RLn 05-25-23

Activist wants more police in Harbor Gateway p. 2

Carson Spotlight: Rep. Barragán demands safe working conditions for Carson Post Office in oversight hearing p. 10

Vanessa Kaylor Phillips performs at Alex’s Bar p. 11

LA Kicks Off Inaugural Croatian Culture Week

On May 19, the Los Angeles City Council inaugurated Croatian Culture Week in commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the Balkan nation’s independence referendum from the former Yugoslavia.

Fifteenth District City Councilman Tim McOsker celebrated the occasion with a presentation to the council with the consul-general for the Republic of Croatia, Renee Pea, and other members of the Croatian American community (most of whom were from San Pedro).

Rebecca Posavec serenaded the council chamber with two Croatian folk songs, Vuprem oči and Tu je tvoja zemlja, translating to “Raise your eyes to the skies” and “This is your homeland.”

“Croatian culture is deeply ingrained in San Pedro,” said McOsker. “While we come together every four years to celebrate and cheer on their incredible World Cup team, it’s the history and the weekly and monthly get-togethers that make their impact so strong in our community.”

FBI Busts Harbor Area Gang, Associates Targeted in Federal Raid

Law enforcement seized approximately 23 firearms, 26.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 23,000 fentanyl pills, 2.4 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, and one kilogram of cocaine

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

In the early morning hours of May 17, neighbors on the 900 block of West 14th Street in San Pedro were awakened by the sounds of banging tools, then yelling, “FBI. Stop!” This apartment is in the same neighborhood as Dana Middle School and San Pedro High School.

A neighbor who saw the raid and asked not to be identified for safety reasons said he looked outside and saw men in tactical gear with rifles. They pulled out everyone in his neighbor’s apartment. This raid was executed by a joint operation team of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI and special officers of the Los Angeles Police Department,

who are cross sworn for federal investigations.

LAPD Harbor Division had no knowledge of the warrants until shortly after they were served.

The raid was precipitated by a general unease with the perceived rise in crime. According to LAPD Harbor Division’s Compstat, a compilation of crime statistics for the Los Angeles Harbor Area, there’s been a decrease in property and violent crime over the past two years. Yet, there has been an increase in the illegal drug trade nationally by Mexican cartels running fentanyl across the southern border.

But for this neighbor, who learned he was in close proximity to a gun dealer, he said that put him on edge.

The alleged gun dealer arrested in San Pedro turned out to be Jesus Chuy Delgado, a 46-year-old who was named in an affidavit authorizing his arrest. The affidavit further alleges that the San Pedro resident is a high-ranking Westside Wilmas member, engaged in a series of methamphetamine and firearms sales, including several in January and February 2023 that allegedly occurred across the street from San Pedro High School and Dana Middle School. Delgado allegedly sold firearms — including semi-automatic weapons lacking a serial number — and 883.9 grams (1.95 pounds) of methamphetamine while on parole.

Rebecca Posavec sings at Los Angeles City Hall in celebration of Croatian Culture Week in San Pedro, with 15th District Councilman Tim McOsker, right, by her side.

Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala

At a May 17 briefing, officials displayed a large cache of weapons, including ghost guns and semi-automatic weapons, and photos of drugs that were recovered during the operation. File photo

[See Croatian, p. 4] [See Bust, p. 6]

Vanessa Kaylor Phillips

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

Activist Wants More Police in Harbor Gateway

By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter

Rick Thomas, an activist in Harbor Gateway, wants more cops in his neighborhood.

Thomas, who has lived in Harbor Gateway for six years, led a walk around his neighborhood on May 15. He invited Capt. Brent McGuyre of the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Divi sion, as well as Senior Lead Officer Maligi Nua Jr., who has been acting as interim senior lead officer for Harbor Gateway for more than a year. Thomas is on the board of the Harbor Gateway South Neighborhood Council, but stressed that he was acting as a private citizen, asking for a greater police presence to counter gang presence in his area.

Thomas said there are 10 to 15 brand-new construction projects in Harbor Gateway. This includes four buildings in his area that were pre viously single-family homes, which are in the process of being demolished and replaced with apartment buildings. He argued that since the population in the area is going to increase, police presence should also increase. “That’s why we need the extra coverage, and the extra patrols, and another senior lead officer,” Thomas said.

The area is about 5.14 square miles, and is a long, narrow strip of land below the 405 fwy that connects Harbor City, San Pedro and Wilmington to the greater Los Angeles. It is subdivided

between north and south Harbor Gateway by neighborhood council districts. It is bordered by Sepulveda Boulevard on the south, Western Avenue on the west and Normandie Avenue on the east. It is also bordered by the area known as West Carson, which is the unincorporated section of the area that is actually not a part of the City of Carson, which adds a layer of confusion about the identity of Harbor Gateway.

LAPD Harbor Division covers San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor Gateway and Harbor City. Thomas said that San Pedro has three senior lead officers, as does Wilmington. Harbor Gateway only has one, who has been out for more than a year, with Nua acting in her place. The problem of policing this area is compounded by the fact that the neighboring West Carson area is patrolled by the LA County Sheriff’s Department

and the area west of it is controlled by Torrance police.

However, Nua said that reported crime in the area has decreased overall.

“A lot of the more active, younger gang members were arrested by our gang officers unit,” Nua said. “I’m sure they’ll be out soon. Probably the numbers may go up in summer like they usually do. But for the most part they’ve gone down, and we have a pretty good gang enforcement unit down here that knows all the players.”

Nua said that most of the crime in Harbor Gateway is property crime, mostly burglaries from cars.

McGuyre said that from January 2023 through the end of April 2023, violent crime has gone down by 54% and property crime is down 10%, compared to January through April 2022. There has been a slight increase in car break-ins, but shootings are down 70%, with 10 in 2022 and three in 2023.

Of the new apartment buildings, Thomas said he doesn’t know how many units will be affordable, as most of the new buildings have not received their occupancy yet. In addition, he said that parking is going to be an issue. But he is in favor of the new developments overall, and said the area needs more homes.

Senior Lead Officer Maligi Nua Jr. and Captain Brent McGuyre of the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Division, and Harbor Gateway residents Steve Brough and Rick Thomas. Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala

[See Activist, p. 7]

Community Announcements: Harbor Area

Expanding Safe Passage Program

The City of Long Beach is seeking to partner with three qualified organizations to support the expansion of its existing Safe Passage Program and increase the safety of youth walking to and from school in North, West and Central Long Beach.

Safe Passage programming at local area school sites is part of its violence prevention initiative, Long Beach Advancing Peace (https://tinyurl.com/LBadvancing-peace) and has determined that schools located in north, west and central Long Beach would best benefit from this additional safety resource. An expanded Safe Passage program will promote community connection and will complement school safety efforts by the Long Beach Unified School District. To support this effort, the city has launched The Safe Passage Program Request for Proposals or RFP. Eligible organizations need to be a non-governmental organization or certified nonprofit organization in business for a minimum of three years. The city encourages organizations to submit proposals through its vendor portal, Long Beach Buys, by 11 a.m. on June 21.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Long-Beach-city-safepassage and https://tinyurl.com/LB-safe-passageprogram

LA Animal Services Needs Help

LA Animal Services is in urgent need of fosters and adopters for all animals, especially for big dogs.

If you can’t help by fostering or adopting, you are invited to make a donation. This support provides resources for foster families and increases the resources available for the spay and neuter programs.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/spring-campaign

Input Needed: Zoning Code Update for Activating Vacant Storefronts in LB

The city is looking to spur economic vitality in areas of Long Beach where vacant storefronts and underused commercial spaces have led to neighborhood blight and adverse community impacts. There is a need to ease parking space requirements for businesses trying to locate in existing tenant spaces. The city is exploring a new zoning code update that will help shape the regulation of on-site parking requirements for changes of use in existing buildings.

Join a virtual community meeting to learn more about the zoning plans and to share your feedback.

Join online at: https://longbeach-gov.zoom. us/s/99143007454

Join by phone: 213.338.8477

Meeting ID: 991 4300 7454

RSVP online https://tinyurl.com/yck8jf4u

Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m., May 24

Details: longbeach.gov/parkingupdate

Plastics Reduction Program

The City of Los Angeles, as the lead agency, through its Bureau of Sanitation, is preparing a program environmental impact report or PEIR pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA for the proposed comprehensive plastics reduction program. The city is requesting identification of the scope and content of environmental issues and information that you or your organization believes should be considered in the PEIR. There will be public scoping meetings. The review period is from May 1 to May 30.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/2src4jds

Noise Element Update Public Hearing

The Planning Commission March 2 voted to recommend the noise element (https://tinyurl.com/ noise-element-gen-plan ) and related ordinance amendments to the Long Beach City Council for adoption. Attend the public hearing at the June 6 city council meeting — held in person only to learn more and provide your feedback.

Formal action will be taken by the city council at this meeting.

To call in and listen only to the City Council meeting in Spanish: Call 562-570-3137

Enter the meeting ID: 2505 730 8404

Note that public comments must be made in person.

For questions, contact Megan Covarrubias, project planner, at 562-570-7152 or Megan.Covarrubias@longbeach.gov.

Time: 5 p.m., June 6

Details: https://tinyurl.com/noise-element-update-LB

Venue: Long Beach City Hall Civic Chambers, 411 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach

LB Cambodian American Cultural Center

The Long Beach City Council May 9 voted unanimously to adopt the proposed Cambodian American Cultural Center vision and feasibility plan. With this motion, the city will move forward with plans to establish a Cambodian American Cultural Center or CACC in Long Beach to serve as a community hub for local and regional Cambodian and Khmer arts, culture and history.

Immediate next steps include establishing the

center as a nonprofit organization and forming different committees and work groups, composed of both existing and new steering committee members, to continue in a leading role in the center’s development.

A steering committee meeting will be held on June 8 to further discuss the creation of the CACC nonprofit. Community members interested in being a part of the discussion are encouraged to attend.

Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m., June 8

Venue: United Cambodian Community, 2201 E. Anaheim St., Suite 200, Long Beach

City’s New Cost-Saving Program for ADUs

Long Beach property owners can save money and time on their next accessory dwelling unit or ADU project with the city’s pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit program, which provides access to cityapproved design plans.

The standardized project plans are for residential single-story, freestanding ADUs of less than 1,200 square feet. Once a design is selected, property owners can work directly with the registered design professional to obtain construction documents for a negotiated fee.

Details: longbeach.gov/lbpaadu

Croatian Culture REP Watch

McOsker said that San Pedro is home to one of the largest populations of Croatian immigrants in the United States with a population of “35,000.” However, according to statisicalatlas.com, for European ancestry, Croatian is the fifth largest nationality in San Pedro (with 3,150) preceded by Italian, Irish, German and English. The first Croatians immigrated to the area during the first half of the 20th century escaping the Austrian Empire before World War I for both political and economic reasons. They primarily came from the Dalmatian coastline and worked as fishermen and cannery workers. The second wave arrived after World War II as political refugees from Yugoslavia.

“Like many newcomers to America, Croatian immigrants came here with empty pockets and big dreams,” said Jack Baric, San Pedro resident and board member of the Croatian-American Club. “Their biggest success was giving their children and grandchildren a better life than their own. Along the way the hard work of Croatian immigrants helped to build a stronger Los Angeles community. Croatian Culture Week honors their contributions and is something we are all very proud of. ”

Remaining events celebrating Croatian Heritage Week:

May 25, Croatian Wine Tasting Dinner & Music by Roko

May 26, Croatian Karaoke

May 27, So. Cal Bocce Tournament and Kids Soccer Games

May 28, Croatian Independence Street Party Details: jackbaric@hotmail.com

McOsker Calls for Analysis of Rancho LPG Tanks, Safety’s a Concern

Earlier this month, Councilman Tim McOsker moved the Department of Public Works and connecting departments to report back with an analysis of regulating authority for the water basin under the city’s jurisdiction.

Rancho LPG LLC Holdings Facility is a butane and propane storage facility located adjacent to the northwest residential area of San Pedro. The facility includes two aboveground 12.5 million gallon refrigerated tanks constructed in 1973 and 1974. The motion also said that Rancho met all applicable engineering standards and building codes, though that is not entirely true. Holding over 25 million gallons of butane and propane, which are liquefied petroleum gas products, these substances are commonly used in homes, restaurants, and vehicles, and are highly flammable and explosive gasses.

Recently, photos of a water basin on site have shown varying levels of water in it, leading to questions about how this impacts Rancho LPG’s operational capacity. It’s unclear which agency oversees regulations related to this potential mitigation measure and how it is reported or monitored on a continual basis. Should the basin become polluted, the release of contaminated water could impact local water infrastructure. An investigation of this facility’s water basin and its impact on overall

operations and mitigations is necessary.

Public Works Committee scheduled the item for a May 24, 2023 committee meeting.

Laura Richardson Declares Run for Sen. Bradford’s Seat

Democrat Laura Richardson announced her candidacy for California’s 35th Senate District to replace Sen. Steven Bradford, who is termed out.

Richardson previously served in Congress, filling the vacancy resulting from the death of Juanita Millender-McDonald in August 2007. She was reelected to represent the district in 2008 and 2010.

Following the decennial reorganization of congressional districts in 2012, most of Richardson’s territory became the 44th District. She ran against fellow Democratic Congresswoman Janice Hahn in the 2012 congressional elections cycle.

Before her elevation to Congress, she was a member of the California Assembly, representing the 55th District, and served in leadership as the assistant speaker pro tempore and was the first African-American and South Bay representative to achieve this position.

“Throughout my time in public office, I worked hard, brought money and resources into my district, and in conjunction with a committed staff, resolved resident casework for disability and social security claims, significantly adding to much-needed benefits and payments for residents in my district,” said Richardson.

Richardson joins Hawthorne Councilmembers Alex Monteiro and Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams, who serve on the LA County Citizens’ Economy and Efficiency Commission, in the race to succeed Bradford. Michelle Chambers, a

,also rumored to join the race.

The statewide primary is March 5, 2024. The general election is Nov. 5, 2024.

Barragán, Booker Reintroduce Legislation to Support EV Share Program

WASHINGTON, DC — Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Sen. Cory Booker (NJ) reintroduced the bicameral EVs for All Act, legislation that would establish an innovative grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support electric vehicle car-sharing for public housing residents. The program would help public housing authorities and local governments invest in electric vehicles (EV), EV charging stations, community education and outreach, and other services and incentives to provide access to EVs for public housing residents. Many of these individuals currently face limited or no access to EVs, while grappling with high gas prices and disproportionate exposure to pollution from conventional vehicles.

“A successful clean energy future requires that every resident, regardless of income, can take part,” said Rep. Barragán. “Electric vehicle car share programs can improve the economic mobility and quality of life of residents whose communities face disproportionate air pollution and climate impacts. This model has proven popular at Rancho San Pedro public housing in my district, and I’m excited to reintroduce the EVs for All Act to expand it to every part of the country.”

The EVs for All Act includes several key provisions to drive the expansion of EV accessibility and infrastructure in low-income communities.

Wait A Minute!

Governor’s Rush to Change Environmental Law Draws Swift Opposition

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

A sweeping proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom to rewrite California’s premier environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, has drawn swift and overwhelming opposition from 75 national, statewide and local non-government organizations including the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Tree People and Natural Resources Defense Council, along with scores of local organizations. CEQA has long been the key legal mechanism to protect Harbor Area residents from port-related pollution causing everything from asthma and cancer to premature deaths.

Newsom announced his intentions on May 19 at an 1,100-acre solar farm in Stanislaus County, framed in terms of utilizing an influx of federal dollars to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the details were buried in a set of 11 “trailer bills” added to the budget that by law must be passed by June 15, and the hurried approach sparked a swift backlash.

“We strongly oppose the Administration’s excessive use of the budget trailer bill process to move significant environmental policy,” the NGOs wrote in a letter to legislative leaders. “The trailer bill process is the definition of an exclusive and not inclusive process.”

More precisely, they argued, “The trailer bill process does not provide for inclusive and measured policy hearings, open and public consideration of amendments, or the ability of public discussion. Indeed, the trailer bill process is the

quintessential ‘behind closed doors’ process that cuts out any meaningful public engagement or transparency except for chosen stakeholders.”

They specifically did not oppose Newsom’s core objectives. “We agree that our state – indeed the planet – is facing a climate crisis. And we agree that we need to move forward with climate infrastructure quickly,” they wrote. “However, there is no reason why legislation to tackle these important issues must be moved through the trailer bill process instead of through the regular process.”

There was also the question of timing. “It is important to note that there is less than one month – even if we work every day – to draft, review, debate and pass these trailer bills,” they wrote. The rush is even more striking, in light of recent history.

Newsom expressed his intention to revise CEQA on Feb. 25, but the focus then was on housing, in the wake of controversial court ruling that UC Berkeley’s plan to build dorm rooms for nearly 1,200 students “failed to assess potential noise impacts from loud student parties in residential neighborhoods near the campus,” an issue never before considered as an environmental impact.

“A few wealthy Berkeley homeowners should not be able to block desperately needed student housing for years and even decades,” Newsom tweeted. “CEQA needs to change and we are committed to working with the legislature so

LABOR Notes

ITF: Take Heed to Pandemic Supply Chain Lessons

California can build more housing.”

Two days later, the Little Hoover Commission, California’s independent citizens commission working to improve state government, announced it would hold hearings to examine CEQA, four of which have been held, with a final hearing scheduled for June 22. But no legislative action has been taken. “There were some good ideas, but we just decided this wasn’t the year to do it and there was more work to be done,” Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), told the Sacramento Bee on May 4.

Newsom’s new proposals have a totally different focus — speeding the spending of federal funds to meet the state’s climate goals. But there’s been no open consultative process on the proposals “that will significantly change judicial review, environmental permitting, imperiled species protections, water law, and community engagement among other important laws and policies,” the organizations noted.

They also promised, “Our organizations stand ready to engage with the Legislature and Administration to discuss and draft policy bills — in an open and transparent process so that ALL parties have an opportunity to review, debate and compromise on critical policies that affect communities, natural resources, and cultural resources.”

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is urging governments to apply lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath to secure reliable maritime supply chains for their citizens and the climate.

In a new report from the federation, titled “Opportunities for Seafarers and National Maritime Policies: Navigating Beyond the Chaos of the Pandemic” — industry experts identify specific examples and propose practical solutions for bolstering supply chains. The Seafarer’s International Union is an affiliate of the London-based ITF.

Throughout the pandemic, many of the world’s shipping containers had been scattered — found in locations far from their intended destinations, the federation reported. According to the ITF, the disarray resulted in record-high shipping prices and persistent port congestion, which quickly led to mass shortages of finished goods and left consumers at the mercy of overstretched supply chains.

At the same time, upwards of 400,000 mariners were essentially trapped aboard vessels due to pandemic restrictions, unable to return home and be relieved by a fresh crew. Tired and weary, some seafarers were stuck on board for more than a year at the crew change crisis’ peak, the report stated.

The report also identifies governments whom the federation describes as “struggling to navigate the turbulent waters of the crises due to poor planning and policy.”

For instance, according to the ITF, Australia’s federal government “could only look on as its lack of a strategic fleet caused the country’s businesses and consumers to become hostage to an incredibly volatile global market for shipping services. Firms, households and the public sector were at the mercy of the markets and their record high prices, even for

[See LaborNotes, p. 7]

The Lane Victory Maritime Center is a nonprofit organization and is able

through member support, generous donations and an all-volunteer crew

Photo by Lee Uran

Harbor Area Gang Bust

Three were arrested among 10 members and associates of street gangs who are named across three criminal complaints filed in federal court. One defendant is in state custody, and law enforcement continues to search for two defendants. Authorities arrested an additional four defendants on state charges.

In relation to the charges unsealed on May 17, law enforcement seized approximately 23 firearms, 26.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 23,000 fentanyl pills, 2.4 kilograms of powdered fentanyl and one kilogram of cocaine.

The arrests are the latest development in a violence reduction initiative started in late 2020 by a joint FBI and Los Angeles Police Department task force that targeted gang activity in the Harbor Area. Prior to the current arrests, 11 Harbor Area gang members and associates were charged with federal drug, firearms and Hobbs Act robbery crimes. [The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.] Three of those defendants already have been convicted and sentenced, receiving prison sentences of between 10 and 20 years.

The seven federal defendants arrested were charged in complaints filed on May 10 with various federal crimes, including the distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to an affidavit filed with one of the complaints, the task force has investigated influential members and associates of the Eastside Wilmas, Westside Wilmas, and other Harbor Area gangs who were suspected of being involved in a host of illegal activities. Both Eastside and Westside Wilmas are based in Wilmington.

Harbor Area gangs, including the Wilmas, commit their crimes under the direction and authority of the Mexican Mafia, a California pris-

on gang that controls many of the Latino street gangs in Southern California. Mexican Mafia leaders and associates direct the activities of the Wilmas gangs from within the California state prison system. Leaders have access to illicit cellular telephones and other digital devices to com-

municate with gang members in the community.

Law enforcement believes the Wilmas gangs are controlled by separate Mexican Mafia members who are each serving life sentences in a California state prison after being convicted of murder. One Mexican Mafia associate directs firearm and drug sales from prison despite being sentenced to death for murder.

The complaint affidavit alleges from October 2022 to February 2023, reputed Wilmas and Mexican Mafia associate Patricia Amelia Limon, 53, of Lomita, fulfilled seven drug and firearm deals under the direction of the Mexican Mafia associate on death row. Allegedly, Limon personally, and at least once through an intermediary, supplied methamphetamine, fentanyl, firearms and ammunition to a buyer and collected money on behalf of the Mexican Mafia member.

In one deal on Nov. 2, 2022, Limon allegedly supplied 5,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills to a buyer for $5,300. Fifteen days later, Limon allegedly supplied 1.71 kilograms (3.8 pounds) of methamphetamine and 2,000 fentanyl pills to a buyer for $5,000. The affidavit further alleges Limon engaged in other illicit sales of fentanyl and firearms.

Chris Villanueva contributed to this story.

Thom Mrozek, head of media relations for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.

“Most of these, by the way, they’re not onebedroom apartments,” Thomas said. “Because they don’t like making one-bedroom apartments, they want at least two bedrooms to three bed rooms. Because they want families to live here.”

He pointed out the importance of the Boys and Girls Club, which is scheduled to have con struction and reopen later this year.

Thomas fell into activism because of his ar ea’s lack of city services. It doesn’t have a post office or a library. Many addresses have Torrance in them because it’s the nearest post office, even though Harbor Gateway is in the City of Los An geles. It’s also a food desert.

“If you got to go shopping, you’ve got to go down towards Gardena, and the Ralphs in Gardena, or you got to go down to Carson,” Thomas said.

Thomas used to put in 20 to 30 requests a week for the city to clean up illegal dumping. Things have improved, and now he only puts in 5 to 10 requests per week. His neighbors do the same.

In addition, graffiti in the area gets cleaned up much faster than it previously did.

“I would dare you to compare the graffiti that was here six, seven, eight years ago, [compared] to what we do now,” Thomas said. “We jump on those immediately. Everybody sees them.”

Thomas said that before he moved to Harbor Gateway, he didn’t know what 311 was. It is the number to call for city services, and he and his neighbors will call it as soon as they see any graffiti.

Thomas has been very open about his criticisms with former Council District 15 Councilman Joe Buscaino.

“Back in the day, and I’ll say this, and I have no shame in saying it, the relationship with that council office was zero,” Thomas said. “They just did nothing for us. They were only concerned about San Pedro.”

Steve Brough, a resident of Harbor Gateway who came on the walk, said that there are people in his neighborhood who participate in illegal dumping.

“I was complaining to the District 15 council office,” Brough said. “And they did absolutely nothing because of favoritism.”

Thomas is more optimistic about Councilman Tim McOsker, who recently attended a Harbor Gateway South Neighborhood Council meeting. Thomas said Buscaino never attended the council’s meetings.

Thomas said that he and the other people in his neighborhood want more cops, and McGuyre said that he and his division wants that as well. However, Thomas said that the LAPD is short-staffed. As reported recently in the LA Times, “The Los Angeles City Council signed off on Mayor Karen Bass’ plan for expanding the Police Department … approving a budget that calls for the hiring of about 1,000 officers over the next fiscal year and record spending to fight homelessness.”

“We want our area clean,” Thomas said.

When asked about protests against police violence in 2020, which generally called for less police involvement, Thomas said that Harbor Gate-

way residents wanted more police, no question.

“We want more officers, and patrols,” Thomas said. “I would like a car dedicated to coming around to the box all the time. [The box is an area that runs from Denker Avenue to Del Amo Boulevard, to Western Avenue, to Torrance Boulevard, ending back at Denker.] You talk to the stakeholders … and they’ve seen enough.”

McGuyre said there is a police patrol car dedicated to patrolling Harbor Gateway every shift, every day.

“We have cars [in] Pedro, Wilmington, Gateway, Harbor City,” McGuyre said. “When we do have to drop cars, the Gateway car is not the one that we drop. So, you’ve got coverage up here.”

cargo critical to the nation’s economic or physical health.”

He added, “In the absence of sensible national maritime policies, governments put their economies and their communities at extreme –and unnecessary — risk. There is another way.”

SIU President David Heindel, who also heads the ITF Seafarers’ Section, said some countries have already shown they had taken note of the pitfalls of an unprepared national maritime sector. The ITF’s report highlights recent moves by Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, South Africa, the UK and the United States to strengthen support for cabotage and other sensible national maritime policies in their domestic legislation and planning.

Chris Given, secretary-treasurer of SIU Canada and one of the report’s authors, added, “Ours is a success story. But there is more we can do, with more governments supporting our critical sector all over the world.”

ITF Maritime Coordinator Jacqueline Smith agreed, explaining that if the world is to step up to the collective challenge of cutting carbon emissions to a safe level, then shipping needs to do its part.

Smith said that up to 800,000 seafarers would require some form of retraining or familiarization by 2030 as the industry rapidly decarbonizes. The ITF has more than 700 affiliated trade unions from 153 countries. Collectively, they represent millions of workers.

— Compiled by RLn Staff

[LaborNotes, from p. 5]

Harbor Gateway activist Rick Thomas discusses new developments with Capt. Brent McGuyre of the LAPD. Photo by Arturo Ayala-Garcia

The New Lost Cause

The first civil war was never really settled and the ghosts of the original sin continue to haunt this nation

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

On a bright but cold day on Feb. 10, 2007, Barack Obama, then the junior U.S. senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois. He announced his candidacy at the Old State Capitol building, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his “House Divided” speech. Americans under the sound of his voice as he delivered that speech, resonated deeply with the symbolism this sight represented. Here in the state capital of the man who emancipated the slaves stood a junior Black senator, only the third one elected since reconstruction, announcing his run to be the U.S. president. There was a deep welling up of pride amongst millions of Americans that finally there was going to be a change ... “one that we could believe in” as the slogan went viral. It was 16 years ago in Springfield, that this senator with an odd sounding name called on Americans to “take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union.” And many did. And just like Lincoln, the forces of resistance spared no time to rally against him and his vision of perfecting the union once he was elected. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) organized a secret meeting to put together the game plan to obstruct the incoming administration’s agenda for the next four years on the night of Obama’s inauguration. It didn’t take long before the far right-wing media outlets like Fox News and others began pushing the false narrative that Obama wasn’t actually a native-born citizen, therefore, excluding him from being president. Right-wing pundits went overboard on character assassination, so much so that even reality TV star Donald

J. Trump hyped the falsehood. This, before anyone suspected that Trump might actually have designs on running for the office, let alone that his television personality wasn’t far off from his real persona as a professional liar and grifter.

have cable TV as a steady diet.

The battle over the Affordable Care Act, reflecting a Democratic Party aspiration since President Harry Truman introduced a universal healthcare plan in 1945, was immediately attacked and labeled Obamacare. It subsequently cut in half the number of uninsured U.S. citizens without health insurance and has been repeatedly attacked and challenged. But it survived. The Affordable Care Act is perhaps Obama’s greatest legacy, even though it doesn’t provide universal health care. The thing is, the objection wasn’t really about health care. It was about private profits versus public health. What we were witnessing was the reemergence of the “lost cause” myth of the Old South that we now see being played out in Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. The battle cry against “Wokeism” and abortion or trans rights all considered a conspiracy of liberal progressive ideology and policy as an expression of sensitivity to systemic injustices and prejudices.

ceiling, one can only surmise that their end game is to create such a crisis that this not-so-civil conflict will propel them back to power so that they can bury Roe vs. Wade in Arlington Cemetery.

principles apply and some reflection upon that history just might enlighten everyone as to the meaning of freedom.

7, 2023

Most mainstream media outlets reported on this with little critical thought and so relished in the improved ratings that the farcical political banter brought. Covering the White House battles and counter-punches in American media is like covering the royal scandals in the United Kingdom — it makes for great headlines but offers little in substance or clarity. In fact, who was listening to Glenn Beck, Megyn Kelly or Bill O’Reilly? Apparently millions of Americans who only

When #45 astoundingly won the presidency in 2016 against all expectations, he wasted no time in stoking nativist prejudices of the former Confederate states. Trump’s presidency was like the first shots fired at Fort Sumter starting the Civil War and in like spirit, it ended with an attempt on the U.S. Capitol four years later. In the 1860s, an estimated 750,000 are estimated to have died due to that war. By contrast the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-23 claimed the lives of 1,127,152 Americans. I speculate that many of these are casualties of the war against the Affordable Care Act; the war against the government’s health and mask directives; and the war against the very idea of a Black president. The Republicans are very much supported by the Confederate flag waving “Lost Causers” now rallying around Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on anti-abortion, gun rights and everything anti-woke!

People, Real News, Totally Relevant “A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.”

This is the rise of the Old South with a new kind of Jane Crow legislation and the claw back of the 1965 Voting Rights Act to boot.

The rise in mass shootings this year alone is another correlated consequence of the chaos sown by gun rights groups and Trump’s cultlike following. As the do-nothing-Republicans in Congress steer the nation to the edge of fiscal insolvency in their game of chicken with the debt

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

Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya

Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com

—Mark Twain Vol. XLIIII : No. 11

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

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

This conflict, and it is very much that, calls on every citizen to make a moral judgment of what is right and just. It is our moment to see if this democracy will survive and live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all, very much like the abolition of slavery. The very same moral

The thing is, the first civil war was never really settled, and the ghosts of the original sin continue to haunt this nation. You can actually hear it in the words used by DeSantis against critical race theory or the banning of Toni Morrison’s books in Florida school libraries. The “Lost Cause” has been exhumed, again!

Pricing the Public Out of Public Records

By Ginny LaRoe, Advocacy Director, First Amendment Coalition

$84,001.22. That’s how much a California county wanted to charge one local journalist to respond to a pair of public records requests.

The math goes something like this: To locate and identify records related to a marijuana eradication program, Mendocino County staff estimated it would take 2,139 hours, costing $67,145. For records revealing details of government workers’ use of the disappearing messaging app Signal, it would take an estimated 534 hours, costing almost $16,900. And just to get the county working on assembling the records, a deposit would need to be paid up front.

With fees like this, the public would be priced out of public records.

That’s why we’re relieved to report that after

months of public pushback, Mendocino County has reconsidered the misguided fee structure that resulted in such exorbitant charges. The Board of Supervisors voted May 9 to repeal its local law, less than a year after adopting it as a purported cost-savings measure.

That’s right: Faced with lawful requests for public records, county leaders last year opted to respond by imposing this transparency tax, with fees ranging from $20 to $150 an hour for staff time to respond.

If that sounds like an unacceptable barrier to public information, rendering the California Public Records Act an effective tool only for the elite few, it is.

Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com

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Prisoner Exchange

On May 21, WNBA basketball player, Brittney Griner played her first game since being held prisoner in Russia. Griner was caught with hash-oil cartridges in her luggage. Most people would agree that she was wrongly detained, although in order to get her release, Biden had to make some choices.

Technically, an exchange should be with a crime that is similar. Griner was caught with cannabis psychoactive drug in her luggage. Russian Olympic figure skater at the 2022 Beijing Olympics used the drug trimetazidine that increases the blood flow to the heart, which enhances the performance of an athlete. She didn’t win any metals at the Olympics, although you could build a case for doping.

Instead of an even exchange, Russia wanted to exchange Viktor Bout who is a notorious arms dealer who was serving 25 years in a U.S. prison and was caught selling arms that would kill Americans and other people of U.S. interests. Bout was a national security risk and should not have been released to continue his arms selling. Biden

Re: Vincent Thomas Bridge

was acting against his oath that he took to become president to protect Americans.

Despite the fact that the U.S. is supporting Ukraine war effort to push Russia out of their country, Biden seems to have a conflict of interest, although agrees to the exchange of Bout for Griner. Of course Putin would be happy with this exchange, as this gives Russia more opportunity to purchase weapons to kill Ukrainian people.

David Muir had an interview with Biden on Feb. 24th, 2023 and asked the question about F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine? Biden has been dragging his feet on the issue for months, as Zelenskyy keeps telling the world that the longer the war lasts, more people will die and the world is being impacted.

Biden’s answer to the question was, “not at this time.” So three months latter, Biden says on May 20th that Ukraine will start training on the F-16 fighter jets.

The old saying about government must be true: “Government is best which governs least.” If that is the case, Biden must be doing a great job.

Wrinkler

Public Records

This week’s repeal came after backlash from press groups, community members, and opengovernment advocates. As our legal team told the county last week, we were prepared to go to court if the Board of Supervisors didn’t take swift action.

No law authorizes counties to impose fees for locating, reviewing, or redacting public records, lawyers for FAC and ACLU of Northern California told the county California’s open records framework limits government fee recovery in important ways. Agencies can generally only charge requesters for the direct costs of duplication, typically cents a page for copies. And there are circumstances when agencies can impose fees for producing or compiling certain electronic records, though the California Supreme Court has put guardrails on that. The county’s fee regime, however, went beyond that and relied on a state law outside of the Public Records Act, which we have made clear was misapplied. And to great detriment.

The Mendocino Voice, a news website serving the region, is still waiting for the records the county said would cost $84,001.22. That figure is about one-third of the news organization’s annual operating budget, publisher Kate Maxwell told

This came up in neighborhood council and I saw your recent article on the Vincent Thomas bridge.

We’ve heard the price tag is $750M and the shutdown traffic nightmare of 18 months (if we assumed no delays in the rebuild). We’ve also heard that a new bridge would cost $1.5B and could potentially be a more modern structure (earthquakes, capacity, etc) for that price and could be built while the VT is still in operation.

The traffic snarl caused by the bridge repair coinciding with the opening of “West Harbor” could be disastrous and the seemingly lower cost of $750M could in reality be much higher due to lost revenue and time delays getting in/out of San Pedro, Wilmington and the Port. Let’s not consider the damage to surface streets primarily in Wilmington of even more heavy truck traffic on their streets.

I think this needs a closer examination rather than taking the cheap route out of hand.

Jason Herring

us. And a media program the county established that could theoretically have waived some fees is insufficient for journalists to be able to do the important work of informing their communities and fails to address the broader concerns about public access to information, Maxwell and other journalists have made clear

“A great deal of our reporting relies on access to public records,” Maxwell said. “We can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars in fees just to access the information and records we need to do our jobs.”

While Mendocino County’s ordinance has fallen amid community outcry, fees like these remain a problem elsewhere. Research by FAC and ACLU identified seven other counties — Los Angeles, Shasta, Siskiyou, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Santa Cruz and Ventura — that passed local ordinances purporting to give them the authority to impose fees on the public for staff time spent on responding to requests.

California law mandates government transparency. Voters even made it part of our state constitution.

We hope Mendocino County’s failed attempt to price the public out of public records sends a strong message to political leaders across the state: Government transparency is for all of the people, not just for those who can afford it.

John

San Pedro

San Pedro

Rep. Barragán Demands Safe Working Conditions for Carson Post Office in Oversight Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC — On May 17, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) wilted United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy with a blistering questioning at the Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee hearing on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce. Barragán came for DeJoy’s head over the ongoing unsatisfactory working conditions for federal employees at the Carson International Processing Facility.

Early this year, Barragán was made aware of freezing temperatures and the lack of an HVAC system in the facility by a National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 303 representative.

Barragán visited the facility and joined the

employees outside to protest the working conditions. After repeated outreach to USPS officials and not receiving an adequate response about the issue, Barragán sent a letter to DeJoy where she raised her concerns and requested a call with him to discuss the issue.

When asked by Barragán at yesterday’s House Oversight hearing what he would do to fix the ongoing issues USPS employees faced in Carson, DeJoy replied that there are USPS facilities across the country with unsatisfactory working conditions, and “we have what we have.” Barragán responded that “The postal workers who serve our country deserve better.”

“Postmaster DeJoy’s apparent disregard for the conditions in the Carson facility are not what these workers, or the American people, deserve,” said Rep. Barragán. “For months, postal workers in Carson sorted mail in temperatures as low as 28 degrees, and despite numerous requests and outreach, the Postal Service has failed to fix the issue. I will continue to fight to make sure these workers are provided safe and decent conditions to work. Postmaster DeJoy needs to act on his commitment to deliver his best effort on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. Postal Service. His current efforts fall way short of that commitment.”

Pops Fernandez Headlines Philippine Independence Day Celebration

An all-day festival in Carson featuring cultural and public-spirited performances and various entertainment for the entire family will mark the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day. The event will take place June 10 and is open to the public.

Non-stop entertainment will feature the best Filipino American entertainers in Southern California and food and display booths. A flag raising ceremony will kick off the day’s ceremonies at 7:30 a.m. and a parade of regional organizations from the Philippines and America at 10 a.m.

Topping the list of this year’s guests is entertainer, TV host and actress Pops Fernandez. Dubbed as the Philippines’ “Concert Queen” for the last four decades, Pops has performed internationally and locally in sold out shows with ensembles before transitioning to acting on the big screen to hosting successful TV shows like Penthouse Live! and ASAP. She also had record-breaking ticket sales for her concert called Shindig, which she toured internationally from 1999-2002 and two box office films through Viva Entertainment.

In Carson, which is home to the largest concentration of Filipinos outside of the Philippines, the celebration of Philippine Independence Day is a yearly festival that draws thousands of Filipinos and non-Filipinos from all over Southern California. It is a commemoration of the birth of the Philippine republic after more than 300 years of Spanish rule. It is the premiere Filipino event in the U.S. Time: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 10

Cost: Free Details: Veterans Park 310-830-9991 or 424-202-1463

Venue: Veterans Park, 22400 Moneta Ave., Carson

By Garrick Rawlings, Music Writer

San Pedro resident Vanessa Kaylor Phillips, lead singer of Hermosa Beach band One Square Mile (1SM), a cleverly named band referring to the geographic size of Hermosa performed a killer opening set at Alex’s Bar, Long Beach’s legendary punk venue on May 12. She performed along with metal/punk trio Zig-Zags, another stunning punk chanteuse-led band, The Side Eyes (Astrid McDonald), and hardcore skate-punk legends JFA Phillips is a truly motivated and massively talented renaissance woman. Along with her lead singing and writing duties with 1SM, she employs her life-long honed and professional dancing skills in The Hollywood It Girls, a flapper-clad, roaring twenties dance troupe who perform the classic old-school swing like the Charleston, the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug all over the southland. She’s also an indemand hairstylist at Long Beach’s Sophisticuts Salon (2985 Pacific Ave.) and is co-owner of Pedro-based Kaylor Industries, “Specializing in all aspects of live sound, studio engineering, talent management/booking and artist styling.”

I caught up with the band the day of the show at Koos Rehearsal Studio in San Pedro (1300 S. Beacon St.), a huge, sprawling lock-out rehearsal studio right on the Pedro waterfront where their studio window looks right out to a beautiful view of the harbor. That night’s show was the first time this lineup of 1SM performed at Alex’s, forming something of a full circle as the genesis of the band coalesced at Alex’s back in 2009. Founder/guitarist/writer John McCree explains, “The old bass player and drummer [Mark Vidal, Rob Holzman, respectively] and me went to see OFF! [hardcore punk supergroup led by Circle Jerks/Black Flag singer Chris Morris and Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats] at Alex’s and we watched that band and started talking and we decided to do that ourselves. I was in other bands but 1SM started here. We started the band by learning how to play together, making up easy parts and just playing them, and none of them ever ended up being songs — for a month. Finally, we got some rhythms together and started to gel and we were off and running. We made an EP within four months [Kicking Rocks] (“Damn good EP at that!” interjects bassist Todd King) then a full record a year later, almost back to back [The System — see artwork for full effect of the title] and did a bunch of gigs, and it was fun. Then there was inner turmoil — this, that, and the other like so many bands. I had to do everything then, it’s a lot easier for me now.”

King describes the band’s personnel dynamics, “One thing I’ve never had in a band is everyone doing their part. In other bands, it was like herding cats, not this band, which is what is so great about it. Vanessa tried harder in the beginning than anyone, some [during auditions] would show up

[See 1SM, p. 13]

Vanessa Kaylor Phillips, lead singer of One Square Mile, performs onstage at Alex’s Bar. Photo by Mark King

make a point to eat a dandelion every day. The whole plant is edible, from the sunny top to the deep taproot, and all the stem, stalk and leaf in between. And there are ways to eat it that won’t contort your face with bitterness, but rather turn your frown upside down, inside out, round and round. Yes, dandelion can taste good, and be part of a delicious meal. It’s one of the most all-around healthy foods you can eat, rich in vitamins, fiber and many other nutrients.

The sunny flowers, fried in butter, oil or bacon, taste like extra floral artichokes. The buds have a meaty chewiness and are slightly sweet, with a sunny floral taste that’s a lot like a dandelion flower smells. Like summer, fresh-cut grass. And dandelions.

The hollow flower stalks make great cocktail straws, bitters included. The roots can be roasted until chewy, crunchy or browned like coffee. The leaves are most of the plant. Raw and cooked, I have found ways to get hooked.

Native to northern Europe, dandelions specialize in colonizing disturbed areas, which humans specialize in creating. They have followed humans and their disturbances around the world, colonizing every continent except Antarctica. And while often labeled as weeds, they don’t hang out where they don’t belong.

In this little old-growth forest patch near my house, where most of the plants and animals living there or passing through are native species and the ecosystem is roughly intact, there are no dandelions, except alongside the one trail through the grove. And you sure don’t want to eat those.

The best dandelion habitat is unsprayed, overgrown lawn, which is about as disturbed as a piece of land can get. Dandelions want to

The Dandelion Challenge

By Ari LeVaux, Flash In the Pan Columnist

help steer the ecosystem toward diversity. And they can provide a diversity of nutrients and flavors to your diet. When you go out hunting, look for a place that wouldn’t have yellow snow in winter, if you know what I mean. Whether it’s the root, leaf, stalk or flower you seek, harvest them as cleanly as possible, bringing as little dirt home as possible.

In winter it will be more challenging to eat dandelion on the daily. It will involve more tea, and roots if you can jump on them before the plant flowers. That stuff needs to be gathered now, in these days of summer time, when the living is easy and the buds are open and high. Eat them fresh, stock them up for later.

Blanch and freeze. Dry the leaves and roots. Add flowers to a jar of pickled cucumbers for some quick pickled buds. They will close up but get chewy and tangy. Add leaves to sardine sal ad. Make dandelion-infused oil, dandelion wine, dandelion BBQ, curry, potato salad, smoothie, olives and cheese in a rolled-up

leaf, a tapestry of daring dandelion tapas. Here are some do-it-yourself dandelion cookery ideas, one for every day of the week.

Sunday: Fried flowers

In a cast iron or omelet pan, fry flowers with the yellow sides in butter, oil or bacon, with garlic, salt, pepper and whatever else you can think of.

Monday: Raw leaves with grapefruit Wash, dry and chop a bunch of raw leaves. Add onion and minced or mashed garlic. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt or copious amounts of feta or both. Toss with peeled, cut and or separated grapefruit flesh.

Tuesday: Radikia: the famous Greek Dandelion dish

Blanch leaves in salted boiling water for about 60 seconds. Transfer immediately to cold water to chill. Then drain, squeeze and chop the dandelion. Dress with lemon juice, salt and olive oil.

Wednesday: Namul

This is a Korean-style way to prepare dandelions. Blanch leaves as above, and dress with a sauce made of minced garlic, sesame oil, cider vinegar, chile powder, a pinch of sugar and fish sauce or anchovy paste and salt to taste.

Thursday: Roasted roots

Excavate the root as gently as you can, loosening it as deeply as possible, ideally before it has flowered, after which the root can get woody. Scrub it clean and chop it, and roast slowly at 275º until dark brown. Serve with salt, honey, chocolate, or as a coffee-flavored tea.

[continued on following page]

Frying dandelion flowers. Photo by Ari LeVaux

1SM at Alex’s Bar

barely knowing two songs.” Phillips, upon her first exposure to 1SM’s music, “When I first heard it, it was hard for me to get used to because, to me, it’s complicated. I really had to work at it but now when he sends me something I get it, but it took a while. They helped me a lot [the band], they gave me a lot of direction.” McCree interjects, “She stuck around through a lot of shit, she weathered the storm, she deserved every part of this” — hearty, agreeing

erupt. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” adds Phillips.

Phillips joined the band about a year and a half ago and recounts that journey, “Terry Davidson [drums] and me are the new additions, I used to manage the bands Albatross Overdrive and Seven Dirty Words out of Huntington Beach, and I was looking for more bands to put on a show and found 1SM. It never came to fruition, but we remained friends on Facebook. Later

moved to Pedro with the intent of getting them to move to Long Beach because my salon is there. But I fell in love with Pedro. Have been here ever since. I love the small-town feel, the community and fellowship, my neighbors, the art, history, Cabrillo beach, music and dance.”

Back to the show, it was a great night at Alex’s, all four bands nailed their sets and the eclectic crowd of enthusiastic, loyal fans brought plenty of energy and there was only one

Friday: Stalking bitter bubbles

Go into the yard and pick the longest dandelion flower stalks you can. Pop off the flowers. Mix gin ‘n juice or tonic. Insert straw. Serve.

Saturday: Ramen

Tampopo means dandelion in Japanese. It’s also the name of a movie heroine, a hapless maker of mediocre ramen, in Tampopo, a masterful Japanese comedy from 1985. The heroes attempt to teach her how to make ramen, but can’t. Drama and hilarity ensue. I only found out about it when I searched for dandelion ramen, to see if I invented it. But no. I am not the first person to add dandelion to high-end ramen, like Nongshim or Sapporo Ichiban brands, with an egg cracked toward the end. Use any part of the plant, including leaves, and even roots. As long as it’s clean, add it to the pot.

ing for a songwriter for an acoustic thing, and at the time I was doing some blues stuff with my husband and looking for more creative outlets over the COVID. I looked them up [1SM] and thought oh, I don’t think I could do that because their old singer [Noel Neville] is phenomenal. I did punk when I was younger and I had stepped away for a very long time. It didn’t hit right away, it took some time for us to get in sync with one another, I needed to know more of what they needed, and then when we got Terry it really took off, his dynamic added another layer that helped us build with one another.”

Born in LB, 10 years in SP and running a salon in LB for 30 years, Phillips reflects on her local roots, “I went to Marina High school in Huntington Beach (1992). Before my husband was my husband, he was my band mate. He lived in Pedro and had a music studio. We recorded our album Third Fret Blues there. We got married shortly after, I lived in Long Beach, he had a dog in Pedro. I

mosh. This venue is a Long Beach treasure and world-renowned for its punk rock ethos and the high level of talent they book. It’s historical now, 23 years in business. I caught up with Nick Aguilar, assistant talent buyer for Alex’s for more than five years now. He first met Alex (Hernandez) as a drummer performing there and got hand-picked by Alex for the talent buyer gig; Nick currently drums for the band Neighborhood Brats as well. In regards to what makes Alex’s tick artistically, Aguilar illustrates their mindset, “We always try to think outside of the box, we always do our best to put together a bill that isn’t thrown together just for the sake of it. We want a well curated bill, we want to pull a crowd from a little bit over there, pull another crowd from over here, putting great acts and crowds together. Our ultimate goal is to do our absolute best to book the greatest events we can, whether it’s the best new bands in town, the best DJs, or classic veteran acts.”

[from previous page]

Members of One Square Mile overlooking the port in San Pedro. Photo by Garrick Rawlings

imi, an “illegal” African immigrant, has been detained at the U.K.’s Brideswell Immigration Detention Center for 11 months when she gets an unlikely new cellmate: a White, middle-aged botanist/author who’s lived in Britain for 30 years. Add a few expected tropes — fish-out-of-water, culture clash, ersatz mother-daughter bonding — and you’re about halfway to In My Bones.

But playwright Doc Andersen-Bloomfield musters more than that. There’s enough meat on her characters’ bones to allow this super fine cast to rise above the script’s weakest bits. Add in spot-on structure and pacing, plus a visual element that provides more than you get at first glance, and the net result is a satisfying theatrical experience.

Start with that cast. As Simi, Maiya Carter is a force no less in her subtlest reactions than in her but-this-amp-goes-to-11 moments (the play blasts off with Simi screaming at a prison guard

CURTAIN CALL Great Cast Maximizes What In My Bones has to Offer

By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist

— too loud for the tiny Garage Theatre confines, really, but so organic that you can’t question the choice). She even manages the rare trick of letting us witness Simi’s humor and amusement as organically seeping from the inside rather than always being played to the audience. But Carter and director Sonja Berggren know how to pick their spots, too, and so the few jokes that are played to the audience work every time.

As new-arrival Antonia, Karen Wray is good, particularly in the play’s opening scenes, when she’s at her most conversational, scared stiff and stammering like you bloody

JUNE 1 5 - 9 PM

well would if after more than 50 years of a crimeless life you suddenly found yourself in gaol. Unfortunately, the worst thing about In My Bones is Antonia’s monologs, particularly when she’s speaking in apostrophe (leaving a voicemail, writing a letter) to the man whose scheming led to her incarceration. Long, selfindulgent, unfunny, and needlessly expository, you can’t help but feel for Wray, because it’s certainly not her fault that you’re squirming in your seat.

The supporting players are likewise excellent. As Aggasou — part narrator, part

25TH ANNIVERSARY

imaginary friend/panther — Ron Holsey is not only integral to bringing to life Simi’s ad hoc mythology, but makes the most of every tableau and purr — to say nothing of his big moment. And despite having the play’s least glamorous role, Tamika Katon-Donegal’s mean-spirited jailer is completely believable in every word and gesture.

(The cast gets extra credit for holding it together — with a slight wobble — when an unconscionably rude trio in the front row began stuffing their faces with cookies and candy in plastic packaging that made a helluva crinkly racket each of the many times they stuck their stupid hands in. It’s not your living room, assholes — and those are real, live people walking a tightrope for you onstage, and they hear every stupid sound you make. It’s a 90-minute play with an intermission — you can fucking go an hour without snacks.)

[continued on following page]

FIRST THURSDAY ART WALK

ART GALLERIES OPEN STUDIOS LATE DINING LIVE MUSIC

Frames by JJ

Come visit our frame shop and get your project started. Your art deserves the best. 1,000 frame samples to choose from or custom build your own. Check out some local art and understand the important details behind framing and your investment.

Details: 310-600-8881

Venue: Epiphany Framing, 343 W. 7th St. San Pedro

Palos Verdes Art Center

“While navigating Landsat records of Earth’s land surfaces from space I discovered large areas of disturbed landscapes. These were immense open pit mines at numerous locations world wide, many of which were Rare Earth mines or REEs. The mining and processing to separate the rare earth elements is an environmental conundrum,” Michael Davis said.

Each Rare Earth artwork combines appropriated materials with archival digital and 3D imagery. The works depict a rich, elegant and yet profane account of history and current events in sublime juxtapositions.

Perception is on view through July 8. An artist reception will be held June 10, 6 to 9 p.m.

Details: 310-541-2479; www.pvartcenter.org

Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center / Beverly G. Alpay Center for Arts Education, 5504 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes

Stearns Studio

Michael Stearns’ sculptures incorporate natural materials along with found urban components to create communication out of discord.

Michael Stearns Studio @The Loft is open on San Pedro’s First Thursday ArtWalk from 6 to 9 p.m.

Details: 562-400-0544; www.michaelstearnsstudio.com

Time: 1 to 5 p.m., Saturdays or by appointment

Venue: Michael Stearns Studio@ The Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro.

Michael Stearns, Sky Ladder, stone, wood. leather and fiber

MICHAEL DAVIS: PERCEPTION

Michael

CEREMONY OR SACRED

Palabora Mine, South Africa 2022, paint, fabric, wall paper, archival digital print, paint on aluminum panel. 42” H x23” W x 7/8” D

Although in the program notes AndersenBloomfield explains that In My Bones is based on her research into the plight of women refugees held illegally in overflowing U.K. detention centers, there’s a gap in the play’s foundation. Although Antonia provides a broken, convoluted explanation on how she landed in Brideswell, it makes so little sense that we can’t help feeling she’s there only because Andersen-Bloomfield wanted a well-connected white woman in lockup with Simi in order to hit certain predetermined targets.

However, because In My Bones is about pathos more than politics or procedure, we can more or less overlook this failing. Ditto the Act Two callbacks, which are by turns too obvious and numerous but no more heavy-handed than what we find in lots of average writing for stage and screen. And all in all In My Bones is above average. Simi in particular is a well-written character, and her above-referenced mythology comes off exactly as Andersen-Bloomfield hopes. She also moves us efficiently from A to B, taking us down the right short sideroads and tending well enough to the emotional landscape

along the way. Really, if it weren’t for Antonia’s monologs and the muddle about how she got there….

The mise en scène produces similarly mixed results. The clear shortcoming is the sound design. Most of the piped-in cues (music playing in Simi & Antonia’s cell, offstage drumming and yelling) should (and could easily) be diegetic. There’s also a stretch of “score” music that’s way too melodramatic for its own good — although the main problem here is probably that Berggren simply couldn’t think of an effective way to stage this wordless scene within the Garage’s limitations. (Fortunately, Holsey and especially Carter keep us interested enough to get what we need.)

Otherwise, good show, team. With precious little space to play with, Eliot Ohlemeyer has created a tri-level recessed backdrop that simultaneously serves as a baobab tree and a cell wall. Self-evidently functional, a couple of its understated aesthetic flourishes fully reveal themselves only under Benedict Conran’s thoughtful lighting. Alas, there’s one scene that desperately cries out for a moving spotlight — I’m sure no-one’s more aware of this than Conran — but the Garage lighting rig simply

precludes the possibility. Before curtain-up it was announced that In My Bones is the final play in Panndora Productions’ 20year history. If that’s true (a note in the program leaves the door open for re-opening the Panndora box at some future date), bringing to life a decent new play with a fantastic young cast is a nice swansong.

In My Bones at Panndora Productions

Times: 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday. The show runs through May 28.

Cost: $15 to $30

Details: panndoraproductions.com

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

Clockwise from the top: Ron Holsey, Karen Wray and Maiya Carter perform a scene from In My Bones. Photo courtesy of Panndora Productions

MUSIC May 26

Ned Evett

Ned Evett is the master of the glass-necked fretless guitar, winner of the North American Rock Guitar Competition, and the Tommy Tedesco Award.

Time: 8 p.m., May 26

Cost: $25

Details: https://tinyurl.com/NedEvett-Alvas

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

The Begotten Son

Begotten Son commemorates the artistry of arguably the most important, yet unheralded composer whose ingenuity ushered in the classical era of music, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

Time: 8 p.m., May 26

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Begotten-Son

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

May 27

Shine On

Shine On is a Southern California eleven-piece ensemble modeled after Pink Floyd’s last two touring bands. The band captures the near orchestral soundscape that is the Pink Floyd live experience.

Time: 8 p.m., May 27

Cost: $35

Details: https://tinyurl.com/shineon-experience

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

May 28

South Bay Wind Ensemble

In Space will take you on a journey to the moon with music by Robert W. Smith, and continues through its solar system with Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Explore the music of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. Free tickets to veterans and their families through Vet Tix: https://tinyurl.com/vet-ticketswind-ensemble

Time: 7 p.m., May 28

Cost: $15 to $30

Details: https://tinyurl.com/inspace-symphonic-concert

Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro

May 30

ECC Guitar Department & Vocal Jazz Ensemble

The El Camino College guitar department will perform literature from the Renaissance to the present, including music of the baroque, classical and romantic eras, as well as jazz and rock styles with En Harmony, the newly formed vocal jazz ensemble at ECC.

Time: 7 p.m., May 30

Cost: $10

Details: https://tinyurl.com/ guitar-dept-vocal-jazz

Venue: El Camino College, Haag Recital Hall, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance

June 1

Choreography Showcase

Many genres of dance will be represented in the performance, including ballet, modern, contemporary, world, jazz and hip-hop choreographed by El Camino College students during the spring semester.

Time: 8 p.m., June 1, 2

Cost: $10

Details: https://tinyurl.com/ choreography-showcase

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

June 2

Adam del Monte

Enjoy an evening of various flavors of Spanish music, including Flamenco and classical guitar.

Time: 8 p.m., June 2

Cost: $25

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Adamdel-Monte

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

June 3

A Celebration of American Classical Composers

Under the direction of Maestro Eckart Preu, Long Beach Symphony will close its season with distinctly American 20th and 21st century music. Five pieces will be performed, including Duke Ellington’s Harlem, and conclude with a Gershwin favorite. The evening includes a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. in the concert hall.

Time: 8 p.m., June 3

Cost: $32 and up

Details: 562-436-3203; LongBeachSymphony.org

Venue: Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

Return of the Bobby Hurricane Spencer All-Stars

Vocalist, saxophonist and songwriter/arranger, Bobby Hurricane Spencer lifts the spirits and moves the body with his deep soulful and funky blues.

Time: 7:30 p.m., June 3

Cost: $7.50 to $15

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Bobby-Hurricane-Spencer

Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

June 4

Dirty Cello

A concert by a duo who mix bluegrass, classical, blues, rock and world folk music. In performances from Iceland to Israel, from Scottish castles to underground caves, Dirty Cello presents an energetic show. This show is available live or live streamed.

Time: 7:30 p.m., June 4

Cost: $10 to $20

Details: https://tinyurl.com/dirtyCello

Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

ENTERTAINMENT

May 28

Sultry Sweet

The best of the best take the stage with award winning dazzling and seductive performances, jaw dropping aerial acts, comedy and much more. Doors open at 8 p.m. so you can enjoy dinner and drinks before the show.

Time: 9 p.m., May 28

Cost: $20 and up

Details: 310-426-8205; https://tinyurl.com/Harvelles-LBsultry-sweet

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

THEATER

May 25

In My Bones

Two very different women are forced to become friends when they are held prisoner in an immigration detention center. One is a West African teenage girl with a horrendous history and the other is a straight-laced botany professor with her own secrets.

Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 28

Cost: $20 to $30

Details: https://www.panndoraproductions.com/

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

Blues for an Alabama Sky Playwright Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky is set in the 1930s, during the later years of the Harlem Renaissance. The play centers on the lives of five individuals, Angel, Delia, Guy, Sam and Leland. The question is can they find what they are looking for in Harlem, or will they have to look beyond 125th Street to fulfill their dreams?

Time: 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday May 20 to June 17

Cost: $20 to $30

Details: 562-494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org

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

June 22

Shakespeare By the Sea

This year, SBTS will present two of Shakespeare’s greatest works, Twelfth Night directed by Patrick Vest opens June 22 and Hamlet directed by Stephanie Coltrin opens June 29. The series runs through Aug. 5 in San Pedro and various other South Bay locations.

Time: 8 p.m., June 22

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.shakespearebythesea.org/wp

Venue: Point Fermin Park, 807 Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro

ARTS

May 25

Sublimation

This is an art show for mental health practitioners who are artists.

Time: 6 to 9 p.m. May 4 to June 1

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.galleryazul. com

Venue: Gallery Azul, 520 W. 8th St., San Pedro

Washed Ashore – Art to Save the Sea

The exhibit features 16 beautiful large-scale sculptures made from beach waste. Washed Ashore –Art to Save the Sea is a nonprofit organization committed to combating plastic pollution through art and education. The sculptures were built by the organization and its volunteers to inspire changes in consumer habits and provide education behind what’s possible to limit waste.

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., ongoing

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

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

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

MINGLE MANGLE

The exhibition is curated by FLOOD and kicks-off soundpedro2023. MINGLE MANGLE includes works by Phoebe Barnum, Beth Elliott, Bill Faecke, Bill Jaros, Nguyen Ly, Edmond Maloney, Tim Maxeiner, Lowell Nickel, Ashton Phillips, Susan Rawcliffe and Ann Weber. Responding to the concept of sound intake, these artists work

Presented by the Museum of Latin American Art.

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., May 25

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/aapikaren-tei-yamashita

Venue: Online

FILM

May 25

Movies at the Library

Enjoy a free film at the library. Each month will feature either a blockbuster, classic, or world cinema film. This month’s film is Elvis (2022).

Time: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., May 25

Cost: Free

Details: www.pvld.org

Cabrillo Beach by using binoculars and microscopes to observe live animals. Visitors can view the birds of the marsh, learn about native plants and observe the changes in the tides.

Time: 2 to 4 p.m., May 27

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/saltmarsh-open-house

Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro

Community Health & Awareness Fair

in a variety of media including various printmaking techniques, sculpture, video, assemblage, handmade instruments, built ecosystems and sound media. The exhibition runs through June 17.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday

Cost: Free

Details: soundpedro.org

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

May 28

Yolanda and Japan: Artist-Led Tour With Yolanda Gonzalez

Drawing inspiration from Japan’s famous Kokeshi Dolls, the 6-foot tall sculptures of Chicana artist Yolanda Gonzalez are a fusion of Latina culture and Japanese aesthetics. On this one-hour tour, the artist herself shares her experiences in Japan and the influence of Japanese culture and artistry on her work. Reserve your spot online to participate in the tour.

Time: 2 to 3 p.m., May 28

Cost: Free

Details: https://molaa.org

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

June 1

First Thursday ArtWalk

Join the fourth First Thursday ArtWalk for April. Visit dozens of galleries, highlighting local and international artists, dine in the Waterfront Arts District’s many restaurants with patio seating and enjoy live music on the corner of 6th and Mesa streets.

Time: 5:30 to 9 p.m., June 1

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/guided-artwalk-tour-tickets

Venue: Downtown San Pedro, 4th to 8th streets and Harbor Boulevard to Pacific Avenue

June 10

Michael Davis: Perception

Each rare earth artwork includes an archival image of a specific mine rendered in classic 3D (anaglyph) off-registration referencing mid-century exuberant optimism, geo-political history, cultural signifiers, symbolic design patterns and phenomena.

Time: 6 to 9 p.m., June 10 artist reception, and 1 p.m., June 24, artist talk

Cost: Free

Details: 310-541-2479; pvartcenter.org

Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes

LITERATURE

May 25

Karen Tei Yamashita

Karen Tei Yamashita, UC presidential chair in feminist critical race and ethnic studies author, is hosting a 60 to 90-minute virtual event to discuss her novel Tropic of Orange, set in Los Angeles and Mexico with a diverse cast of characters. This talk will show how LA influenced her writing and the cross-culturalism in her book.

Venue: Peninsula Center Library Community Room, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates

DANCE

June 2

Swan Lake

Join the debut of the San Pedro City Ballet’s Swan Lake under the stars at Cabrillo Marina’s Berth 37. The 400-seat performance space will provide heaters, but guests are encouraged to bring a wrap, blanket and a seat cushion if desired.

Time: 8 p.m., June 2 and 3

Cost: Free

Details: www.sanpedrocityballet.

org

Venue: Cabrillo Marina Berth 37, 2201 Miner St., San Pedro

COMMUNITY

May 25

Peace Week! 2023

Every year since the military started LA “fleet week” in the harbor area, Peace Week! has been present to promote peace. Come help to confront the propaganda and the military recruitment of youth. If you’re in the LA area, and sick and tired of your taxes going to endless wars, this is the week to do something. All events are in downtown San Pedro.

Times: 5:30 p.m., May 25, Peace is Lit table and canvas; at JDC Records, 447 W. 6th St. 4 to 5 p.m., May 26, Lobby For Peace, political offices at 5th and Centre streets; 1 to 5 p.m., May 27, Peace picnic and rally, Peace Park, 6th St., and Harbor Blvd.; 1 to 3 p.m., May 28 Peace balloons and flyering, USS Iowa, 3rd St., and Harbor Blvd.; 6 to 8 p.m., May 29 Memorial Day veterans for peace, candlelight vigil, USS Iowa.

Cost: Free

Details: 310-971-8280; sojournerrb@yahoo.com

Venue: Various

Fleet Week Welcome Party

Welcome the service men and women and enjoy a beer and wine garden, live music, swing dancers and a free photo booth.

Time: 5 to 9 p.m., May 25

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.discoversanpedro.org

Venue: 6th Street between Mesa and Centre streets, San Pedro

May 26

2023 LA Fleet Week

The Port of Los Angeles hosts LA Fleet Week, an annual, multi-day celebration of the nation’s sea services held on the LA Waterfront.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 26 to 29

Cost: Free

Details: https://lafleetweek.com

Venue: Battleship IOWA, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro

May 27

Salt Marsh Open House

Join Cabrillo Marine Aquarium educators to learn about the Salinas de San Pedro wetlands habitat at

This is a family event with lots of fun activities and entertainment, including face painting for the children and wellness chair massages for adults. Bobo from KJLH Radio will emcee the event, and there will be an exceptional stroll exhibit. They will also be presenting awards to the 2023 scholarship recipients for excellence in academics, social action, or community service.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m., May 27

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/healthand-awareness-fair

Venue: Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave., Long Beach

May 31

Long Beach Architecture Week 2023

The weeklong event kicks off May 31 through June 10. Showcasing sites offering indoor-outdoor experiences, Architecture Week 2023 presents both paid exclusive tours and more accessibility through app based programming. Free virtual walking tours and individually ticketed events are accessible via the LB Living app at: www.welcometolb.com

Time: Various times, May 31 to June 10

Cost: $0 to $100

Details: https://architecture.lbhomeliving.com

Venue: Various locations

June 4

Italy 5K Run LA

It’s time to run the second annual Italy 5K Run LA in downtown San Pedro. Register for the race in advance, arrive 45 to 60 minutes prior to the 8 a.m. start time on race day, and plan to attend the postrace “festa” immediately following the Italy Run LA in the Piazza located at 638 S. Beacon Street in San Pedro. The fun run starts and finishes at Harbor Boulevard and 7th Street.

Time: 8 a.m., June 4

Cost: $0 to $35

Details: https://italyrun.org/admission Location: The Piazza (formerly Peppertree Plaza), 638 Beacon St., San Pedro

June 5

Grunion Runs 2023

Meet the Grunion events start in April. It’s always a fun evening exploring the aquarium at night, watching a grunion movie, hatching grunion eggs and then heading out to the beach to see grunion. Join on the beach at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Confirm the date and time of the event selected.

Time: 8 p.m., June 5, June 19

Details: https://tinyurl.com/CMAgrunion-runs

Cost: $3 to $7

Venue: On the beach at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Dr, San Pedro

June 7

Celebrate Pride Month With LBPL

The Long Beach Public Library celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride Month each year with a series of special events, book and film lists

and other activities for community members. The complete list of events and additional details is available on the LBPL events calendar.

Time: 2 p.m., June 7, Pride Zines for Teens – at BJK Main Library and 4 p.m., June 14 at Michelle Obama Library

5:30 p.m., June 9 Pride Loteria with Kay Sedia at Los Altos Library

2 p.m., June 16, The Passionate

Pursuit of Angela Bowen – at BJK Main Library

Cost: Free

Details: https://www.longbeach. gov/library/events

Venue: Various

June 8 AltaSea Groundbreaking

Join a celebration of the signing of AltaSea’s $17 millison agreement with its general contractor.

Tour of the AltaSea campus will be available after the signing. Special guests include Tim McOsker and Dr. Geraldine Knatz.

Time: 12 to 1 p.m., June 8

Cost: Free

Details:

Venue: AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, 2451 Signal St., Berth 57.5, San Pedro

June 10

Men of Color Health and Wellness Summit

This event aims to bring aware-

ness to the health disparities affecting men of color as well as providing access to the resources, services, employment and support groups available within the community.

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 10

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/menof-color-health

Venue: 11833 Wilmington Ave., Wilmington

June 11

Life on the Rocks: The World of Rupicolous Orchids

Ron Kaufmann, chair of the American Orchid Society conservation committee, will explore the habits and habitats of orchids that grow on rocks, with a focus on his travels to Brazil’s rocky terrains.

Time: 1 p.m., June 11

Cost: Free with park entrance, $15

Details: southcoastcss.org

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

June 17

Juneteenth 400 Picnic And Job Fair

Join an Economic and Workforce Development Department Job Fair and a family picnic, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Activities will include: first come, first serve barbeque pits (or bring your own), job fair, live entertainment, games and fun for all.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 17

Cost: Free

Details: https://tinyurl.com/WilmingtonJuneteenth

Venue: Wilmington Waterfront Park, corner of C and Figueroa streets, Wilmington

ONGOING

Open Garden at Feed and Be

Fed San Pedro’s own urban farm opens its downtown garden every Tuesday and Friday morning and on First Thursday evenings. Organic produce is for sale at farmers’ market, corner of 6th and Mesa, Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Get your hands in the dirt as a volunteer, get expert advice, or just relax.

Time: Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

and First Thursday evenings

Cost: Free Details: feedandbefed.org

Venue: Feed and Be Fed Farm. 429 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Volunteer with the PVPLC Rapid Response Team

Work alongside the field staff around the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve to help protect important wildlife habitat. Help with trail maintenance, fence building, installing signage and more. No experience is needed. You must be 15 or older.

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays

Cost: Free Details: Sign up at: https://pvplc. volunteerhub.com/ Venue: Various locations

JOB OPPS

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

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023083245

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 94ANDMORE, 3333 PACIFIC PLACE APT # 623, LONG BEACH, CA 90806 County of LOS ANGELES

Registered owner(s): MARVIN CUMMINGS, 3333 PACIFIC PLACE, APT # 623, LONG BEACH, CA 90806

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PETS

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This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) started doing business on N/A. 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/ MARVIN CUMMINGS, OWNER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 04/14/2023.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 4/27, 5/11, 5/28, 6/6/23

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2023083245

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: COAST REALTY SERVICES, 2819 S Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731 County of LOS ANGELES

Registered owner(s): Charlene Ibarra, 2819 S Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731

Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). 5/11, 5/28, 6/8, 6/22/23

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 23LBCP00183

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Petition of: Mari Sato for Change of Name

TO ALL INTERESTED PER-

SONS:

Petitioner Mari Sato filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Mari Sato to Mari Ito

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

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted.

If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing:

Date: 6/30/23, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: 27, Room:

The address of the court is 275 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802 (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court’s website. To find your court’s website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm.)

A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: The Daily Journal

Date: May 17, 2023 Michael P. Vicencia Judge of the Superior Court 5/11, 5/28, 6/8, 6/22/23

PLEASE

This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) started doing business on N/A. 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/ Charlene Ibarra, OWNER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 05/11/2023.

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

ACROSS

1. Hazy conditions

6. “The X-Files” gp.

10. Greek letter that looks like a pitchfork

13. Count up

14. Marking under the C?

15. Pursued an office

16. Ehrenreich who played Han Solo

17. Daily Planet reporter Jimmy

18. Singer Rita

19. Used a burner, perhaps

22. Bass ___ Shops

23. Abbr. after a former military leader’s name

24. Advertising connection

25. Common photo portrait dimensions

30. Lucy Lawless TV role 31. Reggae culture

32. Broke ground

34. Bank acct. transaction

35. Some TSA employees

39. “Drank too fast” noise

42. Press down tightly

43. Choir section

47. “A Hard Road to Glory” author Arthur

49. Eroded, like round river rocks

52. Carrying out

54. “Hollywood Squares” win

55. Take care of the bill

56. Recreational soccer, in the U.K.

61. Mo. with 30 days

62. Wedding gown part

63. Half of Danny Elfman’s band name

64. Enmity

65. Miniature pies

66. Pertaining to a Hindu philosophy

67. Seattle winter hrs.

68. Fiesta cheers

69. Hanging loosely DOWN

1. Mail room tool

2. Mosquito-borne illness

3. You can’t teach them new tricks, it’s said

4. “As they shouted out with ___ ...”

5. “N ___” (boy band that I heard some TikToker tried to say with all the capital letters individually -- now I feel old)

6. What this answer does to the words in the circles?

7. Other than this

8. U.S. election day

9. “This ___ a drill”

10. Carry on

11. Cramped fish

12. Almost immediately

14. Bashful’s partner

20. Spheroid

21. Mend

26. Abbr. after Cleveland or Shaker

27. People person’s skill

28. 1 billion years

29. Society column word

33. Fraction of a fluid ounce

36. Served like sashimi

37. Fall Out Boy genre

38. ___-mo replay

39. Taste-tested some tea

40. Chemically related compounds

41. Figurine that gets watered

44. “Boy Meets World” girl

45. Earache-related

46. Shakespeare character who says “If you prick us, do we not bleed?”

48. “The Two Towers” creature

50. High times?

51. Phillipa who originated the role of Eliza in “Hamilton”

53. Reach

57. Russian mountain range

58. Like blue moons, black sheep, or red steak

59. Chest contents

60. Branch of sci.

“Pay Cut”--my interest is divided.

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, Bids for the following

Work:

On-Call Services for Asphalt Paving, Traffic Striping, and Other Related Services at VARIOUS LOCATIONS

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S3173

LEGAL NOTICES

business/permits.

NIB -2 Pre-Bid Questions. All questions, including requests for interpretation or correction, or comments regarding the Contract Documents, must be submitted no later than June 20, 2023, at 5 p.m. Questions received after the pre-Bid question deadline will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted electronically through the PB System. Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted. Questions submitted to City staff will not be addressed and Bidder will be

Bid Deadline: Prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Bids shall be submitted electronically via the Port of Long Beach PlanetBids (PB) System prior to 2:00 p.m.

Bid Opening: Electronic Bid (eBid) results shall be viewable online in the PB System immediately after the Bid Deadline.

Contract Documents Available:

Bidders are encouraged to RSVP for the Pre-Bid Meeting through the PB System; located under the “RSVP” tab of the Prospective Bidder Detail. Following the meeting a list of Pre-Bid Meeting signed-in attendees will be available on the PB System.

NIB -4 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: providing and conducting asphalt pavement milling, application of slurry sealing, installation of paving materials, miscellaneous pavement patching and repairing services, construction and repair of curbs, gutters, and sidewalks at specified locations. Refer to Section 01 11 00, Summary of Work in the Technical Specifications.

Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program.

The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement for this Project is fifteen percent (15%) of total bid value. The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement shall include a minimum five percent (5%) of total bid value as VSBE.

Commissioner’s Office.

NIB -10 Project Labor Agreement. This project is not covered by a PLA.

NonMandatory Pre-Bid Meeting:

Download Contract Documents from the Port of Long Beach PB System

Vendor Portal:

www.polb.com/sbe Click on the POLB Vendor Portal

1. Register and Log In

2. Click “Bid Opportunities”

3. Click on respective bid Project Title

4. Click on Documents tab

5. For each attachment, click “Download”

For assistance in downloading these documents please contact Port of Long Beach Plans and Specs Desk at 562-283-7353.

Date/Time: June 8, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., Location: WEBEX (virtual), Join from the meeting link: https://polb.webex.com/polb/j.php?M TID=m02ab3464c1cac8c1a0ac14b94 8637a41

Meeting number (Access Code): 2483 666 7530

Meeting password: ACpaving Tel: +1-408-418-9388; Access Code: 2483 666 7530 # #

NIB -5 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Contractor shall achieve Affidavit of Final Completion of the Project within two (2) years as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8.2 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES SET FORTH IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ENGINEER’S APPROVAL OF AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COMPLETION, WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS.

NIB -6 Contractor’s License. The Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “A” or “C12” California Contractor’s License to construct this project.

POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/ VSBE participation requirements. Responsiveness of the bid will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting an SBE-2C Commitment Plan demonstrating the Bidder’s intent to meet the combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the combined requirements, the Bid will be deemed nonresponsive. The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 283-7598 or sbeprogram@polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at www.polb.com/sbe.

NIB -11 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, may be submitted after Conditional Award and no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after City’s issuance of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City.

NIB -12 NOT USED.

execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City.

NIB -14 Conditional Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity.

open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds and other acceptable Bid Security shall be guaranteed and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first.

NIB -16 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code.

Project Contact Person:

Julia Stephan, Julia.Stephan@polb.com

Please refer to the Port of Long Beach PB System for the most current information.

NIB -1 Contract Documents. Contract Documents may be downloaded, at no cost, from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal website. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the Port of Long Beach PB System website in order to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued.

For the link to the Port of Long Beach PB System and for information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at www.polb.com/business/ business-opportunities

Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/ VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at www.polb.com/

directed to the PB System.

NIB -3 Non-Mandatory PreBid Meeting and Site Visit. The engineering staff of the City’s Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 10 a.m., on June 8, 2023, via WEBEX at the link provided above. Attendance is nonmandatory for the Contractors. It is not mandatory for Subcontractors but highly recommended. Each Bidder shall inspect and examine the Project Site and perform any observations and measurements to further document existing conditions and may use photography and/ or video to aid in preparation of Bid Documents. The City makes no guarantee that existing construction and site conditions matches construction depicted on record reference documents. It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to identify existing conditions.

NIB -7 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 30% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract. The amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City on the Schedule of Bid Items. The bid price of any materials or equipment rental costs from vendors who are solely furnishing materials or rental equipment and are not performing Work as a licensed subcontractor on this project shall also be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees.

NIB -8 Mandatory SBE/ VSBE Participation. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/

NIB -9 Prevailing Wage Requirements per Department of Industrial Relations. This Project is a public work Contract as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www. dir.ca.gov/dlsr/DPreWageDetermination.htm and on file at the City, available upon request. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices.

This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 (with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)). No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5.

In addition to providing Certified Payroll Records (CPRs) and labor compliance documentation to the Port of Long Beach, Contractors and Subcontractors must furnish electronic CPRs to the Labor

NIB -13 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City,

The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder.

NIB -15 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain

NIB -17 Iran Contracting Act of 2010. In accordance with Public Contract Code sections 2200-2208, every person who submits a bid or proposal for entering into or renewing contracts with the City for goods or services estimated at $1,000,000 or more are required to complete, sign, and submit the “Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit.” Issued at Long Beach, California, this 19th day of April, 2023.

Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach,California

Note: For project updates after Bid Opening, please contact plans.specs@polb. com

The Good MindFest at the Boys and Girls Club

On May 20, Dana Middle School’s Black Student Achievement Program and the Do Good Daniels Family Foundation hosted the Good MindFest at the Port of Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club. The well-attended event was complete with 40 vendors offering resources including workshops on family wellness, financial literacy and art. At left, is the Do Good Daniels Family Foundation CEO, Robert Daniels. To his right is 9-year-old entrepreneur Anala Jamison, who created a line of bonnets with inspirational messages and her mother Alana Atkins-Jamison, author and singer. Photo

by Terelle Jerricks