: 310-316-5574 Venue: Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, 26438 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates
June 9 Cost: $24 to $28 Details: www.littlefishtheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre St., San Pedro
May 4
5 de Mayo with Calle 6 Come celebrate a fun day dancing to the Latin rhythms of Calle 6, with live music and food. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 5 Cost: $15 Details: 310-483-6656 Venue: Redman’s Lodge “The Wigwam,” 345 N. Shepard St., San Pedro
May 10
Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
FOOD
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East Meets West David Benoit leads the multitalented Asia America Youth Symphony through a varied program featuring Asian and American music. The show also includes a brand new selection composed by Benoit for flute and piano. Time: 7 p.m. May 5 Cost: $15 to $45 Details: 310-781-7171; www. aasymphony.org Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance
Details: www.brouwerijwest.com Venue: Brouwerij West, 110 E. 22nd, Warehouse 9, St. San Pedro
PVAC Annual Student Art Exhibition This exhibition will highlight this year’s artistic creations from Palos Verdes Art Center school-based outreach program Art At Your Fingertips. The exhibition runs through May 25. Time: 4 to 6 p.m. May 3 Cost: Free Details: 310-541-2479; www.pvartcenter.org Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes
Cost: $30 Details: TheSpiritWoods Collective@gmail.com Venue: Yogalution Movement and Ayurveda, 3141 E. Broadway, Long Beach
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[Lemons, from p. 12] Cost: Free Details: www.breathela.org/ lungpower/ Venue: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way Long Beach May 11
[from p. 15] Details: www.pvplc.org. Venue: White Point Nature Preserve,1600 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro Bird Day LA Spend your Bird Day LA spotting amazing local birds with help from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 4 Cost: Free Details: pvplc.org or email: info@pvplc.org. Venue: White Point Nature Preserve,1600 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro and George F. Canyon, 27305 Palos Verdes Drive East, Rolling Hills Estates 5th Annual Rad Run Join the 5th annual 5k Run/ Walk to support Dr. Rad’s Equality and Social Justice Scholarship Fund. Time: 8 a.m. Check in, 9 a.m, Race May 4 Cost: $10 to $45 Details: mrsrado@hotmail. com Venue: Narbonne High School 24300 S. Western Ave., Harbor City
May 5
May 2 - 15, 2019
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Dylan Fest Andy Hill and Renee Safier with Hard Rain present the 29th annual Bob Dylan Fest. Its an all day fest showcasing the music of Dylan featuring many of LA’s top musicians. Time: 12 to 8 p.m. May 5 Cost: $10 to $35 Details: www. andyandrenee.com Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance
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2nd Annual Spring Craft Fair There will be art, handcrafted items, jewelry, crochet and tasty hand made candy. All proceeds will benefit the 9th Annual Harbor Wide All Grade Student Art Competition and reception. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 5 Cost: Free Details: www.sanpedroart. wix.com Venue: Bank Of America, 951 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Art by the Sea Shop for Mother’s Day gifts and support local artists and crafters. The event includes a yoga demo, open mic poetry session and talk by artist and surfer Drew Brophy about his sacred geometry artwork. Meet and greet with Eric and Mary Wright, son and daughterin-law of Wayfarers Chapel architect, Lloyd Wright. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 5 Cost: Free Details: 310-377-1650; www.wayfarerschapel.org Venue: Wayfarers Chapel,
5755 Palos Verdes Drive S. Rancho Palos Verdes
May 6
Riparian Repairs Bill Neill will describe and illustrate the geology of Southern California, especially the coastal regions. Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 6 Cost: $9 Details: www.SCCNPS.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula
May 9
Long Beach Job Fair Make the opportunity to meet with Decton Light Industrial, establish professional relationships, and discuss potential job and/or internship opportunities. Time: 9 to 2 p.m. May 9 Cost: Free Details: www.DectonLi.com. Venue: Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Ballroom 104, 82 Pine Ave., Long Beach Affordable Housing Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing will host a debate on industry topics with experts on affordable housing. Time: 3 p.m. May 9 Cost: $15 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ y6kbkuus Venue: Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium, 100 W. 1st St., Los Angeles
May 10 2019 South Bay Women’s Conference Be a part of this inspiring annual event where we award scholarships to deserving local women. You’ll also enjoy education, motivation and meeting like-minded connections. Time: 7:30 A.m. to 4 p.m. May 10 Cost: $100 to $175 Details: www.southbaywomens conference.com Venue: Torrance Marriott Redondo Beach, 3635 fashion Way, Torrance
May 11
Annual Senior Faire Celebrate Older Americans Month and engage at any age. The Senior Faire celebrates a day of camaraderie, arts and crafts, entertainment, blood pressure screenings, health information, community resource information, food booths and door prizes. Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 11 Cost: Free Details: 310-781-7150 Venue: Ken Miller Recreation Center, 3341 Torrance Blvd., Torrance Asthma Education Join BREATHE LA for a fun family day of asthma education, with physician tips for managing childhood asthma. Lung Power Day is for children ages 8 to 14 years old with asthma. Registration is required and includes lunch and full day admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11
Container Gardening Learn how to grow vegetables in containers of any size and shape. The class will be taught by master gardener, Elizabeth Sala. Seedlings and soil are provided for a donation. Time: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 11 Cost: Free Details: 310-408-8888; www.feedandbefed.org Venue: Feed and Be Fed, 429 W. 6th St., San Pedro Native Plant Sale Get Mom a beautiful blooming plant for Mother’s Day. Purchase colorful, drought tolerant native plants that make fertilizers and insecticides virtually unnecessary and require little or no water. Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m May 11 Cost: Free Details: www.pvplc.org Venue: White Point Nature Preserve,1600 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro
May 12 Mother’s Day Tea Celebrate mothers, aunts and other special women while enjoying the natural serenity of the Rancho. The tea will take place in RLC’s scenic sun porch and terrace. Attendees will be treated to classic tea sandwiches, sweet treats, tea and champagne. Time: 11 a.m. May 12 Cost: $35 and $50 Details: www.rancholoscerritos. org/upcoming-event/mothersday-tea-2019 Venue: Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Rd., Long Beach Tidepool Walk Join CMA educators on a tour of the Point Fermin tidepools. Attend an informative slide show in the John M. Olguin Auditorium, then come along on a naturalistled ramble on the rocks to see animals. Time: 10 a.m. May 12 Cost: Free Details: www. cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro Understanding Succlents Ernesto Sandoval will share his understanding of the way succulents and other desert plants are adapted to surviving drought in the desert and other dry environments. Time: 1 p.m. May 12 Cost: Free with park entrance fee of $10 Details: southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula
May 15
Wild Birds Unlimited Join Wild Birds Unlimited to explore the birds making White Point Nature Preserve home. Try to spot a burrowing owl or listen for the call of the endangered gnatcatcher. All ages welcome. RSVP. Time: 8:30 a.m. Cost: Free Details: www.pvplc.org Venue: White Point Nature Preserve,1600 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro
Blended Whole Lemons
a platform on which to do its golden, lemony thing.
Blended Lemon
Most blenders will need at least two or three whole lemons’ worth of material in order to form a smooth vortex. Here we use four, just in case. Yields about 2 cups 4 lemons
Wash them, slice off the nub at one end of each fruit, and cut the lemons into quarters. Squeeze them through a strainer, as if you are making lemon juice. Be sure to push out all of the seeds. Add the lemon quarters and lemon juice to the blender, and start it on low. Stop and scrape down the sides if necessary, and keep it on low until it makes a smooth vortex. Turn up the speed progressively higher, as high as you can and still be able to still have a vortex. When you get to the highest speed, hold it there for about 30 seconds. You are now at a crossroads, with many directions to explore. I submit that a blended and baked lemon curd is a good place to start. All that pectin-filled pith dulls the yellow flavor a bit from what you would expect from a lemon bar. Reducing the eggs and halving the depth of the curd will brighten deepen the yellow, but whatever the hue, if a flavor could make you wish for sunglasses, this would be it.
Blended Lemon Curd Bars
My lemon con lime curd is based on a lemon curd filling, made in a double-boiler, at the center of a phyllo puff pastry recipe from the World in a Pocket blog. Baked curd has more body than stirred, but not the dry stiffness of a lemon bar, and must be treated accordingly. The flour at the bottom keeps it from sticking, but
the soft pieces must be handled gingerly.
Fills a 13 by 9-inch pan, ¾-inches deep 4 blended lemons (see above)
¼ cup lime juice 2 cups sugar, which will leave the curd on the sour side; add more to taste if you wish (Or dust the finished product with powdered sugar) 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla 6 eggs
1 tablespoon flour 2 teaspoons salt
Optional: a cup of frozen blueberries; whipped cream; powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350. Add the sugar and lime to a blender that contains four recently atomized lemons, and blend at high for 30 seconds. If you are keeping score, this is the lemonade stage. Add the butter and vanilla, blend on high until mixed, about 15 seconds. Finally, add the eggs, and blend once more until smooth. This is the custard stage. Scatter the flour and salt on the bottom of a nonstick or glass baking pan. Spread it evenly but not obsessively; don’t try to cover every place where you can see the bottom of the pan. Slowly pour the raw curd into the pan. It will be about an inch deep in a 13-inch pan. Place it in the center of the oven. After 30 minutes, scatter the frozen blueberries, if using, atop the deep yellow curd. The sides cook first, bubbling under a shiny skin that creeps inward toward the middle. When the edges start to lightly brown-about 45 minutes-turn off the oven. Leave the oven door closed and let it cool to room temperature; overnight is OK. Chill until serving time.
Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash
This year is the 22nd season of Shakespeare By the Sea, which embarks on a new series of traveling performances in June. Shakespeare would have been 455 years of age; his birthday is celebrated worldwide on April 23 — although no one knows the actual date for sure. In San Pedro, the Bard’s birthday party took place at The Whale & Ale British pub, naturally, and featured wine pairings such as Chateau Sainte Marguerite and entrée choices of prime rib, salmon, followed by a slice of cake or sticky toffee pudding. It was a rousing evening, the event serenaded by Paul Gormley Jazz duo and then snippets of Shakespeare in between courses. The season kicks off with three weekends in June at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro: June
13 to 15 Comedy of Errors; June 20 to 22 Henry V; June 27 Comedy of Errors; June 28 Henry V; and June 29 Comedy of Errors. And then the first weekend in July: July 5 Comedy of Errors ; July 6 Henry V. The Shakespeare by the Sea then travels to Pasadena, Whittier, Encino, Seal Beach, Aliso Viejo, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, La Mirada Park, Cerritos and then back to San Pedro for the grand finale. This year is the 22nd Annual Shakespeare season. Shakespeare by the Sea is a non-profit bringing live, free Shakespeare theater to more than 20,000 people annually. For exact times and places see https://www. shakespearebythesea.org/wp/calendar/
On Amaluna, Women Are the Heroines By Melina Paris, Arts and Culture Reporter
is charged with making sure everything is prepared for the show nightly. Eight years is a good run, but Defilippo said her body is feeling good. “I’m still loving what I’m doing. I love performing, so I hope to stay as long as I can.” But right now, coming from Torrance, Defilippo is excited to perform here. “I’m so excited to be able to perform in front of my family and my friends this whole month,”she said. ”It’s really exciting times. I love to perform and this show is about women’s empowerment. Our show is 65 to 70 percent women and that’s the first time that’s ever been done in Cirque du Soleil. Usually, we have more men in the show but this time, it’s more women and we have an all female band, which has never been done. I would invite anyone to come, forget about their worries for two hours and we would just love to perform for you.” Time: Various times April 26 through May 26 Cost: $65 and up Details: www.eventticketboss.com Venue: LA Waterfront, 504 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
Artist coach for the uneven bars, Amara Defilippo,in full regalia as an Amazon in Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna. Defilippo, who was raised in Torrance is on stage, third from left. Photos courtesy of Cirque du Soleil. [Silent Sky, from p. 11]
Silent Sky
GREGORIO LUKE
CUATRO@CABRILLO: ARTS ADVENTURES FOR THE CULTURALLY CURIOUS CELEBRATING THE ARTS OF MEXICO
Join us as Gregorio Luke gives insight and perspective on this Oscar winning film:
THE SHAPE OF WATER
by Guillermo Del Toro
SUNDAY, MAY 19 3:30PM
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731
Tickets: SanPedroWaterfrontArtsDistrict.com
May 2 - 15, 2019
who comes to be even more impressed by her spirit. But neither science nor women’s rights is the focus of Silent Sky (although both get a bit of play). Gunderson’s target is human connection, how we find ourselves — together and alone — in the virtually endless expanse of space and time, how we find meaning, how we find something that lasts. Alas, Gunderson misses the bull’s-eye. There’s simply too much speechifying and too little earned humanity in her text. This isn’t the fault of the actors, who more often than not make it feel as real as anybody could. For example, Bowen and Hill give us some palpable sisterly affection. But as Act One drags on three scenes too long and pulls us into unnecessary melodrama, there’s not much these two can do to retain that believability. The cast is also hurt by plot inconsistencies, such as when Margaret criticizes Henrietta for never writing from Harvard, even though earlier Gunderson’s employed a conceit specifically to dramatize an exchange of letters between them. The best aspect of Silent Sky is its humor, the bulk of which emanates from Annie (Holland Renton) and especially Williamina (Brenda Kenworthy), Henrietta’s fellow computers. Most of Gunderson’s jokes — and there are many for a play you pretty much have to file under “drama” — work, and director Phyllis B. Gitlin has the entire cast hitting the right beats. Williamina gets most of the big laughs (although everyone gets a turn), and Kenworthy absolutely slays. If you’re looking for great depth (and that’s certainly part of what Gunderson wants you to get), you may walk away from Silent Sky uninspired. But if you can be satisfied with a night of theater that’s a little food for
thought and a lot of laughs, Silent Sky may be worth the price of admission. At the very least you’ll learn how one little, largely overlooked person permanently connected herself to us by helping us understand the universe in which we live. Times: 8 p.m. Friday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. The show runs through May 4 Cost: $14 to $24 Details: 562-494-1014; LBplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
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While we have just come off of Women’s History Month, Tony Award-winning director, Diane Paulus persists in the timely theme of empowerment with Amaluna. Cirque du Soleil’s most recent production, invites audiences to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Paulus, wanted to “create a show with women at the center of it, something that had a hidden story that featured women as the heroines.” Amaluna arrives at San Pedro’s LA Waterfront for one month under the big top, April 26. Paulus drew from classical influences when creating the concept of the show; including tales from Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Ahead of Cirque du Soleil’s arrival, RLn spoke to one of the stars of the show, Amara Defilippo who also happened to grow up in Torrance. Defilippo said Amaluna has a lot of storytelling. “Paulus came from a theater background, which is different for our show,” Defilippo said. “She wanted a show full of powerful and fierce women and that’s what we deliver.” Defilippo’s introduction to Cirque du Soleil came upon seeing Varekai, at 13 years old. She knew after watching the show, she wanted to be a part of Cirque du Soleil. It’s been her dream job ever since. As a senior in college, Defilippo sent her demo tape to the casting department at Cirque du Soleil meeting all the criteria for flexibility, strength, skill and past completion footage. A few months after she graduated, she got a call to join a workshop for a future uneven bar act and she was offered the role of an Amazon, and to perform on uneven bars in Amaluna during its creation in 2011. “[Amazon’s] are the protector of the Amaluna island,” Defilippo said. “It’s very similar to the olympic sport gymnastics but we have a little bit of a circus twist to it. So, we have multiple bars and we have multiple girls swinging on the same apparatus.” This is the first time an uneven bar act has been done in Cirque du Soleil. “It’s pretty exciting to be part of something the first time it’s being done,” Defilippo said. Besides her role as Amazon, Defilippo is an artist coach for the uneven bars. She is also a backup artist for the aerial strap act and a backup for the Peacock Goddess Dancer in Amaluna. It is a rotation that requires different disciplines. For the aerial straps the artists fly out over the audience on straps, suspended from the carousel, a rotating set element high above them. This demonstration of flight in four dimensions calls for precision timing. In the uneven bars performance, captured young men help the Amazons – the fierce feminine force of the island – to present a fast-paced theatrical version of the classic gymnastic routine. Defilippo started gymnastics at 10 years old and later, seeing Varekai confirmed her choice to become a gymnast. But first she went to school and got a full scholarship to the University of Arkansas for gymnastics and earned her degree in kinesiology. From doing gymnastics since she was little, it’s what she knows and she is very happy with her work. “So, I have lots of different characters,” she said. “I’m the coach for all the girls and I take care of everything that involves the Amazons. I think that’s why I’m still here. I’ve been with the show since creation … for about eight years and it keeps me really busy.” Defilippo’s coaching entails integrating all the new Amazon’s to the show and creating the lineup. The act varies with performers showcasing different skills each night. Defilippo
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019055514 The following person is doing business as:(1) Donna Jason Designs, 1205 S. Alma Street, San Pedro, Ca 90731, County Of Los Angeles. Reg-
[to p. 19]
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a crime.) MIROXY S/. Mitchell Lee Wilson II, president. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2019. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it 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 the registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed
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ACROSS
1 ___ out a living (got by) 5 KFC drumsticks, basically 9 Half a cartoon duo with a platypus 13 Matt’s “Wild Things” costar 14 Didn’t do it right 16 Actor Omar of “Almost Christmas” 17 Form an opinion 18 Pupil, in Paris 19 Handbook info 20 “Finding Dory” star 23 “Dr. Mario” and “Duck Hunt” platform 24 Quattro minus uno 25 School tasks using Scantrons 28 Big buy for suds 31 K-pop group with a 2019 Grammy nomination 33 “Lucky Man” prog rock trio, for short 34 “Tommy” song on day two of Woodstock 39 “___ Griffin’s Crosswords” (2007-2008 show) 41 Gallup poll finding 42 TV cook Paula 43 HOF Brooklyn shortstop with uniform no. 1 46 Physics unit of work 47 “Chicago” lyricist 48 Promgoing kids, for short 49 Poly finish 51 21___ (Shaq’s foot stat)
53 180º from WSW 54 Hashtag post that’s always apt 62 WWF’s “Hitman” Hart 63 War of 1812 pact city 64 Raison d’___ 65 “Wordplay” and “Simpsons” crossword guy with Will 66 Bob who did “Hollywood Nights” 67 Russo of “Tin Cup” 68 “Compßs” point 69 In ___ (actually) 70 Toboggan
DOWN
1 Conclusion, in Koln 2 Boat bottom 3 Bus-jumping stunt cyclist, casually 4 Folk/country musician Iris 5 City not far from Kingston upon Hull 6 Oil tycoon Halliburton 7 “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” kid 8 Golf pro who won postFuzzy 9 Dug around, with “out” 10 Olympics sword 11 D&D and similar campaign pursuits 12 Flimflams, for short 15 Auto body flaw 21 Loch for cryptozoologists 22 Kathryn of “Oz” and “L&O: C.I.” 25 Mall Santa job or sub at work, say 26 Robt. ___ (Civil War fig.)
27 Buying outing 28 TV cook Graham and family 29 Abu Dhabi VIP (var.) 30 Mutation factors 32 Bad driving condition 35 July and August, to Balzac 36 Gps. that assist putting out conflagrations 37 Nothing but 38 RPI grad’s abbr. 40 Car also known as a Bug 44 Hairstylist known for cowboy hats 45 Throat doc that also works in ophthalmology 50 Conduits found in “TMNT” 52 Ovoids in a carton 53 ___ nous 54 “So ___ to you, FuzzyWuzzy” (Kipling) 55 Not horiz. 56 Syngman ___ of 1950s Asian politics 57 Brain activity monitors 58 Suffix for carbon compounds, plural 59 Child star who was Damian in “Millions” 60 Grayish-brown aquatic bird 61 Angry, with “off” 62 MIT study topic including hospitals, diagnostics and MRIs
DBA & LEGAL FILINGS [From p. 18] istered owners: Jennifer Lynn Smith, 1205 S. Alma Street, San Pedro, Ca 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Jennifer Lynn Smith, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 5, 2019. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of the registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 03/21/19, 04/04/19, 04/18/19, 05/02/19
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019047328 The following person is doing business as:(1) Pedro’s Auto Repair, 1631 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, Ca 90731, County Of Los Angeles. Registered owners: Pedro Kings Araujo, 659 W 19th Street, San Pedro, Ca 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/2011. I declare that all information in this
Request for Proposals The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is seeking proposals from qualified non-profit arts organizations (proposers) with experience in providing art education programs and services to partner with DCA at several of its community art centers. For decades DCA has utilized public/ private partnerships to facilitate the delivery of diverse programming and services at its Community Arts Art Partner Centers. The City has five (5) Art Partner Centers located throughout Los Angeles. Each center is distinct and offers programming unique to the communities it serves. The selected proposer(s) will be responsible for programming and operations at the Art Partner Centers. Responsibilities will include, but are not be limited to, program conception, assessment and development; sales and marketing; for more info contact Cultural Affairs Evelyn Kelley at dca.contractsunit@lacity.org
statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Pedro Kings Araujo, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2019. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it 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 the registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before
the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/04/19, 04/18/19, 05/02/19, 05/16/19
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RANDOMLetters [Letters, from p. 9]
prenatal care and pre-K learning, as well as funding public education and protecting immigrant children. Yet, they and you are singularly focused on abortion, which in my mind, is essentially a medical issue between a woman and her doctors. The last thing we want in a free country is for the government to legislate who controls our bodies based upon religious beliefs. The Roe vs. Wade decision should be upheld if for no other reason than the principle of separation of church and state. Your moral or religious convictions should not be imposed on your neighbors, no matter how compelling your argument is. Thanks for writing, James Preston Allen Publisher
An Open Letter to Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
San Francisco General nurse asks Facebook founder to drag brunch in the hope he’s willing to take his name off the public hospital (and quit doing studies on people without their consent).
May 2 - 15, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Dear Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, I’m sorry we didn’t see you and your children in Dolores Park for
20
the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence 40th Anniversary Easter. We stopped by your house in Noe Valley to politely ask if you will allow the name of San Francisco’s public hospital to be San Francisco General Hospital. Way back in 2015, it was said that your donation of $75 million did not require the city to give you naming rights for all of SF General Hospital. Is that true? Are you willing to relinquish naming rights if that’s the will of the principal backers and users of SFGH? We are asking the Board of Supervisors to let the voters decide in November. It would be a lovely redemptive gesture if you two were willing to make a public statement that you will work with the city to find an alternative way to acknowledge your donation. We also want to express our concern about Facebook’s violation of human rights for so many people in our violent and hate-wracked world. Mark, could you please meet with us to discuss the following ideas? Promise to NEVER perform interventional research on human beings without their explicit and informed CONSENT. Consent is SEXY. Promise to ALWAYS ask for independent prior review of proposed research. ASK the National Academy
of Sciences to RETRACT the study that successfully caused emotions to spread like a disease or “Emotional Contagion.” Priscilla, I want to appeal to you directly as you are a respected physician at the same hospital where we work. Here are some questions: Do you think it’s ethical to perform research on people without their knowledge or consent? Do you feel as we do that it is creepy to endeavor to spread emotions like a disease? As you know, Facebook just acknowledged gathering millions of email contacts and kept plain text passwords available for employees to see. Do you know what would happen if one of us obtained and shared the emails or passwords of even ONE of our patients? Thank you for reading this and I hope you will let us know when we can sit down to discuss these ideas and hear any ideas you may have. Sasha Cutler San Francisco
Send Letters to the Editor to: letters @randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor must include your name with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but are for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words.