LA Students Join Students in Japan in Fight Against Microplastics p. 3
p
SP Ballet Students Receive Scholarships to Prestigious Dance Schools p. 11 The Turner House Serves as Incubator for New Artists in San Pedro p. 15
Discovering Service Connected Benefits By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
Barton Hill Alum Look to Help Returning Vets and Old Ones Too
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San Pedro City Ballet’s Danielle Ciaramitaro. Photo by Gray Autry.
The Local Publication You Actually Read
ongtime San Pedro resident and Vietnam veteran Merwin “Skeeter” Jones and Rev. Anthony Quezada have been hosting First Saturday breakfast meetings at the Grinder for the past few months. The most recent meeting, just three weeks before Memorial Day, was the best-attended yet. All but one of the 15 attendees were veterans. Jones and Quezada, who have been working to establish a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in San Pedro, invited Veterans Service officer George Dixon, who works for the county out of the North Hills office in the San Fernando Valley. Dixon travels far and wide to educate veterans about benefits for which they didn’t know they were eligible, let alone knew that they had. Almost everyone at the breakfast was an alumnus of Barton Hill Elementary, Rudecinda, Sepulveda, Dodson or Richard Henry Dana Middle schools and San Pedro High. In some ways, it seemed more like a school reunion, except everyone had served in the military. Dixon spent 12 years in the Army and much of his post-military career was spent assisting veterans. At 55 years of age, the 6-foot 2-inch veteran service worker has a voice that rises above the boisterous chatter of veterans a couple of decades his senior. “How many here are Vietnam veterans?” Dixon asked. “Raise your hand.” Almost all raised their hands. “How many of you have not filed for anything with [Veterans Affairs], like medical care?” Almost half of the room raised their hands. Dixon used these questions to form rhetorical bullet points in his presentation, serving as kind of call and response performance, except the number of responses really brought home how little many veterans understood about benefit eligibility. “Why not?” Dixon asked. Many in the room replied that they didn’t know that they could be covered by their jobs and still access veterans’ benefits. “I am a service-connected veteran and I am 90 percent service-connected.” Dixon said. “Do I look disabled to you?” These local veterans, some of whom came from their respective Veterans of
[See Benefits, page 6]
Exhausting Run Around of Exhaustive Efforts
EmpowerLA Prevents San Pedro Central Neighborhood Council from Booting Its President DONE’s Director of Outreach and Communications, Stephen Box, was begrudgingly given a compliment at a May 16 Central stakeholder meeting. “Regardless of how you’re treated, you just keep coming back for more,” one constituent said. But his ability to take a licking from constituents was not what “endeared” Box to this hostile Central San Pedro crowd. It was the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment’s extreme step of taking over the council’s functions by way of “exhaustive efforts,” which was initiated on May 15, just a day before the stakeholder meeting.
May 25 - June 7, 2017
Veterans Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, Merwin “Skeeter” Jones (seated), 1967-71; Marine Corps. Rev. Anthony Quezada (left); Army Spec-5 Bobby Thompson (right), Vietnam, 1966-68; Army Spec-4 Marshall Herrera (second row), Germany, 1962-65; National Guard, Col. Joe Gatlin (back row), Nike Hercules Missile site. Jones and Quezada have been working to establish a chartered Veterans of Foreign Wars post in San Pedro. Photo by Phillip Cooke.
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
[See Exhaustive Efforts, page 4]
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Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Neighborhood Cleanup E-Waste Disposal
Be part of the neighborhood cleanup and dispose of your electronic waste. Dumpster and tools will be provided. Free refreshments will be provided for volunteers. Team captains and volunteers needed. High school community service hours are available. Time: 9 to 11 a.m. May 27 Details: (562) 676-7480 Venue: Wrigley Area, 900 W. 19th St., Long Beach
Día de la Familia/Day of the Family
Centro Salúd es Cúltura would like artwork for its upcoming event. On June 2, the organization will be hosting a cultural night celebrating Día de la Familia/Day of the Family. The deadline to submit is May 29. Details: artslb.org
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 30 Years
If You Are a Seafood Lover, You Maybe Eating Thousands of Plastic Pieces By Mark L. Friedman, Marine Biology Educator at Los Angeles Maritime Institute Belgian researchers announced this past January that regular seafood eaters could be ingesting up to 11,000 microplastic particles per year. According to the scientists, results showed that people in Europe consume up
pregnant women. Increasing evidence described in scientific articles points to the negative impact of these plastics on marine organisms and humans. One such chemical component of plastics, described
Proposed Polystyrene Ban Policy Study Session Long Beach’s citywide polystyrene (Styrofoam) ban policy is item #6 on its agenda. The Economic Development Commission is inviting public comment on the issue. The findings of the commission will then be forwarded to the city council’s Environmental Committee for discussion at the June 13 meeting at 3 p.m. Time: 4 p.m. May 30 Details: longbeach.legistar.com Venue: Long Beach Council Chamber, 333 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach
Funds Available for Air Filtration and Health Programs The Port of Long Beach has released two requests for proposals for air filtration and community health programs, together providing $3.4 million funds for future projects throughout the local community. Concept papers for health program RFP are May 30. m. Air filtration project application is due Aug. 1. Time: 4 p.m. May 30, 4 p.m. Aug. 1 Details: www.polb.com
Fourth District Community Meeting
City Prosecutor Doug Haubert will speak at the next Council District 4 community meeting. If you are unable to attend, please feel free to send questions or topics of interest prior to the meeting. Time: 5 p.m. May 31 Details: www.longbeach.gov/district4 Venue: Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Long Beach The Port of Los Angeles is hosting its regularly scheduled Harbor Commission meeting. Time: 8:30 a.m. June 1 Details: www.portoflosangeles.org Venue: Port of Los Angeles Administration Building, 425 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro
10th Annual Wrigley River Run and Tadpole Trot
Enjoy tree-lined streets in a historic district. Every participant receives a custom medal. The overall male and female winners receive $100 towards new shoes from Runners High. All proceeds benefit scholarships, youth programs and underserved communities in Long Beach. Time: 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. June 3 Details: www.wrigleyriverrun.com Venue: Wrigley Marketplace, 2598 Pacific Ave., Long Beach Gain skills such as acting technique, movement, voice and speech, accents and dialects, singing, dance, fight choreography and playwriting with a creative community. June 5 through Aug. 25. Details: fearlessartists.org CARE celebrates HIV Long-term Survivors Awareness Day. Enjoy a light meal and panel discussion featuring long-term survivors talking about what it means to be HIV resilient. Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 5 Details: http://tinyurl.com/ljnx48k Venue: CARE Center, 1043 Elm St., 300, Long Beach [See Community News, page 6]
Your PMA Safety Shoe Voucher Expires on June 30th
May 25 - June 7, 2017
What Does It Mean to be Resilient?
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to 11,000 microparticles per year and that 99 percent of them pass through the body, but the remaining one percent, which equates to about 60 particles, is absorbed into the body’s tissues and accumulates over time. A new collaborative effort between high school students in Los Angeles and Wakasa High School in Japan has been working to add to the documented research. This school-to-school collaboration began in January with students in each country selecting particular waterways that include harbors, oceans and beaches to research the quantity and types of existent microplastics, which are known to be detrimental to marine and human life. In the ocean, plastic acts like a sponge, picking up toxins and chemicals along the way. Analysis of microplastics in environmental samples has become more common. Annually, about 8.8 million tons of plastic gets dumped into the ocean, where it threatens the very existence of marine life. About 9 million tons of plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans and comes from a diverse range of sources, including most clothing made from synthetic materials. Clothing made from synthetic fibers is cheap to produce and easy to maintain. But whenever these materials are washed in the laundry, they shed little plastic fibers. It is estimated that 1,900 plastic microfibers are released every time synthetic clothing is washed in the laundry. These microplastics are ingested by marine organisms such as shellfish and other fish we commonly eat. Researchers from the University of Ghent in Belgium have found up to 84 pieces of plastics in individual fish. In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet rays break down the plastic polymers into chemicals that disrupt human hormonal systems, especially those of adolescents and
[See Microplastics, page 5]
The Local Publication You Actually Read
POLA Harbor Commission Meeting
The Los Angeles microplastics team at Dockweiler Beach are part of a collaborative effort between high school students in Japan to document the ocean’s microplastics content. Photo by Mark Friedman.
by Physicians for Social Responsibility, is Bisphenol-A, known as BPA. BPA is used in polycarbonate (hard) plastic products like water bottles, medical equipment, toys, consumer electronics, household appliances and automobiles. Epoxy resins containing BPA are used as liners for many food and beverage cans as wells as thermal cash register receipts. Japanese Marine biology teacher Yasuyuki Kosaka initiated this collaboration with the Animo High School Marine biology club. Kosaka came to the recent National Science Teachers Association convention in Los Angeles to present students’ research data at several workshops. Using standard scientific method, Japanese students were able to flush microplastic particles from the stomachs of oysters from the Sea of Japan — a seafood source (aquaculture and fishing) that supplies the city of Kyoto. The Los Angeles microplastics team from Animo collected water and sand samples from Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, as well as Los Angeles beaches at Dockweiler, Cabrillo and
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[Exhaustive Efforts, from page 1]
Exhaustive
After 45 minutes of heckling and constituents challenging his authority to take over the council’s proceedings, he nearly brought the meeting to a close noting that the body didn’t have a quorum. As previously reported in Random Lengths, the board has seen three resignations in the past couple of months, including Joanne Rallo’s resignation in dramatic fashion at the April 18 stakeholder meeting. With board president Mona Sutton and her allies on the board boycotting the stakeholder meeting, the board should not have had a quorum. But on May 16, Rallo was back at her regular post almost as if nothing happened. The one-time member of the Saving San Pedro uprising explained that several days after the April stakeholder meeting, Sutton sent her an email saying that her resignation wouldn’t be accepted unless it was submitted in writing and that if she didn’t reply by to that email by midnight, her non-response would be regarded as that written resignation letter. With Board President Mona Sutton and her allies on the board boycotting the stakeholder
meeting, the board should not have had a quorum. But on this night, the board achieved quorum anyhow, as Sutton’s boycott was thwarted by the surprising reappearance of Rallo at her regular post, almost as if nothing happened. The one-time member of the Saving San Pedro uprising explained that several days after the April stakeholder meeting, Sutton sent her an email saying that per the council’s bylaws, her resignation wouldn’t be accepted, unless it was submitted in writing. If she didn’t reply to that email by midnight, her non-response would be regarded as that written resignation letter. Rallo said she had a change of heart, and replied before the deadline that she would remain on the council. Box told the board that the City Attorney is deciding whether Joanne’s verbal resignation is binding. If it was, all actions that were voted on at the meeting will be nullified. They will have to be re-voted on in another meeting.
The Path to Exhaustive Efforts
DONE’s actions were precipitated by the council’s leadership repeated requests for assistance with board dynamics, processes and governance. The neighborhood oversight department cited the council’s placing of Sutton’s removal from
the council’s presidency (though maintaining her membership on the board) on the agenda as the final straw. DONE noted that the council’s action was agendized despite a city attorney’s opinion that further review was needed. Among the issues DONE is looking to address: • Clarifying the process of creating board meeting agendas and calling board meetings • Clarifying the process for reviewing and agendizing Neighborhood Purpose Grants and Community Impact Projects • Establishing a holiday/Sabbath schedule for meetings • Selecting legal liaison (in addition to the president) • Clarifying the roles of the executive officers and their responsibilities • Clarifying appropriate behavior on the board and with the public • Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the committees • Holding dispute resolutions mediation for Central SPNC board members • Requiring leadership workshop for all board members of the Central SPNC • Maintaining Exhaustive Efforts for at least three months
The Recap
The council’s troubles are multifaceted and arguably began as soon as the new board took their seats in June 2016. Some of the struggles stemmed from lack of experience on a governing body using Robert’s Rules of Order. Other struggles stem from community advocates unaccustomed to having their every decision being checked by an overseeing authority like DONE. Then, there is the emergence of the primarily working-class Latino residents of Barton Hill, who successfully organized and rallied against
the attempted placement of a Navigation Center designed to store the belongings of homeless people while providing various case management services. Allegations that Sutton sought to check Barton Hill’s influence and the suggestion that the move was rooted in racial animus has sharply divided the council in recent months. This, along with the emergence of a LGBT voting bloc comprised of Mona Sutton, Leslie Jones, Aidan GarciaSheffield and Allyson Vought has inserted a level of identity politics not seen in recent memory at the neighborhood council level. Barton Hill resident Maria Couch for the past few meetings has kept this issue at the forefront of the council’s attention. “I’ve been attending these meetings for a while,” Couch said. “The only thing I have seen is the fact that there are personal agendas between Mona Sutton, Aiden, and Alyson and a lot of efforts to push what they want and some things they don’t want. Now there was something very serious that happened during the last meeting… where it came that Mona Sutton referred to the people at the Rancho projects as ‘those people.’ And to me, that has not been addressed — not even in that letter. To me as a stakeholder and as someone who’s trying to do their part in helping this community — that’s a big issue. I want to know: when is it going to be addressed? Is there going to be some kind of training or can we remove her and that type of mentality from the board?”
Work Accomplished May 16
The council heard request for support for Godmothers Saloon’s conditional use permit that was under review. The proprietors of the longtime San Pedro watering hole and entertainment venue noted that have worked to become better neighbors by installing a secondary door at their [See DONE, page 19]
SP Resists Trump on the Homefront Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
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May 25 - June 7, 2017
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Resist! at Trump National Golf course on the PV Peninsula. Photo courtesy of Indivisible San Pedro.
Progressives throughout the world aren’t afraid to say what they feel about Donald Trump. Indivisible, a movement initiated after Trump was elected, seeks to capture people’s negative feelings of the current president, magnifying them and channeling them into something positive. On May 13, the San Pedro branch of Indivisible protested the Trump Administration at the Trump National Golf course on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. About 200 members laid down on a public access lawn and spelled out “Resist!”
Photographs of the demonstration were quickly shared on social media and with Representatives Nannette Barragan and Ted Lieu, whose congressional districts split the Palos Verdes Peninsula. There are more than 5,000 Indivisible groups throughout the United States. They are mostly independent, though at a national level they track legislation and make recommendations on letter writing topics. Indivisible San Pedro meets on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro.
Headed for Court?
Tesoro Refinery Approval Sharply Questioned By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
On May 12, less than two weeks after thousands marched against it during the Los Angeles People’s Climate March, the South Coast Air Quality Management District approved the final environmental impact report, or EIR, for the integration of two Tesoro refineries (in Carson and Wilmington) into one, making it the largest refinery on the West Coast, located in a community that is 90 percent people of color. “After extensive review and consideration of the document and comments received, I have certified the EIR, recognizing the overall reduction in air pollution and reduced impacts to the neighboring community,” said Wayne Nastri, SCAQMD’s executive officer. But the comments he referenced included powerful evidence that directly contradicted both of his claims. These contradictions are likely to lead to a court case challenging the decision — a possibility signaled in advance by the City of Carson as well as environmentalists. A major pollution source, the Wilmington fluid catalytic cracker unit, was to be shut down, as a condition of the refinery purchase. Now, that shutdown is being used to promote the project as environmentally friendly. But the air pollution credits associated with the unit are not being retired. “They’re using those to allow increases in other parts of the refinery,” senior scientist Julia May of Communities for a Better Environment, or CBE, told Random Lengths News. “There are actual increases in the emissions, which the air district itself acknowledges in the EIR. So there’s a kind of doublespeak.” “The Wilmington Tesoro Oil Refinery merger will annually release 75 tons more volatile organic
compounds, which are also greenhouse gases,” said Jesse N. Marquez, executive director of the Wilmington Coalition For A Safe Environment, known as CFASE, in advance of the march. Included in the evidence against the EIR’s conclusion was a study carried out by SCAQMD staff in partnership with FluxSense, a Swedish firm whose sensor technology has shown that previous estimates of refinery emissions are drastically underestimated. The report, published on April 11, was based on data collected in 2015. A coalition of more than 20 Tesoro critics, including Marquez and May, wrote to Nastri on April 27, two days before the Climate March. “The study shows that Tesoro grossly
[Microplastics, from page 3]
with Los Angeles students. Our research has become very exciting. We want to continue to [find] solutions to this problem with them.” The students have been presenting their research at local, regional and international science fairs while organizing to have their prescriptions for solving the microplastics problem spread far and wide. Among the solutions they put forward: • Reduce food packaging • Recycle existing plastic • Adopt paper, bamboo and cornstarch as a biodegradable substitute for plastic • Make corporations pay for the cleanup costs of their businesses • Advocate for more stringent environmental regulations while encouraging innovation and job creation The microplastics team is working to organize other environmental club students and allies throughout the school district to join the fight against plastic pollution. The students have teamed up with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute to conduct research off of the tall ships. On June 17, July 22 and Aug. 12, the microplastics team will be leading tall ship passengers on a hands-on research and data collection expedition thanks to a grant from the California Coastal Commission, which provides the often-overlooked Spanish-speaking community with environmental education. The team is also collaborating with nonprofit organizations such as: Algalita, Plastic Ocean, Heal the Bay, 5Gyres, Cabrillo Aquarium, SeaLab, Aquarium of the Pacific and AltaSea, among
Microplastics
“We don’t have our environmental laws in place to give the benefit of the doubt to polluting industries,” Earthjustice Attorney Adrian Martinez pointed out. “They’re structured to give the benefit of the doubt to breathers, so that we’re not putting people in harm’s way.” May shed additional light on all these problems, starting with environmental racism. Her analysis was the basis for a final comment letter filed last July by CBE, CFASE, Earthjustice and East Yards Communities for Environmental Justice. The letter noted that “both locations are either in an area designated by California as the top 25 percent of most disadvantaged communities (i.e. the Wilmington location) or surrounded on all sides by areas designated in the top 25 percent of most disadvantaged communities (i.e. the Carson location).... [But] the DEIR does not include meaningful analysis of environmental justice, [despite the fact that the project] combines the two worst polluting facilities in California for causing disparate [particulate matter] 10 impacts on communities of color.” As for the other three more technical/ [See Tesoro, page 17]
Demonstrators from the Climate Change march protesting Tesoro Refinery on April 29. Photo by Steven Guzman
others.
Mark Friedman is mentor to the Microplastics Team and marine science educator at Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro.
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Redondo Beach. They found tens of thousands of plastic nodules, macro- and microplastic debris and a substantial amount of microplastics and filaments. Microplastics team captain Diana Cervantes said she took with her valuable experiences from the collaboration. “I have learned to be a better communicator and team player,” Cervantes said. “Thanks to this overseas collaboration I’ve also learned how to communicate with different people and how to properly get my messages across.” Teammate Jessica Gonzalez also gained valuable skills. “We realized that there is little awareness in our community on plastic pollution,” Gonzales said. “We collected samples of microplastics at nearby beaches to prove that microplastic pollution is a problem that directly affects marine organisms and humans. That initial passion to create awareness allowed us to present our research at science fairs to spark individuals from our community to make changes in their lives that will end the growth of microplastic pollution.” Mikinori Matsui from Wakasa High School in Japan had similar thoughts. “Through study of microplastics I learned not only the seriousness of plastic pollution but also the importance of cooperation,” Matsui said. “We must collaborate with other countries’ people to solve this global problem. Now we collaborate
underreported emissions — with 43 times the benzene emissions (cancer-causing), and 6.4 times the [volatile organic compound] emissions compared to the [d]istrict inventory,” the letter explained. “These findings reveal not only that existing burdens for Wilmington/Carson/W. Long Beach communities are underestimated, but also that projected increases of emissions due to the Tesoro merger and expansion are severely underestimated in the draft EIR.” Although specifics differ in various cases, problems with the Tesoro EIR reflect at least four main recurrent issues seen over the years: failure to sufficiently protect low-income communities of color from disproportionate impacts; piecemeal consideration of projects, which ignores the actual impacts; use of questionable baselines and operating assumptions and lastly, as just referenced, failure to use the best scientific evidence to consider the harms involved, both to the environment and to public health.
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[Benefits, from page 1]
POLA’s April Cargo Volumes Set New Record SAN PEDRO — April cargo volumes surged 8.9 percent at the Port of Los Angeles compared to the same month last year. It was the best April in the port’s 110-year history. For the first four months of 2017, cargo has increased 10 percent compared to 2016, which was a record-breaking year for the port. April 2017 imports increased 8.3 percent to 372,040 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, compared to the previous year. Exports increased 9.4 percent to 157,661 TEUs. Total loaded volumes of 529,702 TEUs increased 8.6 percent compared to the previous year. Empty containers grew 9.8 percent to 185,052 TEUs. The April tally of 714,755 TEUs eclipses the April 2012 record of 707,182 TEUs. The port’s most recent five-year average of April container volumes is 674,540 TEUs, and this year’s volumes represent a 6 percent increase from the five-year average. Current and historical data is available at www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp
Motorist Kills Homeless Man
Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
LONG BEACH — On May 17, a 63-year-old homeless man died when he was struck by a motorist who drove her vehicle onto a sidewalk. The incident took place at about 11 p.m. near 7th Street east of Channel Drive. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a man lying unconscious on the sidewalk on the south side of 7th Street. Long Beach Fire Department Paramedics responded and determined the pedestrian was dead. The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2004 Honda Accord was traveling east on 7th Street in the number three lane passing Channel Drive. After passing the intersection, the driver lost control of her vehicle and drove up onto the sidewalk, striking the Westminster resident. According to witnesses and the Honda driver’s statement, there was a dark-colored vehicle traveling east in the number two lane of 7th Street who attempted to change lanes into the number three lane, almost colliding into the Honda. In doing so, it caused the driver of the Honda to make an evasive maneuver and lose control of her vehicle, which eventually drove up onto the sidewalk and struck the pedestrian. The dark-colored vehicle did not make contact with the Honda and fled the scene. The driver of the Honda is a 23-year-old resident of Long Beach who was uninjured. She was positively identified and released at the scene. The identity of the decedent is being withheld until the next of kin has been notified. Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is asked to call (562) 570-7355.
May 25 - June 7, 2017
Belmont Pool Plans Move Forward
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LONG BEACH — On May 16, the Long Beach City Council voted to move forward with initial plans for the Belmont Pool replacement project. The vote is a step to approve the Environmental Impact Report and helps move pool planning documents to the Coastal Commission, the state agency that approves coastal projects. The project is being funded out of tidelands funds. These state restricted dollars can’t be used for city sidewalks, city police patrols, or other city projects. Tidelands funds can only be used along the coast. The council does not have a final cost for the pool. The council is looking at ways to finance the project by seeking federal grants.
Connected Benefits Foreign Wars post in Lomita and Wilmington to support San Pedro veterans’ efforts, said, “no.” Dixon was hitting at the common excuse veterans give about why they have not collected benefits owed to them, i.e. “I thought I had to be physically disabled to get benefits.” Dixon proceeded to discuss serviceconnected health benefits available to veterans, which is only a portion of the benefits available to them. Other benefits with which the county’s military Veterans Affairs Office can help include housing, education and employment. “You guys train me,” he said. “You’re my squad leader, my platoon sergeants and my section sergeants.” Then he changed tone. “You were probably a member of my squad when I became squad leader because you got busted four or five times and you decided to stay in the Army,” Dixon joked. “Don’t worry sergeant, I’m going to get my rank back. This is the fifth time I’ve been busted. “That’s the way it was back in the late 70s and early 80s.” Dixon said he entered active duty in 1979; he stayed in the Army for 12 years. “I got out in 1992 and arrived in LA, just like some of you in the 60s and 70s, to unemployment,” he said. “The first thing they told me was, ‘Hey staff sergeant, no job.’ So how do you think that made me feel when I got out?” “I was E6 [non-commissioned officer rank], all the places the Army sent me to. I was a drill sergeant and I was in the top 10 percent of my class and I go to the unemployment office. “I felt about this big,” Dixon said as he held up his thumb and index finger with an inch of a space between them. “A lot of you guys who went to look for work kind of blended [together] because the nation back then did not respect Vietnam veterans.” Dixon recalled listening to stories from many veterans who went to look for work and were asked “if you’ve killed anybody over there or were told you’re a baby killer. [And then were told] … We’re not going to hire you.” Dixon noted that Vietnam veterans did not want to go to the Veterans Affairs. “Nine times out of 10, they went to school, got their jobs and functioned,” Dixon said. “They were like, ‘you know what, I got my job and I got my health insurance. I’m not going to the VA.’ “Does anyone here have a Purple Heart here? Bronze star? Gold medal. If you have a veteran in your VFW post who has a Purple Heart, when the veteran got out of there did he have that gunshot wound to the stomach before he entered the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps? That’s direct service-connected. And not only that, he probably has post traumatic stress disorder; 98.1 percent probably have but don’t even realize it. “You talk loud right? That’s the result from hearing loss. “How many of you are married? “Been divorced? “Married again? “Divorced again? “Married again? “Divorced again?” The number of attendees who raised their hands went from nearly all to one or two by the end of this particular series of questions.
These San Pedran veterans and alumni of San Pedro area schools (from Barton hill Elementary to San Pedro High School) hope to establish a chartered VFW post in San Pedro. Photo by Phillip Cooke.
“You probably have high frequency hearing loss and ringing in the head. “How many of you were M-60 machine gunners in Vietnam? Or fired a 200 flash gun or worked on the aircraft under the crack of a machine gun when they fired it? Or on the ship and they’re popping stuff off. “The majority of us have high frequency hearing loss. Or you were too afraid of our drill sergeant to tell him that you dropped your hearing protection in the hole so you got some cigarette butts and crammed them into your ears just to make it look you had your protection because that’s how drill sergeants work.” Dixon recounted an incident in which he disrespected his drill sergeant. The drill sergeant kicked him in the ribcage. “Back in the day, drill sergeants could physically manhandle you,” Dixon half-joked. “They did ‘off the wall counseling.’” Dixon explained that if you went into the military and you didn’t have a particular ailment before you went in, but then you got out with hearing loss, PTSD, gunshots wounds, broken bones from basic training, or sprained ankles from climbing up through the jungles of Vietnam, these were direct service connections. Dixon noted how in the previous era, enlistees didn’t go to sick hall [military equivalent of a clinic] too often. “I remember in Fort Horn, Calif., you’re sitting there waiting to go on sick hall and the first sergeant comes and gets a check sheet on you and says, ‘Oh, Frapper Jones, you’re in the sick hall again. You better come back with a profile or we’re going to kick you out.’ That’s how it was,” Dixon said. “How many of you volunteered for the draft or were drafted?” Dixon asked. About half the attendees raised their hands. “Remember, when you were in the military, the draft man said, ‘OK sir’ ... they would go ‘Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine ... Army, Navy,
Air Force, Marine’ and you might get one Coast Guard out of it. Then they would tell everyone to stand up.... If you sat there you might go to Marine Corp. “How many of you have undergone the Agent Orange Protocol Exam? Two raised their hands. “Why haven’t you guys been down to the Long Beach VA and gotten that Agent Orange Protocol Exam?” After Agent Orange exposure, there are 35 different service connections exposed veterans become eligible for, and the biggest one is Type 2 diabetes. Dixon then asked, “How many in this room, besides those who are already serviceconnected, of you have diabetes?” Several raised their hands. Similarly, few of the attendees were aware that they were still eligible for new and ongoing benefits, whether these benefits may entail college tuition fee waivers for themselves or their dependents and/or placements in trade apprenticeships and government jobs. Despite their ignorance concerning benefit eligibility, all of the veterans at the meeting had homes to which they would return. A number of them, upon completion of their military service, even had health benefits, pensions and stability. In this way, these veterans are more fortunate than the thousands of their now-homeless former compatriots. If veterans with means know so little available benefits, it’s no wonder that so many homeless vets are disconnected from these resources. Jones and Quezada seek to attract more veterans ready to help establish a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in San Pedro. The next meeting VFW meeting is June 3 at 3 p.m. at the Grinder, 511 S Harbor Blvd, San Pedro. Visit www.mva.lacounty.gov for more information.
LB Dyke March Marks Pride Month
Spend the day on the waterfront and learn about environmentally friendly boating products and practices through exhibits, presentations and demonstrations. We’ll have ocean critter touch tanks, kids crafts and food trucks!
Above, activists prepare for the Long Beach Dyke March at Bixby Park on May19. Right, Jeannette Bronson of Black Lesbians United speaks out at Bixby Park. Photos by Raphael Richardson.
Harbor Area Journalism Programs Receive Grants
The Shortest Run to Catalina
SERVICES & AMENITIES • 698 slips from 28’ to 130’ • Guest slips available • Ample courtesy parking • Water & electricity • Restrooms with showers • Ice machines & laundry • Pumpout — public and slip-in • 375 dry storage spaces up to 45’ with crane launching Way M ar illo
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Random Lengths News presented a $1,000 grant check from the California Newspaper Publishers Association to Los Angeles Harbor College’s Harbor Tides newspaper and an $1,100 grant to the Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy, May 17. LAHC instructor and advisor Paul McLeod (third from right) and academy teacher William Soto (far right) accepted the checks for their respective students. RLn Assistant Editor Zamná Ávila (second from right) endorsed their grant applications. Photo by Casey Warren.
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Providing clean facilities and protecting our waterways from pollution
May 25 - June 7, 2017
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The Box DONE Come DONE’s Man at Empower LA Disempowers Central Council By James Preston Allen, Publisher
significance was recently touted in San Pedro Today as the face of new civic engagement. If this is what “new civic engagement” looks like then let chaos reign. As for Mr. Box from DONE, who is reported to have taken a fourweek leave, has left this smoldering pile of civic dysfunction to stew with no clear path forward. DONE has over stepped its role in this situation claiming that Article VI, Sec. 4 of the Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils gives them the authority to place this and 22 other neighborhood councils into “exhaustive efforts” and thusly eliminating the autonomy to act independently of DONE’s rather inept legal counsel. This is not what the framers of Los Angeles charter amendment Section 900 had in mind when neighborhood councils were created under Mayor James Hahn, which reads: Purpose: To promote more citizen participation in government and make government more responsive to local needs, a citywide system of neighborhood councils, and a Department of Neighborhood Empowerment is created. Neighborhood councils shall include representatives of the many diverse interests in communities and shall have an advisory role on issues of concern to the neighborhood. Neighborhood councils were neither conceived nor expected to be mere door mats for the city council, the mayor or any other department of the city. They were created, as the name suggests, for “empowering” the neighborhood. They were not formed to castrate or disembowel constituents, particularly those critical of city hall! This “exhaustive efforts” is nothing short of a political coup d’état by one city department to protect Sutton — Buscaino’s favored ally. Sutton created the animosity arrayed against her by being incapable of running a council. All of this is good cover for Council District 15 for its failure to competently address the singular core issue of our time — homelessness and the underlying causes and cures. This is an issue for which there are solutions, but Buscaino is deaf to anyone who isn’t on board with his PR-infused visions of saving San Pedro if not himself. You will remember Buscaino announcing his Taskforce on Homelessness just as the Central Council made an issue out of it with the “tiny homes” motion. This was before the Los Angeles City Council even had a Homeless Committee
and before Measure H or HHH were on a ballot. And yet, after all these months, no one can tell you exactly what Buscaino’s Task Force came up with nor can anyone tell you what solutions the councilman has proposed to address the homeless crisis here in Council District 15 except for his failed attempt to place a homeless navigation center near Barton Hill Elementary School. The real cause of the sudden explosion of homeless people onto our streets can be seen in the beautifully renovated Ken Malloy Park in Harbor City that cost a mere $111 million. Nothing was done there to address this ongoing problem nor are there any other solutions forthcoming. And, Central San Pedro neighborhood council has been effectively neutered and silenced on the subject by the city department meant to “empower” it. As for Box’s total ineptitude at taking control of the meeting he was sent to control, all I can say is that he didn’t follow the decorum of officially convening the meeting, which led to 45 minutes of acrimony that he had no power to control and then, without consent of the council, closed the meeting and stormed out to the sidewalk. Only after cooler heads from those on the council intervened did he consent to reconvene the meeting at which time without him actually chairing the meeting Central San Pedro’s Neighborhood Council actually accomplished the work they were elected to perform. However, because of the curious nonresignation of board member Joanne Rallo, the plus-size beauty queen of Saving San Pedro, the actions of the council on May 16 may all be for not. It is rumored that the invisible hand of the DONE city attorney may opine that Rallo indeed resigned at the previous meeting and the actions of the sanctioned meeting controlled by Box will be deemed null and void.
This once again reaffirms my contention that when the City of Los Angeles gives neighborhoods all of the attention that they demand of the city people will regret it!
Gmail Nation:
The Privatization of Public Records and Public Access By David Snyder
The California Supreme Court ruled this past month that records stored on government officials’ personal email accounts are subject to the California Public Records Act. This answer seems obvious: government officials should not be able to conceal otherwise public records by simply using Gmail. And yet, the law has been surprisingly slow to recognize this principle. Private email accounts have been in widespread use for almost two decades now, and we know that for just as long government officials have been using such accounts to transact public business. If the timing of the California Supreme Court’s ruling is any indication, it will take many years for the law to catch up with the information revolution that has so rapidly transformed the way we all create, store and send information. And given that this [See Public, page 9]
Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
Less than 24 hours before the most recent special meeting of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council on May 16, the Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment disempowered this council by issuing a letter announcing “exhaustive efforts” and taking control over the published agenda. At issue were three items to which DONE took exception. All were related to the removal and replacement of council president, Mona Sutton, for cause. The cause alluded to comes from a previous meeting in which Sutton took her entire time as president to emotionally vent about allegations made about her on social media and then erroneously called for vice-president Donald Galaz’s resignation. This threw the entire meeting into pandemonium and immediately galvanized the council into factions that lost Sutton both the support of the majority of the board and respect her constituents. Subsequently, the fervor of the opposition over her leadership has only swelled as her former supporters abandoned ship, resigned from the council or spoke out against her during the public comment period. The new majority on the neighborhood council, led by Galaz and others , set a course to replace its president and did so by legally placing items on the May 16 agenda to basically push the reset button on leadership. Sutton and her remaining minority faction boycotted the meeting and DONE sent its “fixit-man of action” Stephen Box to quell the situation. This not only stunned the board but enraged the constituents who attended the meeting as it appeared that DONE was protecting Sutton, who also was appointed zoning commissioner by Mayor Eric Garcetti this past year and has the sweetheart support of Councilman Joe Buscaino. Even though DONE’s letter claims that the bylaws give no power to remove a sitting officers, they demure to Robert’s Rules of Order, which do have specific guidelines for removal and for censuring a member of a board. Frequent readers of this column and those following local Pedro politics will remember that Sutton rose to this leadership position with the anti-homeless uprising led by the Facebook group Saving San Pedro. The group has now lost control of Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council and is declining rapidly in Central even while its
May 25 - June 7, 2017
Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
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Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com
“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 Senior Editor Vol. XXXVIII : No. 11 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.
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Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email rlnsales@randomelengthsnews.com or reads@randomlengthsnews.com. Extra copies and back issues are available by mail for $3 per copy while supplies last. Subscriptions are available for $36 per year for 27 issues. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right to express those opinions. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2017 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters How to teach analytical skills to today’s students
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was a guest on CSPAN for 3 hours to talk about his new book and his life. One topic was fake news in the media and how people today can’t distinguish facts from fiction, and that today’s schools don’t teach their students analytical skills or logical skills. Because of that the general population in the United States doesn’t believe in SCIENCE but believes in a god. Christians pursue this belief that science is fake, so they can meet their goal of making America a Christian nation. With the help of think tanks like ALEC and Christian colleges steering their graduates into government legislative position, they are achieving their goals. Neil has a solution: have a class in every grade school, that every student has to attend, on how to analyze an occurrence and process it logically. It will never happen! It would expose how stupid the Christians really are and they can’t let that happen. I have a solution! Get Bill Gates’ foundation to fund commercials on TV supporting that science is fact and religion is not. If Bill will not do it, Neil you start a foundation and solicit Bill’s contributors for funds. They will give because it will advance science. Damian Walters San Pedro
Is Trump a traitor? (Let’s find out.)
got a bridge to sell to who believes Donald claim that he fired FBI James Comey because wasn’t fair to Hillary
[Public, from page 8]
Public
wants you to see. It’ll be much harder for activists to connect and organize together, for independent news outlets to get their message out, or for voters to get informed about the issues they care about — and our democracy will be weaker for it. That’s why we need to speak out in Net Neutrality’s defense, by once again flooding their public comments with a resounding message in support of Net Neutrality. One thing I learned after serving for a decade on Federal Communications Commission and spending my life advocating for the public interest: to never underestimate what We the People
can accomplish. So even though Big Cable thinks their high-priced lobbyists and friends on the FCC are enough to win this fight, I’m not giving up hope. I remember hearing the exact same things three years ago, when millions of Americans demanded the FCC write its strong Net Neutrality rules. But through our (and your) determined grassroots efforts, we proved everyone wrong, and we’ll do it again. Michael Copps former FCC Commissioner & Special Advisor for Media & Democracy and the team at Common Cause
Trump’s FCC attacking Net Neutrality
Our democracy relies on the free flow of information guaranteed by Net Neutrality. Donald Trump’s new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman wants to give big cable companies like Comcast and Verizon the power to censor what you can see and say online, or to charge you extra for using sites like Netflix, Youtube, and Facebook. This corporate power grab couldn’t happen at a worse time, when so many rely on the Internet to get informed and organized against this authoritarian president.
has in effect amounted to a corporate takeover of one of the primary means by which Americans gain direct access to information about their government. This past month, the FOIA Mapper project released the results of what it calls the largest-ever analysis of FOIA use. It found that journalists comprise a little under 8 percent of all FOIA requests made, while more than 55 percent of all requests come from either private companies [See Public, page 19]
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In an era of fake news, disinformation and propaganda, having a trusted news source dedicated to the pursuit of the truth is invaluable, if not essential.
revolution shows no signs of abating, it’s a safe bet the law will continue to lag. The consequences of the digital revolution reach beyond the issue of whether “private” emails, texts and Twitter accounts should be accessible to the public. The ability to create, collect and transmit massive amounts of data with little effort has also impacted the efficacy of the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its state-law equivalents. Companies, especially large ones and/or those in techfocused fields, are much better than most media outlets at using FOIA to request, process and make use of massive data sets. They have the sophisticated software, the resources, and the time and energy to wage large and orchestrated
campaigns to use FOIA to “mine” government agencies for valuable information — and they have the manpower and money to make use of that information. There is nothing inherently problematic about corporate use of FOIA as a tool to gain access to government, and there is nothing in FOIA that prevents such use. But corporate America’s unparalleled ability to fully exploit FOIA’s provisions with “data mining” technology, devoted FOIA staff, and teams of lawyers
We the People must fight back. Speak out today, and we’ll transmit your information to the FCC as an official public comment in defense of Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is the simple principle of fair and equal treatment online — and that Comcast and Verizon shouldn’t get to slow down the websites you use to make you pay a special fee. We won those protections because 4 million Americans used the FCC’s public comment process to speak out — so we must flood the docket now to demand that Trump’s FCC leave Net Neutrality alone. Without Net Neutrality, your internet could get a lot slower, a lot more expensive, and limited only to what your internet provider
The Local Publication You Actually Read
I’ve anyone Trump’s Director Comey
Clinton. Trump fired Comey because the FBI was getting closer — by the day — to the truth about Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign. Just days before he was fired, Comey had asked for more resources for the investigation. And prosecutors had just issued grand jury subpoenas for associates of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Trump is not just a liar (although that’s well established). He may also be a traitor. And for the sake of our democracy, we need to know the full truth. Republicans have, to put it politely, not led the way in doing what’s necessary to protect our democracy. It’s up to us to stop this cover-up — which means serious, ongoing grassroots pressure to force Senate Republicans to authorize a nonpartisan, independent investigation. MoveOn has launched a powerful campaign to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to get the truth out and hold Trump, his associates, and his enablers accountable — and to make it clear to those Republicans who refuse to do the right thing that their seats and political careers are on the line. The FBI is meant to be an independent agency, one that’s beyond partisan politics — which is why its directors are appointed for 10-year terms that span multiple presidents. And presidents are expected to respect this promise of independence. But Trump, who has barely any knowledge of history and little respect for the Constitution and our nation’s democratic values, has fired the FBI director, the person in charge of investigating Trump and his aides. This is yet another instance of Trump acting like a despot —
threatening journalists, judges (even an entire circuit court), and unspecified “enemies”; using his presidency for personal gain; and lying repeatedly to the American people. As soon as news broke that Trump fired Comey, my friends at MoveOn began working at lightning speed to ramp up the pressure on Congress to establish an independent commission to investigate Trump. They launched a petition and a series of rapidresponse videos within hours, worked with partners to organize a protest with hundreds of people outside the White House at noon the day after the news broke, and supported members in holding dozens of protests at Senate offices around the country. Their leadership now — and in the weeks and months ahead — is essential. But let’s not kid ourselves. Republicans are refusing to the right thing, and it’s going to take a huge effort to force them to act — or to throw them out of office if they won’t. So the bottom line is this: We need enormous, sustained leadership to expose the truth about Trump. The good news? It’s the kind of leadership that MoveOn and its millions of members excel at. Robert Reich Berkeley, CA
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May 25 - June 7, 2017
Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
San Pedro City Ballet’s Lauren Renee Ortega will attend the Joffrey Ballet School this summer. Photo by Gray Autry.
San Pedro Ballet Students Receive Scholarships to Prestigious Dance Schools By Kym Cunningham, Contributing Writer
at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in the fall. All have received scholarships. Each expressed excitement about the opportunity to pursue their art at such a high level. Ciaramitaro said going to New York to pursue her career in the performing arts had always been her dream. “It’s all I ever wanted growing up,” Ciaramitaro said. “I’m super grateful and thankful to everyone who has supported me along this journey. I’m excited to spread my wings and fly.” [See Ballet, page 14]
The Local Publication You Actually Read
San Pedro Ballet School has announced that three of its students will be following in Misty Copeland’s graceful footsteps by attending two esteemed performing arts schools in New York City. Misty Copeland was the San Pedro Ballet School’s first prodigy. Through the studio’s guidance, Copeland moved to New York, taking the ballet world by storm when she became the first black principal dancer of New York’s renowned American Ballet Theatre. Copeland has since become a household name synonymous with hard work. Now, three more students from the same school have a chance to follow the star’s trajectory. Enrique Anaya and Lauren Renee Ortega will attend the Joffrey Ballet School this summer, while Danielle Ciaramitaro will begin classes
May 25 - June 7, 2017
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AR T G A L L ER I E S | OPEN S T U D I O S | L A T E D I N I N G & S HOPP I N G | L I VE M U S I C ON T HE S T REE T S
Pinta*Dos Phillipine Art Gallery
DISRUPTIONS: THE ART OF ELISEO ART SILVA
Michael Stearns Studio 347
Paper and Thread—New Works by Betsy Lohrer Hall
Studio Gallery 345
new works on paper and canvas
Eliseo Art Silva, Sixto Lopez Arriving in Manila village in 1903, 2017, acrylic, 36 x 40 inches.
Eliseo Art Silva, painter and muralist, is a weaver of history and heritage. His artistic goal is to reconcile the history of his lineage with the history of painting. “Art is the best way to document communities; providing an effective means for communities to connect, thrive and flourish in urban environments: inviting all to make the first step towards compassionate interaction.”
Betsy Lohrer Hall makes works that reflect an interest in process and impermanence. This is expressed in a variety of ways: from delicate, repeated marks of gouache on paper, to her use of simple, fragile materials such as thread, eggshells, or collected cast off objects. Some of her works allude to unnoticed aspects of everyday life, or to current environmental or socio-political concerns. View Paper and Thread during the San Pedro First Thursday Art Walk, June 1, 6 to 9 p.m. The show runs through June 30. Michael Stearns Studio 347, 347 W. 7th St., San Pedro, www.michaelstearns studio.com
Pat Woolley
Gloria Lee and Pat Woolley of Studio 345 Gallery present a show of color in the media of acrylic and printmaking. Open First Thursdays and by appointment. Books, boxes and unframed paintings, as well as other items are on display and for sale. For information, contact Gloria at (310) 545-0832 or Pat at (310) 374-8055 or artsail@ roadrunner.com. 345 W. 7th St., San Pedro, www.patwoolleyart. com
Sat June 3 | 2 pm VIVA LAS VEGAS
San Pedro Ballet School presents its annual Spring recital and will also feature SPCB company members in an exciting new work by Patrick David Bradley, and students from SPCB’S acclaimed DancEd Steps Up outreach program. Tickets and information at (310) 732-1861 or sanpedrocityballet.org.
Fri June 9 | 6 pm
PV Children’s Choir
PV Children’s Choir and Hills Academy Summer Concert present music and dance by some of PV’S youngest and brightest performers. Tickets and information at jane@ hillsacademy.com.
Sat June 10 | 2 pm & 8 pm LAST REMAINING SEATS 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Disney 1954) at 2 pm; On the Waterfront (Columbia Pics 1954) at 8 pm. The LA Conservancy brings its acclaimed film series to the Warner Grand.For tickets: laconservancy.org
May 25 - June 7, 2017
Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
PINTA*DOS is a new gallery that previews new works by Silva on June l, First Thursday. It will formally open on June 24, 5 to 8 p.m. The show runs through July 29. 479 W 6th St, Suite 107, San Pedro (310) 514-9139, email: linda@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
Give and Take by Betsy Lohrer Hall
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Look for our Grand Re-Opening in June with our new full-service menu
In Downtown San Pedro (424) 477-5220 11:00AM till late, Mon.-Sun.
www.jacksonsplacesp.com
[Ballet, page 11]
Ballet Scholarships
Different Paths
Ciaramitaro and Ortega both began dancing at the San Pedro Ballet School when they were in preschool. Ortega said ballet was originally one of many activities her mother encouraged her to pursue, but once she took a class she fell immediately in love with the art. Ciaramitaro agreed. “I originally started at home watching DVDs,” Ciaramitaro said. “My grandma would play these ballerina DVDs for me. I loved it so much that I asked her if I could go take an actual ballet class.” In contrast, Anaya was a relative latecomer to the world of ballet; he was introduced to the San Pedro Ballet School in 2016 by one of his teachers at the Humanity and Arts Academy of Los Angeles. “I didn’t really know anything about it,” Anaya admitted. “I looked a mess.” Ortega remembered that Anaya wore socks and basketball shorts to his first class. Anaya, professionally clad in a black athletic tank and ballet leggings, smiled at the memory. Like Ciaramitaro and Ortega, once Anaya started dancing, he was hooked. “I took that one class and that’s really all it took,” Anaya said. “I really like it because you get to be really graceful but at the same time, at least for men, you get to be super masculine. They go hand in hand.”
A Second Home
Lauren Renee Ortega, Enrique Anaya and Danielle Ciaramitaro in front of San Pedro Ballet school on Pacific Ave. Photo by Kym Cunningham.
increasing availability of youth exposure to professional dancers via the internet. Similarly, Misty Copeland has opened doors within the ballet industry, demonstrating to aspiring young dancers what is possible. “Misty was a big influence,” Ortega said. “She shows a new path for a … huge group of ballerinas.” Ciaramitaro agreed that Misty was one of her biggest dancing influences. She also said that when she is not in the studio, she spends a lot of her time watching professional dancing videos; instead of her grandmother’s DVDs,
May 25 - June 7, 2017
The House that Misty Built
The Dream
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Another aspect of the San Pedro Ballet School that all three students appreciated was the supportive atmosphere, which extends into the surrounding neighborhoods. “This whole community, especially in Pedro, really supports the studio,” Anaya said. “There’s a sense of home here.” Ortega and Ciaramitaro both agreed. “All of us are like family,” Ortega said. “We spend four hours every day together.” Ortega admitted that often she spent more time with this second family than with her own family. She cited this as one of the sacrifices that she has had to make in order to pursue her art. But in the midst of this sacrifice, these young adults seem to have found the uplifting communal energy from which so many of their peers are isolated. Unlike the aggressive competition that is usually featured in media Dancer Enrique Anaya will study at the Joffrey Ballet School this sumrepresentations of the ballet mer. Photo by Gray Autry. world, these three students seem to view each other as competitive safety she now finds inspiration for her dancing on nets, each with impressive capabilities that push YouTube. the others to test their physical boundaries. “You feed off each other: the energy that Of course, the true love of these three people give is what you receive,” Anaya said. students lies within the onstage performance — “You see in a room, “Oh, this girl or guy can an event that would terrify the vast majority of kick their head. Let me try or let me work as people. But when these students described the hard as them. That’s what gets you going.” ethereal quality of performing onstage, it was impossible not to become enamored with the Perhaps this new emergence of community [See Ballet, page 14] within the ballet world is due in part to the
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Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
was scanning the menu at an Indian restaurant, and a plate on its way to another table caught my eye. It looked like nothing I had seen before and smelled amazing, so I asked the server to point to the description on my menu so I could find out what it was. “I’m sorry, sir,” he replied. “That is only on the menu that we give our Indian clientele.” I immediately asked for the owner, because I wanted to know why I wasn’t allowed to order the good stuff. He heard me out, sighed, and responded. “Let me explain something to you, please,” he said. “When we opened I had many regional items on the menu. Customers who didn’t know what things were kept my servers at every table for 15 minutes asking questions, and then they ordered chicken curry because they came here for chicken curry.” After he put it that way I couldn’t really argue with him, and it started me thinking about the advantages and perils of breaking a cuisine into a new market. One advantage is obvious: Once your cultural community finds that you serve items they can’t get elsewhere, you have instant fans who will keep coming back as long as you’re doing it right. With that customer base you can then start figuring out how to reach a broader clientele. Though this may seem counterintuitive, that task can be more difficult if the cuisine being offered is a regional variation on something that’s already popular. Consider an item from Italian cuisine that is within the American mainstream. If you order lasagna in Sicily you’ll get thick noodles in a beefy red sauce with olives and both mozzarella and ricotta; in Venice the same item is prepared with thin crepe-like noodles, carrots, sausage and a white sauce with no cheese. In Bologna they make it with an egg pasta with bechamel sauce and just a dusting of Parmesan. (I’m not even going to get into all the other regional styles, of which there are many, or the carb and garlic bombs from New Jersey and adjacent locales.) So you order lasagna in an Italian [Ballet, page 13]
Ballet School
feelings that they evoked. “What you feel when you’re onstage — that adrenaline — it’s almost like a dream,” said Anaya. “When it’s over, it’s so bittersweet… It leaves me speechless. You stand frozen and you think about nothing.” “[At the end of a performance,] sometimes you cry because it’s really emotional,” Ortega said. “You’re in paradise.” Even talking about performing was enough to bring to bring up these tumultuous and cathartic emotions. In the studio’s last production of The Nutcracker, Anaya played the part of the prince, while Ciaramitaro played the lead female role of Clara.
Cuisine, Communication and Cultural Differences By Richard Foss, Cuisine and Restaurant Writer
Restaurants are the meeting place where cultural differences are challenged and eventually overcome with patience and good communication skills. Photo by Terelle Jerricks.
restaurant expecting the style you know and not only does something almost completely different come out, you didn’t know there were other styles until right now. Your first thought is that they made it wrong — not different — wrong. Whatever you grew up with is right and this isn’t it. You may not complain to the manager so you are unlikely to get an explanation but you may not come back to that restaurant. Would you have enjoyed that dish if it had an entirely different name, so you judged it on its own merits? Very probably, because the problem wasn’t the dish but your expectations of it.
So why doesn’t the menu explain this difference before you order, or why doesn’t your server when you do order? The menu can’t because there isn’t space for a thoughtful explanation of regional cooking. If there was space, there is no guarantee that whoever was available to write it is both fluent in English and adept at explaining flavors. I have been writing about food for 30 years and sometimes still have to think about how to convey the effect of different seasonings. There’s also the problem that you know your expectations and other people don’t. The chef or owner may be great at cooking, but that doesn’t mean they know how
“I started as a little mouse in The Nutcracker, an to get up to the part of Clara was like a dream for me,” Ciaramitaro said amidst tears of happiness.
Ciaramitaro. “Being homeschooled really helped me with balancing everything.” As a latecomer to the rigors of training for ballet, Anaya said it was a sucker punch coming to the San Pedro Ballet School, where students train four hours, five days a week, leaving no time unused. “You’re always doing something: if you’re not doing schoolwork, then you’re at the studio dancing,” Anaya said. “You plan out your whole entire day.” Ciaramitaro agreed. “Not a minute to waste,” she said. “You need a lot of commitment,” Ortega admitted. “Every second counts in a day, every little second. If you’re not doing anything, you’re wasting time.” But these students agreed that this rigorous scheduling was just a part of their training. “You have to spend a lot of time investing in your training,” Anaya said. “It’s a huge sacrifice but it’s well worth it…. It’s a dream of mine to be able to do what I love: dance and performing.” A self-professed theater girl with a broad range of performing arts skills, Ciaramitaro would love to perform on Broadway, whereas Anaya and Ortega dream of becoming members in professional dance companies. It is important to note that despite their youth, these are not children with their heads in the clouds. These are emerging professionals,
Not a Second to Lose
Despite the happiness dancing brings these students, training for it necessitates sacrifice. From getting up for school at 6 a.m. to ending ballet class at 8 p.m., these students rarely have a moment of time to themselves. “I don’t have a social life,” Ortega admitted. “It’s pretty much here and school.” In order to cope with the demands of devoting her life to the performing arts, Ciaramitaro began homeschooling during her last year of high school. “Public schooling was really stressful for me and everything that I did — I also sing and act — I do a lot, not just dance,” said
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what they’re serving is different from your Platonic ideal of lasagna. The communication problem is even greater for the people who take your order. Whoever writes the menu does so uninterrupted and at their own pace, while at every moment that a server is explaining something to you, someone at another table is waiting for their food, water or to order dessert. Add into this the fact that your server may not speak English as a first language or even a second. Here, let me help you visualize what that is like. Right now, using what you can remember of your high school Spanish, explain the difference between coleslaw and sauerkraut. Be sure to use the proper terms for all spices and preparation methods. Ready? Go. That went well, didn’t it? You had the luxury of doing that without any interruptions and without the need to listen for that little bell that means another order is up in the kitchen. I’m sure you did just fine. Sarcasm aside, what can restaurateurs do to let you know that they have an unusual regional specialty, and what can you do to make sure you know what you’re ordering? From their side, they can provide as full of a description of each item as they are capable of, and can try to encourage their staff to interact with customers as much as possible without compromising the service. Customers can be proactive and patient, and use their phones or tablets to look up any items they don’t know. Even more importantly, they can be open-minded when they are served something slightly different from what they expected. If a customer really wants to improve the situation, they might suggest to the owner and server how the item might be described to prepare dinners for a different experience than usual. Our world isn’t going to get any less multicultural and complex, no matter what nativist elements of society might wish. We might as well enjoy and adapt to cuisines that are expressions of other cultures, teaching and learning as well as we can. who understand things like time management and sacrifice; these are young dancers who know that their art is only as good as the time and sweat they put into it, who spend chunks of their day studying and practicing and perfecting what they love to do. They accept limitations — physical, mental and temporal — they believe in commitment, which is more than can be said for many full-fledged adults. Most of all, they recognize that good work is never finished.
More Hard Work Ahead
For these students, more hard work lies ahead. At the Joffrey Ballet School, Anaya and Ortega will practice nine hours a day, five days a week, more than they have ever practiced before. “It’s going to be a lot of hard work,” Anaya said. “You can have fun but work your butt off. That’s why I’m here.” For Ciaramitaro, she will spend the next several years of her life breathing and living the performing arts in pursuit of her aspirations to become a Broadway actress. But despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, these students believe that the life skills and training they have received from the San Pedro Ballet School has prepared them for whatever may lie ahead. “Our drive is greater than the challenges that we’re going to face,” Ortega said.
Turner House Serves as New Artist Incubator By Andrea Serna, Arts and Culture Writer
Marylyn Ginsburg and Chuck Klaus possess high profile reputations as arts patrons in the Harbor Area. You will find their names on art buildings at the Palos Verdes Art Center, the Marymount College Klaus Center for the Arts in downtown San Pedro and the Norris Theater for Performing Arts. But the program that is closest to their personal history is the Turner House in San Pedro. The house took on Ginsburg’s maiden name of Turner (Ginsberg is her last name from a prior marriage). The home was customized to house art students from Marilyn’s alma mater, Syracuse University. Each semester three students are chosen from the masters in fine arts program to live in San Pedro and undertake an intensive art study. The program includes internships, studio space at Angels Gate Cultural center and visits to Los Angeles’s most significant museums. The students are also provided with opportunities to tour galleries and contemporary artist’s studios, and to hear from prominent artists, curators and gallery owners, many of whom are accomplished Syracuse University alumni. Ginsburg was inspired by her own past as a young disadvantaged student who was fortunate enough to obtain a scholarship for her education. “I lost my father when I was seven years old and I had two younger siblings,” Ginsburg said. My mother worked very hard for many years for General Electric and found they had a scholarship program for children of the employees. Each year I applied and received a $500 scholarship, a substantial amount at that time.” The scholarship allowed Ginsberg to attend the arts education program at Syracuse. While in school, she supplemented her scholarship by cleaning houses for 50 cents an hour, sometimes 75 cents if she vacuumed. She graduated
magna cum laude in art and education. After graduation, she went on to teach ceramics, drawing and painting at Palos Verdes High School. Many years late, Marylyn found success in Outside the Turner House from left, Marylyn Ginsburg, Amy Eriksen, Kevin Larmon, and students Rene Gortat, Sun Young and Taro Takizawa. Photo by Andrea Serna.
May 26
Sea Shanties Sing sea shanties at San Pedro’s English pub, The Whale & Ale. Join the talented Sea Shanty group on the last Friday of each month for some rollicking songs of days gone by. Time: 7 p.m. May 26 Cost: Free Details: www.thewhaleandale.com Venue: The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro
May 27
real estate and took the inspiration she found in her youth to reach down and give a hand to other young art students. Eventually, the Turner House was established in San Pedro. “I remembered my days at Syracuse University and I wanted show Syracuse I appreciated what they did for me,” Ginsburg said.
A Program is Born
The inception of the program seven years ago was a one-week practicum for Syracuse art students. The spring break program, entitled [See Turner House, page 16]
Chefs Studio presents a Pop Up Dinner prepared by
RICHARD FOSS • Monday, June 5 Well-known restaurant critic, author and cook
Richard will prepare the following menu: Doors open at 5:30 pm Dinner 6:00 to 8:30 pm
520 W. 8th St., San Pedro $70.00 paid in advance For reservations, call 310-387-3460 or e-mail info@chefsstudio101.com chefsstudio-sanpedro
Summer Concert Series KG Veterans will be performing all your favorite rhythm and blues featuring guest vocalist Donald Bell aka Donnie B. Live on the patio at Ports O’ Call Restaurant every fourth Saturday of the month through September. Time: 7 to 11 p.m. May 27 Cost: Free Details: www.portsocalldining.com Venue: Ports O’ Call Waterfront Dining Restaurant, 1200 Nagoya Way, San Pedro
May 28
Sam Ross Sextet Birthday Show Sam Ross is a 19-year-old composer who hails from Long Beach. He attends the University of Michigan and studies jazz with the great Benny Green. Time: 4 p.m. May 28 Cost: $15 Details: www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
May 31
Larson Ghormley Jazz Ensemble The dinner and jazz night will support Port of Los Angeles High School alumnus, Larson Ghormley’s college tuition and Honorary Mayor Campaign. Time: 6 p.m. May 31 Cost: $20 to $150 Details: (310) 832-9201 Venue: POLAHS, 250 W. 5th St., San Pedro
June 3
Bossa Nova Jazz Along for the Ride is a band of musicians from Latin America and the United States. Although the band concentrates in jazz and bossa nova (a.k.a. as Brazilian Jazz), it also ventures into other Latin and non-Latin styles, such as blues,
Dave Widow With his unique style of finger-picking and bluesy vocals, Dave Widow combines elements of rhythm and blues, funk, soul and rock. Time: 8 p.m. June 3 Cost: $20 to $120 Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
THEATER May 26
The Lion King Jr. The play is based on the Broadway production by Julie Taymor and directed by Dodson theater teacher Lindsey Hamby-Real, with choreography by Dodson science teacher Cindy Magyar and music direction by Mike Walker. Time: 7 p.m. May 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m. May 27, and 2 p.m. May 28 Cost: $15 Details: www.dodsondrama.org Venue: Dodson Middle School, 28014 S. Montereina Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes
May 27
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a story that starts with sibling rivalry and ends with reconciliation and redemption. Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sunday, through May 27 Cost: $20 to $24 Details: www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St, Long Beach
In Kings & Fools In Kings & Fools tells the story of Sam, a hardnosed New Englander and his wife, Mary Ellen, who struggle to make sense of one son who has all but cut ties with them and another son who is quickly becoming the neighborhood outcast. Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 28 Cost: $25 Details: www.panndoraproductions.com Venue: Garage Theatre, 251 E. 7th St., Long Beach
June 17
Fences The Long Beach Playhouse presents August Wilson’s Fences, which observes the African American experience across several decades. Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sunday, through June 17 Cost: $20 to $24 Details: www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St, Long Beach
[See Calendar, page 16]
May 25 - June 7, 2017
(free parking behind 8th Street Lofts)
Memorial Day Music Festival The Battleship IOWA presents a Memorial Day music festival featuring live bands: Purple Sugar, Special Blend, Murder City Roadshow and DJ Pie. The festival will include food trucks, vintage vehicles, reenactors and a sailor’s bar. Time: 10:30 a.m. May 27 Cost: Free Details: (877) 446-9261 Venue: Battleship IOWA, Pacific Battleship Center, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
June 3
Rock the Queen Queen Mary’s Rock the Queen returns and teaming up with the No. 1 morning radio show in Los Angeles, The Woody Show, to present The Woody Show Fiesta at Royal Machines featuring Dave Navarro, Mark McGrath, Billy Morrison, Donovan Leitch, Chris Chaney and Josh Freese, Sugar Ray, SmashMouth, Spin Doctors, and EVE 6. Time: 3 p.m. June 3 Cost: $39 to $99 Details: http://bit.ly/QMRockTheQueenTix Venue: Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
Monday, June 5
Big Daddy, The Band of ‘59 One of the great left-field surprises of the 1980s pop music scene came with the arrival of Big Daddy, a band that reimagined hits of the day as they might have sounded had they been recorded in the 1950s. Time: 8 p.m. May 27 Cost: $20 Details: www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
bolero and flamenco. Time: 8 p.m. June 3 Cost: $20 Details: www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
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ENTERTAINMENT
Tony Ferrell Band The Tony Ferrell Band rocks another concert featuring 10 of the best soul, rock and pop musicians in the world. Time: 8 p.m. May 26 Cost: $15 Details: (310) 782-1440, (310) 944-2393 Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
CHEFS STUDIO Endive, Goat Cheese, Strawberry and Balsamic Finger Salad
Arts Cuisine Entertainment May 25 - JUNe 7 • 2017
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[Calendar, page 15]
Arts Cuisine Entertainment May 25 - JUNe 7 • 2017
June 18
The Last Five Years An emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their 20s who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 18 Cost: $30 Details: http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/ friendsoftorrance/eventcalendar Venue: Torrance Theatre, 1316 Cabrillo Ave., Torrance
ART
May 27
A New View A New View features new member artist Susan Soffer Cohn, jewelry artist Nancy Comaford and painter Parrish Nelson Hirasaki. Time: 4 to 7 p.m. May 27, through June 25 Cost: Free Details: (310) 265-2592; artists-studio-pvac. com Venue: Artists’ Studio Gallery at the Promenade on the Peninsula, 550 Deep Valley Drive, #159, Rolling Hills Estates
June 2
SoundPedro SoundPedro will be the first of recurring events highlighting sound art in which single and multimedia artworks investigate the way we use our senses to perceive and experience. Time: 5 to 11 p.m. June 2 Cost: Free Details: http://angelsgateart.org/soundpedrojune-3-2017 Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro
May 25 - June 7, 2017
Serving the Seven Communities of the Harbor Area
June 3
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A Brief History of Long Beach Pride The Historical Society has led the way to collecting the history of the LGBT community in Long Beach and ARTX is proud to host this exhibition coinciding with Pride Month. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. June 3 Cost: Free Details: (562) 999-2267 Venue: ArtExchange Long Beach, 356 E. 3rd St., Long Beach
ART CONTINUING
Student Show 2017 Enjoy works by the students from the Art and Photo departments in all media including painting, drawing, digital media, sculpture, ceramics, design, photography, jewelry and printmaking. Time: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, and 1 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, through June 1 Cost: Free Details: (310) 660-3010; www.elcamino.edu Venue: El Camino College Art Gallery, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray In May 1931, photographer Nickolas Muray (1892–1965) traveled to Mexico on vacation where he met Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), a woman he would never forget. The two started a 10-year, on-and-off romance as well as a friendship that lasted until the end of their lives. Time: 11 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, through Sept. 3 Cost: $7 to $10 Details: molaa.org Venue: Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
COMMUNITY May 26
Memorial Day Weekend Bluff Series Enjoy live music, fantastic food offerings and a
full bar at Nelson’s. Time: 6 to 10 p.m. May 26 and 27, and 1 to 5 p.m. May 28 Cost: Free Details: (310) 265-2836 Venue:Terranea Resort, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes
May 27
The Turning Point in the Pacific Historian Timothy Friden will be giving a lecture and slideshow entitled 1942: The Turning Point in the Pacific. This presentation will recount the critical early months of the Pacific War with Japan. RSVP is requested. Time: 1 to 3 p.m. May 27 Cost: Free Details: (562) 424-2220 Venue: Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach Wekfest Los Angeles Wekfest focuses on working with the leading brands and individuals both within the car community and various sub-cultures. This year’s event will feature 400-plus prescreened European, Japanese and domestic aftermarket builds as well as a vendor’s row consisting of automotive and lifestyle brands. Time: 1 to 6 p.m. May 27 Cost: $30 Details: https://checkout.eventcreate.com/ wekfest-la-2017/select-buy Venue: The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
June 2
Stephen Weisberg Stephen Weisberg of the Southern California Coastal Research Project will discuss the remarkable improvement in beach water quality in Southern California within the past two decades. Time: 7 p.m. June 2 Cost: Free Details: (310) 548-7593 Venue: John M. Olguin Auditorium, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro
June 3
Viva Las Vegas San Pedro Ballet School presents its annual spring recital by students in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop and contemporary dance. Time: 2 p.m. June 3 Cost: $24 Details: www.sanpedroballetschool.com Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
June 4
Shared Science Summer 2017 Workshop Interested in exploring the science behind Battleships? LEGO engineering activities explore simple robots and geared motors. The afternoon includes investigating how robotics are used on the ship. Time: 12 to 3 p.m. June 4 Cost: $7 to $30 Details: http://sharedsciencefun.org Venue: Battleship USS Iowa, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., Berth 87, San Pedro
June 5
National Donut Day The Salvation Army of Southern California will be celebrating National Donut Day. Those in attendance will get to relive history with Salvation Army “Donut Lassies” in historical costume. The public is welcome to join us for a special donut festival, including a ceremony to honor veterans, live music and an appearance from Shotgun Tom Kelly of K-Earth101. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 Cost: Free Details: (877) 446-9261 Venue: Pacific Battleship Center, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
[Turner House, page 15]
Turner House
Art in L.A., was modeled after a one-week immersion program created by screenwriter and Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin, another Syracuse alumnus. Sorkin Week brings Syracuse writing students to the heart of the entertainment industry. Art in L.A. eventually reached the point where it could bring students to California for an entire semester. This expansion required housing for the students, and the couple used their own resources to purchase a home in central San Pedro above Fort MacArthur. The mid-century home required considerable renovation. An entire wing was added to provide three bedrooms and two bathrooms downstairs as well as a loft on the second floor. The credentialed program is fully funded by Klaus and Ginsburg and supervised by Syracuse Professor of Painting Kevin Larmon, who serves as the faculty of record for the off-site program. “Each week the students have artists visit their studio at Angels Gate Cultural Center,” Larmon said. “They also go to visit artists in downtown Los Angeles.” Larmon, based in Syracuse, makes regular visits to San Pedro to oversee the program and coordinate the internships at Angels Gate Cultural Center, Palos Verdes Art Center and the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. Each student spends 10 hours per week on the internship. They are free to devote the rest of the week to their art. Larmon encourages each student to create a piece of art to leave behind in the Turner House, and the home is building a significant collection. The most recent residents of the Turner House are third-year graduate student Taro Takizawa, first-year graduate student Rene Gortat from Brooklyn and South Korean student Sun Young. The students will be displaying their work in a group show at Yoon Space Gallery in Los Angeles. When he is not in San Pedro, Larmon leans
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The interior of the Turner House. Photo by Andrea Serna
on Los Angeles curator Carole Ann Klonarides. As an independent curator and strategist for artists, she helps to guide the students. Her advice is invaluable in assisting with career objectives. She spends time learning about their experiences and backgrounds to shepherd them towards individuals and institutions that will help them reach their career goals. “As I got to know each student it became more than an advisory relationship; it became a mentoring relationship,” Klonarides said. Unsurprisingly, Klonarides recounts an experience that paralleled the experience of the young Marilyn Ginsburg’s scholarship at Syracuse. “I had this opportunity myself when I was their age,” she said. “I was invited to the Whitney Museum independent studies program, which enabled me to go to New York when it was the art center of the country.” “Now … LA has become the art center,” she continued. “So, it’s basically allowing these students to take the shortcut, to come right in the midst of the professional art community. They meet first hand, by introduction, with art directors, critics and art dealers.” Known primarily for her pioneering artistic and curatorial work in video art, Klonarides has been an active participant in two historic art communities — New York and Los Angeles — as they evolved to world prominence. While giving back to the next generation of artists, Ginsberg and Klaus have helped them break into the art world — a daunting experience for any new artist. “Some of the students use the connections they make here to take on some important positions,” Klaus said. “We recently had a student who was able to secure a mid-career track position because of the connections he made.” Then there is the breathtaking location of their studio at Angels Gate. The students share a 1,000-square-feet working space on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Angels Gate Director Amy Eriksen said the students help out with exhibitions and assist the small staff that runs the art center. Marylyn Ginsburg and Chuck Klaus’ love story is rooted in culture. Their story began in Syracuse, New York and, to the benefit of many, crossed the country to bring them both to California. In 2009 they exchanged vows at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, and in the past eight years, they have enriched the cultural community with their love for the arts.
[Tesoro, page 5]
Tesoro
methodological problems, May explained them more thoroughly in an interview with Random Lengths. The piecemealing problem is reflected in the EIR ignoring how Tesoro itself has explained its business strategy. “The head of Tesoro Corp. repeatedly states to their investors, in many different forms, that they’re going to bring North Dakota Bakken crude — mostly, 75 percent and about 25 percent Canadian tar sands crude — by rail to Vancouver, Wash., where they’ve got an application for a rail ship terminal and then they bring back to LA,” May explained. These are two of the most harmful forms of fossil fuel, she noted. “Both tar sands and Bakken crude cause a lot of impact when you extract them,” said May. “They are considered extreme crude oils, and so these would cause a lot of harm during extraction, during transportation. And then when you get them to the refineries, they cause additional emissions.” District staff had begun to examine the possible impacts of these crude oils under former Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein, Board Member Joe Lyou told Random Lengths, but since Wallerstein’s replacement Lyou had heard nothing further. “The district’s line is, ‘Oh, well refiners use a lot of different crude oil and so these other
projects happen independently of the refinery modifications, so we don’t even have to evaluate that,’” May said. “It’s just baloney.” This segues into the issue of questionable baselines and operating assumptions. “Tesoro is building 3.4 million barrels of new crude oil storage. That almost doubles their street crude storage capacity,” said May. “It allows additional loading, it doesn’t just allow them to offload faster [which is how Tesoro has portrayed its intentions to the public].... It allows them to load more, and there’s nothing that would stop them from doing it.” “In fact, buried in the back of the EIR, you can see what the throughput rate would be on these tanks… how fast the oil was turning over,” said May. “It’s not like they’re sticking it in there and leaving it a long time…. [It’s actually] 420,000 barrels a day and that’s bigger than the entire refinery throughput.” The refinery throughput numbers also contain inconsistencies. It was 363,000 barrels a day in the earlier draft EIR but 380,000 on Tesoro’s website. “Now the final EIR came back and said well those are just two different time frames when those numbers came out, so don’t worry about it, it’s no change,” May continued. “They don’t provide any baseline that you can actually see, what their historical rate has been with so many different processes. They claim a lot of this is trade secret and they won’t tell you. And then, they give you two different numbers.” There are also untenable claims about how
the refinery will function. “For example, adding a lot of new connections from pressure relief devices to the flares and they’re counting those as zero emissions,” May said. “They’re not allowed to [do] that.” Even if they were never used in emergencies, there are planned startups and shutdowns for maintenance. “If you have these pressure relief devices and you shut down parts of the refinery, large volumes of gases are going to go to the flares, and they’re going to cause emissions,” May said. “They counted nothing for that — zero.” Then there was the matter of the Fluxsense data, showing much higher emissions levels. “The data was not ignored,” SCAQMD Spokesman Sam Atwood explained via email. “It was evaluated by staff who determined that the FluxSense study did not evaluate or demonstrate the use of this technology for predicting emissions from tanks to be built in the future.” “The key use of this technology at present is to help detect leaks, which may cause emissions to be higher than expected from normal operations,” he added. “Therefore at this point in time it does not serve as a substitute for the EPA-approved AP-42 emission factors.” The latter is the standard method used to calculate emissions. “The district’s response is unfortunately nonsensical,” May responded. “EIRs are required to be evaluated based on actual conditions, not solely on emissions factors. And their own study has shown that the emissions factors they used
grossly underestimate emissions. Unfortunately … the district realizes that they would have to send the EIR back to draft and they have not wanted to do that. They have caved to oil industry pressure.” There are broader implications as well, she pointed out. “They likely also realize the study shows they need to redo their refinery emissions inventory, and it looks like they are so far dragging their feet in acknowledging this. A better approach would be for the district to take credit for the amazing innovative study and fix their inventory one step at a time. First, don’t approve a project shown to be based on severely underestimated emissions. And next, start fixing the overall refinery inventory.” SCAQMD Board Member Joe Lyou was not involved in the decision-making, which — as is typical — was carried out solely by staff. But he did meet with Tesoro officials on five occasions, as well as with project opponents. “There are two very significantly different messages with significantly different consequences for adjacent community members,” he told Random Lengths. “It’s why we have a judicial system. In all likelihood a third-party trier of fact will take a look at it, and figure it all out, right?” A decision to sue has not yet been announced, but given how crucial the project has become, odds are heavily in favor. A decision must be made within 30 days.
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Please help! The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. 888-452-7381, x 143
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Don Marshall CPA, Inc. (310) 833-8977
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA Specializing in small businesses CPA quality service at very reasonable rates
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DBA FILINGS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2017071123 The following person is doing business as: Donut Kingdom, 2608 E Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA 90804, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Brandon Chhea, 457 W. 13th St., Apt. 1, San Pedro, CA 90731. Roathnear Tiv, 457 W. 13th St., Apt 1. San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a Married Couple. The date registrants started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2017. 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/. Brandon Chhea, husband. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 21, 2017. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement
“Change of Key”—
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: 04/13/16, 04/27/16,
05/11/16, 05/25/16
Statement of Abandonment of Use of Fictitious Business Name File No. 2017071181 Current File No. : 2017050045 Date Filed: February 28, 2017 Donuts Stars, 457 W. 13th St., Suite 1, San Pedro, CA 90731
[Continued on page 19]
© 2017 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
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It’s Easy!
DBA Filing & Publishing
$
135
310-519-1442 Remember, you must renew your DBA every 5 years.
Across
1 Actor John of the “Harold and Kumar” movies 4 Boxer’s blows 8 Equipped for 14 Kurosawa’s adaptation of “King Lear” 15 Math class calculation 16 Situated 17 Protestant denom. founded in Philadelphia 18 Genre for bands like Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, in the wrong key? 20 Chess side 22 Bluish duck 23 Places for MDs and RNs 24 “Get Shorty” sequel 26 Hall of Famer Carew 28 “___ Boot” (1981 war film) 29 “You too?” a la Caesar 30 Villainous 33 “Why am ___? What does it all mean?” 35 Screw-shaped pasta 37 MTV cartoon with the showwithin-a-show “Sick, Sad World” 38 Metallica hit, in the wrong key? 42 Looks at lewdly 43 Relate a story about 44 Go no further 45 Cookie with a Peeps-flavored 2017 variety
46 Brats 50 “The Star-Spangled Banner” lyricist 51 “Neither snow, ___ rain ...” 53 Catch cunningly 55 “___ for Alibi” (Sue Grafton mystery) 56 Unwell 59 “The Jetsons” pet 60 “Runaway” singer, in the wrong key? 64 Meal starter? 65 “That makes sense” 66 “Eso ___” (Paul Anka hit) 67 Fuss 68 City where Canada’s parliament meets 69 2.0 grades 70 Man cave, really
Down
1 Early Tarzan actor Buster 2 “To be or not to be” soliloquist 3 Way shorter than 2-Down, say 4 The King of Pop, in tabloids 5 Aesthetic pursuit 6 “Doin’ the Pigeon” singer 7 Toyotathon, e.g. 8 Olympic speed skater ___ Anton Ohno 9 “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” singer Cantrell 10 Office PC hookup 11 Outer skin layer 12 Homes for some lizards
13 Like an epic voyage 19 “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” singer Belinda 21 College catalog listings 25 “Dallas Buyers Club” actor Jared 27 “I ___ such thing!” 31 Melbourne is its capital 32 Comic book line artist 34 Got cranky 36 Jimmy who works with Lois Lane 38 Mixed-breed dog that sounds like a bird 39 Upper limit for a jungle gym, maybe 40 Lingerie item similar to a romper 41 Antiseptic gel source 47 Character in “The Wind in the Willows” 48 Victory celebration 49 Exactly correct 52 Ice Cube’s real first name 54 Small iPods 57 “Closing Bell” network 58 ACL’s location 61 Free ad, briefly 62 Fasten fabric 63 Verb suffix? ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com
[Public Records, from page 9]
DBA FILINGS [From page 18] Registered Owners: Roathnear Tiv, 457 W. 13th St., Suite 1 San Pedro, CA 90731. Business was conducted by: An individual I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) S/ Roathnear Tiv, owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on March 21, 2017. 04/13/16, 04/27/16, 05/11/16, 05/25/16
04/13/16, 04/27/16, 05/11/16, 05/25/16
04/13/16, 04/27/16, 05/11/16, 05/25/16
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2017083159 The following person is doing business as: (1) The EZBIT, (2) The EZ BIT, 2125 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Frank Maimone, 2125 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrants started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2017. 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/. Frank Maimone, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 4, 2017.
Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of
another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/13/16, 04/27/16,
05/11/16, 05/25/16
It’s Easy!
DBA Filing & Publishing
$
135
310-519-1442
You must renew your DBA every 5 years.
Tomiye Matsumiya 1924 - 2017
David Snyder, a lawyer and journalist, is executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the FAC Board of Directors.
[DONE, from page 4]
DONE
eastern entrance facing the Centre Street Lofts to mitigate excess noise. The council was also able to hear presentations from legal marijuana advocate Matt Garland on the work being done on marijuana industry regulations and sound the warning of the city’s attempt to to zoning rules limit the number of dispensaries other industry related businesses further than what currently exists. Another group, Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling,
or STAND, requested support on legislation that would end oil drilling within the city of Los Angeles. After the fight over the legality of DONE’s action was put aside for the time being, the council looked and sounded like a functional body. But it remains to be seen what future council meetings will bring. Read RLn publisher James Preston Allen’s take on DONE’s takeover of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council on page 8.
May 25 - June 7, 2017
raised three children. Throughout her life, Tomiye remained a dedicated student of art and was a prolific painter. Her preferred medium was watercolor. She studied with renowned watercolorist Henry Fukuhara, who generously gave of his talents and experiences at the Venice Japanese Community Center. Though primarily a painter, she spent many years learning and producing pottery and ceramic sculpture. Her husband, Mike of 62 years, precedes her in death in 2007, as did her sister Riyo. She is survived by her younger sister, Sumie Dohara; her sons Don (Yayoi) and Terry; her daughter Suzanne (James); and granddaughters Teresa and Zoe. There will be service in her honor on Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. at the Venice-Santa Monica Free Methodist Church, 4871 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles.
Tomiye Matsumiya died peacefully on May 17, 2017, at the age of 92, in her home in the Del Rey neighborhood of Los Angeles after a year-long battle with cancer. Born Tomiye Nishikawa in central Los Angeles on October 14, 1924, Tomiye was an aspiring art student and senior at Los Angeles High School in 1942, when she, her mother and two sisters were evacuated to Santa Anita Race Track detention center. They were later relocated to Heart Mountain Internment Center in Wyoming. Like many other young adults, Tomiye was let out of the camp before the war’s end on an early release program to find work in less hostile states further east. She found work as a domestic in the home of an architect and his family in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. There she would draw the landscaping elements and people in the architectural drawings of her employer. Seeing that Tomiye showed promise as an illustrator, the architect sent her to life drawing classes in the neighborhood. After a brief stint illustrating ready-to-wear fashions for department store newspaper ads, Tomiye met and married Masai Mike Matsumiya on March 17, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio. Together they returned to Los Angeles, settling in the Venice area, where they
or law firms. The largest single journalistic requester, the Associated Press, submitted 36 requests for every 10,000 FOIA requests made—a fraction of the number of requests by the single largest commercial requester, International Business Research, which logged 334 requests for every 10,000. This imbalance has sobering implications for public access. In a thorough (and thoroughly startling) study last year, law professor Margaret B. Kwoka also found that commercial requests now substantially overwhelm requests by media or watchdog groups. As a result, the costs to the government of complying with FOIA have soared, as have wait times for responses. And the burden of that delay falls disproportionately on journalists and watchdog groups, who usually can afford to wait much less than private companies, and also usually lack the resources to persistently hound the government for a response–or to bring lawsuits to enforce their rights. Moreover, the public benefits of FOIA—primarily, the increase of transparency and exposure of government wrongdoing—are almost by definition less likely to result from commercial FOIA requests, which are often motivated by narrower, company-specific concerns. Indeed, Kwoka documents the emergence of a cottage industry in selling data obtained by private companies via FOIA. So, not only is private industry overwhelming the FOIA process and contributing to the increased costs of government compliance to rise, but they are also profiting in the end from the process. One example of this privatization of the FOIA process, taken from Kwoka’s study: a company called Bioscience Advisors filed 1,323 FOIA requests to the SEC in 2013. The company’s signature service is a database containing copies of “over 12,000 license, development, joint venture, distribution….and other agreements that have been publicly filed” with the SEC. Kwoka found that the information contained in this
database closely tracked the company’s FOIA requests. A one-year subscription to the database costs $9,500. Rare is the news outfit that can afford to submit, much less track and follow up on, more than 1,300 requests. Rarer still is the news organization that can assemble, process and monetize the responses to those requests Kwoka found that at four of the six federal agencies for which she was able to obtain complete data, commercial requesters formed the vast majority of all requesters. At the Defense Logistics Agency, which supports U.S. combat operations and has 26,000 employees around the world, commercial requesters submitted 96 percent of all requests. At the Securities and Exchange Commission, that number was 89 percent. And at the EPA and FDA, it was 79 and 75 percent, respectively. With limited resources and budgets, FOIA officers struggle to keep up with demand and, as a result, the average delay in FOIA response time has increased drastically over the years. One recent analysis by the FOIA Project found that of the five agencies it tracked, all saw substantial increases in wait times in just the past 5 to 6 years. At the Navy, for example, the average amount of time a FOIA request was pending was 199 days in 2013. By 2016, that number had more than doubled, to 403 days At the EPA, the numbers were even more stark, increasing from 85 days in 2013 to 339 days in 2016—a more than threefold increase. There can be no question that private industry’s innovations have enriched, expanded and diversified the ways in which we all communicate. But there is a flipside to this remarkable transformation. The privatization of government records, and our means to access those records, has caught the law flat-footed. Will it catch up? Well, the California Supreme Court got it right as to one small aspect of this issue, but it took 20 years. That’s a long time, particularly in a world ever more consumed with instantaneity—and quick profits.
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Statement of Abandonment of Use of Fictitious Business Name File No. 2017071201 Current File No. : 2016282904 Date Filed: November 21, 2016 Crawfish City Beers & Sandwiches, 457 W. 13th St., Suite 1, San Pedro, CA 90731 Registered owners: Brandon Chhea, 457 W. 13th St., Apt. 1, San Pedro, CA 90731. Roathnear Tiv, 457 W. 13th St., Apt 1. San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a Married Couple. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) S/ Roathnear Tiv, owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on March 21, 2017.
Statement of Abandonment of Use of Fictitious Business Name File No. 201071190 Current File No. : 2015213234 Date Filed: August 17, 2015 Fabulous Soft Skin, 457 W. 13th St., Suite 1, San Pedro, CA 90731 Registered owners:Victor Dominguez, 457 W. 13th St., Apt 1. San Pedro, CA 90731. Brandon Chhea, 457 W. 13th St., Apt. 1, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a general partnership. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) S/ Brandon Chhea, owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on March 21, 2017.
Public Records
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May 25 - June 7, 2017
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