The Homeless Count: An Inside Look p. 2
Local Rapper Reveals He’s Gay with AntiHate Mix Tape: F.A.G. p.11 Sonny’s Bistro: A Hidden Valentine’s Day Gem p. 12
Shipping Companies Are the No. 1 Cause, Trucking Companies No. 2 By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
related, with the first two directly attributable to shipping companies. Vineyard cited “Bigger Ships & Alliances,” as the top factor: As the international shipping industry has trended toward bigger and bigger ships—yes, you can say it, megaships—carrier alliances have formed to fill those ships. Because of alliances loading bigger ships with larger and larger quantities of cargo, unloading cargo ships quickly and efficiently has become more of a challenge for the longshoremen working on the docks.
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
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And not just for longshoremen, of course, but for the entire system spreading out around them. He quotes Peter Leach, writing for the Journal of Commerce: As carriers deploy ever-larger ships, the sheer volume of containers aboard those vessels is starting to overwhelm major gateway ports, challenging their ability to unload import containers on a timely basis. The delays are exacerbated by the alliances carriers are joining to operate and fill the mega-ships. As for those alliances, Vineyard has had some fun writing about this trend as if it were a post-season playoff bracket: The Carrier Craziness Bracket is all about shipping lines forming alliances (or even merging), a trend that began
The Pacific Maritime Association announced Jan. 26 that there was a tentative agreement on the issue of chassis—a key sticking point of the contract negotiations latest impasse. “We are hopeful that this will allow us to move toward conclusion of an agreement in the near term,” said PMA spokesman Wade Gates, at the time. There’s only been silence since then. At least not until Feb. 4, when the PMA released a statement announcing that they “made an “all-in” contract offer that would significantly increase compensation to members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.” ILWU president, Robert McEllrath, in a released statement noted that this is the second time in recent memory that the employers have threatened to close the ports at the final stages of negotiations. “We’ve dropped almost all of our remaining issues to help get this settled—and the few issues that remain can be easily resolved.”
Corporate Roots of Port Congestion/ to p. 6
No Contract Details/ to p. 6
February 5 - 18, 2015
ort congestion has been a dominant fact of life overhanging the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach throughout the prolonged contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association. But it has also been a dominant fact of life overhanging the heroic efforts of port truckers this past year just trying to gain recognition as workers with the basic right to organize. One of the most basic facts that you need to know about port congestion is that shipping companies are the primary cause of it—although trucking companies fighting against the ports’ clean trucks programs have also played a significant role. This is not a particularly political analysis, it’s what industry insiders and analysts have been saying at least since early this past year. For example, in late September, Jared Vineyard, who blogs for Universal Cargo Management, wrote a post identifying “5 Factors Causing Congestion” at Southern California’s ports. No. 5 was the fire at the Port of Los Angeles, a headline-grabber at the time, but thankfully was little more than a blip in the grand scheme of things. No. 4 was a strong peak in seasonal shipping, the first to match pre-recession volumes. But it was not something that should have caused major problems, given the years of port development spending since then. The top three factors Vineyard cited were all industry-
There’s Agreement on Chassis, But No Details
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Committed to independent journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for more than 30 years
Snapshot: Homeless Get Counted
February 5 - 18, 2015
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor Capt. Gerald Woodyard, formerly of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division, says, “Being homeless is not a crime.” But, many people in the San Pedro community look at homelessness as a problem to be dealt with. I was reminded of this as I observed the Facebook postings on some of the San Pedro neighborhood council pages following the 2015 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Some blamed the local recovery homes for the homeless presence, while others suggested using the homeless count as an excuse to run background checks and jail the homeless to ameliorate the problem. It’s a common conclusion that people living another day in San Pedro’s Eden make when they encounter someone who is hungrier, lonelier, colder and on the streets. On Jan. 28, I had the opportunity walk through the streets of San Pedro and participate in the count. The homeless count is a snapshot of the number of homeless people on a single night out of the year. About 50 volunteers took on 17 Census tracts of the San Pedro community, trying to account for the number of men, women and children who inhabit its streets. The homeless count is intended to help communities secure funding for transitional and permanent housing programs to help homeless
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Volunteers, including City Councilman Joe Buscaino, for the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count at LAPD Harbor Division’s Community Center. Photo by Betty Guevara.
people get back on their feet. By the end of this excursion there were 103 individuals, including six youths and 106 vehicles. But the news was that the actual number of homeless people counted in San Pedro didn’t match the public perception of the numbers.
Walking Off Eden
I arrived at LAPD’s Harbor Division Community Room at about 7:45 p.m. The arriving volunteers were asked to sign in before entering and partaking in the snacks and coffee. On each seat, facing the front of the room with a
dry-erase board, there was a printed PowerPoint presentation and waiver for volunteers to sign. The waiver outlined responsibilities and assumptions of risks. Once completed, each volunteer was gifted a t-shirt. On the board there were several numbers of the volunteer coordinators and police department contacts. Most of the volunteers were participating for the first time. Once inside, I met 29-year-old Melissa Lujan, an experienced volunteer who worked as a homeless advocate in Washington D.C. before moving to Long Beach a few years ago. This year
was her second homeless count in San Pedro. “It was a good experience,” she said of her 2013 participation. “I was paired up with one gentleman and we drove up and down the neighborhoods. He’d done it for years, so it was real good to do it with somebody who was experienced and did it for a while.” This year, she believed, was well organized, but there was less training. I asked her about why it was important for her to participate in the count. “You mean big picture-wise?” Lujan asked, rhetorically. “Just to make sure that the community has the funding that they need, less awareness and more funding on policies.” Central Neighborhood Council Homeless Committee member Alexander Hall, a volunteer coordinator, advised the crowd to plan on participating until about 12 a.m. Volunteers could either walk or drive during the counting. The coordinators also said they prefer that those who were to be driving to drive slowly on some routes, and to also walk in groups. Volunteers were advised that they didn’t need to engage the homeless in conversation. Instead, volunteers were asked to just mark down on their clipboards if they saw people who looked homeless or vehicles that looked inhabited. For the safety portion of the informational Officer Jacqueline Lopez explained to the volunteers that the LAPD was available to support Homeless Counted/ to p. 4
Port Waterfront Spending Plan Draws Sharp, Unified Community Response By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Unified Community Response / to p. 5
Harbor Area LAUSD Board Candidate Forum, District 7
On Feb. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., candidates running for the District 7 board seat will be present at the candidate forum at the Granada Theatre in Wilmington. The candidates include Euna Anderson, Lydia Gutierrez, Richard Vladovic and Fernando Guerra. District 7 consists of the cities of Carson, Lomita and San Pedro. Vladovic, who is the current board president, was first elected in 2007. Vladovic has one of the most impressive academic backgrounds on the board, with a doctorate in education from University of Southern California and a resume that includes stints as a teacher, principal and school administrator. Anderson is principal of the Vine Early Education Center and the Alexandria Early Education Center; Gutierrez is an educator and member of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council; and Guerra is a professor of political science and Chicano studies at Loyola Marymount University. Childcare, translation and refreshments will be provided at the forum. Venue: Granada Theatre Location: 632 N. Avalon Blvd., Wilmington
weekends after 9 p.m. until Feb. 15. A free bus shuttle will be offered on weekends from the Del Amo and Pacific Coast Highway stations. Details: www.tinyurl.com/WillowWardlowClosures Location: Willow and Wardlow Blue Line stations
Airport Noise Ordinance Study Session
The Long Beach City Council will discuss a requested study session regarding the history and structure of the Airport Noise Ordinance, at 4 p.m. on Feb. 17, in the Council Chambers at Long Beach City Hall. Details: (562) 570-6101; www.LongBeach.gov Venue: Long Beach City Hall Location: 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
Banning Museum Seeking Volunteers
The Banning Museum is seeking volunteers for two “Get to Know Us” receptions that it will host on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The receptions will take place in the museum’s conference room. Volunteers will attend a training class to gain the background necessary to offer public tours and special group tours of the interior of the museum, Stagecoach Barn and grounds. Once the training class is completed, the volunteers will be able to participate in a full range of museum programs such as conservation and maintenance of antiques and participating in exhibitions and other special events. Details: (310) 548-7777 Venue: Banning Museum Location: 401 E. M St., Wilmington.
Beach Cleanup and Native Garden Workday
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium encourages volunteers to participate in the monthly beach clean-up and Native Garden Workday, from 8 to 10 a.m., Feb. 7. Details: (310) 548-7562; www.CabrilloMarineAquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro
Child Abuse Response Team
The Child Abuse Response Team wants volunteers who can respond 24/7 to hospitals when a child may have been sexually assaulted in Long Beach, Torrance or San Pedro. Attendance at monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8:30 p.m. is required. The first will be on Feb. 11. Details: (562) 422-8472; cgutierrez@forthechild. org Location: 4565 California Ave., Long Beach
AltaSea Master Plan Phase 1 Meeting
A preview of AltaSea will look at Phase 1 of the campus construction master plan on Feb. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. at City Dock No. 1 at the Port of Los Angeles. Free parking and shuttle service will be available from the parking lot at 22nd Street and Miner Street. Details: (310) 770-1638; pmeans@altasea.org Venue: City Dock No. 1 Location: Berth 58, 22nd near Signal Street, San Pedro
Willow and Wardlow Blue Line Stations Continue Closures for Upgrades
The Willow and Wardlow Blue Line stations are scheduled to close for upgrades in the upcoming
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Six years after the Port of Los Angeles approved a waterfront environmental impact report—which it began to ignore as soon as the community turned away—all eyes are suddenly on the waterfront again. This comes in response to POLA’s newly proposed Public Access Facility Funding Policy, which would severely restrict funding on longpromised waterfront development projects that are already overdue. The policy would restrict operating support as well. More than 300 people showed up at POLA’s Jan. 27 public meeting at the Warner Grand Theatre regarding the subject. Almost 200 people showed up at Banning’s Landing the week before. But it’s not just numbers. More importantly, there’s a resurgence of community solidarity, with factions that have been out of step with one another and suddenly on the same page—or very close to it. There’s still one notable exception: a well-deserved sense of division felt by many Wilmington residents. San Pedro activists went out of their way to affirm their solidarity moving forward. All other community divisions—and there have been many throughout the years— seem to have faded into the background, at least for now. Even before the meeting, activists worked to craft a detailed set of proposals laying out a common framework of community concerns. There was a profound connection between the passions expressed and the detailed proposals crafted beforehand. On Jan. 13, the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council passed a resolution calling on POLA to: • Table its existing draft policy and work with the five Harbor Area neighborhood councils and local chambers of commerce to revise it in a mutually agreeable way. • Fund six projects from the 2009 EIR in its 2015-16 budget and Capital Improvement Program, “without applying any limitations contained in the proposed Policy.” • Instruct port staff to begin certain specific preparations for those projects and
Community Announcements:
February 5 - 18, 2015
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Occidental Spin-off Corp Pulls Carson Oil Drilling Project California Resources Corp. Halts Operations in Carson, Cite Lack of profitability By Crystal Niebla, Editorial Intern
February 5 - 18, 2015
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Carson residents rejoiced this past week when California Resources Corp., the spin-off corporation of Occidental Petroleum Corp., announced it would be pulling out its massive drilling project of more than 200 oil wells on a site in Carson. “Over three years we’ve been battling them and now we finally got them running in the other direction,” said Dianne Thomas, vice president of Carson Coalition, a leading organization that has challenged OXY since 2011. On Jan. 26, the corporation’s spokeswoman Margita Thompson said in a statement that the project “is no longer practical in the current commodity price environment, and we are asking the [c]ity to stop processing the project.” OXY proposed the construction and operation of a new oil and gas production facility that would use a part of the out-ofproduction Dominguez Oil Field, according to Carson city records. The corporation planned to install several operations, including the construction of 202 wells, an oil and gas processing facility and slurry injection or disposal operations. “Because of the oil industry, they will not admit defeat,” Thomas said. “It is better for them to say, ‘We’re pulling out because of the profitability of the project,’ because they certainly don’t want to say that they were defeated by some small-town group of people.” Carson Coalition President Robert Lesley said he attributes the victory to community members, legal advice from organizations
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such as Earthjustice and Sierra Club and the plummeted oil prices. “If we hadn’t been filing the complaints and comments and opposition to this thing, it would have been in place over two years ago,” Lesley said. When OXY gave its construction and operation proposal, the company changed its plans from using hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to hydraulic drilling instead, Lesley said. Carson Coalition filed complaints on that, he added. Thomas said it makes more business sense for the company to pull out at this point. “When Occidental did their tours [in Carson], it was stated during one of their tours that, if the price per barrel of oil ever dropped below $60 a barrel, it would not be profitable for them to move forward with this project,” Thomas said. “So, with the price dropping down all the way to the 40s…the cost for them to build this project, it would have not benefited them at all.” According to NASDAQ, a national stock exchange, crude oil per barrel costs dropped nearly 50 percent within the last six months—plummeting from $95 to $48 per barrel. If oil prices rise and corporations like OXY return to Carson for drilling projects, Carson Coalition is already preparing with laws to bar corporations from coming back. Thomas said that Carson Coalition wants an ordinance in place that will protect the residents of Carson from further projects “of that nature” that may affect the
Members of the Carson Coalition with Councilwoman Lula DavisHolmes, standing center, Robert Lesley and Dianne Thomas in the front row. Photo by Kelvin Brown of Hitman Photography.
health and welfare of the residents. “These corporations tend to go first after areas where you do have a large minority population, and they do that because they think that the minority population will not fight,” she said. Thomas said that the Carson Planning Commission will host an open meeting that will take place in the Council Chambers to review the ordinance with residents sometime within the next two months. from p. 2
Homeless Counted
them. Officer Lopez referred the audience to the phone numbers on the board, one of which included her cell phone number, the Harbor Division’s front desk and 9-1-1 for emergencies. “What would be considered a non-emergency?” I asked Officer Lopez. Lopez cited witnessing a crime as an example. I wasn’t quite satisfied with the answer, but I left it alone. At about 8:45 p.m., people were asked to form their own groups and send one person to pick up the clipboard. Jordan Wanner and Laura Vander Neut, a married couple, asked me to join their group. I asked if my photographer Betty Guevara could join us on the ride and they agreed. The couple lives in downtown San Pedro and first learned about the homeless count in 2013. “We’re out and about quite a bit and you just see a lot of people, and you kind of wonder, ‘What can you do?’” Vander Neut, 29, said. So this year they decided to go for it and try to help out the community. “It ensures that we get adequate funding for our areas,” said Wanner, a Christian professional. “It’s one step…Pedro seems to have a lot of homeless [people]. “And, even if it’s just locally, so we can get our fair share or resources,” his wife continued. Wanner works as an engineer in the South Bay and Vander Neut works for the City of Lomita as a management analyst. The couple met in college, in a private university in Michigan. Work brought them to California. He is from Michigan and she continued on following page
Homeless Count volunteers canvassed the streets of San Pedro and Wilmington on Jan. 28. Photo by Betty Guevara.
from p. 3
Unified Community Response provide quarterly status updates on them to the neighborhood councils. • Recognize a set of principles that would substantially alter the ports financial calculus. Similar resolutions were passed by the other San Pedro neighborhood councils and representatives of all three spoke briefly at the beginning of the comment period. Al D’Amico was one of almost a dozen members of the newly formed Los Angeles Waterfront Access and Redevelopment Coalition who spoke at the meeting. The coalition, formed in November, is largely composed of real estate agents like D’Amico, as well as developers and other community business owners. “At this rate, we will not see a completed infrastructure for Ports O’Call for over 20 years,” D’Amico said. “This proposed budget policy will send a clear message to any qualified developer that the Port of Los Angeles is not serious about the redevelopment of the waterfront, and this project will be doomed. The future is now.” The six projects identified include three in Wilmington and three in San Pedro. They are: a. Complete the final design work for the Wilmington Waterfront Development Project, using the approved Wilmington EIR, the Port Master Plan and Wilmington’s Community Guiding Principles. b. Design and construct the Sampson Way and Harbor Boulevard realignment. c. Enhance access to Wilmington’s waterfront via Avalon Boulevard, which is
direct, functional, and aesthetically pleasing so it enhances rejuvenation of downtown Wilmington via pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle access to Banning’s Landing and waterfront prior to closure of Avalon Boulevard and Fries Avenue. d. Complete the promenade south of the Town Plaza through Ports O’ Call to AltaSea. e. Complete the promenade along the Wilmington Waterfront (demo Catalina Freight buildings) with an Observation Tower, dedicated pier(s) that include dock space for Wilmington Youth Sailing Center, Los Angeles Maritime Institute to finish tall ship, and restaurant/retail development. f. Construct the Town Plaza at the foot of Sixth Street.
Gary Krill Jr., another real estate agent and coalition member, directly addressed the divisions between communities. “Last Thursday night, I attended a meeting at Banning’s Landing for the residents of Wilmington,” he began. “One of the things that became obvious and quite disturbing for me during that meeting were the strong feelings expressed that it is them against San Pedro, and vice versa, when it comes to trying to get funding for the redevelopment of our waterfronts. It should not be that way. “Both of our communities have long been ignored and betrayed by the city of LA and the port, to the point that we feel we must fight amongst ourselves for the minimal amounts
that they are willing to invest back into our communities,” Krill said. “The men and women of San Pedro and Wilmington work side-by-side in our port, our children participate in youth sports together. It should not be San Pedro versus Wilmington. It should be San Pedro and Wilmington and Harbor City versus the city of LA and the port.” The set of principles in the neighborhood council resolution first notes that “[s]ubstantial portions of the Port lands are not suitable for industrial development and can only be developed for non-industrial, visitor serving facilities,” which “include revenues to the [c]ity and public... if not the Harbor Revenue Fund” and should be calculated on that basis—a principle in line with the overarching purpose of the Tidelands Trust Doctrine. The principles also note that many of the facilities included “are mitigation for the recognized environmental impacts of industrial facilities,” and thus those facilities’ costs— including maintenance and operation, “should be considered as costs of the related [p]ort industrial facilities and operations.” “A quick look at their expenditures shows a number of large expenditures that should not be included as public access facilities for various reasons,” said Pat Nave, a former Port of Los Angeles lawyer and Northwest Neighborhood Council activist, who spoke on its behalf at the Warner Grand. He also wrote an email to other activists after the meeting. Nave included items such as $149.2 million spent on Cabrillo Phase II and $33.9 million in China Shipping mitigation, totalling $280 million. “This is nearly half the amount claimed as public access facility costs,” Nave pointed
out. “However, Cabrillo Phase II is a marina, a commercial facility that has a return to the port. The Wilmington Waterfront Park is the buffer for TraPac and should be included in the cost of the improvements for the TraPac Terminal. China Shipping mitigation is a legal aesthetic mitigation settlement. If anything it should be included in the cost base of the China Shipping Terminal and recaptured in the rate of return on improvements.” The passion community members express can be backed up with very solid arguments. POLA may be strapped for funds in the short run— no thanks to its massive cost overrun with the TRAPAC terminal. But part of the answer may lie in taking a broader approach to waterfront development, as was suggested in a Jan. 9 report from the chief legislative analyst to members of the Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee of the Los Angeles City Council. That report offered a list of seven recommendations. First on the list was a call for the port and other city entities to “evaluate and recommend management options for the San Pedro Waterfront Master Plan, including the creation of a nonprofit development organization, joint powers authority, or other similar districts, that would coordinate all development, property management, planning and event programming in the Waterfront Master Plan area.” Random Lengths News has advocated for such an expanded approach in the past. Perhaps the time for a major expansion of vision has finally arrived.
from previous page
Counting Harbor Area Homeless
homeless may use to sleep, such as: vehicles with blankets on the windows, or vehicles with foggy windows. Other criteria include vehicles that are tightly packed with belongings, campers or recreational vehicles in disrepair that are parked with many similar vehicles. Armed with this set of rules, we arrived at the Seven-Eleven on 19th Street and Pacific Avenue a few minutes before 9 p.m. There, we found a fairly well-kempt woman who asked us for change. We counted her as homeless because I recognized her from her asking for change at the donut shop near our office almost daily. Further south on Pacific, we were approached by two homeless men who asked us for money. Following these encounters, we walked along Hamilton to Grand Avenue and then back up to 17th Street and Pacific Avenue. We walked through some alleys. Though we saw some trash and bulky items as big as a person, we did not see any homeless people. Wanner and Vander Neut worked like experienced canvassers driving through each and
every alley and street with the aid of their smart phone. Guevara was the first to observe how the further west toward Rancho Palos Verdes we went the more houses we saw that were outfitted with flood lights. We surmised that it made it less likely for people to find shelter in those areas because of the increased visibility, as opposed to places we would expect to see more homeless like the ravine in Peck Park or the brush near the on and off ramps of the 110 Freeway.. By the end of the night, our group counted a total of three individuals, all of whom we found on Pacific Avenue, and four vehicles that seemed to be used as shelter. “We can go show you where some homeless people live; we already know. [They] just aren’t in our section,” Wanner said.
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is originally from Colorado. They first moved to Manhattan Beach, but later decided to set roots in San Pedro, a community they’ve grown to love. “I guess, lower prices, but still the convenience to where we work,” said Vander Neut about the reasons they moved to San Pedro. “We just really like San Pedro. We like being in a place where you can walk to everything you need.” “It kind of reminded me of where I grew up, which was more blue-collared versus Manhattan Beach, which is just crazy,” Wanner concluded. Our group was assigned Census Tract 15, bounded by 16th Street to the North, Pacific Avenue to the east, Hamilton Avenue to the south and Walker to the west. Before we proceeded to our assigned designation, We looked at the printed slideshow we were provided with, which set criteria on how to identify the homeless. Criteria such as: People wearing multiple layers of clothing and blankets, folks with poor hygiene or otherwise poor physical condition, or people who seemed to be carrying all of their possessions on their person or in shopping cart. There was even criteria for vehicles in which
February 5 - 18, 2015
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from p. 1
No Contract Details However, it’s still unclear how an agreement on chassis could be reached considering that the shippers no longer own the majority of the chassis and the companies that aren’t members of the PMA. In any case, neither side has spoken about the agreement since the announcement. But that hasn’t kept Fred Johring, the chairman of the Harbor Trucking Association, from speaking out. Harbor Trucking Association represents drayage companies in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area. He has been quoted by the Journal of Commerce as saying that if the PMA allows the ILWU to “inspect every chassis before it goes out the gate, the trucking industry is going to have a problem with that--particularly as it has to deal with private, our own, chassis.” Johring said that five of the 13 major container terminals at the twin ports have mandatory roadability inspections. He suggested that truckers have been chafing at the high cost and strictness of the longshore inspection process. The ILWU Local 13 spokesman, Adan Ortega, noted that the union will provide a level of service
that will best protect truckers, motorists and the roads. Eighty members of Congress, led by Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Dave Reichert (R-WA), sent a letter to the union and the PMA, calling on them to put aside their differences and quickly resolve the contract negotiation that has bogged down the operations of West Coast ports. “As trade supports over 38 million jobs across the country, we strongly urge your organizations to reach an agreement, because the inability to reach consumers outside our borders impacts jobs here at home,” the letter read in part. Congressmembers expressed alarm at the growing prospect of a shutdown. Citing recent studies by the National Retail Federation and National Association of Manufacturers a 10day shutdown would be worse than the 2002 shutdown, costing more than $21 billion and impacting 169,000 jobs within a 10-day period. In 2002, the 10-day shutdown cost the economy $15 billion. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that he used his weekly memo to President Barack
Obama and the White House staff to highlight the labor situation at West Coast ports. “Our hope is that the mediator will bring the sides closer together,” he said Thursday, in an audio recording of his address at the Port of Houston that was provided by the Agriculture Department.
The agreement comes as congestion at ports on the West Coast has continued to grow. The Marine Exchange of Southern California said there were 22 containerships waiting for berths outside the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as of Feb. 4.
On Jan. 22, approximately 6,000 community members joined the ILWU in a unity march alongside Councilman Joe Buscaino, near the Cruise terminal near Harbor Boulevard and Swinford. Photo by Betty Guevara from p. 1
Corporate Roots of Port Congestion
February 5 - 18, 2015
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
after carriers suffered losses in the billions of dollars when the global recession hit. To increase efficiency, market share, profits, and just plain survive, alliance after alliance has been formed between carriers.
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But it’s misleading to think that this consolidation is primarily a direct result of the recession. Rather, as Bloomberg News explained in a 2012 story about Maersk’s losses at the time, “Global [shipping] rates have dropped because the industry has added too many ships in anticipation of an economic recovery, causing overcapacity.” Almost the entire industry lost money for multiple years as a result. This is not an anomaly. Modern transportation systems—railroads in the 19th century, airplanes and container ships today—involve massive investments in fixed capital, which initially look quite attractive, but then result in over-capacity, leading to fierce rate-cutting wars. As a result, bankruptcy waves wiped out most railroad companies in both England and America at different times in the 19th century. Economic historian Michael Perelman described this dynamic and how economists reacted to it in Railroading Economics: The Creation of the Free Market Mythology. The economic distress of the shipping industry has also led to the second major channel contributing to congestion. This was the sell-off of their chassis fleets to third-party transportation companies, which has created the second factor, “Lack of Chassis,” Vineyard cited: “Carriers used to provide chassis for their container shipments in the U.S. However, as part of the process of recovering from losses in the billions during the Great Recession, carriers
phased out that part of their service and sold off their chassis.” In February of this past year, Bill Mongelluzzo wrote about the crisis for the Journal of Commerce: The root cause of the chassis problem is that after gradually exiting the chassis business at other locations around the country the past three years, carriers are finally selling their chassis in Southern California to container leasing companies, chassis pool operators and other thirdparties. Carriers waited until the very end of their chassis-divestment program before selling their equipment in Southern California because they feared that the chassis environment at the 13 container terminals in the harbor is so complex that it would be difficult to pull it off. They were certainly correct on that point. The problem was bad enough then—after the peak shipping season—and has gotten worse ever since. But it was the shipping industry’s decision to exit the chassis business that remains the root of the problem. Vineyard’s third factor was the shortage of truckers. “A major problem facing the international shipping industry, especially right here in the U.S. is a trucker shortage problem,” he wrote. The shortage is an industry-wide problem, he notes elsewhere, citing a New York Times story by Neil Irwin, which underscores a key contradiction: Even as trucking companies and their trade association bemoan the driver shortage, continued on following page
to prevent this, after which companies almost universally made life even harder for the truckers they employed. One consequence has been the sharp decline in port truckers, which has nonetheless not resulted in higher pay to attract more workers. The fact that state and federal labor laws are now accomplishing what the Clean Trucks Plan was blocked from doing—giving truckers rights as employees—may finally help to begin overcoming the port trucker shortage. It won’t be fast enough to solve the current congestion crisis, but it could help prevent a future recurrence.
from previous page
Roots of Port Congestion truckers—or as the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls them, heavy and tractortrailer truck drivers—were paid 6 percent less, on average, in 2013 than a decade earlier, adjusted for inflation. It takes a peculiar form of logic to cut pay steadily and then be shocked that fewer people want to do the job.
But things are even worse for port truckers, who are disproportionately underpaid, misclassified and subject to wage theft. Unsurprisingly, their ranks have plummeted—by as much as 30 percent, some industry insiders say, since the Clean Trucks Plan was implemented. The plan made it dramatically more difficult for individual truckers to own their trucks. The Clean Trucks Plan was originally conceived as a holistic plan that would improve truckers’ livelihoods by ensuring employee status and subsidizing companies in purchasing new clean trucks. But the trucking industry sued
Containerships (visible in the background) wait outside the breakwater to unload at the dock at the Port of Los Angeles. Photo by Philip Cooke
Judge Upholds $2 Million DLSE Wage Theft Decision Against Pacer Cartage scenario was not supported by the evidence. [T] hey say the truck left the dealer, it had a negative equity situation. Moreover, when the drivers left Pacer there was no evidence they had any equity built up that was returned to them. In most cases, they just turned over the keys.” “This is a tremendous victory in the fight against misclassification,” said plaintiff’s lead council Alvin Gomez. “We believe that these decisions, coupled with the lawsuits that we have recently filed and those we intend to file in coming weeks, will force the drayage industry to make long overdue changes in their business practices to comply with state and federal labor laws.”
Pacer Cartage must pay more than $2 million in back pay to seven illegally misclassified port truckers, according to a court decision handed down on Jan. 28 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jay Bloom. Bloom upheld an earlier finding by the California Labor Commissioner’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement from April 2014. Scores of such cases have been decided, by DLSE, but have not come to court. Because Pacer was appealing the earlier ruling, the burden of proof lay on it—a burden that it failed to meet.
“The key issue in this case, as noted, is who had control,” Bloom wrote. “From the evidence, it appears that Pacer had the control.” A key aspect of the case involved a complicated leasing arrangement from a Pacer Cartage affiliate corporation, put in place when the ports’ Clean Trucks Program went into effect. “Pacer presented testimony through its witnesses and experts that painted a rosy scenario of venture capitalists who could profit through this lease arrangement as independent contractors,” Bloom wrote in his decision. “However, this
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Harbor Port Driver: Alfredo Gonzalez with Attorney Alvin Gomez of The Gomez Law Group following a Superior Court decision ruling that port truck drivers are employees, not independent contractors, and are owed millions in stolen wages and penalties on Jan. 29. Photo by Betty Guevara
February 5 - 18, 2015
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Connecting the Dots on the Waterfront To port communities’ future and past
February 5 - 18, 2015
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
James Preston Allen, Publisher The showdown between the new executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, and the community over the future of the LA Waterfront has a long backstory that those who now cry the loudest about the lack of jobs or are shocked that “San Pedro has a homeless problem” don’t even know. Most of those who long for a nostalgic past of some mythical sense of community weren’t even born when the real problem began. The history behind the long decline in the Harbor Area actually began with a dispute unrelated to the port. In the 1980s, there was a dispute between the air-traffic controllers union and President Ronald Reagan, that ended with him busting the union and a decades long anti-union march towards the global economy. The impact on the San Pedro Bay waterfront was that over the course of the next 10 years, the shipyards were closed, the tuna canneries moved off-shore and the once proud fishing fleet dwindled. Free trade, NAFTA and deregulation were the watchwords of the day. In the end, the LA Harbor Area lost 50 percent of its blue-collar jobs, exported to some other part of the globe. Most of these were well paying union jobs. According to an economic report issued by the City of Los Angeles years later, the Harbor Area lost some 30,000 jobs in the 1980s. The loss of those middle class jobs fundamentally changed the nature of San Pedro and Wilmington, creating what we now call “income disparity” and a decline in real estate values. Some say that the economic “blight” of the old downtown Pedro came much earlier with the building of the Vincent Thomas Bridge and retail clerks union’s drive to organize the big brand stores that once lined Pacific Avenue. But the nail in the coffin was really the 30,000 jobs. Nothing since that time has come close to replacing them. Since that time, homes in San Pedro and select areas surrounding the ports have become upper income bedroom communities for commuters while other areas have become mostly housing for lower class service workers—not forgetting to mention housing for the casualties of income disparity and the global economy—the homeless, the dispossessed, the addicted and insane. One of the only bulwarks against this disparity has been the strength of the remaining local unions, primarily the ILWU, whose hold on waterfront jobs has been unchallenged until now. Because their jobs
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could not be exported and because of our growing dependence on imports, these waterfront unions have been some of the lucky few to maintain a middle class standard of living during an era that witnessed the decline in both the numbers of unions and incomes nationwide. This is now set to change significantly with the arrival of automation on the waterfront and changes in the global shipping industry, which may end up eroding as many as 25 percent of these remaining good paying jobs. This is not only the challenge faced by the current ILWU negotiators in the prolonged contract discussions with the Pacific Maritime Association, this is also a challenge faced by small businesses, professionals and even local chambers of commerce that are either directly or indirectly beneficiaries of the $1 billion-a-year payroll of the longshore unions. Clearly, allowing the economy of the surrounding local communities to depend so heavily on POLA’s future success in the world of global shipping, is at best, not a good idea. The best minds in business will diversify their investments. The most cautious investors will have diversified their portfolios. Even the smartest of small businessman knows the dangers of being too reliant on just one kind of customer. This common understanding is the reason why the POLA needs to diversify its investment on the non-industrial parts of this waterfront. This is the connection between the economic injustice expressed by the Wilmington residents and the reaction of the local real estate brokers and the chambers of commerce and Harbor Area neighborhood councils to the POLA draft waterfront spending plan. There needs to be a second economy that is connected to the prime asset of this community— its harbor and the gateway to the Pacific Ocean. This can not be some meager attempt to placate a few unruly locals, a few loud neighborhood councils, to pacify a starry-eyed city councilman. It must be a bold investment in the economic future of the 200,000 residents who live near this import capital of the Pacific Rim. It must both symbolically and literally connect this region of Los Angeles to the nearly 10 million residents of the county. This investment cannot wait to begin. Waiting will only mean a lost opportunity. An opportunity like this only comes along once in a generation. This is the time and this is the future. Grab it and make it real! Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya info@graphictouchdesigns.com
“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XXXVI : No. 3
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the seven cities of the Harbor Area.
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Assistant Editor Zamná Ávila zamna@randomlengthsnews.com
Police and Racial Profiling:
The Great American Tragedy By John R. Gray, Guest Columnist
Several folks approached me about the seeming proliferation of young “Afro”-American men being killed by white police officers. To begin, it is a horribly tragic situation for the victim’s family, and perhaps, the police officers involved. We all should feel pain when any family loses a child unnecessarily to some holocaust-like misunderstanding of judgment, intent or motive, leading to an urban combat death. But for young Afro-American males, there is concern about what we all know of as the imperfect world. Part of the imperfect world is the caveat of racial profiling, which has emerged as another one of America’s unsolvable problems. “Doctor, doctor, who do we call?” How about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Save your energy, don’t call U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He is the most hated person in the American criminal justice system. Let’s face the truth. If you are an AfroAmerican male in the United States, you have been racially profiled or can expect to be in your lifetime. Racial profiling is an indignity, it’s disrespectful, but it will be overcome. At its worst, it is surely no cause to martyr oneself. It is just that simple. My statements regarding racial profiling come as the result of life and professional experience. As a California state parole agent, I had frequent,
Columnists/Reporters Lyn Jensen Carson B. Noel Barr Music Dude John Farrell Curtain Call Lori Lynn Hirsch-Stokoe Food Writer Andrea Serna Arts Writer Melina Paris Culture Writer Calendar 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Betty Guevara Contributors Joseph Baroud, David Johnson, Greggory Moore, John Gray
Cartoonists Ann Cleaves, Andy Singer, Matt Wuerker Advertising Production Mathew Highland, Suzanne Matsumiya Advertising Representatives Mathew Highland reads@randomlengthsnews.com David Johnson rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com Editorial Interns Ivan Adame, Eric Fujimori, Crystal Niebla, Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 www.randomlengthsnews.com
direct contact with rank and file police officers. I accepted that 100 percent of white officers and 99 percent of Afro-American officers do not believe racial profiling exists. It is just a myth. Profiling is seen as good police work, no more than predicting who will win the Lakers game. So what’s the problem? The problem is predisposed fear. Fear generated by the assumption that young, Afro-American males do not show you enough respect. Thus, they do not fear police authority; therefore, they are more dangerous than others. Remember that standard police officer mantra: “I was in fear of my life.” The essential point of fact is young AfroAmerican men are being killed. The matter of culpability is ostensibly mute. No criminal charge will be filed against the officer, because like in pro football games a challenge, to a ruling, requires god-like undisputable evidence for a call to be changed. So, guess what? God-like evidence is needed to prosecute a sworn officer. Of course, this will be of little solace to a grieving family. In an attempt at fairness we know young white men jeopardize their lives with harrowing misconduct. But to compare him to an AfroAmerican youngster is like apples and milk. The simple fact is that the young Afro-male will draw strict scrutiny when he is on the street. The young continued on following page
Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email adv@randomelengthsnews.com or reads@ randomlengthsnews.com. Extra copies and back issues are available by mail for $3 per copy while supplies last. Subscriptions are available for $36 per year for 27 issues. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right to express those opinions. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2015 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters San Pedro Native Helps Needy Children
from previous page
Tragedy
It took six years of being a rational man, but I think Obama has realized that playing hardball is the only way when everyone else is playing hardball. Where are Theodore Roosevelt and the trust busters when we need them? Oh, right, he needed the “Yellow Press” muckrakers to do the job. And where are they? [They are] owned by the Robber Barons. Well, RLn is still in there raking. There is some hope. John Mattson San Pedro
Letter from a Retired Member of the ILWU
Starting in the 1930’s my mother Mildred, my dad Bill Wright and my step dad Joe Kordich were part of a union movement that organized over 10 million workers. Bill held “every non-paying job” at ILWU Local 26 and Joe was “the only white worker” at the Cotton Compress in San Pedro’s outer harbor. My mother helped organize the Terminal Island cannery workers and in the renters strike to get the evicted back into their homes. This was a time of growing equality spearheaded by the growth of the labor movement. When workers make union wages manufacturers have to hire more workers to make the products union wages can buy. That makes union workers the “job creators” not the manufacturers. In 1946 my dad said that he made so much money he was going to buy a bicycle to get to work. From the 1930’s until the
will have a nominal influence overall that has occurred. No winners hand will be raised. All will recognize a repeat of an ongoing American tragedy. I readily admit I live in fear every time my grandsons leave my home. I guess they are perceived as dangerous, but they are not. They are good-hearted, have jobs, go to college, play football and are fun. It may not matter because racial profiling does not recognize a good heart, having a job or playing football. Racial profiling connects to fear. Therefore, will it be fight or flight? Of course, the officer is not paid to retreat. Young Afro-American men must be aware of that when they are stopped by the police because of what is defined as good police work or what is believed to be racial profiling.
than the giant corporations who in many cases pay no taxes at all. The damage is not just an unfair tax system but a weakening of the social fabric that holds us together as a country. People begin to say he didn’t pay his fair share why should I, I’m not poor why should I help the poor, let someone else fight that war and let the future pay for it. When no one takes responsibility then we are not all in this together and instead everyone passes the buck. The glue that holds society together is weakened and so are our country and our democracy. An example of how thing are worse for my kids than they were
for me is the way we pay for our education. The present generation, including my kids, pays thousands of dollars for education that I got in the 60’s at Harbor College for free. We are a richer country now than when I got that free education. How could this be? How did we pay for our education in the past but can’t seem to afford it now? Where did our wealth go? Progressive change is possible when you stand up and demand to be heard. Would you have thought five years ago that 35 states would have ratified equality of marriage rights or that the $15 dollar minimum More Letters/ to p. 10
CORRECTION
The “At Length” column in the Jan. 8 edition of Random Lengths News gave an erroneous location for the Eisenhower Research Project. The Eisenhower Research Project, which is under the auspices of Brown University’s Watson Institute is in Providence, R.I. Random Lengths News continues committed to bringing accurate and independent journalism to the Harbor Area. Do not make what will be called a furtive move. You are going to lose. Yeah, I know all about dignity. I have a little. Young men, you must totally get into natures message, which is to survive. Your family does not deserve to grieve. Afro-American families, you know when your son needs to be given that talk. Not “that” talk, but the talk that says he has been adjudicated, declared and ruled to be dangerous. So be careful out there. I was taught to always be around to give the talk. John R. Gray is a lifelong resident of the Harbor Area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in criminology from the Cal State University Long Beach. He studied human behavior at Chapman College. He is a certified correctional counselor.
February 5 - 18, 2015
Afro-male, cannot act out, to draw attention to him. The symbiosis is set. Predisposed fear has been attached. He may be armed or clearly unarmed. He will be confronted by an officer and in a perfect exhibition of valor, or at some throat gagging confluence of confusion, another young Afromale will bite the dust. Does that sound like the same old Hollywood documentary film set? It will be titled, what else but An American Tragedy. Upon the young man’s serious injury or loss of life, the officer will go home and the victim’s family will go to the hospital or local mortuary. The very Rev. Al Sharpton will be called to protest and he
Sobering
all conspired to change the shared economy of the previous 50 years. From 2009 to 2012 the top 1% of American earners took home 95% of the new income gains for those years. That wealth is largely invested overseas to avoid US taxes that now will not strengthen our economy by improving the infrastructure or educating Americans. Remember Mitt Romney he only paid 13% taxes, if that. The results are that my kids may be the first generation to do worse than their dad. In our society who pays taxes is so unequal that small business pay business taxes at a higher rate
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Harbor Breeze Cruises, owned by San Pedro native Captain Dan Salas, provided a valuable Community Service by donating a “Holiday Daysail” for the disadvantaged and disabled children of Hope 4 Kids. This year, the regular venue of the San Pedro Elks Lodge was deliberately burned down by an arsonist, so the non-profit had no venue for their annual Christmas Outreach which has been provided for hundreds of local children since the 1990’s. Hope 4 Kids, providing holiday outreaches under founder Dr. Francie Inez in partnership with the San Pedro Elks Lodge, contracted owner Dan Salas via Nikki Ross, marketing director, and Dan Salas generously provided his newly christened boat of 2013, the “M/V Triumphant”, for the Holiday Outreach of Hope 4 Kids. Dan Salas has a history of helping the community since he bought his first boat in 1994. Salas grew up poor on the docks of San Pedro, and struggled to afford so much as a hook when he was a boy. Through hard work and dedication, Salas, with his wife and children, has become an inspiring success story. Growing up in San Pedro, Salas started a sports fishing charter business in the mid-90’s at Ports O’ Call. His business boomed and he went from one small boat to seven large boats, including an 80-foot dinner cruise liner. About 12 years ago, he had an opportunity to work with the Aquarium of the Pacific and the City of Long Beach, and has established Harbor Breeze Cruises since 2000, offering various cruises and fishing excursions. Salas expressed, “Anyway you look at it, it is tough to start a business, but Harbor Breeze Cruises has grown beyond our wildest dreams. I started out as a
boy on the docks with nothing, and now I am able to give back.” This is what Dan Salas did, and continues to do so with Hope 4 Kids and the needy children of many local non-profits. Dr. Francie Inez Hope 4 Kids, San Pedro
1980’s the country grew, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which was all the services and products we produced in America, steadily grew and that growth was shared with 90% of all workers getting 70% of that growth. Now it’s true that the top 10 percent got 30% of the growth but we built the largest middle class of any country in the world and as the economic pie got bigger everyone got more. It was a shared economy where the country grew as the people grew. The world of my parents was much more equal in that they felt that if they worked hard and helped their union grow that things would be better for their kids. Remember in World War II there was the equality of the draft, most everybody served and the rich paid an 80 to 95% tax rate. History does not support the argument that high corporate taxes will cause a depression but it does demonstrate that it is workers with good union wages that create jobs. When I entered the workforce, the economy began to change from one of shared growth with slogans on the docks like “take us along we’ll go along” to one of “all for me” when in 2002 the company went on strike. In the 1980’s wages flattened out but the cost of living rose. More cost and less wages, mortgages doubled, healthcare and education soared and higher taxes
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RANDOMLetters from p. 9
February 5 - 18, 2015
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
wage would be implemented in several places around the country and gaining traction rapidly or that the Keystone Pipeline would have been stopped? It starts at the local level; Washington is often the last to catch on. We can make changes together if we join together. In the thirties some longies built this union so we can walk tall. In the fifties old-timers built our credit unions so now you don’t have to go to the bosses bank. The government didn’t do this for you it’s your union and your credit union. The
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PMA a Charity? monied interest want you to not go to your union meeting to not use your credit union to be cynical and give up on democracy. If we give up on democracy we don’t stand a chance. That’s what the company and the banks want. They want to go back to when we were called wharf rats and had to kick back to get a job. This is 2015 and the future is in our hands were not going back. Ni un paso atrás. Lewis Wright, Local 63 retired San Pedro
I don’t know when and I don’t know how our tax laws were changed to create charitable organizations that are used as mechanisms to attack labor. As for the Pacific Maritime Association, according to the CA Dept. of Justice, that goes back to 12/31/1990. I am not an accountant. I’m sure it’s completely legal. Many of us just want them to explain why they are registered as a Charity? Their 2011 Tax returns designate them as a 501c Nonprofit organization and paid ZERO in Federal Taxes. Please confirm that. This seems disturbing enough when you consider the millions
they make. And what a cash advantage in their fight to cut labor on the West Coast. Labor that is such a small part of their operating cost v. profits. Good paying American jobs are under attack now by Charities (PMA) that quite often work for foreign business (Ch....). Sometimes it seems the money is in another country before the ship even leaves port. Why is this allowed to happen? Are we going to end up like the Pennsylvania union towns that went under after the good paying jobs were eliminated? This is not just an ILWU fight. It’s small businesses fight; it’s a community’s fight. We all have to breathe the air and dodge the trucks. I believe it is every area residents’ responsibility to preserve good paying jobs for the next generation. There appears to be a Charity whose goal it is to make sure that does not happen. Edward Nunez A.K.A “A lot of us” San Pedro
The PMA was founded as a nonprofit organization to serve as an entity for the mutual benefit of its membership. On the PMA’s 990 form you have in your possession, it should say it’s a 501 (c) 527. It is not possible for a mutual benefit non profit to gain the IRS 501(c) 3 nonprofit status of a charitable organization. If look closely at the PMA page on the DOJ, they too note that the PMA is a Mutual Benefit nonprofit. As a mutual benefit nonprofit, the PMA is what allows the 72 international and domestic shippers, stevedores, and terminal operators along the West Coast to negotiate with the ILWU as one voice. This organization directly pays for the union’s salaries and benefits. This organization also pays for the legal representation and lobbyists for the benefit of its membership. Without the creation of the PMA, along with some prolabor legislation from the Roosevelt
and Truman administrations, it’s not likely the ILWU would have gained the power that it has. Now, there is no doubt that members of the PMA are looking to streamline the goods movement process while circumventing the union, which in the long run, will shrink the union. We saw that with the foreign conglomerate EGT at the ports in the Pacific Northwest, as wells as many of the jurisdictional disputes unions have had over the past couple of decades. These disputes were the result of declining number of jobs due to changes in technology that cuts out the worker and employer attempts to put union against union, and worker against worker. The Mechanization and Modernization Agreement of 1960 and to a certain extent, the 1971 Agreement that created the Steady Man category of worker were the tools by which unions and workers were turned on each other. Terelle Jerricks Managing Editor
By Melina Paris, Music Columnist
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment ACE • Art, Cuisine, & Entertainment
Courtesy photos by Vital Emcee.
V
ital Emcee is challenging the rapper image with his new album Fag, with which he comes out publicly as a gay man. Vital’s “Intro” on Fag hits hard. In it, late San Francisco Supervisor, Harvey Milk, foretold his fate in an audio recording he left to be played should he ever be assassinated. Milk’s audio then fades, transitioning into factual newscasts on gays being beaten or killed. This leads into hate speech recordings of people openly and cruelly expressing their contempt for gay people. Originally from Garden Grove, he now lives in Australia. Fag stands for Free of All Guilt. The album is about Vital’s hard examination of society’s views on homosexuality. There are some lighter tracks on the record too. One thing not to be denied is that Fag is very real. He can rap extremely fast. Growing up listening to rap in the early ‘90s, he was more influenced by the West Coast rappers: Tupac, Snoop Dogg and DJ Quick. People tell him that he sounds like Tupac. He says he can’t help that. When Bone Thugs and Harmony debuted, Vital studied and wrote down their lyrics saying even if he could not make out the words he would write down what the syllables sounded like. Now that he knows what to do, Vital wants to fine tune it and brand himself with his sound. Vital’s delivery can be, in the best way, over the top sometimes. His lyrics are thrilling; producing visions of religious iconography, ancient Continued on page 16.
February 5 – 18, 2015 February 5 – 18, 2015, 2015
Continued on page 16.
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Sonny Ramirez of Sonny’s Bistro. Photo by Philip Cook.
Sonny’s Bistro:
A Bright Idea for Valentine’s Day
F
By Gina Ruccione, Food Writer & Blogger
Independent And Free.
ood is typically the centerpiece of a Valentine’s Day date. How that transpires, varies between couples. Some are looking for the perfect meal, while others are looking for an intimate setting. However it transpires, most can agree that a successful Valentine’s Day date is ultimately the perfect combination of both. Those sort of
romantic evenings can translate into memories that stay with you for a lifetime. If you haven’t yet found that place, then Sonny’s Bistro is for you. This little gem is tucked away in an unassuming corner of a shopping center on 25th Street and
Western Avenue. Sonny’s Bistro has everything one could hope for when picking a Valentine’s Day restaurant: it’s unpretentious yet refined, the dishes are well proportioned and fairly priced. Most important, all the food is delicious. Their menu is versatile. It is not over-thought or muddled with too many options and the entrees are paired with popular wines. The “Regular’s Favorites” section includes a rarely seen properly executed, beef Stroganoff with lightly dusted sand dabs and mashed potatoes whipped to order. Yours truly was particularly impressed with the lightly crusted New York Strip, that was both elegantly
February 5 – 18, 2015
Continued on page 17.
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Sponsored by:
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
February 5 – 18, 2015
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Carlos Or tega. Courtesy Photo.
The Art of Curating is on Display at The
MOLAA
By Andrea Serna, Arts and Culture Writer
T
February 5 – 18, 2015
Independent And Free.
he Museum of Latin American Art is displaying Transformations, an exhibition that visually portrays the inspiring, life-changing stories of five community members. It showcases the museum’s permanent collection in a fresh and inspired way. The exhibition is the creation of the museum’s Curator of Collections, Carlos Ortega. What is curating? In today’s culture anyone can put up a Pinterest page and be a curator. You can load music on your iPod and present it as a curated project. The popular belief is that curating is “choosing” things to put together. However, Ortega has put many years and much thought into curating an exhibit that engages and interacts with museum visitors, as well as the participants who are the subject of the exhibition. Collaborating with the curator, five participants selected artwork from the museum’s collection that they believed best depicted their lives, both before and after life-changing events. Their stories explore the durability of the human spirit in the face of extremely complex human experiences.
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They range from topics dealing with cancer to gang violence. Each participant curated the art that expressed their own personal journey of illness, abandonment, gang life or imprisonment. The installation is a bold step for the museum. Rather than admiring art on the walls, visitors are invited into an experiential space, where moving stories are told utilizing fine art, video and ephemera from the participant’s lives. “Transformations is a new kind of exhibition because it shifts from art exhibitions that are artifact focused,” Ortega said. “Art is presented to the viewer as if art should tell you the stories - art for the sake of art - to art exhibitions where the art is relegated to the background. Human beings are the focus of the story. The art is just a tool to better convey the story.” Each step into the exhibition was planned to invite the visitor to share the plights and conquests, as well as to explore the visitors own transformation in the process. Ortega has had many years to prepare for his Continued on next page.
first major exhibition. A graduate of museum studies at University of Leicester, he completed his master’s thesis on the topic of rest areas in the museum. He arrived to the United States in 2003 to serve an internship at the Museum of Latin American Art. His career has taken many turns, but he returned to the museum in 2014 to secure a position in the collections department. “I was always fascinated by theme parks and how they handle masses of visitors,” Ortega said. “I wanted to see how we could make the visitor more at home in the museum environment. In this time of technology, when we are all
by many of the participants as well as Carter’s ‘weave’ paintings, which reflect weaving together cultures and individuals. Blanket colors represent typical colors used in several regions in Mexico. “We were striving for the concept of unity by using different elements from different areas,” Ortega said. A fireplace surrounded by home furnishings provides a comfortable lounge for visitors. “Since prehistoric time, human beings have gathered around the fire to share stories,” he said. “Maybe now the TV has taken the place of the
Courtesy Photo.
The installation is a bold step for the museum.
Something’s Funny at the Warner Grand Enjoy an evening with some of the funniest standup comedians in LA, as they put on “Something’s Funny,” a monthly comedy show, starting at 7:30 p.m., at the Warner Grand Details: (310) 548-2493 Venue: The Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Rose’s Pawn Shop Rose’s Pawn Shop, armed with an arsenal of guitars, banjo, thumping upright bass, fiddle and drums, is scheduled to perform, at 8 p.m. Feb. 14, at The Grand Annex. Details: (310) 833-4813 Venue: The Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Atomic ‘80s Retro Dance Party Throw it back to the ‘80s with a retro dance party, starting at 10 p.m. Feb. 6, at the Alpine Village. The event will feature ‘80s DJs, retro projections and drink specials. Details: (310) 327-4384 Venue: Alpine Village Location: 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance
Community/Family
FEBRUARY 7
Walfredo Reyes Jr. & Wally World Renowned percussionist, Walfredo Reyes Jr., is scheduled to perform with his band, Wally World, at 7 p.m. Feb. 7, at Alvas Showroom. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro A Wailing of Town Fundraiser at Harold’s This show is a fundraiser for Craig Ibarra’s self published work, “A Wailing of a Town: An Oral History of Early San Pedro Punk and More 19771985.” Crazy talent and even crazier legends will be performing. The lineup includes, Under the Son at 6 p.m., Mike Watt and the Secondmen at 7 p.m., San Pedro Slim at 8 p.m., Toys that Kill at 9 p.m., and Fartbarf, who will be up at 10 p.m. Details: (310) 832-5503 Venue: Harold’s Place Location: 1908 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
FEBRUARY 8
Allant Trio The Allant Trio is scheduled to perform, at 2 p.m. Feb. 8, at Rolling Hills Methodist Church. Details: (310) 316-5574; www.AllantTrio.com Venue: Rolling Hills United Methodist Church Location: 26438 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates Fred Schreuders Band Los Angeles-based guitarist Fred Schreuders and his band are scheduled to perform, at 6 p.m. Feb. 8, at the Alvas Showroom. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Bob Malone Los Angeles-based piano man Bob Malone is scheduled to perform, at 8 p.m. Feb. 8, at The Grand Annex for a live recorded concert. Expect theatrical stage antics, electrifying tunes, some bright lights and an amazing night of Malone’s signature rockin’ blues. Details: (310) 833-4813 Venue: The Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
FEBRUARY 13
Hexes for Exes Industrial Music Festival Club Berlin and Alpine Village will host “Hexes for Exes,” an industrial music festival featuring eight artists and five DJs, starting at 9 p.m. Feb. 13. Details: (310) 327-4384 Venue: Club Berlin at Alpine Village Location: 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance
FEBRUARY 14
Dancing for a Cure Alpine Village will host “Dancing for a Cure,” a fundraiser for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 14, the event will feature live music, dancing and a buffet dinner. Details: (310) 753-7842 or (310) 850-4991 Venue: Alpine Village Location: 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance Valentine’s Day at Seabird Jazz Lounge Bring your special someone to an evening of live music, food and fun, starting at 7 p.m. Feb. 14,
FEBRUARY 5
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth Coming to Long Beach The Queen Mary will be hosting its “niece” ship, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, starting at 10 a.m. Feb. 5. Enjoy a daylong series of events and activities to celebrate the unprecedented meeting of the ships. Public guests are invited to come aboard for special tours, discounted attractions, and live entertainment. Details: (877) 342-0738 Venue: The Queen Mary Location: 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach
February 6
The Golden Shore – California’s Love Affair with the Sea Cabrillo Marine Aquarium invites you to meet David Helvarg, author and executive director of the Blue Frontier, at the Discovery Lecture Series, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 6. In recounting his discoveries researching The Golden Shore, his critically acclaimed book on how California is defined by the Pacific, Helvarg will share the amazing history, culture and changing nature of the California coast and ocean. Lecture is free. RSVP. Details: (310) 548-7562; lecture@cmaqua.org Venue: John M. Olguin Auditorium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro Marymount Alumni Happy Hour Marymount alumni are invited to attend the Second Annual Alumni Happy Hour, starting at 5 p.m. Feb. 6, at the Ports O’Call Waterfront Restaurant. RSVP is required. Details: (310) 303-7223 Venue: Ports O’Call Waterfront Dining Location: 1200 Nagoya Way, San Pedro First Fridays Mardi Gras Enjoy the Mardi Gras parade, the Black History Month celebration and all the usual art, music and more starting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6. Details: (562) 595-0081; www.FirstFridaysLongBeach.com Venue: Bixby Knolls Neighborhood Location: Atlantic Ave. between Bixby Rd. and San Antonio Dr.
February 7
Festival de Amigos/Friend Fest Enjoy a day of live music, dancing, art and much more, starting at 1 p.m. Feb. 7, at Drake Park in Long Beach. Details: (562) 270-4352 Venue: Drake Park Location: 951 Maine Ave., Long Beach Marymount California University Family Day All students and their families are invited to spend a day on campus and experience the spirit of Marymount California University, starting at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 7. Details: (310) 303-7627; www.MarymountCalifornia.edu Venue: Oceanview Campus Location: 30800 Palos Verdes Dr. East, Rancho Palos Verdes
February 8
South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society Paul Klaassen, of Wiltshire, UK, will present “FOG,” a program on fog deserts visited in Chile, Baja California and Namibia, focusing on the spectacular and unusual succulent plants that grow there, starting at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8, at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Calendar continued on page 16.
February 5 – 18, 2015
fireplace, but this is a familiar place where people can share their own stories.” In an effort to select a diverse group of participants for the exhibition, a call was put out to museum members and more than 80 nonprofits in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. More than 50 applications were received, from which a curatorial team selected the participants. To illustrate their transformative event, participants were initially asked to choose as many pieces as they wanted from a selection of 250 works of art from the museum’s collection. Ortega then narrowed the final exhibition choices down to a maximum of 10 works per participant. Partner COTU Media interviewed each participant on video. Stunning photo portraits by Mick Victor filled the gallery walls. The videos and portraits, along with art from the permanent collection allowed each participant to tell their own story. Many tears were seen as visitors viewed the moving exhibition at the opening reception. As we near the 20th anniversary of the museum’s founding, it is good to remember the original museum curator, a physician who envisioned a museum filled with healing art. Dr. Robert Gumbiner gathered a collection of art for his medical offices, which was eventually “transformed” into the Museum of Latin American Art. “My father originally established a Latin American art gallery inside the [Family Health Partners] Senior Center, which was located in the building that is now MOLAA,” said Burke Gumbiner, MOLAA board president. “He did this because he believed art could help people heal.” Transformations will be on exhibition through May 17 at the Museum of Latin American Art. Details: www.molaa.org Venue: Museum of Latin American Art Location: 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
FEBRUARY 6
at Seabird Jazz Lounge.
Details: (562) 432-5240 or (562) 522-8488 Venue: Seabird Jazz Lounge Location: 730 E. Broadway, Long Beach
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
supposedly connected electronically, it seems that we have less and less connections.” An early inspiration for the curator was at the Tate Museum, where he found an actual play area, furnished with toys for visitors. The space provided an area where they could rest and re-energize for short periods during a long day of art viewing. Another exhibit at the Bronx Museum made a huge impression on the curator. The exhibit, Manicurated was created by Judi Werthein. Werthein selected 10 paintings from the museum’s collection to turn into nail decals. A nail salon was installed in the museum’s permanent collection gallery and visitors were invited to receive free manicures by professional manicurists. Participants selected the photographic reproductions of the selected works to be painted on their fingernails. The artworks were literally placed in the hands of the Bronx community. “In my view, I had a concept,” Ortega said. “I was designing and developing it by grabbing talents from people around me. I was putting all that talent together and passing it through my filter. Maybe passing it through my filter is curating?” In a press release, Stuart Ashman, the museum’s president and CEO stated, “Carlos Ortega, our curator of collections came up with a socially relevant exhibition concept that allows members of the community to use our permanent collection in a unique way – to illuminate their personal stories – while inspiring visitors to share their own stories.” Long Beach conceptual artist Kendell Carter was invited to create the entry space to the powerful exhibit. He wanted to include elements of all the participants. Many components of the entry space reflect the participants in the exhibit. Carter has had solo exhibits at the Hammer Museum, Laguna Art Museum and Mark Moore Gallery, as well as many others. The rest area is furnished with pieces created
Entertainment
15
Continued from page 11.
Calendar from page 15. Verdes Peninsula. Details: www.southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden Location: 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula
February 10
Greece: The Road Taken Bruce Schwartz’s film will play at 7 p.m. Feb. 10, at the Grand Annex in San Pedro. The film will be followed by a Q-and-A with the filmmaker and editor. Details: (310) 833-4813; www.GreeceRoadTaken. com Venue: The Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
February 14
Gregorio Luke’s The Art of Love Don’t miss the most romantic show in town. The show includes aphrodisiac heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts and wine, live music and Gregorio Luke’s presentation on love and eroticism. Tickets are $55. Details: (562) 912-7183, http://www.flavorus.com/ event/The-Art-of-Love/283486 Venue: Casa Moraga Location: 4400 Cerritos Ave., Long Beach Tidepool Wonders Bring family and friends to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s John M. Olguin Auditorium, starting at 11 a.m. Feb. 14 or 12 p.m. Feb. 15, for an informative slide show, followed by a walk led by the aquarium education staff to the nearby Point Fermin tide pools where you can explore some excellent low tides on the rocky shore. Details: (310) 548-7562; www.CabrilloMarineAquarium.org Venue: John M. Olguin Auditorium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro
Independent And Free.
Salt Marsh Open House Join Cabrillo Marine Aquarium educators and Coastal Park Naturalists, from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 14, as they help uncover the world of mud and water that is our local wetland at Salinas de San Pedro Salt Marsh. Details: (310) 548-7562; www.CabrilloMarineAquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro Sweetheart Sail Enjoy a magical evening aboard Los Angeles’ Official Tall Ships as you sail the Los Angeles Harbor with your special someone, starting at 5 p.m. Feb. 14. Details: (310) 833-6055 Venue: Ports O’Call Village Location: Berth 78 in the Ports O’Call Village
Theater/Film February 7
Wendy Whelan Wendy Whelan performs, at 8 p.m. Feb. 7, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. Restless Creature is a collaboration with choreographers Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo to create a suite of elegant and thrilling duets. Details: (562) 985-7000; www.CarpenterArts.org Venue: Carpenter Performing Arts Center Location: 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach
February 5 – 18, 2015
February 8
16
Tuskegee Airmen Screening on USS Iowa Battleship IOWA will be hosting a free movie screening of Tuskegee Airmen at 5:30 p.m. Friends and family are invited to come view this film as they sit under the stars looking over the beautiful LA Waterfront. Seating is first come, first serve. Personal chairs and blankets are welcome. Please no outside food or beverages. Concessions will be sold. From 5-5:30 p.m., Lt. Col. Robert Friend (Ret.), one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, will be here for a brief question and answer session. Details: www.pacificbattleshipcenter.com Venue: USS Iowa Location: 5th and Harbor, San Pedro AKA Doc Pomus Watch AKA Doc Pomus, starting at 8 p.m. Feb. 8, a the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.
Doc Pomus was the most unlikely of rock ‘n’ roll icons. Paralyzed with polio as a child, Brooklynborn Jerome Felder reinvented himself first as a blues singer, renaming himself Doc Pomus, then as a songwriter, creating some of the greatest hits of the early rock and roll era: “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and a thousand others. Details: (310) 833-4813 Venue: Warner Grand Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Vital Emcee
February 14
AACTFest 2015 The Playhouse is excited and honored to host American Association of Community Theatre’s Festival 2015, Feb. 14, at the Long Beach Playhouse. Up to four competing theaters will compete with 60-minute performances to be performed, adjudicated and awarded the same day. The winning theatre will go onto regional competitions. Details: (562) 494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse Location: 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach Murder on the Nile Witness the Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile, through Feb. 14, at the Long Beach Playhouse. In this classic by the modern mistress of mystery, we travel through the Dark Continent along with master sleuth, Canon Pennefather, as he uncovers an audacious conspiracy and brings the criminals to justice. Passion, jealousy, infidelity and murder make this a honeymoon cruise you will not soon forget. Details: (562) 494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse Location: 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
February 18
End of the Rainbow Peter Quilter’s savagely funny, tour de force musical drama about the final days of Judy Garland’s life takes place, Feb. 18 through March 15, at International City Theatre in Long Beach. The play features some of her most memorable songs including “The Man That Got Away,” “Come Rain Or Come Shine,” “The Trolley Song” and, of course, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” Cost is $34 to $54. Details: (562) 436-4610; www.InternationalCityTheatre.org Venue: International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center Location: 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
Art February 6
Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow Come out and participate in this three-day celebration of black history, from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 6, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 7 and 8, at the Expo Arts Center in Long Beach. These events feature The Forgotten Images Collection, the Mamie Hansberry Art Collection, Civil Rights Era Long Beach women in Breaking Through, Lighting the Way, Duke Givens’ photo exhibit, Power of Choice, and music by Charles Julian Fearing and Sweet Baby J’ai. Details: www.andystreetlb.org Venue: Expo Arts Center Location: 4321 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach
February 8
Gettin’ Off the Ground’s The opening reception for Gettin’ Off the Ground’s is, from 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 8, at Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro. The exhibit explores the stories of veterans and military families. Details: www.angelsgateart.org Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center Location: 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro
February 16
Artistic Adventure Artistic Adventure, opens Feb. 16 and continues through March 29. An opening reception is scheduled, from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 28. Artists Joyce Walsh, Beverly Holman and Don Cocker will be featured. Details: (310) 265-2592; www.artists-studiopvac.com Venue: Artists’ Studio Gallery Location: 5400 Crestridge Rd., Rolling Hills Estates
Courtesy Photo.
times, the cosmos, or the end of times. His gift is in bringing all that together with the culture of present day life while provoking thought. “It takes a lot more these days to impress me within the hip-hop genre. Gay, straight, all that aside I walk around with tattoos but I don’t have any hip-hop tattoos. People may fault me for that, but I don’t care. I’m just trying to do me and I happen to like and have (tattoos of) Pink Floyd, Judas Priest, Elton John. I think it makes me better at what I do as a rapper and a lyricist. As part of a brand ambassador group for the liquor company Chivas Regal, Vital has been touring cities in China since 2011. While in China this past May, he fell in love with an Aussie and moved to Australia. During this time, he was still coming to terms with Fag. Years ago, his producer pushed him to come out, but he needed be ready and seriously consider what he wanted to say. Travelling helped him find the confidence. With this project he realized he was going to do something uncomfortable, so he wanted it to be provocative. “It actually scares me how real I’m about to keep it.” Vital said. “I’m trying to put it in front of people’s eyes as best as I can. I’m still making it (the album) free and accessible too.” One song that grabs attention is “Hate Crime,” which is about a young gay man who commits suicide. “Even though I’m rapping over somebody else’s beat, that was my purpose,” Vital said. “It had that vibe, and every time I heard it, I just heard a tragic story over it.” On “State of the Union,” Vital uses the Elton John sample from “Ghetto Gospel.” The sample is also in the posthumous Tupac Shakur song, which Eminem also recorded and produced. Vital feels people can judge him on his skill, straight or gay. He wanted to get that “Ghetto Gospel” beat he loves and wanted to do it his own way. Vital describes himself as a lone wolf in the cave. Coming from having a fan base with a family
of friends he was close to and then they all went their own way. “I’m a lone wolf and I just had to attack it,” he said. “This is my job, for myself. Let the chips fall where they may.” Vital explains that for someone with mainstream sensibilities, this mixtape makes some heavy statements. The initial reaction might be that he is trying to capitalize on gayness without being gay. A few years ago, rapper Lil B, came out with a record called, I’m Gay, but he is straight. Vital said he went one higher, using a derogatory term. He is not trying to force gay rights, he just expects the stereotype to be broken. To do that he plays into stereotypes by doing certain things that rappers are not supposed to get away with, like wearing lipstick on his album cover. The difference for Vital is that he is an artist who happens to be gay. He has always been theatrical and that is his impetus for shaking things up in hip-hop. “It’s where I come from,” Vital said. “I know how rap music is, what hip-hop is like and I’m still choosing to do this. Fag stands for “Free of All Guilt,” because I’m finally making peace with it. That was the hardest thing to make peace with within this genre, especially one as ignorant and misogynistic as rap can be. Now people are more socially conscious and open minded, like Macklemore. This couldn’t have happened in the ‘90s.” Vital is working on a new website, www. vitalemceeonline.com, which should be up within weeks. This mixtape is for hip-hop fans, those are Vital’s roots. He wants to bridge the distance in music between pop sensibilities and aggressive street sensibilities. He wants people who think hip hop is trash to find an aesthetic beauty in it and to be part of the catalyst that sets the change. “I have been silent for so long,” Vital said. “This album is going to be my volcano about to erupt.”
It actually scares me how real I’m about to keep it.
Continued from page 12.
Sonny’s BisTRo
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
plated and seasoned to perfection. to highlight the evening. He plans to serve items Sonny and Carly Ramirez are the husband that are easy to eat in front of a date; no spaghetti and wife team behind Sonny’s Bistro, which with messy sauces or lobster shells flying across they opened this past April to complement their the table that could end up on your lap. thriving Think Café, in downtown San Pedro on One last thing - a successful Valentine’s 5th Street. The couple met 12 years ago, while Day date wouldn’t be the same without a perfect Sonny was working at Think Cafe. As their dessert to bring the evening to a close. So, don’t relationship blossomed, so did their like–minded even think about leaving without ordering business interests. the Tiramisu. I don’t The couple now typically order dessert, own both successful that dish was a Sonny sources most of his but restaurants. What game changer. sets them apart from Gina Ruccione is produce from local farmers most restaurateurs is a fearless blogger and markets, and regularly sprinkles self-proclaimed food that they both still fully operate their updated seasonal additions to critic. She has traveled restaurants. Sonny all over Europe and the menu. still works in the Asia, lived in almost kitchen while Carly every nook of Los attends the front of the Angeles County and house. It is that sort of work ethic and attention has worked in some rare form of finance or to detail that makes them so successful. fashion her whole adult life. When she’s not It’s not hard to find a good steak or a rummaging through recipes, she’s spends her days properly cooked piece of salmon. Most of the working for a non-profit in Orange County. You time it’s the service and experience that people can visit her blog at foodfashionfoolishfornication. remember. Sonny’s staff exudes his “eagerness blogspot.com. to please” attitude. Too many restaurants fail at ensuring that their staff consistently practices this level of service. “If a customer wants an omelet at 8 p.m. on a Thursday night for dinner, I’ll make it,” he says. “If a customer wants something added to a dish and I don’t have ingredients, I’ll go to Vons and pick it up.” Sonny’s attention to detail is also quite impressive. Like other great chefs, who own their own restaurants, Sonny sources most of his produce from local farmers markets and regularly sprinkles updated seasonal additions to the menu. The most recent time I visited Sonny’s Bistro, he incorporated bamboo shoots into my vegetable medley, lending a fresh and inspired take on an often routine and monotonous side dish. He also hand selects and preps all of his meat and fish daily. That is unheard of in most restaurants, which typically rely on larger, more prominent food purveyors. Best of all for those still on the fence about where to go for Valentine’s Day, just remember that Sonny’s Bistro has no preset Valentine’s Day menu, a tactic some restaurants turn to jack up the prices for a limited selection. Sonny doesn’t want to limit his regular customers’ options or gouge those enjoying a rare night out. Expect to see some thoughtful, well-curated specials
February 5 – 18, 2015
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES/LEGAL FILINGS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014342227 The following person is doing business as: Acuspeed, 1218 W. 14th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Diane Beccerra, 1218 W. 14th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Diane Beccerra, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 2014. 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. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 12/23/2014, 01/08/2015,
01/22/2015, 2/5/2015
02/5/2015, 02/19/2015
any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 12/23/2014, 01/08/2015,
01/22/2015, 2/5/2015
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014347807 The following person is doing business as: Ink Pad, 14057 Arthur Ave., Paramount, CA 90723, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Raymond M. Hoskins, 14057 Arthur Ave., Paramount, CA 90723. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Raymond M. Hoskins, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 10, 2014. 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. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 12/23/2014, 01/08/2015,
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2015020269 The following person is doing business as: Land’s End Properties, 716 S. Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Land’s End Properties Inc., 716 S. Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by a corporation. The date
registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above:10/27/14. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. R. Clinton Miller, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2015. 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. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 02/05/2015, 02/19/2015,
03/05/2015, 03/19/2015
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014357036 The following person is doing busi-
ness as: Windslor Business Syndicate, 572 W. 39th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Tonali Windslor, 572 W. 39th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above:12/19/14. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Tonali Windslor, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2015. 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. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 02/05/2015, 02/19/2015,
03/05/2015, 03/19/2015
01/22/2015, 2/5/2015
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014355231 The following person is doing business as: Harbor Area Farmers Markets, 759 Linden Ave., Long Beach, Ca 90813. Los Angeles County. Article of Incorporation# C033782. Registered owners: South Coast Interfaith Council , 759 Linden Ave., Long Beach, Ca 90813. This Business is conducted by a corporation. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: July 4, 1980. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014347808 The following person is doing business as: Mae Jacquet Publishing, 1337 W. 9th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County.Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5187, San Pedro, CA 90733. Registered owners: Wilson N. Simmons III, 1337 W. 9th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Wilson N. Simmons III, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 10, 2014. 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. were to expires 40 days after
of a crime.) S/.Dale Whitney, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 18, 2014. 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. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 01/08/2015, 01/22/2015,
February 5 - 18, 2015
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February 5 - 18, 2015
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