Sartyrs and the Long Road to Equality pg. 2 POLA Approves Extension of Ports O’ Call Negotiations pg. 3
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Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band Comes to Alva’s pg. 14
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
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May 16 - 29, 2014
Harold Greene: Piece By Piece/ to p. 4
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Artisan and woodworker Harold Greene in the San Pedro warehouse where he built the furniture that will mark the “town square” at the foot of 5th Street. Photo by Terelle Jerricks.
he Port of Los Angeles is close to finishing what’s billed as the modern town square on Fifth Street at Harbor Boulevard. The square is scheduled for completion before the Tall Ships Festival in August. On May 8 and 9, artisan woodworker Harold Greene installed four large tables at the town square by the harbor. “AECOM, the architectural design firm that hired me, wanted a communal type of seating and they wanted tables that could seat many people,” explained Greene, as he prepared to move the tables to the plaza. “I came up with several concepts, but this is the one they chose.” The tables are 21 feet long and they are roughly 8 feet wide. Each table has square holes that are affixed atop 3 foot columns bolted firmly into the ground and each table is complemented with eight benches. So perceivably 24 people can be seated at a single table. To complete his latest work, the port allowed him to use one of the old compressed cotton warehouses on Berth 57. This is one of the warehouses from Berths 56 to 60, where the future marine science research center, AltaSea, is to be built. But right now, the entire dock on the East Channel is quiet. And, in the cavernous Berth 57 warehouse, Greene only hears the beating of wings of this harbor’s various bird species. Sunlight filters through the upper windows. Spanning the length of a football field, Greene rides his bike from one end of the warehouse to the other to get to the restroom. Greene’s 35-plus years of experience transforming wood into furniture is visible on his hands—rough from processing and handling wood varieties of all types and ashened from sawdust. From the very beginning, this project was a labor of love. Greene’s sons, Harold, 31, and Marcus, 24, assisted in the milling, sanding, fabricating and assembly of the wood. Interestingly enough, both sons are following their father’s footsteps in their own ways. Marcus is graduating with bachelor of fine art degree from California State University Long Beach, while Harold is graduating with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and natural science. Greene, in his wide experience as a woodworker, musician and composer, happened to enjoy studying all of the above when he was growing up. At 1,000 pounds each, their sheer size required Greene to build an apparatus that would hold the tables off the ground and rotate them, like a rotisserie chicken with minimal effort. Even with the special rigging,
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Rumble: Riding the Long Road to Equality By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor
May 16 - 29, 2014
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Walk into a gay bar these days and you are likely to see men greeting each other with a hug and a kiss. Not unlike, any other bar, people mingle and freely flirt with one another over drinks and music. But it wasn’t always that way. “You’d walk in, you’d see people and maybe you’d nod to them,” said 69-year-old Riley Black, about his experience in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “Unless, you knew someone and if they introduced you to someone else, you wouldn’t just walk up and hit on someone, because you didn’t know if it was an undercover cop.” Black lived in a time where gay men were not even allowed to touch at bars. Bars were frequently raided. Police officers would come, beat their night sticks on the bar, order that the bartenders turn the music off and turn on the lights. Then, they’d have everyone get against the wall. “They would just start, ‘Well, we’ve gotta count heads to see if you are over fire capacity,’” Black recalled. As people would go out the door, someone would stand at the door, and maybe every fourth one or every fifth one, they’d say, “You, lewd conduct.”
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“It was your word against the cop,” Black said. “Your name would end up being in the paper and they would call your employer. People lost jobs…. I was in bars when they came in and did that. Fortunately, it wasn’t my number [they] called.” But in 1969, he found a retreat from the harassment that gays endured all too frequently. A group of motorcycle riders opened their arms and a whole new world opened up to him. Members enjoyed camping trips and bike runs together away from the bar scene. “I liked camping. I liked being around the guys and just the camaraderie of it,” he said. Today, Black is the president of the Satyrs Motorcycle Club, the oldest, continually existing gay men’s group in the United States. The Satyrs Motorcycle Club formed in 1954. Former military men from Long Beach and Los Angeles formed the club at the peak of Sen. Joe McCarthy’s “unAmerican activities” hearings—a witch hunt for Communists and homosexuals. Prior to these men coming back from active military duty, the only gay organizations that existed were the Society for Human Rights, founded in 1924, and the communist, Los Angelesbased Mattachine Society, formed in 1950. When the Satyrs formed they didn’t want to
Sartyrs Motorcycle Club circa 1970s. Courtesy of Sartyrs Motorcycle Club
be linked to Communism. There were no rules; there were no uniforms. Bikers were just bikers and few people knew they were a gay motorcycle club by just seeing them. “There were no rules in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” said past-president Garry Bowie, about the fashion of the time. “These were guys who were just out of the military…. They created their world.” To the Satyrs and the other motorcycle clubs that sprung up after them, being a part of a motorcycle club was just another way to bond with other men, while embracing their masculinity. “It’s a brotherhood,” said Bowie, 53. “For us, it’s about bonding with like-minded men, who appreciate motorcycles, No.1, and No. 2, we get along because we’ve become family, like the military or like the Marine Corp. And, once you become a member you are sort of a member for life… It’s a special bond that happens.” That is why joining the club is like joining a family: gradual. People who join the club are usually people who go to the Satyrs events, such as their big summer camping run, Badger Flat Run. If a guy is willing to partake in the labor of being a Satyr, someone will sponsor the guy and tell them what it takes to be a member. Then,
members have a secret vote and during a public event the member will put a vest on the new member and say, “Welcome to the club, you are now a Satyr.” “You can’t get a free ride,” said Bowie, a member since 1999. “You got to contribute to the club as a member… We are looking for people who become family, people who pitch in together, people who bond together.” Badger, for example, is a group effort. Members put in the labor in planning, building the campground, chop wood, set up their shower system, set up their industrial cooking ovens, contests, entertainment and food. The club is presenting a photo and memorabilia exhibit entitled Rumble: The Long Road to Equality, throughout the month of May. The exhibit, of which much of the collection belonged to Black, will take visitors on a ride through the leather-clad motorcycle history of gay men in their journey toward civil rights and the influence of Los Angeles and Long Beach on gay culture, leather fashion and motorcycle clubs. The displays showcase archived photos, video, documents, audio recording, uniforms and artifacts from dissolved groups and the existing motorcycle clubs, while examining pre-Stonewall gay rebellions against police brutality, the AIDS epidemic, gay culture and politics. “It’s important [to know that] if we don’t realize where we travelled the long road toward equality, the pendulum always swings,” said Bowie, who came up with the idea of the exhibit and helped with archiving and curating Rumble. “We can end up going backwards with our equality…. If we don’t realize what these went men went through, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.” After the club’s official 60th anniversary Nov. 29, the Satyrs will hand over the archived and curated collection to the ONE Archives Foundation at USC Libraries. Rumble is on exhibit through May 31, at the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach, 727 Pine Ave., Long Beach. Admission is $3 and $5. Details: www.rumblela.info
Port Approves Extension of Ports O’Call Redevelopment Negotiations By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
At its regular meeting on May 1, the Port of Los Angeles board gave the go-ahead to continued negotiations for the redevelopment of the Ports O’Call Village site. Specifically, the board approved the Second Amendment to the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement between the POLA and the LA Waterfront Alliance, extending the current term to 30 days, with additional optional 30-day extensions not to exceed a total of 180 days (through Nov. 4), that essentially gave POLA’s executive director firm control of the process, while still supporting its continuation. The original agreement was for 240 days, plus a 120-day extension, at the discretion of the executive director. The POLA board approved the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement First
Amendment, extending the term for 60 days, on March 6, expiring May 8. Despite some rumblings in the community, there was virtually no community testimony. Ironically, former POLA Board President Nick Tonsich gave a rather rambling comment, disparaging the role of public participation in reference to his time in office and earlier stages in waterfront development. He finally arrived at making some sort of point at the 3-minute mark, saying, “at the end of the day, all the public input didn’t result in anything productive.” He was fortunate there was no one there to jeer him. After a brief statement of support from Tommy Faavae, representing Local 11 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
another round of disparaging remarks came from John Papadakis. Papadakis was doing his best to pour cold water on the project and the developers, rather than the community. For some weird reason, he began by disavowing any connection to Donald Sterling, adding that Sterling wasn’t Greek. He then savagely disparaged the development team, saying, “I believe that the delays are the function of an empty-handed and unprepared developer, who will not play by the landlord’s rules.” That was an apparent reference to the developer’s failure to produce a financial feasibility analysis, which the port now proposes to take on itself. He did, however, make a bizarre comparison to the wildly over-budget TraPac terminal expansion.
SP Girl Scouts Honored with Awards
other mentors,” said Yvonne Schueller, service unit manager for San Pedro Girl Scouts. “These girls take on very time-consuming projects while they’re excelling in high school and are involved in lots of other things.” While not nearly as instantly recognized as the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Award, the Gold Award is no less impressive. It can be an edge on college applications and in job interviews. The award has had several names since its beginning as the Golden Eagle of Merit in 1916. It has been called the Gold Back row: Minh Tam Nguyen, Malia Wakinekona, Katie Holcomb. Award since 1980. Middle Row: Nicolette Barraza, Carli Wightman, Bella Ferrigno, Victoria Vitalich, Nicole Braman, Samantha Marino, Josie Morgan, The projects represented Corin Sowers. Front Row: Nichole Cvitanovich, Mindy Marasigan, in this year’s bumper crop of Belisaria Sidener-Mercado, Joeyann Solorio Scouts not shown but Gold Awards are as varied and earned Gold awards were Caroline Skubik and Lisa Hachmann. unique as the girls themselves. Photo courtesy of Ambassador Troop 6235. Many of the projects involved Scout Eagle Award, The Girl Scout Gold Award teaching to younger children, and addressed is earned by a scout in high school who has such issues as bullying, cultural diversity, local undertaken a project requiring at least 80 hours history, character and self-esteem, and promoting of her time. The project is required to answer athletics. The 15 Girl Scouts earning their Gold a need, show leadership and be sustainable. On this year logged more then 1,400 hours of average, only 5 to 6 percent of all Girl Scouts service. In addition to service projects that earn earn the award. “The sheer number of girls we’re honoring awards, Girl Scouts are serving the community this year is testament to the dedication of not in a variety of ways. Email SPGS@cox.net for only the girls, but of their leaders, parents and details on the Girl Scouts in San Pedro.
Harbor Area Hands Across the Sand The 5th Annual Hands Across the Sand event will take place, from 10 to 1 p.m. May 17, at the Wilmington Waterfront Park and at Long Beach Cherry Beach. The event will kick off with workshops at 10 a.m. and holding hands will take place at 12 p.m. in Wilmington. The groups are meeting in solidarity to voice their opposition to dirty fossil fuels. Details: (310) 303-7950, (323) 350-0873 Venue: Wilmington Waterfront Park; Long Beach Cherry Beach Location: 326 King Ave., Wilmington; Junipero at Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach San Pedro Democratic Club Meeting The San Pedro Democratic Club meets, at 7 p.m. May 19, at The Whale & Ale. The program will feature Shari Weaver, the director of Family Resources at Harbor Interfaith Services in San Pedro. She will discuss homelessness. Venue: The Whale & Ale Location: 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro POLA to Award $1 Million in Community Grants The Port of Los Angeles will make $1 million in non-taxpayer funded community grants to support initiatives, programs and benefit Los Angeles Harbor communities. The newly streamlined fiscal year 2014-15 Community Investment Grant Program combines the POLA community grantmaking into one program. Grant applications are due at 5 p.m. June 2. Grant awards will focus on initiatives that benefit the local community and help promote POLA’s goals that are related to international trade, environment and sustainability, and public safety and security. POLA also will look for programs that promote the LA Waterfront and surrounding areas, as well as ideas that highlight the area’s maritime history and traditions. Funding for the 2014-15 fiscal year will be available in three categories: small grants under $5,000 (up to $75,000); medium grants between $5,000 and $99,000 (up to $125,000); and large grants of more than $100,000 (up to $800,000). Details: http://tinyurl.com/POLAGrantApp The Long Beach Opera Needs Volunteers The Long Beach Opera is looking for volunteer ushers to assist at performances. Details: (562) 432-5934 Venue: Longbeachopera.org Community Announcements/ to p. 7
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By Sandy Smith, RLn Contributor On May 17, the San Pedro Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles will celebrate hundreds of hours of service to the community during its annual Metal Awards Ceremony at Peck Park. Girl Scouts who have earned their Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards will be honored. Girl Scouts throughout San Pedro are living up to the Girl Scout Law to “make the world a better place” by looking for needs within the community and acting upon them. Significant this year is the large number of Gold awardees, 15, most of them from a single troop. Most years see only two to three. The Metal Awards represent the highest service awards given at different levels to Girl Scouts who have undertaken significant service projects. For Girl Scouts at the Junior level (grades 4 and 5), the Bronze Award represents a project that took a minimum of 15 hours per Scout. This year’s awards represent projects that raised awareness on hunger and using resources wisely, to name just two. Cadette Girl Scouts in middle school who have planned and executed a 50-hour service project earned the Silver Award. This year, one of the Silver Award projects included making activity boxes for children at Miller Children’s Hospital. The Gold Award is the highest award that can be earned by a Girl Scout. On a par with the Boy
POC Extension/ to p. 5
Community Announcements:
May 16 - 29, 2014
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Harold Greene: Piece By Piece
May 16 - 29, 2014
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
seven man hours (seven men for an hour) is required to rotate a single table. Greene, Greene’s sons and his assistant Tom Lynch, made up more than half this crew. Local rigging company Tally-Ho provided the rigging to hoist the tables off the ground and provide added support for the midsection of the tables. There’s a lot of logistics involved in getting it done right and getting it done safely. Greene proposed several designs to the port, but the design chosen was the one in which the tables are shaped in a sort of zigzag pattern, with four benches on each side at every zag. Roughly 3,000 pieces are being assembled into 32 benches. The benches are of similar design as the tables. “You know, it will be comfortable,” Greene said, noting how the seats fashioned like scoops would perfectly cup each buttock. The 5-foot long benches should seat three people comfortably. “Each piece is really rounded at the top and so when you have several of these pieces together you can imagine they will be nice and rounded,” he said. Versatile in his artistry, Greene’s designs ranges from traditional Japanese and traditional early American to contemporary style. Though originally known for his work furnishing private homes, Greene has found himself creating works for the public to enjoy. Four years ago, he built and gifted two benches to Toberman Neighborhood Center for the work it has accomplished in the community throughout the years. In December 2013, Los Angeles installed two
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of his benches near the fisherman’s slip in San Pedro as part of the “Ghost Fish” installation. Generally, town plazas function as a community’s parlor room, where guests are made comfortable and at home. This is a place where light-hearted conversations are had, small games are played and snacks are enjoyed. The benches and tables are intended to act as accompaniment to the official art component entitled, “The Ship Chandler,” by Mark Dion. This artwork represents ship chandlers, referring to shops that sold nautical items for ships and boats along the waterfront in the early 1900s. Inside the chandler one can see old shipping artifacts. “It is designed to be viewed by peeking in, not entering the structure,” said Rachel Campbell, POLA media relations manager. With this conversation, this plaza becomes literally the hearth of a community. “This is a really interesting design and kind of fun,” Greene said. “People usually think of tables as a rectangular thing with four legs. But this is a completely different concept.” The hearth embodies the heart of a home and furniture, imbued with a family’s collective history and memory. Greene’s work attempts to imbue the town plaza furniture with San Pedro’s collective history and memory. For example, all of the wood in the inlays is wood that Greene salvaged from trees found around San Pedro. “These were already fallen trees or trees already cut down for various reasons, like from a house remodel, a street widening or windstorm blowing them over,” Greene explained. “I’ve
All of the table insets are inlayed with signal flags that spell out the names of significant figures in San Pedro history. In the top picture, the table is named for Capt. James J. Meyler. In bottom left photo, Harold Greene demonstrates how he created the flags. Bottom right photo, a shipwright’s wheel with workers finishing the plaza in the background in the direction of 5th Street and Harbor Boulevard. Photos by Terelle Jerricks
been collecting wood for many years, for over 30 years.” In his personal stash of wood, Greene has ash, walnut, melaleuca, carob, and kasha. After collecting the wood, he dyes them with vegetable dye. “And then, I cut all these pieces here,” he said. “They’re not painted. They are all individually assembled—individual pieces and then inlaid into the table. So its somewhat personal because this is wood from my own personal collection.” At each of the four corners, signal flags spell out POLA. But in the in-between spaces are the names of various figures important in the development of the Los Angeles Harbor, also spelled out in signal flags. “That was an old form of communication; before there were radios cell phones or anything like that,” Greene said. “So they would run these signal flags up and other ships in the area could discern the status of that ship.”
Greene noted that a lot of them happen to be street names, but real people nevertheless had real influence on the port back during the formation of this whole area. The tables are also in a rough chronological order. The first table bears the oldest significant name as it relates to the port, such as the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo on behalf of the Spanish empire, followed by explorer Sebastian Vizcaino. Noted writer Richard Dana Henry, William G. Kerckhoff, Capt. James J. Meyler also are included. The order ends at about 1945. The public will get to enjoy the new town plaza at the June 20 grand opening and again Aug. 1 when the port host its free movie night, featuring the 1980s smash film, Big. Preceded by family activities before the film, Harbor Area residents will have the chance to get comfortable and make the new town plaza feel like home. Details: http://portoflosangeles.org/
Beach Volleyball Comes to Naught After Dispute By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
he went to the San Pedro High School Boosters to sponsor the event and worked under the tacit assumption that he had their support. Pereyda said that the initial conflict over the tournament was over the scope of the event. Pereyda and Carter said that the organization of the event didn’t begin in earnest until the end of January 2014, when they began reaching out to the booster club. By April, Carter said permits from Los Angeles Recs and Parks had been secured and parking issues had been addressed. By the May 6 meeting, Carter had a flier and an agenda prepared for the booster club meeting, believing he was the only one presenting to the board that evening. Instead, he found his group was competing with Behar’s Digster 2014 San Pedro and Behar’s polished agenda and flier of his own, complete with logos of the City of Los Angeles and Coastal Neighborhood Council, alongside the San Pedro Booster club’s and his own ION Network logo. Dave Behar is the founder and chief executive officer of ION Network, a media company that specializes in creating original local content on cable stations and online. Behar has organized previous volleyball tournaments, particularly in the mid 2000s. Carter has previous experience organizing
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sense for us to own this product as this point, because it ensures that we have engagement… that we get everything we need out of this process,” Galvin said. When Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi asked if the port had ever done a feasibility study before, Galvin said there had never been one that was specifically limited to the Ports O’Call site. Commission Vice President David Arian then asked, “Didn’t the company do a feasibility study in the beginning?” Gavin responded that “it was a preliminary financial pro forma.” Commissioner Ed Renwick stepped in to clarify. “When someone presents you a financial model, the financial model has a set of assumptions, that drive returns,” Renwick explained. “The purpose of the feasibility study is to look at those assumptions and decide what’s reasonable. So, it’s a study on the underlying assumptions. “If the developer’s the only guy spending money, then they should pay for their feasibility study, but in a situation where we, the port, are spending a lot of money, I want us to know that the assumptions are right and plausible.... It’s better that we take care of it.” Pirozzi chimed in support of that line of thinking. “We have to make sure we don’t assume ourselves into the box.” he said. “Assumptions are sometimes the sharp end of the spear and what gets us into trouble... We just have to be very crisp on what they are, what they mean and how they impact the bottom line.” Interim Executive Director Gary Lee Moore stepped in to explain that multiple city entities were now involved—the Mayor’s Office, the city administrative officer, the Chief Legislative Analyst’s Office and Council District 15, as well as port staff.
“We’re all working together on this,” Moore said. “So you have many eyes looking and inputting to make sure that it’s well done on the scope of the feasibility study.” Sanfield elaborated further, for Random Lengths, “During the past 60-day extension period, the port has broadened its view on potential financing options for the projects infrastructure, including participation by other city departments,” he said. “As a result of the this broader approach, it is imperative that the project’s financial feasibility analysis comprehensively addresses all stakeholders concerns in their due diligence processes. “These developments have led the port to take responsibility for completing the financial feasibility analysis. Taking over this responsibility will ensure all parties within the city, including the port, receive the quantity and quality of information required to complete due diligence on the project proposed by the developer.” Ultimately, the board was satisfied and the amendment was passed without a dissenting vote. “Developments and updates regarding POC will be given to the Harbor Commission,” said Sanfield, looking forward. “Other than closed session discussion, all POC developments will be available to the public as the Harbor Commission is briefed and/or votes on POC issues.”
POC Extension
“You invested over $500 million in Trapac because you knew what you were going to get and the commerce that it would generate,” Papadakis said. “Can you say the same about this development opportunity?” Port staff apparently did not share his views. “During the first 60 day extension period granted by the First Amendment to the ENA, negotiations progressed as anticipated by the Port,” POLA spokesman Phillip Sanfield told Random Lengths. As detailed in staff’s written presentation, the developer had done much of what was required, completing due diligence for the site—”including a review of site conditions, structural adequacy, existing leaseholds, and financial information related to current operations.” The developer conducted two public outreach meetings and prepared a phased development concept for the site. The developer also employed a real estate services company “to solicit targeted retailers that would be complementary to a proposed anchor tenant.” While the port proposed to take over responsibility for the financial feasibility analysis, the developer would still have to produce required data and any other assistance to complete the analysis. The estimated cost would be $100,000, based on a bid the developer received. The financial feasibility analysis was a major topic of discussion by the board in considering the staff’s proposal. Mike Galvin, POLA’s director of special projects, made the staff presentation and explained the port’s thinking about taking over the analysis. “Because [of] the discussions we’ve had with the larger city family in the last 60 days regarding alternative financing, we think it makes a lot of
Volleyball Mess/to p. 10
May 16 - 29, 2014
del Mar not being address and the good work the committee has done so far. However, he makes no mention that his resignation had anything to do with the volleyball tournament. Nevertheless, the volleyball tournament issue goes back to this past year, when Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council voted to support the installation of two temporary volleyball courts, in addition to the three existing courts on the inner beach of Cabrillo Beach. Pereyda said Coastal’s Recreation and Parks committee began discussing the idea of hosting a volleyball tournament shortly after the board voted in favor of the volleyball court installation. Recs and Park committee members, including Frank Pereyda, Ed Pluemer and Scott Carter chose to not organize the event through the council and instead do it themselves with the sponsorship of the San Pedro High School Pirates Boosters club. Dave Behar was also a part of this committee. Subsequent Random Lengths interviews revealed there wasn’t much communication between the parties. Former Coastal board member Frank Pereyda said it was originally his idea. He resigned from the board not long after Behar’s involvement on the Recreation and Parks committee began after the board’s vote for the courts. In February 2014,
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The San Pedro Booster Club sponsored volleyball tournament, scheduled for June 28 is suppose to be a summer event filled with good, clean fun on Cabrillo Beach. Instead, it is just a mess. The proverbial mess that hit the fan occurred May 6, when the San Pedro High School Pirates Booster Club found itself having to choose between two volleyball tournament proposals: one from Frank Pereyda, Ed Pleumer and Scott Carter, and the other from Dave Behar. Pereyda’s group was under the impression that they were the only ones on the agenda. The booster club voted to work with Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council President Dave Behar’s proposal to produce the summer event. What followed were accusations being thrown, alleging co-opting of the event, the misappropriation of the City of Los Angeles logo on promotional fliers and members handing in resignations from Coastal’s Recreation and Parks committee in protest. And, over the past weekend, the San Pedro High School Pirates Booster club announced in a forwarded email that they were no longer sponsoring the event. Ed Pleumer resigned over the weekend in the wake of the fallout, but from his references to the discontinuation of the Max 246 bus on Paseo
windsurfing events, including this past year’s event at Cabrillo Beach in conjunction with the San Pedro Yacht Club. Pereyda’s and Carter’s group intended to donate all of the proceeds to the booster club. Behar’s Digster would have funneled all proceeds to the five-year-old nonprofit based in Hermosa Beach, Dig 4 Kids. Carter, who was in attendance at the May 6 meeting, said the board and Behar would work out the details to ensure that the event also benefited the booster club. According to the Coastal Neighborhood Council minutes, it doesn’t appear that the board ever discussed a volleyball tournament of any sort since the installation of the temporary courts. The Port of Los Angeles also denies ever sponsoring the event. Behar disputes the notion that any impropriety occurred and that the fliers he presented were for presentation purposes only. “These were some mockups that were done,” Behar said in a phone interview. Behar said he didn’t want to comment directly against the allegations, but noted that last year’s event was just a “test” event. He wouldn’t elaborate exactly on what that meant. However, this year’s and this past year’s event was listed on Behar’s website, www.highschoolvolleyball. com, along with a registration form. Behar described last year’s event as a test run rather than a fully organized and marketed event. He didn’t explain how last year’s test event would ostensibly differ from the event that would have happened on June 28. He credits the conflict to some committees sucking on sour grapes and suggested that Pereyda and Carter may have violated Brown Act laws. “They know what they did and where they went wrong. I’m just trying to do the right thing.
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Report: California’s Poor Pay the Most In Taxes By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
A
May 16 - 29, 2014
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
report from the California Budget Project showed that the state’s lowest-income households pay a disproportionately large share of their incomes in state and local taxes. “Who Pays Taxes in California?” released in advance of the April 15 Tax Day, showed those who can least afford it pay a bigger state and local income tax portion, particularly compared to the wealthiest households. “Having California’s wealthiest contribute a smaller share of income than the poorest is a case of upside-down tax policy,” said Chris Hoene, CBP executive director. “Our state needs a tax system that raises revenues fairly and effectively, and this means making sure that families contribute based on their ability to pay.” California is hardly alone in facing this problem. It’s a pattern that holds true throughout the United States, according to a recurrently updated report covering all the states, “Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States,” from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. It was updated most recently in early 2013. (CBP uses the institute’s data for its analysis as well.) In that report, even the jurisdictions with the fairest systems—Vermont, Delaware, New York, Oregon and the District of Columbia—were characterized as “least regressive,” rather than “most progressive.” And, for good reason: In every single one of them those in the bottom 20 percent still paid a higher tax rate than those in the top 1 percent, though in the District of Columbia, the difference was particularly small—6.3 percent for the top 1 percent, compared to 6.6 percent for the bottom 20 percent. By comparison, the national average showed the bottom 20 percent is paying 11.1 percent in state and local taxes, while the top 1 percent paid 5.6 percent. That is roughly half what the working poor paid. California has gotten less regressive, largely thanks to Proposition 30, passed in November 2012, but it’s still not in the top tier of states mentioned above. “Families who were in the bottom fifth of the income distribution in California— that have an average income of about $13,000—they pay 10.6 percent of their income in taxes,” said Luke Reidenbach, the CBP policy analyst who prepared the report. “Whereas, even with Proposition 30, the wealthiest households, with an income of $1.6 million, pay 8.8 percent of their income in taxes. So even if all these recent changes wealthiest contributors smaller share of their income in state and local taxes.” Reidenbach explained those changes. “The most significant change has been the recent passage of Proposition 30 in 2012, which did two things: first, it added temporary personal income tax on the very wealthiest Californians and it also temporarily increased sales tax,” Reidenbach said. “And, taking together for the end result of these two tax increases increase the share of income that the wealthiest Californians paid in taxes.” Compared to the institute’s 2009 report, we can see a modest improvement in fairness, although poor people are paying even more in taxes. In 2009, the lowestincome fifth paid 10.2 percent, compared to 7.4 percent for the top 1 percent. On the plus 6 side, this has allowed California to regain
its budget footing—something that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in typical GOP fashion, never managed to do. “California’s been dealing with crises and budget cuts for so long that it’s actually nice to have a forward-looking policy for change and to have a chance to make the kind of investments that we really need,” Reidenbach said. “If you just look at how important Proposition 30 has been for education, we’ve already restored historic funding for K-12 back to above the level that we had before the recession. And, if the wealthiest Californians paid according to their ability just like the low-income Californians do, we could fund K-12 schools at a level that actually puts us in the top 10 of all stakes rather than the bottom 10, which is where we been in the past several years.” “We could also do things on the tax side; make the tax code a little more fair without sacrificing revenue,” Reidenbach continued. “We can offer a refundable tax credit, earned income tax credit, to low income workers. About half of the states have a state level EITC—it’s what they’re called—tied to the federal earned income
tax credit and it’s been proven very effective to move families out of poverty.” Random Lengths also asked about how California compares with other states of the nation as a whole. While the “larger economic trends... especially widening economic inequality,” are “similar to what we are seeing nationwide,” he said, “what’s most interesting” is to compare California’s tax policy changes to other states. For example, “In 2012, Kansas passed this package of very large tax cuts and now a few years later, Kansas is still debating additional cuts to schools. They have large revenue shortfalls, they’re still cutting public schools. Whereas, on the other side, California, we passed Proposition 30, we temporarily increased taxes and we’ve already restored funding in schools back to where they were in the pre-recession level and we have the wiggle room now to make the investments we need.” Other investments could make a difference as well—both for California as a whole, and for those with the lowest incomes, such as investments in “affordable housing, which is
something that Californians seriously lacking could be absolutely key to helping those in the very bottom,” said Reidenbach. “One of the challenges in California is there can be very expensive to live here, especially in urban areas. And, while we may be in recovery, I think lowincome families in California face very specific challenges, especially on the cost of living side. And, I think, looking forward, California should continue to make investments in affordable housing.” Reidenbach is also the author of a December 2013 CBP report, “Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Family in California?” The report provides a statewide overview, as well as a county-by-county breakdown. Statewide, housing and utilities are far and away the largest share for single adults, but are roughly the same size as health care costs for all other family types. This dovetails with annual “Out of Reach” reports from the National Low Income Housing Coalition that have long shown California to be one of the most unaffordable states in the union. continued on following page
Council Actions Take Up Oil Flurry By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter
Carson City Council is in the midst of a flurry of activity over oil industry regulation, with some of its moves appearing contradictory. On April 29, before a divisive crowd of about 800, including representatives of labor and environmental groups, the city council declined to extend its moratorium on oil drilling, redrilling, or deepening within city limits. The council voted down the moratorium after Carson Chamber of Commerce, Watson Land and other business interests spoke against continuing it. Council member Lula Davis-Holmes made a motion to extend the drilling moratorium. Al Robles seconded. After a discussion Davis-Holmes and Robles voted to extend the moratorium. However, Mayor Jim Dear and Mayor Pro Tem Elito Santarina voted “No.” Mike Gipson abstained. Tommy Faavae, an organizer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11, attended the meeting as a labor representative. He said that about 700 to 800 people were present at the meeting, including multiple trade unions—ironworkers, carpenters, sheet-metal workers, and others. Faavae said if the moratorium were extended, it would have affected every oil-drilling firm in Carson. He said the city, “could have lost a lot of general funds, there would have been a huge economic impact.” “We’re not bought out; we have our own self-interests,” Faavae stated about his union’s project agreement with major oil company, Oxy, for the controversial proposed Dominguez Field Project. Another observer, former city board member Raul Murga, argued, “[Continuing] this moratorium would affect all oil companies, any oil drilling of any kind,” within city limits for 10 to 12 months.
No company would be able to continue to draw oil up from existing wells—like drinking a milkshake, in reference to the film There Will Be Blood. While the Oxy proposal to develop the Dominguez Oil Field continues to concern some residents, the draft Environmental Impact Report reveals that if the proposed project did not occur, oil from the four wells already existing on site would continue to be trucked out. Oxy seeks permission to drill or reopen 198 more wells in the same place. Faavae’s IBEW is one labor group that supports it. “We feel a project like this, the oil extraction technique and method for this project are environmentally safe,” Faavae argues. He points to the draft EIR that states no fracking is involved. “It’s a $100 million project that will create good jobs,” he adds. The draft EIR insists that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been removed from the proposed plan. “Oxy has since removed hydraulic fracturing from the proposed Project. Therefore, the proposed project will not use hydraulic fracturing, so no further details or analysis regarding fracturing is required in the EIR.” Other issues labeled “controversial” are also discussed, including some local residents’ concerns that the project could contaminate groundwater, disturb earthquake faults or cause subsidence under nearby homes. Possible groundwater contamination is also ruled out. “Saltwater injection has historically occurred in the Dominguez Oil Field, from 1946 to 1998, with no evidence of impact to groundwater quality,” the draft EIR asserts. “Groundwater quality monitoring activities will continue to assure that groundwater quality is maintained.”
The council originally passed a temporary moratorium on March 18, that was characterized as an anti-fracking action but banned any “drilling, redrilling, or deepening” of all oil wells in Carson for 45 days. Murga believes the moratorium may have started with Robles acting out of concern for Oxy’s status. Meeting minutes show that on March 4, the council discussed the possibility that Oxy might separate its California assets. Robles first motioned to stop the process, then withdrew his motion and directed the city attorney to draft a moratorium banning fracking and “other gas extraction methods.” At the next meeting—March 18—the council banned, not just fracking, but all oil drilling, redrilling or well-deepening for 45 days. On April 1, the council unanimously approved support for Senate Bill 1132, a legislative bill that would impose a statewide moratorium on fracking. The council is scheduled on May 20, to consider opposing SB 1017, a proposition to tax oil and gas severance, which the legislature is considering putting on the November ballot. California has long been the only major oil-producing state which does not tax oil as it is extracted. Alaska has a 25 percent oil extraction tax, California’s would be 9.5 percent under SB 1017. Because it would help fund education, many educators support it. Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles County Business Federation opposes it.
Carson City Manager Hired
Nelson Hernandez was appointed Carson’s latest city manager at the May 6, Carson City Council meeting. He started work the following day. He has signed a three-year contract. He has 30 years of public service, including assistant chief operating officer for the City of San Diego. He has also worked for the cities of Montebello and Ventura.
Graphic by Mathew Highland from previous page
facets,” Reidenbach pointed out. “Nobody wins with wage theft.” Finally, Random Lengths asked Reidenbach what’s most important piece thing for people to take away from the report he’d done. “The tax system we have in California stands in stark contrast to the economic trends that you’re seeing today,” he said. “Income is increasingly being concentrated at the top, Low income people are having a harder time than ever making ends meet, especially in places where the cost of housing is really high. So, the fact that lowest-income households are paying the largest share of their income in taxes and wealthiest households are paying far less of their income in taxes—it seems that our tax system is a little upside down.” But, given that the top income tax rates are only temporary, as things stand now, they’ll only get worse, going into the future. This suggested one final question: What does that mean for California? “We are going to have to have a conversation about making those taxes permanent,” Reidenbach responded. “I think that we can enjoy these next few years but it’s been clear that we need those revenues and we’ll likely need those revenues permanently.”
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area from p. 3
Location: 507 Pacific Ave., Long Beach Women’s Shelter Needs Volunteers The Women’s Shelter of Long Beach need volunteers in various capacities, contributing to the thousands of families overcoming trauma caused by domestic violence. Volunteers are needed in assisting in planning and participating in community awareness campaigns, providing service to its board of directors, direct service support and others. Details: (562) 437-4663; www.womenshelterlb. org. Auction to Benefit Point Fermin Elementary House 1002 is hosting a fundraising event for the Point Fermin Marine Science Magnet School, from 5 to 8 p.m. May 16. There will be a chance to buy sponsorship of tiles in the mosaic mural created by San Pedro’s Julie Bender to celebrate the school’s centennial. The event is hosted by the Point Fermin PTO. Details: pointferminpto@gmail.com Venue: House 1002 Location: 1002 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
The Local Publication You Actually Read
According to “Out of Reach 2014,” issued in March, on average, it would take a minimum wage worker 130 hours of work a week—more than three full time jobs—to afford a two-bedroom rental unit at fair market rent in California. California is the third most expensive jurisdiction as a whole, behind Hawaii and the District of Columbia. It has the three most expensive counties and five of the top 10 most expensive ones, plus the most expensive metropolitan area (San Francisco) and six of the top 10 most expensive of those. Given this reality, Reidenbach is well aware of the seriousness of the problem. “The larger issue here you’re addressing is absolutely spot on,” he said. “Low-income families face pressures on a number of fronts.” This creates added problems, “especially because California has very few policies dedicated toward, say, the high cost of housing, the high cost of living actually on the tax side.” He noted that California has a renters credit that’s $60 for a single person, “But the problem, with that said, you
actually have to have tax liability in order to take advantage of that,” he said. “So not only is it sort of somewhat small and not particularly effective, given how high housing costs are, but it’s not really targeted to the people who really need it, which is extremely low-income people, who don’t even have high enough incomes to owe any income tax.” A better approach would be a refundable tax credit, like a state version of the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit. A fair number of other states have this. If California added it, that could certainly help those who need it most. Another problem burdening those on the bottom is wage theft, which is epidemic among lower-wage Californians. Random Lengths has reported in the past (“Robbed On The Job: Wage Theft Is Rampant-Estimated at Roughly $2.9 Billion Annually.” RLN, Sept. 25-Oct. 8, 2009, p 5.) “Wage theft is one of these things that’s a mind-boggling issue,” Reidenbach said. “It tends to happen to the most vulnerable workers, such as immigrants people who don’t speak English, people who work in low-wage industries and it really is a pervasive problem.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. “I think that there are some policies that are being discussed now,” he said. “In fact there’s a bill that is going through the California legislature right now that would allow workers to place a lien on the employer’s property—employers who have engaged in wage theft... So there seems to be movement on that.” Of course, putting more money into more aggressive labor law enforcement could also help substantially as well. We’re seeing more and more of this with port truckers, for example. It’s not just low-income Californians who suffer from wage theft, though. It has ripple effects. “Low-wage workers are more likely to spend most or all of their income on goods and services in their local area, so there’s this larger economic issue; it’s a problem with a lot of different
May 16 - 29, 2014
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The Trouble with Waterfront Development Competing visions for the future of the port are obscured by what isn’t being said By James Preston Allen, Publisher
May 16 - 29, 2014
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
One hundred some odd years ago, Southern California was criss-crossed with light rail lines. Vestiges of the old Red Car lines are still visible in some neighborhoods, now in use as parks and bike paths. A decade ago, when Sixth Street in San Pedro was dug up for some road repair, work crews sawed through steel rails and wooden railroad ties hidden under the asphalt exposing a forgotten transportation system that connected Point Fermin to San Bernardino. Interestingly enough, it is said that with our modern traffic clogged freeways, it takes us about as long to travel from Los Angeles to Riverside as it did in 1914. Now that’s progress! So at this point you might be wondering what this nostalgic introduction has to do with waterfront development at the Port of Los Angeles. Everything or nothing, depending on your perspective. As you will see in our report in this issue about the Harbor Commission’s vote to extend Ports O’ Call development negotiations with the Los Angeles Waterfront Alliance, there are some brewing differences voiced by John Papadakis and his followers about this project. On our letters page you will find an expanded version of his critique of the project and a rebuttal by Wayne Ratkovich, the venerated urban development guru and partner with the Johnson family’s property management company, Jericho Development, in the L.A Waterfront Alliance. This could end up being a made-for-TV reality drama if left to its own devices. And, I’m not sure that the Port of Los Angeles is in the position to mediate the coming divide. There are, however, large stakeholders in this development who have not publicly voiced their objections to this, as yet, vaguely explained project. The problem here is that much of the discussion about the future of the Ports O’ Call site has been held behind closed doors with very little public input. The Alliance has held two highly touted “public listening sessions” and then talked privately with various players in the community. But it is really quite unclear what the development team is hearing and what this will all look like in the end. Furthermore, the Alliance’s private discussions with the port over infrastructure and traffic mitigation, and the reliance of these reports on the port’s 2009 environmental impact report calls into
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question the big picture of whether the project is even economically viable enough to be built. At this point, I have my reservations, primarily because of the traffic mitigation issue. No matter which side you take in this brewing dispute between these titans of waterfront development, the critical issue comes down to how do we increase the flow of traffic to Ports O’ Call and Crafted at the Port of LA, not to mention the other proposed projects in various stages of developments near the new marinas on 22nd, without turning Harbor Boulevard into an eight-lane extension of the 110 freeway? The answer to this innocent question is both beyond the scope of the current project, the jurisdiction of the Port and possibly the minds of those asked to come up with a solution. A few weeks ago, councilmen Tom LaBonge and Joe Buscaino came up with a plan to present to the Metro Transit Authority board to extend the Blue Line to the Harbor Area. This is a start in the right direction. However, five years ago, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued a Community Redevelopment Agency report that recommended that light rail connect the Los Angeles port to the Los Angeles International Airport using an existing set of tracks known as the South Bay Loop. Clearly these are big projects in and of themselves, but they are the cure for the impasse confronting both the Port and any developer wishing to bring another 400,000 souls to visit our glorious waterfront. Public infrastructure is the path forward no matter whose vision of the waterfront is decided upon. As long as the current parties are unable to come to an agreement, movement on infrastructure projects will not happen. Lack of consensus building is the culprit behind how our community is unable to gain forward momentum. Hiding behind State Tidelands law and the Brown Act provision that allows for closed door meetings on real estate negotiations, the port and the Alliance are in a particularly awkward position. Their decision to keep these discussions behind closed doors sidelines the Papadakises of this town and many others who have yet to make their objections known publicly—frustrated and understandably angry. This is not the path to consensus. If I didn’t know better, I would suspect that Bruce Seaton’s ghost—the former chief engineer of the port who led the negotiations on China Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XXXV : No. 10
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.
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Shipping and Knoll Hill with the community— was influencing this project. My point is simply this, without a consensus plan we cannot go to Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Hall, the MTA or the federal government to build the infrastructure needed to construct anything at Ports O’ Call. And, if this current port administration or any developer can’t produce a convincing plan that
creates a consensus within our rather contentious community, then nothing grand will ever be built. And, if nothing is built, it will be the fault of the adults in the room who have forgotten the elements of the Urban Land Institute’s recommendations and who just don’t want to listen or compromise.
Furious About Your Cable Bill? Go Tell City Hall
By Susan Crawford, visiting professor at Harvard Law School and the author of Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age The April 23 proposal by the Federal Telecommunications Act was under discussion in Communications Commission to allow Internet 1994, Sen. Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, service providers to charge different rates to was one of its most enthusiastic supporters. different online content companies—effectively Thanks to him and others, the act, passed in 1996. ending the government’s commitment to net It prohibits states from putting up unreasonable neutrality— set off a flurry of protest. obstacles to any entity that wants to provide The uproar is appropriate: In bowing before an telecommunications services. onslaught of corporate lobbying, the commission So why didn’t a thousand muni networks has chosen short-term political expediency over bloom? After all, the 1996 act was aimed at the long-term interest of the country. increasing competition. But private providers But if this is the end of Net neutrality rightly recognized muni networks as a threat and as we know it, it is not the end of the line for in the subsequent decades have pushed through fair and equitable Internet access. Indeed, the laws in 20 states that, despite the 1996 act, make commission’s decision frees Americans to focus it difficult or impossible for municipalities to on a real long-term solution: supporting open clear the way for the sorts of networks that the municipal-level fiber networks. 1996 act envisioned. Such networks typically provide a superior That means that the main problem behind and less expensive option to wholly private getting muni networks up and running isn’t networks operated by Internet service providers about the technology—which not only exists, like Comcast and Time Warner. but is already being used in large and small cities The idea of muni networks has been around around the world—but about the politics. for a while, with bipartisan support. When the continued on following page
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Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email 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 $35 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 2014 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters S.A. Recycling, Why?
We live and work in the San Pedro area and our children attend the Port of Los Angeles Charter High School (POLAHS). We are very proud of the amazing success and the outstanding achievements of POLAHS. More than $4 million in college scholarships have been received by our graduates. With a staff of 72 and a $9 million annual budget the community, POLAHS is an economic engine for the Harbor Area. POLAHS was one of six high schools in Los Angeles County to receive the California Distinguished School award. POLAHS has achieved graduation and college enrolment rates averaging 96 to 98 percent, from 2009 to 2013. POLAHS alumni attend prestigious institutions including UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego and the California Maritime Academy. Graduates have received full-tuition merit scholarships to colleges and universities including, Yale University, University of Notre Dame, the Air Force Academy, Dickinson College and the University of Virginia. Sixteen percent of POLAHS’ alumni have been the first in their family to earn a high school diploma and 69 percent have been the first in their family to enroll in college. Why is S.A. Recycling and their
representative, David Thornburg, trying to destroy POLAHS? Mr. Thornburg does not follow the Brown Act, holds secret meetings, alienates our elected officials and supporters, lowers morale and generally jeopardizes the future and promises of POLAHS. David Thornburg should be removed from the board of trustees and S.A. Recycling should apologize to our community for allowing this. Pamela Ward-Alkonis San Pedro
John Papadakis’ Comments to the Harbor Commission March 6, 2014
(Editor’s note: We elected to reprint John Papadakis March 6 comments to the Harbor Commission to provide context for the letter of Ratkovich Company CEO, Wayne Ratkovich, which follows afterwards. Our hope is that with these letters to the editor and Paul Rosenberg story on page 3, can ignite broad community discussion about the direction of Ports O’ Call development.) There is quite is history for the “bridge to the breakwater” waterfront project, and having started it over 15 years ago. I have a deep interest and hopefully something good to offer you. First off, thanks goodness that
from previous page
End of the Net?
His comments to the commission, however, were inaccurate and uninformed. His assertions that our development group was “empty handed and unprepared” and that we “lack substance, monetarily and developmentally” require that we respond. After spending over $200,000 in third party services and several hundred thousand more in staff costs, our hands were not empty nor were we unprepared. We sponsored a plan for the entire Ports O’ Call site, presented the plan at two well-attended public meetings, thoroughly investigated legal and environmental issues and secured serious interest from
a tenant whose presence would be a catalyst for a dramatic redevelopment of the site. We took these actions and spent both money and time in good faith, meaning that we did so without certainty on a number of critical issues. There was no commitment from the port that the infrastructure needed for the development of the waterfront would be in place. We knew we would have to make major advances in the development concept before financing could be secured. We knew environmental issues needed to be fully resolved and we knew we would have to secure the support of the San Pedro and surrounding communities.
As to the claim that our development team lacked monetary and development substance, The Ratkovich Company has developed over 9,000,000 square feet of projects at an investment in excess of $2.0 billion. In 2013 our company purchased Macy’s Plaza in downtown Los Angeles for $241.0 million and we are now managing its transformation into The BLOC which will bring the investment to over $400.0 million. In its 35 year history the company has restored 17 historic buildings in Los Angeles, among them the Wiltern Theatre and the famous hangar built by Hughes Aircraft More Letters/ to p. 10
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The Local Publication You Actually Read
Open Letter to Port Commission
Dear Commissioners: At your May 1, 2014, meeting you heard commentary from John Papadakis regarding the Los Angeles Waterfront Alliance, a joint venture of The Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development. The commentary was in connection with the proposed redevelopment of the Ports O’ Call site by the joint venture. Mr. Papadakis has long been a passionate and caring voice for San Pedro and for the city’s waterfront.
May 16 - 29, 2014
As a first step, Americans need to focus their efforts on getting these laws taken off the books. (To its credit, the FCC recently signaled its willingness to help, saying it would consider blocking those laws at the federal level.) Mere legislative change won’t be enough, however. We need to elect leaders on the basis of their commitment to changing America’s stagnant communications infrastructure. There is much to be done at every level of government, but cities are the most promising battleground right now. Mayors, Republican and Democrat alike, are in the business of providing their citizens with services, and fiber infrastructure is just like a city street grid: Economic development, quality of life, new jobs and a thriving competitive market all depend on its presence. Most important, cities have assets in the form of control over conduits, poles and rights of way that can be used to support the provision of competitive fiber-optic networks. Since 1998, my hometown, Santa Monica, Calif., has been saving money by shifting from paying expensive leases on private communications lines to using
its own fiber network, called City Net. The city planned carefully and built out City Net slowly, taking advantage of moments when streets were being opened for other infrastructure projects. Businesses in Santa Monica now pay City Net a third of what a private operator would charge and the city government has made millions leasing out its fiber resources at reasonable rates to other providers. According to Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, a national expert on community networks, more than 400 towns and cities across America have installed or are planning to install networks. That’s not just good for consumers; it’s good for business. Companies are moving to places like Wilson, North Carolina and Chattanooga, Tennessee, because those cities provide public, inexpensive, high-capacity connectivity. American cities need fast, cheap, ubiquitous, open fiber networks and every city has the tools at its disposal to get these networks built. But there are powerful and well-funded incumbents who will fight any mayor brave enough to consider the idea. If you’re furious about your cable bill and worried about net neutrality, go tell City Hall.
you are here to fill a purpose, for this waterfront opportunity could remain at the street-fight level, and believe me—that is—the failure level—and never be elevated to the statewide status that it must obtain to serve its mission. And that mission has always been to deliver economic justice to the harbor area through commercial growth. To finally overcome the scourge and anomaly of our seaside poverty, crime, drug addiction, and violence. This second extension matter begs serious consideration, and points to unpreparedness—points to empty handedness—points to difficult negotiations. And at the heart of the matter lies the question: Would this port ever give a major long term container terminal lease to a developer who lacked to substance monetarily and developmentally? That answer is clear. By law you must have and bring the goods. Statewide use standards that require the “highest and best use for the true owners of the waterfront—the people of the state of California. What are these standards? I have repeated them and heard them on the lips of every civic leader since my work with Dick Riordan gave the birth of the project over 15 years ago. [After] reviewing the video of the downtown harbor groundbreaking ceremony just two years ago— [I see that] these were the standards and expectations spoken by the then mayor, the councilman, congressman and other leaders: • 20,000 jobs • major and multiple brand name tenants • large business entities • and notable public attractions Invoking statewide use standards (the same that you apply to any major endeavor) will safeguard this future shaping project. Standards best serve and insure the public interest for they do not discriminate—you either meet them or you do not qualify. A purely political choice, only serves the unqualified. Please, let these high standards guide your decision to create the greatest public benefit. Simply put, this area cannot take another 50 years of failure. This is the opportunity of the century for the southern section of our city. Please make it so. Thank you. John Papadakis San Pedro
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RANDOMLetters from p. 9
Company. Among the financial institutions that have invested with us are AIG, Prudential, Cigna and the National Real Estate Advisors, an investment advisor to the IBEW. In 2011, the Urban Land Institute, an international real estate organization, named me a Life Trustee, an honor given to only 13 members in the 75 year history of the 35,000 member organization. I treasure but rarely mention this honor, and do so now only in response to the comments by Papadakis. The Ratkovich Company teamed with Jerico Development Company to have a San Pedro based partner. We wanted to be certain that we properly engaged and embraced the local community. Jerico Development is a 3rd generation family real estate and energy business led by Eric and Alan Johnson. Through their Victory Group of companies they have acquired, developed and redeveloped over 1,300,000 square feet of commercial office, retail, industrial and multi-family real estate projects nationally. Locally they have been investing and developing projects for more than 30 years and have restored several historic buildings in downtown San Pedro The Johnson family is also active in the local community through the Crail Johnson Foundation, which has donated in excess of from p. 5
May 16 - 29, 2014
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Volleyball Mess
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I just happen to know a lot about volleyball. Behar wouldn’t elaborate further on the alleged Brown Act violations, but was adamant that nothing about his dealings with the volleyball tournament were improper. “If stuff like this happens then it shouldn’t be in this town and I shouldn’t waste my time,” Behar said. “I’ve done some good work while I’ve been on the board. I was trying to be supportive [of Pereyda’s and Scott’s efforts]. I’m not going to be reprimanded for doing the right thing.” Random Lengths contacted the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment for clarification of the issues, but was referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office. Community Engagement and Outreach director Rob Wilcox said his office could not comment directly on the issue because it would be a breach of attorney/client confidentiality since the city attorney’s office are the attorneys for the neighborhood councils. At the end of the day, however, the mess that was made in organizing the tournament resembled a team unable to play together. Usually in such cases, it is the whole team loses. When the home team loses, the whole town loses.
$22 million to local children’s charities over its 25 year history. The redevelopment of the Ports O’ Call site is very challenging and its success will require the support of the City of Los Angeles, The Port of Los Angeles and the San Pedro and Wilmington communities along with skillful development. We fully respect the right of people to express opinions that are contrary to ours so long as those opinions are factually accurate. The comments by John Papadakis do not come close to meeting that simple standard. The Ratkovich Company, Wayne Ratkovich President/CEO, Los Angeles
Doing the Math
Oh the games people play with your medical dollars. Long before the Affordable Care Act, i.e. Obamacare, was implemented, the insurance companies and the government were playing very deceiving games with your medical bills. This practice will continue under the Affordable Care Act. Let me explain: Recently, a hospital administrator explained to me that when the hospital bills the insurance companies or Medicare, they will receive on average 38 percent of the amount billed. This percentage may vary in different areas, but it will be close to this amount. Now let’s do the math using an imaginary example. Let’s say you have an insurance plan with a $1,000 deductible followed by an 80/20 percent division once the deductible is met. To make the math simple let’s use even figures and say that your medical bill was $11,000. You are charged the $1,000 deductible, and the $10,000 that remains is split in your 80/20 plan. You are expected to pay $2,000 more for a total of $3,000 and the insurance provider “covers” the other $8,000. If the medical provider will only receive about 38 percent of the amount billed to the insurance carrier, which means the insurance carrier will pay $3,040. ($8,000 X 38 percent = $3,040) Thus the medical provider will receive $6,040 - $3,000 paid by you and $3,040 paid by the insurance provider. This is called an 80/20 percent insurance coverage with a $1,000 deductible. I don’t think I would call that funny math. I would call it flat out deception. Honesty would refer to it as a 50/50 percent plan. But, who would pay big money for a 50/50 percent plan? Now the medical providers, knowing what percentage they are actually going to get paid, must raise their prices so that they will get the payment they need. Therefore we have skyrocketing medical bills caused by insurance providers and government. To make this scenario worse, if a medical provider allows self-pay clients to just pay the amount that the provider would receive if the client were insured, the insurance company and government will often “punish” the medical provider for not charging the full amount charged to the “covered” clients. As government takes more control, this situation is only going to get worse. Steve Casey Stonewall, La. More Letters/ to p. 19
Yvonne Mason April 9, 2014
Longtime Random Length News restaurant reviewer Yvonne Mason died at her home, April 9, 2014, surrounded by her loving family. A painter, visual artist and photography, writer, poet and teacher, Yvonne lived an active and creative life. She shared her gift through California Poets in the Schools, served on the board of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writer and was president of the Southern California Restaurant Writer for four years. Yvonne reviewed restaurants for Random Lengths News, from 1987 to 2005. She also wrote for Easy Reader in Hermosa Beach and the Long Beach Press Telegram for more than three decades. Yvonne lived most of her life in the South Bay, always within earshot of the surf. She was a graduate of Cal State University Long Beach and had attended USC and Art Center. Yvonne was an accomplished gourmet cook, legendary
Random Lengths restaurant reviewer, Yvonne Mason, right, with Guiseppe Catalano at Madeo Ristorante, San Pedro in the early 1990s. File photo.
hostess and gardner. She was an enthusiastic citizen of the earth and traveled to more than 50 countries. Yvonne’s husband Richard Mason, son Christopher (Margaret Nesbitt), grandsons Vincent and Theodore and son Jonathan (Diane Mason), granddaughter Alexandra and grandson Brendan, survive her. A celebration of Yvonne’s life is planned for late June. Details: Dickmason@cox.net
By Melina Paris Music Columnist
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Cold Hard Fact.” During that time no foreign acts could visit South Africa, it was an isolated country with sanctions imposed by outside governments. Publishing anything contrary to apartheid would get a writer prosecuted and jailed. The majority of whites were against these policies but they had no voice to express their feelings. One telling way the government imposed censorship was through “brutal destruction,” as one worker from The Archive of Censored Material in South Africa said. Rodriguez’s albums are housed there. In the film they showed songs the government suppressed on LPs by placing a sticker on the label of the record that said, “avoid” and then used an instrument to scratch the specific track so it could not possibly be played. They did this to Rodriguez’s hit, “Sugar Man.” “Because every means was used to keep apartheid from ending this album had lyrics that set us free as oppressed people,” Bartholomew said. “It gave people permission to free their minds and start thinking differently”. Segerman began his search with Rodriguez’s Coming from Reality album. There was nothing to say who this man was so he looked deeply into the lyrics for clues with only a few geographical references.
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment ACE • Art, Cuisine, & Entertainment
inger and songwriter Sixto Rodriguez released his two albums and disappeared from the music scene back in the 1970s, few took notice in the states. Wild stories of his death circulated, like the artist setting himself on fire while performing or pulling a gun to his head and shooting himself at the end of a song. He was even rumored to be dead. But no one knew for sure. Though his music was relatively unknown in North America, his two albums became major hits in South Africa and Australia attracting die-hard fans in both countries. A couple of those fans were Stephen Segerman and music journalist, Craig Bartholomew Strydom. They set out on a journey to find the truth behind the rock musician’s “death,” how it happened and why. Their investigation turned into an Academy Award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man. The Grand Vision foundation as part of its Reel Rockumentuary film series featured the Malik Bendjelloul directed documentary at the Warner Grand May 4. Cold Hard Fact was Rodriguez’s biggest album Segerman said. The second one, Coming from Reality, is believed to have sold half a million copies in South Africa, where Rodriguez became a cult figure.
According to the film, Segerman’s epiphany came while he was speaking to a girl who immigrated to the United States but returned to South Africa. She asked where in South Africa she could buy Rodriguez’s albums. She searched all over the States but could not find them. A man who was bigger in South Africa than Elvis was in the states and she couldn’t get his albums? This set Segerman to thinking, “How could this be?” The air of mystery around Rodriguez and his picture on his album cover, sitting Indian style in dark sunglasses and long hair was all anyone had to go on. No one knew where he had lived, where he was from, he had never been in the news. He was an enigma. Rumors of his death just added more fodder to the legend. So, Segerman set out to find out some facts on Rodriguez. “In the 1970’s in South Africa it was the height of Apartheid,” explained Segerman, describing Rodriguez’s effect on South Africa. “South African kids never even heard the word anti-establishment until Rodriguez’s song, ‘Anti Establishment Blues,’” Segerman said. “It let us know it was OK to be angry with your society. In the mid 1970s in every white, liberal, middle class household in South Africa you always found three albums: The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water and Rodriguez’s
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May 16 – 29, 2014 May 16 – 29, 2014
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Entertainment May 16
Vintskevich Taylor Quartet The Vintskevich Taylor Quartet will perform, at 8 p.m. May 16, at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. The quartet has earned international recognition participating in big international festivals in Russia, Europe and Scandinavia and releasing albums with renowned record labels. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom. com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro LA Taiko Center, Esencia Flamenca LA Taiko Center and Esencia Flamenca will perform, at 8 p.m. May 16, at Grand Annex in San Pedro. The event is an explosion of rhythm featuring the powerful Japanese drum, and the dramatic art of Spanish Flamenco music and dance. General admission is $20 and $25 at the door. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Pink Party The Center Long Beach and LBCSocialClub is hosting the 7th annual Pink Party, starting at 8 p.m. May 16, near the intersection of 3rd Street Calendar continued on page 13.
Understanding UMAMI “Those who pay careful attention to their taste buds will discover in the complex flavor of asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat, a common and yet absolutely singular taste which cannot be called sweet, or sour, or salty, or bitter…” Independent And Free.
—Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Washington D.C., 1912
Alvas Presents Special Memorial Day Show
Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band
May 16 – 29, 2014
An Americana Folk Fusion Quintet
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“One of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today.” —KPFK’s FolkScene
4:00 pm Sunday May 25th | Admission $20.00
1-800-403-3447 Alvas | 1417 W. Eighth Street | San Pedro, CA 90732 Produced By B. Noel Barr
By Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe, Food Writer and Photographer
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ou recognize it in the meaty taste of a sizzling rib-eye steak hot off the grill. Beyond salty, you sense it in the savory tastes of aged Parmesan and cured anchovies on a Caesar salad. Beyond sweet, your mouth waters over the flavor of a warm ripe heirloom tomato picked right off the vine. Continued on page 13.
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the various cuisines around the world. Italian lasagna, for example, is made with tomato sauce (glutamate) and meat (inosinate) and cheese (glutamate). Korean kimchi is bursting with umami where napa cabbage (glutamate) flavor is enhanced with fermented shrimp (inosinate). Even an American bacon cheeseburger is a fine example of umami synergy with beef (inosinate), cheese (glutamate), bacon (inosinate), ketchup (glutamate). By the 1980s, studies had proven umami to be a legitimate basic taste. In the mouth “savory” taste receptors on the taste buds respond to glutamate, just like “sweet” taste receptors respond to sugar. In addition to naturally occurring umami flavors, the processes of curing and fermentation form and release amino acid and nucleotide compounds. Asian ingredients such as kimchi, soy sauce, mirin, miso, sake and oyster sauce have exceptionally robust umami profiles. Looking for a local restaurant where umami is king? Head over to Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes and give Bashi a try. The Bashi menu offers a contemporary blend of Asian flavors chock-full of umami-rich ingredients such as fermented black beans, Chinese sausage, Vietnamese nuoc cham (fish sauce dressing), wakame (seaweed), shiitake and more. Chef Bruce Nguyen is a master at letting the natural flavors define the dish. “I believe that umami is an essential part in the flavor profile that I aim for when coming up with dishes for the menu,” Nguyen said. “While most people do not understand what umami is or even know of its existence, umami is present in everyday foods that we all enjoy.” Try shaking beef, a popular Vietnamese dish of wok-seared, thin-sliced tender beef and ripe tomatoes. “The shaking beef is a signature dish that has been on the menu at Bashi since the restaurant opened,” Nguyen said. “Umami is highly present in this dish, from the soy sauce to the deep rich flavored oyster sauce, which is enhanced with the
tart lime sauce.” The hydro watercress offers a nice peppery contrast to the silky beef. Nguyen also suggests sharing the stir fried Manila clams, another super-savory dish with Chinese bacon, green chiles, Thai basil, fermented black beans and shrimp crackers. His menu, featuring fresh local ingredients, pays homage to the Japanese farming families who first settled on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the early 1900s. It’s hard to beat a casual al fresco meal on the patio at Bashi, overlooking the pool and blue Pacific, especially when that meal is intensified by incredible mouth-watering umami-rich flavors. Details: (310) 265-2800; www.terranea.com Venue: Bashi Location: 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes
Calendar continued from page 12. and Pacific Avenue in Long Beach. This event kicks off the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride weekend and will present guests with an elevated evening of live performances, music, high energy dance, costuming stations, world-renowned drag performances and special guests. General admission is $10. VIP pricing is $25. Details: www.eventbrite.com, www.centerlb.org/ pinkparty. Venue: Downtown Long Beach Location: 3rd St. and Pacific Ave., Long Beach
May 17
Oliver Dragojevic & Dupini Music legend, Oliver Dragojević, bard of Croatian music returns to the United States with his band, Dupini, at 7:30 p.m. May 17, at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. Influenced by global music trends, his work still preserves the elements of Dalmatian music, the key to his more than 40-year sparkling career. Calendar continued on page 14.
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
Can you taste it yet? In addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter…it’s umami, the fifth taste sensed by the human tongue. Umami is defined as the savory taste and round mouth-feel imparted by glutamate and nucleotides such as inosinate and guanylate. Over a century after its discovery, there is a huge fascination with this fifth taste because understanding the science behind umami can help cooks create more luscious dishes and help foodies better appreciate their meal. In 1908, a chemistry professor at Tokyo Imperial University was intrigued by the complex flavor and deliciousness of dashi, a simple Japanese soup base made from seaweed. Upon investigation, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda was able to isolate the principal flavor ingredient of kombu (the kelp used to make dashi). Using classical chemistry procedures he identified this substance as glutamic acid, with the molecular formula C5H9NO4. Glutamic acid is a type of amino acid, which is the building blocks of proteins. Bound with minerals such as sodium, potassium or magnesium, glutamic acid becomes glutamate, a salt. It is the salt form of glutamic acid that elicits the taste. Ikeda named that savory taste umami, a word from the Japanese adjective for delicious. Following Ikeda’s glutamate discovery other foods were determined to be sources of umami. In 1913 the nucleotide inosinate was identified in bonito flakes (dried fermented skipjack tuna) and in 1960 the nucleotide guanylate was identified in dried shiitake (mushroom) stock. Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of DNA and RNA. Inosinate is found in meat and fish, while guanylate is more abundant in plant foods, particularly mushrooms. The combination of glutamate plus inosinate and/or guanylate produces a synergistic flavor effect, where the result is even more pronounced than in the individual components. While it was first recognized in Japan, umami is a universal taste. Notice this “flavor-burst” in
May 16 – 29, 2014
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Calendar from page 13. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Fortunate Son The Fortunate Son will perform, at 8 p.m. May 17, at the Grand Annex in San Pedro. Hear rough hewn classics like “Proud Mary,” “Down on the Corner” and “Fortunate Son.” General admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
May 17
Somang Jeagal Korean pianist Somang Jeagal will perform, at 3:30 p.m. May 17, at the First Lutheran Church of Torrance. Born in Daegu, South Korea in 1983, Jeagal began the piano at the age of 5, and at 11 gave his first recital debut. Details: (310) 316-5574; www.palosverdes.com Venue: First Lutheran Church of Torrance Location: 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance
May 18
David Garfield and Friends David Garfield and Friends are scheduled to perform, at 4 p.m. May 18, at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
May 22
Night of Debauchery Ghoulhouse Records presents a night of debauchery with bands White Murder, Suicide Notes, Sex Crime, L.A. DRUGZ , Ghoulhouse Vinyl DJs, Master Droog, and Paul E Wog, May 22, at Harold’s Place in San Pedro. Admission is for people 21 years old and older. Cover is $5. Venue: Harold’s Place Location: 1908 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
May 23
Independent And Free.
Legends of Motown The legends of Motown Komedy Slamm will be hosting an event at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine Village in Torrance. There will be performance in tribute to Motown. General admission is $25 prepaid and $30 at the door. Details: www.spectaculareventZ.com Venue: Alpine Village Center Location: 833 W. Torrance Blvd, Torrance Power Trio Code Three Power Trio Code Three performs, at 8 p.m. May 23, at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
May 24
Giacomo Fiore, Ryan Ayers Giacomo Fiore and Ryan Ayers perform, at 8 p.m. May 24, at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band perform, at 4 p.m. May 25, at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
May 16 – 29, 2014
Orquesta Charangoa Orquesta Charangoa performs, at 8 p.m. May 24, at the Grand Annex in San Pedro Orquesta Charangoa is one of Los Angeles’ most authentic Cuban dance bands and featuring one of the few women in salsa. Bandleader Fay Roberts gets you on your feet as soon as she fires up her flute. General admission is $12 in advance and at the $15 door. Details: www.charangoa.com Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Third Annual Latin Jazz, Blues Fest Residents are invited to Houghton Park for a funfilled day with music, food, art, and more, featuring Grammy award-winning Latin Jazz band leader, Poncho Sanchez, for the Latin Jazz and Blues Festival, from 2 to 8 p.m. May 24, at Houghton Park in Long Beach. Details: (562) 570-6137; district9@longbeach.gov. Venue: Houghton Park Location: 6301 Myrtle Ave., Long Beach
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Entrée News Jet Coatings-Monkey Fuel Wins Top Prize at Queen Mary’s BBQ Classic Long Beach—the Los Angeles based, Jet Coatings-Monkey Fuel won the West Coast BBQ Classic on May 10 winning $2,500 cash prize, invitations to future cook offs and bragging rights of becoming the Grand Champion. “This is the first time I’ve won Grand Champion,” said Michael Wheeler of Jet Coatings-Monkey Fuel. “It’s a lot of hard work and good times, and winning today is an amazing feeling. Bringing people together for an event like this is what BBQ is all about.” The competition was an official CaliforniaState-Certified, KCBS-Sanctioned BBQ Championship that honored BBQ styles and flavors from all regions of the United States.
Judges critiqued portions of chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket to determine the winners of each corresponding category, and event-goers got to cheer on their favorites during the awards ceremony. First place winners in each category took home $500 cash prizes. Top winners in each category of the West Coast BBQ Classic include: • 1st Place Grand Champion: Jet CoatingsMonkey Style BBQ • 2nd Place Reserve Grand Champion: Zzyzx BBQ • Chicken: Toot and Stinky’s BBQ • Pork Ribs: All Hogs Sauces Up BBQ • Pork: Porterhouse BBQ
• Brisket: Left Coast Q • People’s Choice: Twisted Brisket Aside from the sweet and savory barbecue tastings, thousands were at the Queen Mary at the Long Beach waterfront rocking with live music, contests, and games. You don’t want to be left behind when the August 2 Big Bite Baconfest and Shoreline Jam Festival Labor Day weekend comes . Visit http://queenmary. com for more details.
Community/Family May 16
Long Beach Teen Pride Long Beach Teen Pride takes place, from 4 to 9 p.m. May 16, in Long Beach. Teen Pride is a free event for LGBTQ youth and allies between the ages of 12 to 19. Join for a night filled with music, games, food and entertainment. Details: http://tinyurl.com/LGBTTeenPride Location: 400 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach Armed Forces Day Celebration Torrance will pay tribute to the armed forces with its 55th Armed Forces Day Celebration and Parade, May 16 through 18. Each year, the city honors a different military branch; this year highlights the Navy. Grand marshal Rear Admiral Patrick Lorge will lead the parade at 1:30 p.m. May 17. Details: www.TorranceCA.Gov/ArmedForcesDay.htm
May 17
Play@ Maya.4 Pool Party Don’t miss the chance to celebrate Long Beach LGBT Pride in style at LGB2Network’s Play@ Maya.4 Pride Weekend Pool Party, from 12 to 6 p.m. May 17, at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach. Soak up the sun and enjoy one of Long Beach’s best views from the gorgeous waterfront pool. Tickets start at $35 Details: stevemsheldon@yahoo.com Venue: Hotel Maya Location: 700 Queensway Dr., Long Beach Spring Care Health Fair Get a free diabetes and blood pressure check, and participate in workshops on first aid and earthquake preparedness, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17 at the South Bay Pavillion in Carson. Children can enjoy arts and crafts and face painting. Participants will also get to enjoy an acoustic concert. Details: www.southbaypavilion.com Venue: South Bay Pavilion Location: 20700 Avalon Blvd., Carson
By Larry Wines, Guest Writer
Musical innovation flourishes on our stretch of coastline. Both the Long Beach Bayou Festival and Crawfish Festival draw huge attendance for Cajun, zydeco, and blues. So why not Americana with a soaring, crystal-clear voice, fine pickers, some downin-the-hollar nimble-fingered picking and a contemporary feel? Blending classic folk music with roughedged stories of tragedy and fate, they craft it with orchestral arrangements akin to stringband-folky chamber music. Sometimes it’s lush newgrass Americana, sometimes a folk-fusion quintet’s eclectic blends—or mountain folk, or Celtic-inspired originals. With that, they also cultivate comparisons to classic British bands Pentangle and Fairport Convention. Roz Larman, host of radio’s FolkScene, helped submit White Swan for a Grammy nomination. It received shining reviews in the Acoustic Americana Music Guide, FolkWorks, No Depression, Pop Matters, M Magazine for Musicians, Music News Nashville and FolkWords UK. Susie hasn’t rested on the band’s laurels. This past year, they’ve added songs from their upcoming album due this summer and anchored a 4-month series hosting award-winning guests and introducing their own new songs.
Surprisingly, Susie, the Broadway veteran speaks of “some terrifying moments with song debuts” at each of those “woodshed sessions,” then beams as she realizes “they were all well received” by the audience. Anxiety comes with changing directions. “Why we got out of bluegrass,” Susie mentions. Bluegrass is a genre with rigid conventions like the round of solo instrumentals in the same sequence, song after song. Clearly, she’s more liberated working on originals with band member and master songwriter Rob Carlson. New roads, yes, but some old ones maintained. Appalachian music legend Jean Ritchie has endorsed Susie as her heir apparent. The Hilonesome Band keeps the folk icon’s music in today’s ears. They add musicians from the Ritchie family, when playing back east. When speaking of her friendship with Ritchie, 91, Susie shows humility. It was Ritchie who collected songs, wrote more and brought the music of the barely accessible coal-dusty region to Greenwich Village, playing them alongside a neophyte Bob Dylan and unknowns like Barry McGuire, who would star in Broadway’s Hair. Too young to have been there, Susie developed a feel for that scene and a show rich Continued on page 16.
Celebrate Pride with St. Luke’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will offer communion, at 9 a.m. May 18, at the Bluff in Long Beach. This is one of many events St. Luke’s is hosting in honor of Long Beach Pride. Details: TomCroweLB@gmail.com Poseidon at Queen Mary Celebrate Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Weekend with the biggest Queen in town as Poseidon returns to the legendary Queen Mary, starting at 9 p.m. May 18. Dance the night away on the decks of the legendary ocean liner to the sounds of famed international DJs and producers Wayne G. and Ryan Kenney. Admission is $29. Details: https://tickets.queenmary.com/ItemList. aspx?node_id=161301 Venue: Queen Mary Location: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach
May 22
National Maritime Day The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Committee invites community member to the National Maritime Day Observance and Memorial Service, starting 11 a.m. May 22, at the foot of 6th Street at the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial in San Pedro. Community members also are invited to for a luncheon at 12 p.m. at Ports O’Call Restaurant.
May 16 – 29, 2014
Susie Glaze puts “international award-winning Folk-Americana music” and “Broadway star” in the same sentence. Most recently, her band’s latest album, White Swan, was No. 1 for three months on Roots Music Report and is still charting in the Folk Category’s Top 50, more than a year later. The Hilonesome Band has enjoyed steady bookings since its debut CD, Blue Eyed Darlin’, won the Just Plain Folks award, with 40,000-plus people voting, worldwide for Best Roots Album in 2006. Early on, Entertainment Weekly declared, “She can blow the roof off any joint lucky enough to book her.” And yes, her music career began on Broadway, in Big River. Susie Glaze and The Hilonesome Band arrive May 25, for their first time at Alvas Showroom, having played the Grand Annex three times to enthusiastic San Pedro audiences. After building a strong reputation in bluegrass, they’ve blazed their own path in contemporary and traditional folk-americana, including pre-bluegrass Appalachian string-based, a cappella songs and plenty of originals with contemporary sensibilities. There is no longer a banjo player in the band and that’s ’purt near unheard of in bluegrass land. Mark Indictor, a rocket scientist—literally—with many TV music credits, was added as fiddle maestro after they met playing the Concert for Haiti benefit in 2010.
May 18
Vice: One Cop’s Story of Patrolling America’s Most Dangerous City Listen to author John R. Baker, from 1 to 3 p.m. May 18, at Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum in Rancho Dominguez. Baker will talk about his book, Vice: One Cop’s Story of Patrolling America’s Most Dangerous City. Details: (310) 603-0088; www.dominguezrancho. org. Venue: Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum Location: 18127 S. Alameda St., Rancho Dominguez
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
Susie Glaze, the Hilonesome Band Bringing Hot acoustic strings to Alvas
Free Boat Rides The Port of Los Angeles is offering hour-long boat tours, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17, at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in San Pedro and Bannings Landing in Wilmington. Details: www.portoflosangeles.org Venue: Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Banning Landing Location: 600 Sampson Way, Berth 84, San Pedro; 100 E. Water Street, Wilmington
Calendar continued on page 16.
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Calendar from page 15.
Art
Cost is $45 per person. Details: (310) 325-3506 Venue: American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Location: Harbor Boulevard at 6 th Street, San Pedro Summer of Wonders The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting the Summer of Wonder Press Review, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 22, in Long Beach. The event will allow families to get up close and personal with the exhibits, animals, and various programs. RSVP by May 19. Details: (562) 951-1684, mpadilla@lbaop.org Venue: The Aquarium of the Pacific Locations: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach POLA Offers Discounted Tall Ships Festival Tickets The Port of Los Angeles will be offering a discount for locals in the San Pedro and Wilmington areas to the Tall Ships L.A. Festival 2014, from Aug. 20 through 24. More than a dozen Tall Ships sail into the LA Waterfront. The discounts apply to the multi-day festival and onboard tours. Day sails and gold passes will remain regular price. Approximate prices are: • Multi-Day: Original- $19,Local’s Price- $15 • Festival Only: Original- $7,Local’s Price- $4 • On Board Tours:Original- $12, Local’s Price- $8 Details: www.tallshipsfestivalla.com and enter the promo code 90371 for San Pedro and 90744 for Wilmington.
Theater/Film May 23
Pirates of Penzance The new youth theatre group, The Troupe, presents their first production, Pirates of Penzance, at 7 p.m. May 23, at the Warner Grand Theatre. The performance is based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s hilarious musical about pirates, romance and general mayhem. Tickets are $5 for students, $17 for general audiences and $27 for VIP. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
May 16 – 29, 2014
Independent And Free.
May 24
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The Philanderer The Long Beach Playhouse will open its production of George Bernard Shaw’s The Philanderer, May 24, at the Mainstage Theatre. The play’s plot revolves around Leonard and two women who are actively pursuing him. What’s a philanderer to do? Further complicating matters are the fathers of Julia and Grace. The first a conventional fellow who thinks he’s dying, and the other, is a theater critic flummoxed by youth. Leonard’s attempts to extricate himself from Julia culminate in a witty and blazing battle of the sexes as well as generations. Special Events For This Play: • Pay what you can May 22 •Two for One Preview May 23. Tickets are $12. •Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on May 24. Tickets are $27. Adults are $24, seniors $21, and students $14. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday through Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m. on scheduled matinees. Details: (562) 494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse Location: 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Del Haynes, pastor
Tuklas: Discover the Indigenous Culture of Filipinos From May 17 to 31, the Croatian Cultural Center will exhibit The Sacred Weave of the Tbolis as part of retrospective of indigenous Filipino culture. The May 17 opening exhibit begins with a 14-minute documentary, Weaving T’nalak, followed by a touchand-feel experience of the raw materials from the abaca tree, a banana-like plant whose fibers have been woven into beautiful textiles by the natives, and then to the looms of t’nalak in various stages of being woven, and finally to rolls of finished products. Curator for the event is Fides Enriquez, an independent ethnographer, film documentarian, photographer, producer and explorer. Author Lane Wilcken, will hold a book signing for his book The Forgotten Children of Maui: Filipino Myths, Tattoos & Rituals of a Demigod. At the signing he will decipher the fragments of Filipino tradition and reveals the actual life history of an ancient art and a people. Ethnomusicologist and singer of oral traditional chants, Grace Nono, will talk about her latest book, Song of the Babaylan: Living Voices, Medicines, Spiritualities of Philippine Ritualist - Oralist – Healers. Venue: Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles Location: 510 W. 7th St., San Pedro
COME WORSHIP WITH US Sunday School 9:45 am Morning Worship Service 11:00 am 310-831-5446
May 30
The AIDS Assistance Thrift Store annual fundraising Art Event From 6 to 9 p.m. May 30, will be your opportunity to acquire some amazing art before the event begins, socialize with other art enthusiasts, and to help a great cause. Also come to the May 31 reception starting at 6 p.m. There’s a huge selection of unique art donations from the past year: paintings, sculpture, folk art, mixed media, photography and much more. Ten dollars donations are suggested at the door. And there’ll be live music. Venue: AIDS Assistance Thrift Store Location: 2011 E. 4th St, Long Beach
888 Hamilton Avenue, San Pedro
Continued from page 15.
Susie Glaze
in a variety of good music. Her band’s live sets feature some cover songs, J.D. Souther or Steve Earle, along with several by Ritchie. Moreover, Susie gets everything she can from her talented band, doing what musicians call “being generous” on stage. Each player gets the lead on “their” songs, while everyone else, including Susie on guitar, becomes the back-up ensemble. Few band leaders do it so well and so easily. “It’s a better show when the audience doesn’t keep hearing the same singer, song after song,” said Susie, with no false modesty about her own vocal prowess. All that writing, woodshedding and audience testing leads to something. Herb Pedersen is producing the band’s next album, due for release this summer. He was lead guitar on their 2008 CD, Green Kentucky Blues, produced by Grammy-winner Laurie Lewis. Pedersen’s involvement always creates that “buzz factor” that entertainers chase. His recording sessions and tours include Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, the Dillards, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Hillman of the Byrds and many others. “He’ll regale you with stories of everybody from Doc Watson to Sergio Mendes!” Susie added. It makes Pedersen the perfect choice, as Susie and her band continue to move away from bluegrass. Continued from page 11.
Sugar Man
He dissected lines like, “I was born in a troubled city in Rock ’n’ roll, U.S.A.” and “Walking in the shadow of the tallest building,” To Segerman’s thought process, he wondered what city wasn’t troubled at that time in the United States and could Rock-nRoll U.S.A. be Detroit? Could he have been in New York with the tallest buildings in the country? In 1996 a South African record label released Rodriguez’s Coming from Reality for the first time on CD. They asked Segerman, who they knew was a big fan to co-write the liner notes. “There are no concrete cold facts known about Rodriguez, any ‘musicologist detectives’ out there?” was part of what he wrote. Segerman even set up a website called, “The Great Rodriguez Hunt” with a picture of Rodriguez on a milk carton on the site. Strydom came across that album and read those liner notes. Years earlier he considered writing a story on whatever happened to Rodriguez. He took it as invitation thinking, “Maybe it’s me.” From this point in the film things
The new album with her Hilonesome Band will have company. Susie and band member / husband Steve Rankin played on Dear Jean, a much-anticipated two-disc Jean Ritchie tribute album due in August on Compass Records, produced by Joan Baez and Dolly Parton. Susie’s track joins others by Judy Collins, Janis Ian, Kathy Mattea, Pete Seeger (one of his last recordings). They’ll go to Berea, Kentucky, Jean’s home, for a gala CD release concert. Those attending the show at Alvas won’t have to wait. Susie will have a limited number of prerelease copies of the Ritchie tribute album, three months early. “That’s icing on the cake,” Susie said. “We really enjoyed being in San Pedro before and we’re looking forward to presenting favorites and our new unreleased songs,” she said. With Americana music a hot commodity in venues nationwide, Susie is eyeing the circuit played by comic-turned-banjo-master Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. The success of Bonnie Raitt and her 3-year tour with her five-piece band. Clearly, it’s not a phenomenon limited to Old Crow Medicine Show and Mumford & Sons. Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band play at 4 p.m. May 25, at Alva’s Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447; alvasshowroom.com Larry Wines is editor of the Acoustic Americana Music Guide. He writes for several other music and entertainment publications. You can find the Guide’s mobile-friendly edition at acousticamericana.blogspot.com.
start to come together for this pair of Rodriguez detectives. They finally meet; compare notes and Strydom started following the money trail to lead him in his search. He travelled to all the places Rodriguez sung about including Dearborn, Mich., which led him to Clarence Avant, the head of Motown, when Rodriguez released his albums. Bendjelloul’s film took me through these two men’s meticulous journey with rapt attention. There are clips and photographs of a handsome young Rodriguez, always in dark sunglasses except for a handful of times, when you can peer at his large brown eyes. His folk music and penetrating lyrics is the soundtrack. The film shows the beautiful seaside of South Africa and uses old home movie clips depicting the times that the young generation there was so enamored with Rodriguez. His music is infectious with great orchestral qualities and thought provoking lyrics, just like any of the best seasoned musicians. Bob Dylan comes to mind but Rodriguez has a crisper sound with rich harmonies. These are very good albums. If you have not yet seen this Oscar-winning film I suggest you do. It’s available online and even in the few existing video stores. You will be pleased to discover Rodriguez. The documentary’s director, Malik Bendjelloul, died May 13 in Stockholm, Sweden. The cause of death has Not been confirmed. Suicide is suspected.
Long Beach Pride Long Beach’s annual Pride Event manages to attract artists at the top of the music charts every year. This year is no different with rhythm and blues songstress Kelly Rowland and Nu Jazz Saxophonist Pamela Williams headlining Saturday
of the weekend-long celebration. Every year, Pride organizers aim to bring in top billed pop stars to grace the main stage, but this year they’ve also made sure to spotlight notso-mainstream artists such as rappers Dev and Cazwell.
Check out the lineup for the May 17 weekend: Saturday, May 17
Aunjel Adams 12:05 -12:35 Vinita 12:40-1:10 Lindsay Smith 1:20-1:50 Dream Chase Collective 2:00-2:30 Troy Jones 2:40-3:10 Long Beach City College PI Pass 3:20-3:50 Angelline 4:00-4:45
Donovan 5:05-5:35 JLine Dance Crew 5:40-6:10 Emcee’s Alec Mapa/Lady Jazmynne 6:10-6:30 DJ Spark 6:30-7:00 Lunden Reign 7:10-7:40 Pamela Williams 8:00-8:45 Kelly Rowland 9:00-9:45
Sunday, May 18
1st Congregational Church Choir 12:40-1:10 Nicole Santiago 1:20-1:50 Twisted Angels 2:00-2:30 Travis Foxx 2:40-3:10 Karina Nista 3:20-3:50 Eryn Woods 4:10-4:55 Jay Justified 5:05-5:35 Cumbia Sun 5:40-6:10 Corday 6:30-7:00 CeCe Peniston 7:15-8:00 Cazwell 8:05-8:45 Dev 9:00–9:45
The Parade
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
The Pride Parade will kick off at 10:30 a.m. May 18. Those who arrive early could enter the festival for free and receive free Long Beach Pride Festival merchandise. The parade hot spot kicks off an hour early at 9:30 a.m. at Bixby Park, on Ocean Boulevard at Cherry Avenue. The location provides plenty of shade and a community gathering spot for anyone watching the parade, as well as free giveaways. The parade hot spot kicks off an hour early at 9:30 a.m. at Bixby Park, located on Ocean Blvd at Cherry Avenue. The location provides plenty of shade and a community gathering spot for anyone watching the parade.
9:30 a.m.
The “Rainbow Run” Awards, sponsored by the FrontRunners of Long Beach.
10:00 a.m. Cheer LA
10:15 a.m. (until Parade arrival)
Enjoy a Pre-Parade Show starring Hamburger Mary’s own Brunchettes hosted by Jewels.
May 16 – 29, 2014
Celebrate with interactive crowd games and more high-energy music. Meet parade commentators, all former Long Beach Gay Pride pageant winners: The top Lady GaGa performer- Big Dee and the vibrantMark “Markie” Magdaleno. The Community Celebrity announcers will guide parade participants through all the entries one by one. After the parade there will be additional giveaways and more fun. 17
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ROOM FOR RENT Furnished room for rent in San Pedro, $650/$400 down. Kitchen open. Single occupant, no smoking, no pets. Cathi, (310) 347-2696.
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014069148 The following person is doing business as: M Repair, 571 W. 12th Street #2, San Pedro, CA 90731 Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Louis Reyes Mendoza, 571 W. 12th Street #2, 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/. Louis Reyes Mendoza, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 14, 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
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Please help! The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. 888-452-7381, x 143 PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILINGS
Golden West Realty
Don Marshall CPA, Inc.
ROOMMATES
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: 04/03/14, 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014076247 The following person is doing business as: Dulux Painting, 26 Rockinghorse Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: John N. Mantikos, 26 Rockinghorse Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275. 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/. John N. Mantikos, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 21, 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: 04/03/14,
04/17/14,
05/01/14, 05/15/14
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014066092 The following person is doing business as: Magic Garden, 555 W. 9th Street #12, San Pedro, CA 90731, P.O. Box 692, San Pedro, CA 90733, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Elizabeth Andresen, 555 W. 9th Street #12, 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/. Elizabeth Andresen, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 21, 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: 04/03/14, 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014084125 The following person is doing business as: Perception Multi Media, 24248 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 201, Torrance, CA 90505, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Christopher Stephen Endom,18015 Fonthill Ave., Torrance, CA 90504, Colin Richard Johnson, 1103 1/2 Cota Ave., Torrance CA 90504. This Business is conducted by a general partnership. 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/. Christopher Endom, Partner. This statement was filed with
continued on following page
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILINGS from previous page the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 29, 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: 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14,
05/29/14
05/29/14
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014093414 The following person is doing business as: Seaside Studios, 525 N. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro, CA 90731 Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Regina Fernandez, 508 W. 37th St. #1, Gayle Schultz Feury, 2328 W. 37th, San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by a general partnership. 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/. Regina Fernandez, coowner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 08, 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: 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14,
05/29/14
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014122046 The following person is doing business as: California Sound Services, LLC, 1840 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Gayle Schultz Feury, 2328 W. 37th, 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/. Gayle Schultz Feury, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 08, 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: 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14,
05/29/14
from p. 10
Fighting for a Living Wage
With our ILWU contract coming up this year we see that congress and the President are considering raising the country’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Think about living on that. Back in the ‘60s when I last worked for minimum wage which would now be $15 or more if the 1960s minimum wage had been pegged to inflation and productivity. $15 is no increase, it is the same buying power the minimum was in the 1960s. Worker productivity has doubled in the interim but the minimum wages has lagged far behind. So how can the working poor make it on $7 or $8 an hour? The answer is they can’t so their
employers show them how to get food stamps and other government assistance that we all pay for in our taxes. It is morally correct that you and I should help the working poor. What seems odd here is that their employers are making a profit by you and I subsidizing their workers. That’s socialism for the rich. That’s just not right. Not paying people who work for a living a living wage is not the American way and the memory of my mother’s voice telling me that I am my brother’s keeper is being perverted. I am being played for a fool. Well played I may be but a fool I am not. I’m calling congress at 202-224 3121 and asking congress for a living wage. We are a better country than to pay a wage we know is not livable. If business
Deanne Elise Pernell October 13, 1954 to April 14, 2014 Deanne Elise Pernell had a lifelong interest in social justice and education. Reared in Southern California, she helped create an ecology club, while attending high school at Palos Verdes Peninsula. She was a founding member of the Santa Cruz Women Against Rape, while attending UC Santa Cruz. The organization gave support to women who survived assaults. This organization educated the community to deepen understanding of the causes of rape. It developed alternatives to the civil justice system. She continued to be a part of group for almost 20 years. She also was part of the Women’s Student Teaching Collective. That collective presented the first Introduction to Women’s Studies class at UCSC. After graduating from UCSC, Pernell worked through the apprenticeship program of the local plumbers union. She also worked as a substitute care provider at the Santa Cruz Toddler Care Center
and the Simcha Preschool. She participated in starting the local Child Assault Prevention Program, helping children develop safety strategies. In 1980, she met her life partner, Jan Shirchild. The two women married on December 18, 2013. The women had two children together, Brian Thomas and Marleena Brown. In 1987, Pernell went back to UCSC to complete her teaching credential and worked as a third grade teacher at MacQuiddy School in Watsonville for 20 years. She was a strong advocate
for bilingual education. She also served as a representative for her local teachers union. Deanne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 and metastatic breast cancer in 2009. She died on April 14, 2014 after a procedure to repair the mitral valve in her heart. Deanne is survived by her wife Jan Shirchild; her father, Godfrey Pernell, former Mayor of the City of Rolling Hills (her mother Beverly predeceased her); her son, Brian Thomas; Marleena Brown, who she considered a daughter; grandchildren Alexcia Martinez and Izaya Thomas Martinez; brothers, Gary CEO of Dental Health Services of Long Beach (Wilhemina Condon) of Seattle, Washington; Wayne (Shannon) in Benicia, Jeff in Missoula, Montana; sister and brother-in-law Lee Berthel and Joseph Burton of Oakland; and many nieces and nephews. Please consider donations in her memory to WomenCARE, Breast Cancer Action, Breast Cancer Fund, and/or Pesticide Action Network.
people cannot make their living without the public subsidizing their employees they need to move out of the way, it’s called capitalism. Lewis Wright San Pedro
Somebody Doesn’t Want Me to Write About City Hall About two weeks ago, the mailman brought me a letter from L.A. newspaper. The letter had been mailed 8 days earlier. When I got it, it had been opened and re-sealed by a strip of tape with this message: “Please accept our apology. Mails was mis-sent and/ or delayed due to high-speed equipment-opened in error.” This wasn’t the first time I’ve received mail that had been opened. Three years ago, I mailed a 28-page report to 200 city leaders. One of those leaders didn’t get his copy; it was “opened in error” and—later—returned to me. Nor is open mailed the only distraction I face when I write about waste, fraud and abuses in City government. I have been getting unexpected phone calls from a “private caller.” I pick up the phone, he hangs up. Such calls, like opened letters, are annoying. And now my computer doesn’t work. What the heck is going on? On October 20 last year, I got an “Account Update” from Yahoo. It warned, “Your account has some security issues.” Subsequently, I got a “Security Alert-addins” from Microsoft. It warned: “The risk we’ve identified may be associated with unexpected access or logging activity in your account…Add-in might contain viruses or other security hazards… The digital signature {Nuance Communications, Inc.} is valid, but it’s from a publisher you have not yet chosen to trust.” My computer is virtually disabled. I can’t send emails and I have great difficulty getting my type pieces to the printer. And in typing this piece, I was frequently interrupted by add-in. For example, when I type “Board of Civil Service Commissioners” it come our “Board of Civil Service Commission.” But why? Why am I getting all this unwanted attention? I’m just trying to remind Angelenos that their investment in City employee is NOT well managed. Don’t they have a right to know that? Don’t the people of Los Angeles have a right to know their Mayor is abusing his power? And if no one else tells them, shouldn’t I do it? Why should anyone obstruct efforts to make City leader obey the law? Samuel Sperling Monterey Park
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014093415 The following person is doing business as: Aussie Girl Designs, 525 N. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro, CA 90731 Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Gayle Schultz Feury, 2328 W. 37th, 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/. Gayle Schultz Feury, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 08, 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: 04/17/14, 05/01/14, 05/15/14,
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