Stephen M. White’s Troubling Legacy Reckoning with the racist legacy of our Founding Fathers By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
[See White, p. 4]
The statue of Stephen Mallory White at the entrance to Cabrillo Beach. White helped secure the harbor for Los Angeles, but also supported anti-Chinese policies. File photo
Green Terminal White Elephant Exposed Past POLA president Tonsich is sued By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Les Enfants Terribles: An auspicious start to Long Beach Opera’s new era p. 9
the beginning on multiple counts — because of the lack of demonstrable technology, the lack of an open-bid process, and the involvement of Tonsich himself, who some believe is forbidden from receiving port contracts flowing from policies he had a hand in creating. POLA staff has used the project’s structure — with CAEM as a subcontractor and the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, not POLA, as the funding source — to fend off the latter two objections. But at the recent June 3 Harbor Commission meeting, the activists have once again seized on the perceived lack of technology. Jesse Marquez, founder and president of Coalition For A Safe Environment, and Janet Gunter, an initiator of the 2001 China Shipping lawsuit, both sent letters to the commission concerning the ShoreKat system as the board prepared to rubber-stamp the extension of the project schedule, as was previously done on April 16, 2020. Marquez also called in a public comment, causing the extension to be pulled from the consent
People age 16+ vaccinated in LA County: 5,400,962 (64.9%) • Seniors: 1,178,203 (85.8%)
June 10 - 23, 2021
Mayor Joe Buscaino: The “Messiah” we don’t need p. 7
Almost five years after the Port of Los Angeles unveiled Pasha’s Green Omni Terminal as a model for the future, an ugly truth buried in the heart of it was finally openly admitted at the June 3 Harbor Commission meeting. While it may still approach being “the first all-electric operated terminal” as Mayor Eric Garcetti promised at a July 12, 2016 press conference, it will not capture or offset the carbon emissions of docked ships, thus exposing a significant gap between “all-electric” — the means — and “carbon neutral” — the goal. A lot of greenhouse gases will still be generated; it didn’t have to be that way. Chris Cannon, POLA’s chief environmental officer, stated under questioning that the controversial ShoreKat system, developed by Clean Air EngineeringMaritime or CAEM, owned by former Harbor Commission President Nick Tonsich, is no longer expected to play any positive greenhouse gas role. Local environmental activists have questioned the ShoreKat system from
See No Evil: Despite citizen input, less than .4% of LB police abuse complaints sustained p. 2
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Stephen Mallory White’s statue was originally located at the center of Los Angeles’ justice system in downtown Los Angeles for decades. First it was in front of the Red Sandstone Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Then it was moved to the lawn in front of the Hall of Records. Next it was located in front of what is now the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Then finally, after more than 80 years and perhaps 60 years of off-and-on lobbying from San Pedro civic leaders, it was located at Cabrillo Beach overlooking the San Pedro breakwater on a street that bears his name. For several decades, the county refused the entreaties of Harbor Area civic leaders and representatives to move the statue to some place of prominence at the Port of Los Angeles. During a period when awareness of Los Angeles racial history was heightened — a time when an African American mayor was at its helm — three African American city councilmen and the most revered supervisor by the African American community, Kenneth Hahn, was on the county board, a bureaucratic decision was made to ship the statue to San Pedro. This happened at the same time civic leaders like “Mr. San Pedro” John Olguin and White’s great great granddaughter were advocating for the statue’s move to Cabrillo Beach. Judge Michael L. Stern, who presided in civil trial courts in Los Angeles County since his appointment in 2001, said that White’s legal work to uphold the Chinese Exclusion Act, “disqualifies him from continued recognition by a statue standing in his honor, let alone the continued use of his name on a Los Angeles public school.” He went on to call White an “outmoded relic of a bygone era,” and that, “it is time to retire the statue of Stephen M. White.” The question now remains of what to do with this historic statue that presides over the Port of Los Angeles — a port dependent on Pacific Rim trade dominated by Asian nations.
[See Green, p. 3]
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Community Announcements:
Harbor Area 2021 Redistricting Long Beach Updates
Long Beach Independent Redistricting Commission outreach meetings have been scheduled and announced. Although meetings are set as district-specific, all Long Beach residents can attend and participate in any upcoming meeting. For information on how to participate visit https:// longbeach.gov/redistricting/how-to-get-involved District Meeting Schedule: All are teleconferenced on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. June 23 — District 2; July 7 — District 3; July 14 — District 7; July 21 — District 6; July 28 — District 8; Aug. 4 — District 5; Aug. 11 — District 9; Aug. 18 — District 4. Details: www.longbeach.gov/redistricting
LA is Drawing New Boundaries
The Los Angeles City Council’s Redistricting Commission now has a website to encourage public engagement. In the coming weeks, it will continue to improve with more interactive features, including an online mapping tool to allow Angelenos to create a map of their neighborhood or council district to submit to the Redistricting Commission for review and consideration. The Los Angeles City Charter requires district boundaries to be redrawn every 10 years to ensure that each district is relatively equal in population, and uses U.S. Census data to complete the process. Details: www.redistricting2021.lacity.org
Large-Scale Vaccination Sites Close as Clinics Go Mobile
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in collaboration with multiple vaccine partners is providing COVID-19 mobile vaccine events throughout the county. The COVID-19 vaccine is free, available for everyone age 12 and older, and no appointment is necessary in many locations. If you are homebound and need to get vaccinated at home, request an in-home vaccination at www. forms.office.com/in-home-covid19-vaccinations. If you don’t have a computer and need help making an appointment or need transportation to a vaccination site, call 833-540-0473. Details: publichealth.lacounty.gov/how-to-getvaccinated
More County Libraries Reopening for Select In-Person Service
June 10 - 23, 2021
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LA County Library announced it will reopen an additional 21 libraries and three bookmobiles for select in-person services beginning the week of June 7, as Los Angeles County continues to operate in the yellow tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The scheduled reopening will raise the total number of reopened brick and mortar libraries to 81 across LA County. LA County Library will safely reopen its libraries at 75% capacity, while also maintaining 6-feet of physical distance for customers. Details: www.covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy
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WIC Benefits Increase this Summer
From June through September, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children customers will receive an extra $35 per month to buy fruits, veggies and other WIC-eligible foods. If you’re pregnant and/or have children age 5 and under, you may be eligible for WIC benefits. Details: phfewic.org/apply.
Restaurant Meals Program for Seniors
The Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services’ Restaurant Meals Program allows residents age 60 or older, people with disabilities, and homeless persons in Los Angeles County the option to use their CalFresh benefits to purchase healthy and nutritious meals at approved restaurants participating in the program. Details: www.dpss.lacounty.gov/restaurantmeals-program
Get a Free Ride to Your Vaccination Appointment From now through July 4, Uber and Lyft are offering four free rides (up to $25 each) to and from vaccination sites. Details: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/
vaccine/index.htm
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See No Evil Despite Citizen Input, Long Beach Sustained Less than 0.4% of Police Use-of-Force Complaints Between 2015–2019 By Greggory Moore, Columnist
During his January 2021 State of the City event, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia spoke of the need for his city to “recognize the harms of systemic injustice,” partly by “reforming the Citizens Police Complaint Commission” through “major and significant changes.” But considering that during Garcia’s first term Long Beach did not sustain even one of hundreds of excessive-force allegations made against its police department, it seems it may have taken George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing wave of nationwide protests to wash up on the steps of Long Beach City Hall for Garcia to notice. According to the Citizens Police Complaint Commission (CPCC), an 11-member body overseen by the city manager, for the period 2015 to 2018 the CPCC investigated 487 separate allegations of improper use of force stemming from citizen complaints but sustained only three, all of which were overruled by then-City Manager Pat West. In 2019, when body cameras finally began to be deployed department wide, the CPCC investigated 60 use-of-force allegations — down more than 50% from the prior year — and sustained eight, with West overruling six of them. All told, for the second half of the decade the CPCC sustained just 2% of such complaints, with the City ultimately sustaining only 0.37%. (Officer discipline — e.g., suspension, termination — results only from sustained allegations.) Does Garcia believe such a small percentage accurately reflects the legitimacy of such complaints? If not, how/why was it allowed to continue without redress year after year on his watch? Did it not raise a red flag for the mayor that over the course of his first term the city did not sustain a single use-of-force allegation out of 487? Was he ignorant of the situation? Is he concerned with how consistently the city manager overrules the commission on use-of-force issues while generally agreeing on other types of allegation? Garcia was invited to address these questions but declined. If he was unaware of how infrequently the CPCC was sustaining use-of-force complaints, it’s not because it was anything new. In 2011– 2012, for example — while Garcia was serving as 1st District councilmember — the CPCC investigated 251 such allegations but sustained only two. In 2019, Deputy City Manager Kevin Jackson told the Long Beach Post that “95% of the time [the city manager and the CPCC are] in alignment.” When asked by Random Lengths News why this trend hasn’t held for use-of-force allegations — where the city manager overrules the CPCC 82% of the time — Jackson implied (without commenting on any specific cases) that the CPCC might sustain even fewer such allegations if they had “the benefit of all of the information that the city manager’s office has,” noting that the latter has access not only to CPCC review but also the corresponding Internal Affairs investigation for each case, as well as compelled
statements from the officers involved (a tool not given to CPCC until January 2021). “I can’t tell you why [the 95% agreement trend] doesn’t hold [for use-of-force allegations],” he said, “other than the fact that every single case is reviewed objectively based on the facts, and there’s an assessment as to whether or not policy or training has been violated. […] I think historically some of the variance between the CPCC and the final disposition [of a given allegation] has to do with additional confidential information that has been available to the city manager […] but was not available for [CPCC] review.”
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. File photo
Ultimately, Jackson expresses complete confidence in the city’s evaluation of use-of-force allegations, asserting that officers guilty of violat[See See No Evil, p. 4]
Appeal of San Pedro Development Denied by LA City Council By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
On June 1, the Planning and Land Use Management Committee of the Los Angeles City Council unanimously rejected the appeal of a previously approved project, a four-story, 45 feet and 5-inch-tall apartment building, with 102 units — 12 of which are affordable housing — and 127 parking spaces located at 1309 to 1331 S. Pacific Avenue. The Los Angeles City Planning Commission unanimously approved the project in May 2020, but Citizens Protecting San Pedro appealed the decision, and it was this appeal that was rejected. Citizens Protecting San Pedro’s next step will be to file a complaint for a rehearing and prepare for a city council hearing, said Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council board member Robin Rudisill, who is also the chair of the council’s Planning and Land Use committee and a member of Citizens Protecting San Pedro. Citizens Protecting San Pedro’s appeal of the project primarily objected to the project getting entitlements and exemptions — relaxations of zoning requirements — because it argues the project does not earn them with its few units of affordable housing. Jamie Hall, an attorney representing Citizens Protecting San Pedro, said the city is violating its own redevelopment plan. “Approval of the project would conflict with and inhibit the city’s ability to meet its affordable housing obligations under the state’s community redevelopment law,” Hall said. “Less than 15% of the total units for this project are affordable.” Connie Chauv, of the Los Angeles City Planning Department, said the planning commission’s approval included an on-menu incentive for reduced open space; and two off-menu incentives for increased floor-area-ratio, and a reduced rear yard; and one waiver of development standard for increased height. However, she said the off-menu incentives and waiver of height standard were not appealable, so the Planning and Land Use Management Committee was only able to consider the reduced open space and
the site plan review. “The appellant contends that the project is not consistent with the general plan, including community plan, community plan implementation overlay, and redevelopment plan,” Chauv said. “However, as provided in the staff report, the project is consistent with the above, including the land use and zoning regulations with state density bonus law.” Her reasoning for this was that state density law allows for three incentives, with additional deviations processed as waivers. There is a menu of incentives that a project may apply for, but anything not on the menu is considered offmenu, or a waiver. These require commission approval and are not appealable. Chauv also said that the project is eligible for a Class 32 exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, meaning that it does not need an environmental impact report or other such reports, as it does not have a large enough environmental impact. To qualify for this exemption, a project must be consistent with the community plan or other zoning laws, and not have a significant effect on traffic, noise, air quality or water quality, according to the Los Angeles City Planning website. “The environmental impacts were properly analyzed as required by CEQA,” Chauv said. “Based on substantial evidence submitted as technical studies into the record, there is no evidence of significant or cumulative impacts.” This argument ignores the fact that the very same developer has proposed a similar development just nine blocks away from this one. Hall argued that the project does not qualify for a Class 32 exemption, as it does not comply with the general plan, or zoning laws. “Further, the proposed project would result in significant construction air quality, air toxic impacts and a significant traffic impact,” Hall said. Rudisill said that there were several people who called in to voice their disapproval of the [See Appeal, p. 15]
[Green, from p. 1]
Green Terminal
CAEM’s controversial ShoreKat system. File photo
June 10 - 23, 2021
This occurred in the early weeks of the pandemic, without any public visibility, and remained virtually buried from public view. But a lawsuit Pasha filed against CAEM on April 27 alleges that it wasn’t the only problem with the ShoreKat system, charging that “CAEM has breached and continues to breach its duties under the Agreement. For over seven months, CAEM has been holding up delivery of the ShoreKat by refusing to submit the ShoreKat for certification by CARB.” It has also stopped paying fuel invoices, refused to obtain insurance, and “failed to design the ShoreKat consistent with the specifications of the Agreement,” according to the complaint. Most notably, the lawsuit alleges it’s unable to be towable at distances up to 5,000 feet at 10 miles per hour as promised, it can’t travel safely above five miles per hour and there are nonpayment and safety design issues as well. The failure to develop a carbon capture component is not part of the lawsuit, however. The contract’s wording, according to the lawsuit, only called for CAEM to “provide for a demonstration project of an emerging technology for the reduction of CO2 and greenhouse gases.” [Emphasis added.] The suit alleges that “At Tonsich’s direction, CAEM is holding the ShoreKat hostage because he is upset that he is being sued by Pasha for his role in a $4 million illegal kickback scheme,” which Random Lengths reported on last year. Tonsich responded by suing Random Lengths — a suit he dropped after losing two preliminary arguments. The kickback suit is scheduled for trial in September, but a settlement is rumored to be near, so all that transpired in that case may be buried. But the Omni Terminal involved public financing. What happened to it shouldn’t be buried. A thorough review of this project component and POLA’s flawed oversight is long overdue.
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calendar for commissioners to discuss. “We are concerned about the continued Port of Los Angeles staff misrepresentation on the status of the Green Omni Terminal project,” Marquez said. “If you read the letter you will see that we have given you very specific details.” “The ShoreKat is not as agile and mobile as proposed and it cannot service large container ships,” the letter noted. “In addition, one [of] the critical requirements was for ShoreKat to meet the CARB AB 32 mandate to reduce greenhouse gases and it does not…. We are concerned about the continuing Port of Los Angeles management and staff unethical and illegal support of Clean Air Engineering-Maritime Inc. and its owner, former Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commission Port of Los Angeles President and Commissioner Nicholas G. Tonsich.” “I am concerned about the issues raised by Mr. Marquez, and the issues raised in another series of letters that were sent to the commissioners ... correspondence we’ve received from Ms. Gunter,” Commissioner Diane Middleton said. “How do we handle this?” “We’re happy to do a report on the overall status of the OMNI project, including the ShoreKat elements of it,” Chris Cannon responded. “It’s true there were some things that were altered and we can just be honest about it; and the carbon sequestration elements were not able to be carried out and so money was diverted by the Air Resources Board to another aspect of the project. “It was a new technology and they had proposed to do it. And once they got into it they found out that they couldn’t.” But the story is more complicated than that and still not entirely clear — including the role POLA staff has played. In a December 2015 email to CARB, Cannon wrote that “CO2 reductions will be realized through improved overall system energy efficiency by three methods as described below.” But these only reduced CO2 from the ShoreKat operating system — not from the ship emissions it was supposed to contain. The ShoreKat system itself is not all-electric. For example, the first involved “a heat exchanger that will reduce the amount of diesel required to operate the system by at least 50%.” So, it’s still a producer of greenhouse gases. To remove CO2 from the ship emissions, Cannon wrote, “the capture of CO2 will be demonstrated by amine scrubbing with thermochemical regeneration.” This is a decades-old technology used in oil refineries, for example, with well-recognized limits and trade-offs, so a reasonably plausible prototype, model or at least design would have been required in any sensible open-bid process. The lack of this reflects a seriously flawed process, critics charge. “There have been delays but we are hoping it will be operational within the next two months,” CARB spokesman Dave Clegern told Random Lengths News in February 2019. At the same time, in contrast, Cannon said that two different technologies would each be tested for a six-month period. “CARB understands that to date, the originally anticipated greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction component of the ShoreKat system has experienced challenges and is not ready for demonstration in this project,” CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey wrote to Marquez three months later, on May 30. “[CARB] has not paid
for any milestones related to GHG reductions from the ShoreKat system.” This came 10 days after Random Lengths News had reported that the Air Resources Board implicitly confirmed the lack of a greenhouse gas component. By the next year, the project’s status report #14, for the first quarter of 2020 stated that “The ShoreKat demonstration period has been completed,” but that “Carbon treatment system testing has been excluded from the project based on the lack of progress on securing viable systems by CAEM.” As a result, “By mutual agreement of CARB and POLA project funding is being reallocated from the carbon treatment component of the project to the acquisition of another yard tractor.”
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[White, from p. 1]
White’s Troubling History The Back Story
June 10 - 23, 2021
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The San Francisco-born attorney and politician was a Democrat — the same party that was beaten into submission after seceding from the Union to form the Confederacy and causing the Civil War. White was most notable for his service as a U.S. senator from California, but is particularly recognized for his efforts in securing an improved harbor for Los Angeles, free of corporate monopoly and getting the federal breakwater built. This achievement erased any recollection of his participation in the Workingmen’s Party — an upstart political party that played a critical role in California’s racist history. In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States encouraged Chinese immigration. Anson Burlingame, President Abraham Lincoln’s minister to China, advocated an open door for Chinese immigrants when he negotiated an 1868 treaty bearing his name providing for unrestricted immigration between the United States and China. U.S. industry, rich in resources but deficient in labor, wanted cost-effective Chinese laborers to work in factories and mines and to construct the transcontinental railroad. The situation in China also encouraged migration. The Qing government was in decline and after the Opium War of 1842, China was seen internationally as weak and pliable, and Western powers negotiated a series of unfavorable treaties. Domestic problems included inflation, famine, civil unrest, opium abuse, and local rebellions. Understandably, many Chinese sought their fortunes in the American West. Chinese Americans became an increasing percentage of the Californian workforce. But the increase in the Chinese labor force coincided with rising unemployment and a severe depression from 1873 to 1878 (one of several devastating 19th Century America), leading many white Americans to blame their economic problems on the Chinese. It was in this context that the populist racist, Denis Kearney, formed the Workingmen’s Party in San Francisco. The party won 11 seats in the California state Senate and 17 in the state Assembly by 1878 and then rewrote the state’s constitution, denying Chinese citizens voting rights in California. The most important part of the constitution included the formation of the California Railroad Commission that would oversee the activities of the Central and Pacific Railroad companies that were run by Crocker, Huntington, Hopkins and Stanford. White joined the Workingmen’s Party on his third run for Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. He was still a part of the Workingmen’s Party when he joined the state’s legislature as a state senator. The party took particular aim against cheap Chinese immigrant labor and the Central Pacific Railroad which employed them. Their goal was to “rid the country of Chinese cheap labor.” Its famous slogan was “The Chinese must go!” Kearney’s attacks against the Chinese were of a particularly virulent and openly racist nature, and found considerable support among white Californians of the time. Not unlike what we are seeing today. This sentiment led eventually to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. President Chester Arthur vetoed an earlier version imposing a 20-year ban, 4 concluding that it was inconsistent with the
The statue of Senator Stephen M. White in front of the entrance to the great Red Sandstone Courthouse, located at 1945 South Hill St. in the 1930s.
treaty. The act had a number of enforcement mechanisms. For example, shipmasters who brought in Chinese laborers would be guilty of a misdemeanor. Chinese present in the country in violation of the act were deportable. The act also, redundantly, prohibited state and federal courts from naturalizing Chinese persons, even though [See No Evil, from p. 2]
See No Evil
ing LBPD policy are held to account. “If there’s a violation of policy or if there’s been a violation of law, there’s going to be a sustained allegation,” he said during our interview, “and it’s as simple as that.” Does this mean Jackson believes that everything officers did that precipitated the 545 unsustained allegations 2015 to 2019 must have been within policy? Random Lengths News followed up with this question via email and then again by both telephone and email, but Jackson did not reply. Although CPCC manager Patrick Weithers — himself an employee of the city manager’s office — steers clear of discussing his own view of the city manager’s overruling nearly all CPCC use-of-force findings, he acknowledges what’s already widely known: “The community and the public and the commissioners themselves definitely voiced frustration with that,” he says. “[…] There definitely is some frustration from the commissioners […], and they’ve voiced that publicly.” The most public display of this frustration may have come from now-former commissioner Porter Gilberg, who, in a June 2020 speech at Harvey Milk Park, stated, “The commission is a farce. […] There is no accountability for the police in Long Beach.” More quietly, 6th District Councilmember Suely Saro, who served on the CPCC from August 2015 to February 2019 — chairing the commission for the last eight months of her tenure before resigning to run for council — has also been one of those voices. “It is
they were already prohibited under the general racial restriction of the naturalization law. However, Chinese laborers already in the U.S. on Nov. 17, 1880, or who came within 90 days of passage of the act, were permitted to be in the United States. Furthermore, a Chinese laborer lawfully in the United States who wanted to travel abroad could obtain a certificate authorizing his re-entry. Exclusion did not apply to merchants and diplomats; those in the U.S. could remain and others could enter in the future. The Chinese widely resented the act and many evaded it. However, Congress strengthened it over time. In 1884, responding to conflicting lower court decisions, Congress made clear that exclusion was based on Chinese race, not Chinese citizenship, nationality, or birth. A few years later, the Scott Act of 1888 invalidated re-entry certificates held by any Chinese who had left the United States for overseas trips with the assurance that they could come back. The Supreme Court upheld this retroactive repudiation of a promise many had relied upon in the unanimous decision of Chae Chan Ping v. United States. White, as California’s lieutenant governor, co-authored the appellate brief with John F. Swift before the United States Supreme Court. White’s position was the same as Southerners who would not accept the potential success of Reconstruction as he utilized the nativist language of the Workingmen’s platform. White contended that the Chinese were so racially and culturally inferior and different from the majority that they could never assimilate into the American mainstream. White represented a brand of populism that was common and particular to California at the time. It was carried out by the policies and
programs of the Workingmen’s Party and the Southern Democrats, which subjected people who were here as workers. If we can seek the removal of Confederate statues and statues of Confederate personalities and white supremacists in the south and east, then most certainly we can take down a statue so representative of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment in the State of California. San Pedro has many buried secrets. For a significant part of the 20th century those secrets as well as racially restrictive covenants have shaped the way San Pedro looks and sees itself today. And that’s in the lifetime of the people who represent the majority in San Pedro and their parents and grandparents. There were many Japanese Americans who attended San Pedro High School before being sent off to internment camps during World War II and there were many shipyard workers from the South who came for jobs during that war. Why didn’t they stay here and live on the properties that they were able to acquire; in the businesses that they had established and be able to survive as did others? Neighborhoods south of 6th Street and west of Gaffey were not always a welcoming place for Asian Americans or Blacks. Racial covenant restrictions and redlining were not outlawed in California until 1968. And the Chinese Exclusion Act was not repealed until 1943 with the Magnuson Act when China had become an ally of the U.S. against Japan in World War II. It was a moment the United States needed to look the part of fairness and justice incarnate. From Robert E. Lee to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the fight has been on to remove names associated with infamy and terror from places of honor. Which side of history will San Pedro be on?
widely known and often publicly shared that the [CPCC] is limited in its authority due to its charter,” she told Forthe.org last year. “I agree that it can be improved to increase our authority on the outcome of the cases and that our deliberations should have more weight on decisions made in each case.” However, when presented with statistics from her tenure, Saro, who currently chairs the city’s Public Safety Committee, disavowed awareness of the CPCC’s overwhelming rejection rate of useof-force allegations: “Please know I am not familiar with the use of force stats that you shared.” Random Lengths News informed Saro that these statistics come directly from the city of Long Beach and posed direct inquiries based on these numbers — e.g., “Do you feel that only 0.6% of the use-of-force complaints that came before the commission during your tenure involved violations of LBPD policy and/or law? How do you feel about the fact that no use-offorce allegations were sustained by the city while you served on the CPCC?” — which Saro chose not to address. While internally Long Beach was disciplining officers for less than 0.4% of the abovereferenced allegations, the city was paying out on 50% of lawsuits “alleging excessive force and/or wrongful death.” According a city document provided to Random Lengths News, for incidents occurring 2015 to 2019 the LBPD was sued 39 times, with the City paying out a total of $8,912,500 (plus additional expenses) across 14 separate settlements — half of these between $250,000 and $2 million — as well as an additional $4,878,743 from a court ruling in the plaintiff’s favor. (As of June 14, 2020, the remaining nine lawsuits were unresolved.) In consideration of reform, the city has
contracted Polis Solutions, which bills itself as “a training, consulting, and research firm that specializes in creating custom evidence-based programs that build public trust and safer communities,” to conduct a review of the CPCC and potentially offer recommendations for improvement. If Polis recommends substantive changes that officials wish to implement, the city council will need to place an updated CPCC Charter (as part of the Long Beach City Charter) on a ballot for voter approval. Garcia, Jackson, Weithers, and Saro all say they welcome Polis’s review, with Garcia already (during his 2021 State of the City remarks) advocating a 2022 ballot measure. Asked whether at present he is willing to concur with Garcia’s assertion that CPCC needs “major and significant changes,” Jackson says, “No. I’m going to go into the review with an objective, open mind and try to ascertain what the community actually desires from its oversight function and whether the current structure and operation is set up to address that. And if it’s not, I’m sure we’ll arrive at some recommendations to address those gaps.” For her part, Saro is studiously noncommittal: “I am unable to agree or disagree with the statements you shared from the elected officials [i.e., Garcia and Jackson] or community member [i.e., Gilberg].” From 2015 through 2019, Long Beach police officers were disciplined for fewer than one out of every 270 citizen complaints alleging improper use of force, but city officials either didn’t know or weren’t concerned enough to act. And now these same officials will decide whether police will be held more accountable for citizen complaints of excessive force in Long Beach’s future.
Woman With a Knife Arrested During Buscaino’s Speech By Melina Paris, Editorial Assistant
Councilman Joe Buscaino June 7, as a mayoral candidate, just finished speaking to a crowd of about 100 people at a press conference on the Venice Boardwalk when a person experiencing homelessness, reportedly had a knife fall out of their pocket. Two eyewitnesses, as reported by the Yo! Venice website gave differing accounts of what happened. Nico Ruderman, who was standing near Buscaino said he was watching the woman, “Angel” who started moving toward the councilman. Ruderman said he noticed she was wielding a 6- to 8-inch knife. Another witness said it appeared the knife had fallen out of the woman’s overalls, onto the ground, where a member of the audience stepped on the knife so as to keep it away from the woman. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested and handcuffed Angel. Other LAPD officers hustled Buscaino out of the immediate vicinity. One of the LAPD members was injured while trying to apprehend the woman and remove the knife from her hand, receiving minor lacerations to his hand. The woman was detained. It is expected that she could be released on zero bond. Chris Venn of San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice responded to this incident saying that it didn’t appear as though this woman was going to attack Buscaino. Venn and his group who were protesting at the event in support of the homeless said, “Don’t criminalize our neighbors.”
In a written statement he went on to say, “In CD15 the plight of poor people and their descent into houselessness is being met with weekly sweeps on Beacon Street in San Pedro, Wilmington and Watts. Encampments on Gulch Road, E Street in Wilmington and the intersection of Lomita and McCoy in Harbor City face sweeps every month. Garbage trucks and skip loaders with hydraulic grappling claws destroy tents, individual’s clothing, blankets, I.Ds and important paperwork.” While the Buscaino press conference was backed up with pre-printed signs saying “Save Us Joe” this sentiment is not mirrored in his own district. Venn continued, “The problems facing the unhoused communities in CD15 are exacerbated by neglect and those politicians like Joe Buscaino who seek to use the crisis of houselessness as a way to get elected.” According to the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority in 2020 (the last year the count was taken) the number of homeless people in Council District 15 finding shelter was only 14.7%. Clearly Buscaino is using the homeless crisis as an issue to grandstand on to get city-wide recognition while hiding the discontent within his own district. The criticism in CD15 is that along with the neglect of the unhoused “is the inhumane neglect via the absence of port-a-potties, hand washing stations, dumpsters, trash barrels, drug counseling and mental health care, ”Venn said.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective June 10 - 23, 2021
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Los Angeles Always Divided And Buscaino is using it to run for mayor By James Preston Allen, Publisher
tance and time. The only time the locals consider themselves “Angelenos” is when the mayor uses the term to bring us together to fight COVID-19, mourn a tragic mass shooting or when they are in some other part of the world trying to explain to a foreigner where they are from. Everybody knows where Los Angeles is, but I have often had to explain where San Pedro is, even to people who live on the Westside. And as Tom Hayden once memorialized, “the problem with fighting city hall in Los Angeles is finding city hall.” The problem with Buscaino riling up the mob over the failures to solve the homeless crisis, is kind of like blaming China for the pandemic. It cures nothing. And as if there isn’t enough blame to go around, this candidate should remember his early years in office of ignoring the problem and then reacting to it by heavy-handed police enforcement. Despite his claims that “homelessness is not a crime,” he still believes the LAPD has a role to play in addressing homelessness — even now as many argue for reallocating police budgets out of homeless enforcement, a reversal of the seeming state of things in America in which being poor is a criminal act that could land you in jail. As one Streetwatch activist said, “The City of Los Angeles has always used punitive policies to mistreat and abuse unhoused people. One in three use-of-force incidents by the Los Angeles Police Department are against an unhoused person.” At his press conference, Buscaino called the housing policies of Venice Councilman Mike Bonin (CD 11), a failure — a grim case of the pot calling the kettle black. Buscaino called for the ending of the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (a joint body of the county and the city) and that as mayor he would provide housing for the unhoused and then enact a city-wide camping ban. The ban, however, could only be permitted by a federal judge if he can get 60% of the homeless into shelters. But what then of the other 40%? His is clearly delusional thinking as it will take more than a decade to build enough permanent housing to fix the affordable housing shortage. This means the temporary Bridge Home Shelters won’t actually be temporary and that some 100 tiny home villages will be needed to house even 10,000 of the 41,290 people experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the establishment of Safe Campsites to act as triage centers is probably the
June 10 - 23, 2021
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People, Real News, Totally Relevant
On a cool overcast June morning, 15th District City Councilman Joe Buscaino brought his mayoral aspirations and body guards to the Venice Boardwalk to castigate the city’s and county’s failure to adequately solve the homeless crisis. His three-point solution to addressing the octagonal complexity of a four-decade old problem was crafted for the angry Venice homeowners holding preprinted “Save Us Joe” signs behind his photo opp. And then there was the scuffle with a homeless woman with a knife. Some assert she was intent on doing harm, others say the knife fell out of her pocket. But the chaos that ensued ended this made for Fox News press event with a headline. I was shocked, but also amused as later that very same morning, I found the ever smiling candidate in front of the San Pedro Post Office filming again in the park that used to have our largest collection of unsheltered neighbors. This a place where it all began for Joe six years ago with a battle over tiny homes, a social media uprising by Saving San Pedro and Buscaino’s elimination of the local neighborhood council out of the homeless solutions business. He has intentionally been sidelining his critics ever since he was elected to office. On this day, however, nary a homeless tent in sight, Buscaino kicked off his mayoral campaign. It was like magic — as if the homeless were never there. Over the course of the past few months, I was harboring some sense that the once anti-homeless councilman had actually found compassion. He had learned enough to reason that the causes of this nationwide crisis could not just be chased off the streets, that this was an endemic problem with core socio-economic causes. Alas, his reconstituted resolve to pander to the angry anti-homeless crowd comes as a knee jerk conservatism that ignores more than it solves. Buscaino is fundamentally a reactionary. He was never a visionary. Los Angeles as a city has always been divided between the haves and the have-nots. Its residents are separated between homeowners and renters, and business owners from local residents. And historically between white and Black or Mexican neighborhoods that separated various parts of LA from itself. At times these divisions end up in riot and flames, most times just simmering frustration with a city that is separated from itself by dis-
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“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. XLII : No. 12
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.
only reasonable first step in curing the homeless epidemic. Take people where they are, provide sanitation and services and then place them in shelters, recovery homes, mental health facilities or more permanent housing. Hell, maybe we’ll actually figure out that a living wage job would help. This is not to say that homeowners shouldn’t be outraged at the city’s failures because, as a homeowner, I am just as outraged by Buscaino’s slow awakening to the solutions and his constant finger pointing at others. Buscaino is still looking for the “quick fix”
and sadly we’re fresh out of vaccines to cure the decades-in-the-making homeless epidemic especially when you divide the city and don’t understand the causes. Rousing the kind of antihomeless hostility that Buscaino is playing up is not unlike the autocratic tactics of the ex-president and must not be allowed in this city. The solutions must be met with the same kind of resolve and unity we had in conquering the pandemic. Dividing the city is a political tactic that should end his career, not elevate him to the mayor’s mansion.
The “Messiah” We Don’t Need Councilman Buscaino announces run for mayor to create “A Safer” Los Angeles By Chris Venn, Founder of the San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice On June 7 Councilman Joe Buscaino, candidate for mayor, spoke on the Boardwalk in Venice about houselessness in Los Angeles. Attending the rally were Venice residents who object to the un-housed community’s presence on the Venice Boardwalk as well as local activists and their city-wide allies who are demanding services not sweeps for un-housed residents. The press conference was held at 7 a.m. on the border of Santa Monica to attract the morning news cycle and highlight the proliferation of tents in Venice and lack of tents on the beach in Santa Monica. “This was all about Joe using our homeless situation as a backdrop. He wanted a scene to prove how out of control the homeless situation is to justify his strong arm tactics,” said Peggy Lee Kennedy of Venice Justice Committee.
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In the press conference, Buscaino stated that Council District 11 Councilmember Mike Bonin’s housing policies were a failure, that the city should end the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (a joint body of the county and the city) and that as mayor he would provide housing for the un-housed and then enact a city-wide camping ban. Local housing activists from Buscaino’s Council District 15 in attendance sought opportunities with the press and audience members to compare the Harbor District’s policies of using aggressive tactics toward encampments including weekly sweeps by garbage trucks with skip loaders and hydraulic grappling claws with Bonin’s policies in Venice. [See Messiah, p. 7]
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[Messiah, from p. 6]
No Need for This Messiah General Dogon, Los Angeles Community Action Network (Skid Row), said, “This was a klan rally. It was a hater rally; a homeless hater rally. Running for mayor, he [Buscaino] decided to announce his mayoral campaign in another council district and use his [Mike Bonin] homeless situation to promote himself as a candidate for mayor. He threw Councilmember Mike Bonin
Community Alerts
Public Comment On Southern California International Gateway Revised EIR
Carla Orendorf of Streetwatch Los Angeles on Buscaino’s Mayoral Campaign Kickoff
Joe Buscaino is responsible for human rights violations in his own district and destroying what little resources people have by coming in to do sweeps. He comes to Venice as Los Angeles Community Action Network puts it, “to serve as the messiah for the segregationists.” The City of Los Angeles has always used punitive policies to mistreat and abuse unhoused people. Every member of that rally in support of Joey “Buckets of Feces” Buscaino was identified as a member
Jobs. Justice. Housing.
RANDOMLetters Not Vaccinated
Gigi Gaskins the owner of hatWRKS in TN is A disgusting profile in antiSemitic insanity. Racist Gigi is profiting from the Holocaust, Because Gigi is a nut job whose brain is lost! Selling yellow stars saying “Not Vaccinated” Should be a new reason to be incarcerated. Put Gigi in a straitjacket in her padded cell, For the rest of her life until she goes to Hell. 6 million Jews died because of this hate! Tennessee, don’t let Gigi define your state! Anti-Semitism is a crutch for low-IQ fools, Just like Gigi Gaskins — so hateful and cruel. GOP Gigi will probably run for office in 2022, Since the Republican Party is home to fools. Hating Jews & medical science & vaccines, Stupid psycho idiot Marjorie Taylor Greene Is the new crazy Queen of the GOP it seems. But that’s OK, as a partisan Democrat, I say. GOP Nazi dunces make my job easy all day! Instead of wearing a yellow star, you freaks,
Wear your dunce caps instead appropriately. Gigi, go sit in the corner & wear a dunce cap With a patch that says “Gigi Smokes Crack.” Jake Pickering Arcata, Calif.
No Need for January 6 Commission
Liberals are complaining about the failure of Congress to set up a commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Listening to them, one would think that nothing is being done. In fact, law enforcement agencies are thoroughly and effectively investigating what happened that day, and have filed charges against many of those involved. Furthermore, Congressional committees are carrying out their own investigations. So why do the liberals want to add one more investigation? It seems to be caused by their disappointment that the investigations already underway show that the January 6 attack was carried out by a small number of extremists who planned the event well in advance. These facts contradict the liberal claim that President Trump “incited” the attack by his speech. Of course, Trump specifically called for a peaceful protest, and nearly all the tens of
thousands in attendance followed his instructions. Had it not been for the few extremists whose plans were made before Trump began to speak, we would not even remember January 6. The liberals want to gain a new platform from which to attack Donald Trump, regardless of the facts. They are counting on their friends in the media to spread their false claims. We do not need more false and divisive rhetoric. Let law enforcement and the Congressional committees do their work. Peter J. Thomas Chairman, The Conservative Caucus, Warrenton, VA Mr. Thomas, Clearly the Republicans that continue to support Donald Trump would just as soon have the insurrection of Jan. 6 simply go away and the evidence relegated to partisanship. This leads some Democrats to call for a second vote. That math leaves commission proponents just three votes short of the 60 needed to defeat a GOP filibuster in the Senate — an enticingly small number that’s left Democrats to wonder if public pressure might shift the outcome in their favor in the event of a second vote. It begs the question What are the MAGApublicans afraid of finding? James Preston Allen, Publisher
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
The Port of Los Angeles has released a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Southern California International Gateway project, for a 45-day period of public review and comment, from May 19 to July 9, 2021. The Port will accept written comments and hold a virtual public meeting via Zoom at 5 p.m. June 15, to present its findings and provide opportunity for public comments. The report and related documents are available on POLA’s website at portoflosangeles.org. The SCIG project’s original EIR was approved and challenged in court in 2013, with a final judgment in 2018. The revised EIR only addresses the deficiencies cited in the court’s decision. Comments on the revised draft EIR must be submitted in writing by the end of the 45-day public review period and must be postmarked by July 9, 2021. Submit written comments to: Christopher Cannon, Director City of Los Angeles Harbor Department, Environmental Management Division 425 S. Palos Verdes St. San Pedro, CA 90731 Time: 5 p.m. June 15 Location: tinyurl.com/ y63w67jb
under the bus.” During the press conference an un-housed woman had a mental crisis and was tackled by the police and a knife was confiscated. Buscaino was escorted from the rally by two security guards from Black Knight Patrol, a San Pedrobased security company. This woman, who was detained by the police, was released without any charges … after Buscaino’s extensive rhetoric about being a criminal. It appears Buscaino violated her rights using her as a visual op for the press. Michelle Rushstone of Streetwatch Los Angeles stated her version of the meeting. “He isn’t serious about the homeless epidemic, the care and well being of the un-housed. He is only about exploiting the process for his own gain, for real estate moguls who want to profit off expensive beach state property. A man who attended the rally owns five properties that are vacant. These five properties could house the entire population. Greed and capitalism are the property of this mayoral candidate.
of the Venice Neighborhood Council with deep real estate ties. These people want to clear encampments so their property values go up but block housing from being built in their communities. They do not represent the people of Los Angeles — the working poor, migrants, LGBTQ youth and the unhoused. That is who Los Angeles is and we must fight to support people who are being told they have no right to exist. This is nothing new, and we must recognize our responsibility and our fight to stand up for one another. We must continue to fight for permanent supportive housing and for the right to be treated with dignity. Buscaino represents the LAPD approach to homelessness which is to sweep the problem under the rug with threats of arrest. It only emboldens NIMBYs across this city to take violent action against people who live outside. His plan to make Los Angeles safer is based on taking people’s tents away and criminalizing those who refuse shelter. This is what Los Angeles has been doing for the last 40 years and that approach only perpetuates homelessness. You cannot police your way out of homelessness. It does not work. Police do not make our communities safer. Politicians who pander to real estate interests have no interest in our communities that are struggling to survive. Beware when they say they are coming in to help but still carry guns. We believe people know what kind of help they need. Let’s make those resources and support available so people have the opportunity to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Being homeless is not a crime. Hoarding wealth and vacant properties that can house people immediately is the crime. People have the right to home.
Let’s Get it Right!
Paid for by Christian L. Guzman for City Council 2022, 1329 Figueroa Place, Apt 7-12 Los Angeles, CA 90744 Additional information at ethics.lacity.org FPPC ID 1438114
June 10 - 23, 2021
Visit www.clgforthepeople.com today.
Donate or Volunteer to elect Christian to the Los Angeles City Council, District 15.
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Local Museum Co-Founder Knighted by Italian Consul General By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor
June 10 - 23, 2021
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On May 26, the Los Angeles Italian Consul General knighted Marianna Gatto, the co-founder and executive director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, also known as IAMLA. The distinction, the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia, is one of Italy’s highest honors for Italians abroad. It was presented on behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Past honorees had distinguished themselves in philanthropy, community activism, research and the promotion of friendly relations between Italy and other countries. Gatto is married to San Pedro businessman Eric Eisenberg. Gatto began her career in education before entering the field of museum administration. She began working on the museum project in 2005 and has served as the IAMLA’s director since 2010. Gatto has raised many of the museum’s major gifts, is the author of the IAMLA’s permanent exhibition and also curates and writes its temporary exhibitions, curricula and founding family histories. Gatto’s research focuses on Italian Americans in Los Angeles and the West; her second book on Italian American history will be published in the coming year. The Los Angeles native is also a contributing editor to the Italian Sons and Daughters of America journal and cochairs the Museum and Cultural Institutions Committee of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations. Gatto has Italian dual citizenship; her family hails from Sicily and Calabria. “To have been awarded the honor of Cavaliere last year, in 2020, is extremely significant for me,” said Gatto when she accepted the award. “Not simply because the honor was a bright spot during the pandemic, but because the date carries
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Hon. Silvia Chiave, Italian Consul General in Los Angeles, knighted Marianna Gatto, right, in a ceremony on May 26 in Los Angeles on behalf of Sergio Mattarella, president of Italy.
tremendous symbolism for my family. It was a century ago, in 1920, that my grandfather, Mercurio Ferdinando Ghisberto Gatto, first came to the United States. By his name you would think he descended from royalty, but in reality he was a peasant from Calabria who arrived with little more than the clothes on his back and a ticket to Pittsburgh, where he worked in a steel mill, alongside scores of other immigrants helping build and defend this nation. A lot has transpired in my family over the last century and this award makes me all the more cognizant of that.” Gatto was recognized for her efforts on behalf of Italian Americans along with three other luminaries, Vicky Carabini (International Affairs Professional), Clorinda Donato, (California State University, Long Beach) and Hilary Stern (Fondazione Italia), who received the honor between 2018 and 2021. “I hosted a ceremony to honor four extraordinary women with the Decoration of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, awarded by the president of the Italian Republic,” Chiave said. “Vicky Carabini, Clorinda Donato, Marianna Gatto and Hilary Stern have all greatly contributed to the promotion and propagation of Italian culture and language in Southern California, helping the consulate general and other institutions representing Italy to nurture and sustain interest and passion towards our country.”
I
n my 10 years reviewing Long Beach Opera, two productions tower above the rest. In 2010, LBO delivered John Adams’s Nixon in China with a glorious scope and scale they never again approached. Seven years later, the U.S. premiere of Philip Glass’s The Perfect American melded music and mise en scène in a silvery mélange that brought synesthetic life to Walt Disney’s dying days in a sterile hospital ward as ghosts and demons visited him where he lay. While arguably these are the two best works LBO chose to stage, the superiority of their conceptual execution is beyond serious debate. Anthony Davis’s The Central Park Five, for example, world premiered in 2019 and won a Pulitzer — but in terms of what there was to see on stage, it was several steps below the earlier twin peaks. Lesser shows suffered far worse by comparison, to the point that it was occasionally hard to fathom how this was the same company that twice upon a time reached such heights. On May 21, with a new artistic director in place, LBO embarked on a new decade (a year late — thank/fuck you, COVID-19) and era with Glass’s Les Enfants Terribles. And considering that this inaugural offering of the James Darrah regime is better than all but the very best of the previous decade, there’s reason to hope a bright new day has dawned. Based on a 1929 Jean Cocteau novel, Les Enfants Terribles concerns siblings Elisabeth (Anna Schubert) and Paul (Edward Nelson), whose claustrophobic intimacy/codependency manifests in a psychodrama of mutual antagonism called The Game, played out by the pair in The Room, a shared bedroom that becomes a stage and world unto itself when The Game is on. A fascinated witness to their bizarre battle royal is their friend Gérard (Orson Van Gay II), who eventually falls in love with Elisabeth.
But when Paul falls in love with Agathe (Sarah Beaty), who bears a striking resemblance to a childhood schoolmate that Paul idolized, The Game begins to play out beyond the confines of The Room. Because the action is passed through the prisms of the siblings’ linked psyches and Gérard’s reminiscence, Les Enfants Terribles is ripe for an expressionistic staging. Aside from LBO’s ongoing love affair with Glass (they draw from his oeuvre just about every season), this may be partly why they picked it. With COVID not yet behind us, responsibly mounting a live performance now — without simply doing lesser work and banking on the audience to cut you some circumstantial slack — means making the limitations work in your favor. In light of social distancing restrictions, Darrah and co. staged Les Enfants Terribles atop the south side of the 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highway parking structure, with audience members confined inside or next to their cars, which were parked in a rectangular array. Musicians and tech crew were stationed in the middle, while performers ranged the open space, the main action tailed by Darrah’s steadicam, with sporadic auxiliary action taking place offscreen. Thanks to the combination of unrelentingly mindful blocking/choreography and Darrah’s meticulous lensing instincts, with the exception of two scenes (including a dance sequence sans music that was effective initially but lasted much too long) viewers were kept engaged by an aesthetic vision more than strong enough to compensate for the otherwise inescapable fact that the stage was a run-of-the-mill parking structure. In fact, Darrah’s cinematography often disappeared his stage’s concrete brutalism, capitalizing on Dan Wiengarten’s lighting design to compose color-saturated and lens-flared frames detailing a specific action or energetic eruption of Les Enfants Terribles’s insular world. Musically, LBO always does well by Philip Glass. With only three pianos and four voices to balance sonically, Les Enfants Terribles was a solid choice for an environment lacking the controlled acoustics of a theater or concert hall. Despite occasional wind gusts, the sound came off almost without a hitch, projected by a combination of an outdoor speaker array and [See Les Enfants, p. 11] Real People, Real News, Really Effective June 10 - 23, 2021
A still from Long Beach Opera’s production of Philip Glass’s Les Enfants Terribles. Photo by Adam Larsen
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I
had given up on bok choy, because I was caught in a rut, adding it to my soggy stirfry and not much else. I felt bad about it, because the truth is, I wasn’t giving up on bok choy. What’s there to give up on? Bok choy is delicious, versatile and blameless. I was giving up on myself. Because there are jillions of ways to cook this striking plant, with its white, crunchy stalks and dark green leaves. I know I’m not the only one haunted by bok choy. There are others like me with geriatric specimen in their fridges, perhaps courtesy of a weekly community supported agriculture basket or impulse purchase. You see those curves, and that sharp white dark contrast, and next thing you know it’s in your cart. We latch onto one halfway decent way to prepare it, and call off the search. Next thing you know, you’re bored out of your mind. When you’re in a rut, it’s not like the larger world doesn’t exist, it’s just that you can’t see it. With enough determination, you can probably crawl out. But sometimes a little bump is all it takes to push you over the top and into a well-lit world full of possibilities. In the case of my bok choy problem, that catalyst came in the form of a farmer at the market. Nancy is from northern China, has limited English and a great garden. I was there for some garlic chives and nothing more,
Bok Choy Redemption By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist
but she chose that morning, just days after my having given up on bok choy, to give me the hard sell on some heads she had languishing. She calls it Bai Chai, which means something along the lines of white cabbage, and she sealed the deal with a soup recipe called Bai Chai Tum, which means Bok Choy soup. It’s mostly bok choy and potatoes, with a few seasonings. Thanks to the language barrier I wasn’t able to get a perfect read on how she makes it, but with what I understood, adjusting as I saw fit, it was a hit. The only ingredient I use that probably wouldn’t be found in Nancy’s northern Chinese version is butter. But hey, it works.
A big bowl of bok choy potato soup. Photo by Ari LeVaux
June 10 - 23, 2021
Real
People, Real News, Totally Relevant
BIG NICK’S PIZZA
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Tradition, variety and fast delivery or takeout—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and our amazing selection of signature pizzas. We are taking all safety precautions to protect our diners and staff. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on new developments. Call for fast delivery or to place a pick up order. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.Sun. Big Nicks’ Pizza, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-732-5800, www.bignickspizza.com
BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA
Family owned and operated since 1965, Buono’s is famous for award-winning brick oven baked pizza. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and hand-selected fresh ingredients. Now limited dine-in and patio service, takeout and delivery. Hours: Sun.Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Buono’s Pizzeria, 222 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-547-0655, www.buonospizza.com
CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL
Conrad’s reflects the cuisine of Oaxaca with a focus fresh on local, seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now Conrad’s features Peruvian dishes, as well as an inventive Mexican vegetarian and vegan menu. Dine in, dine al fresco or order online for curbside pick up and delivery. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. S. Conrad’s Mexican Grill, 376. W. 6th St., San Pedro 424-264-5452, www.conradsmexicangrill.com
HAPPY DINER #1
The Happy Diner #1 in Downtown San Pedro isn’t your average diner. The selections range from Italian- and Mexicaninfluenced entrées to American Continental. Happy Diner chefs are always creating something new—take your pick of grilled salmon over pasta or tilapia and vegetables prepared any way you like. Dine in or al fresco or call for takeout. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thurs.Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #1, 617 S. Centre St., San Pedro, 310-241-0917, www.happydinersp.com
Nancy recommends adding tofu as a protein. I’ve also tried it with egg, shrimp, scallops, browned ground lamb and Chinese BBQ pork, each of which becomes a new realm of flavor to play in. And if you add it all together at once… hey, that’s not bad either! But before you go crazy, I recommend starting with this simple base. Get a feel for the core flavor of this soup and then build slowly from there.
Bok Choy Potato Soup
This soup comes together in just a bit more time than it takes to boil some potatoes. Serves four. 1 lb potato, diced into ½-inch cubes 1 tablespoon bouillon paste 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce ½ oz. crushed ginger 1 small crushed shallot or part of an onion 1 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 lb. bok choy, washed and trimmed
Optional proteins: Tofu, seafood, meat. You can also crack an egg in and let it cook. Garnishes and condiments: Hoisin sauce, chives, chile paste, mayo and salt to taste. Heat two quarts of water to a boil. Add the bouillon paste and potatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until they are soft. While the potatoes simmer, clean the bok choy, as it can be dirty near the base. If you have baby bok choy, submerge them whole in clean water and drain them, repeating as needed. For large bok choy, pull off each stem — or leaf, however you see it — and wash it separately. Then cut the white halves from the leafy halves of each unit, roughly in half. Chop the leaf part coarsely. Chop the stem part into sections of about an inch in length and keep separately. Trim the bottom of the base and slice it if you like, but definitely use it as it’s particularly flavorful. When the potatoes are soft, add the butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, pepper flakes, black pepper and the white parts of the bok choy, including the bases (if using baby bok choy add the whole things), along with any protein you may care to add. Cook for five minutes at a simmer. Add the bok choy leaves and cook for another two minutes.
HAPPY DINER #2
Built on the success of Happy Diner #1, Happy Diner #2 offers American favorites like omelets and burgers, fresh salads, plus pasta and Mexican dishes are served. Order online for delivery or call for pickup. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #2, 1931 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-935-2933, www.happydinersp.com
HAPPY DELI
The Happy Deli is a small place with a big menu. Food is made-to-order using the freshest ingredients. Breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches include a small coffee. For lunch or dinner select from fresh salads, wraps, buffalo wings, cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and dogs. Order online or call for takeout or delivery. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 am. to 8 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Deli, 530 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 424-364-0319, www.happydelisp.com
SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY
A micro brewery and American grill, SPBC features handcrafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, BBQ, sandwiches, salads and burgers. Order your growlers, house drafts and cocktails to go (with food purchase)! Open daily 12 to 8 p.m. for indoor or al fresco dining, takeout and delivery through Grubhub, Postmates and Doordash. San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-831-5663, www.sanpedrobrewing.com
WEST COAST PHILLY’S
Welcome to West Coast Philly’s Cheesesteak and Hoagies where authentic Philly cheesesteaks meet the waterfront in San Pedro. Along with serving the classic cheesesteak, West Coast Philly’s puts its unique twist on its cheesesteaks and hoagies. Also on the menu are subs, burgers, wings and salads. Happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m., Mon.-Thurs. Indoor dining or order online or call for pickup. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. West Coast Philly’s, 1902 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, 424-264-5322, www.westcoastphillys.com
Support Independent Restaurants • Dining Guide online: www.randomlengthsnews.com/dining-guide [See Calendar, page 16]
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L.A. Reopens, Emerging Out of The Box By Melina Paris, Editorial Assistant
Olsen Daub listened to the audiobook version of The Land Of Oz as she worked, which inspired their adaptations. Between imagination, her background in fashion — studying pattern making, materials and design and her keen ability to assemble fantastic imagery [just check her Instagram], these works are utterly suited to her ingenuity. Though she noted, all corrugated paper is not created equal. “[It’s] thick and thin, coated or not, heavy or light,” Olsen Daub said. “I just reached out to work with it. I like to bend it and fold it and give it wrinkles and depth. And as Eugene [Daub, her husband and renowned figure sculptor] said, I’m making relief sculptures. “Sometimes the cardboard is on the bias, and sometimes it isn’t. [It’s] all Anne Olsen Daub, No Place Like Home, cardboard, paint. over the place. But that’s what gives it some attitude.” inspired by. But it doesn’t have to say it so much, Olsen Daub doesn’t like things to be perfect. the [images] can mean other things.” She’s spontaneous and doesn’t do pre-drawings. Olsen Daub said the simple shapes are quite She did note she might have a pre-thought interesting to do but she wanted them to feel but there’s no architectural drawings. As the different. The shadows they emanate also provide sculptures came together she soon wanted to a sense of curiosity to this collection, suggesting paint them. First she used spray paint, then flash more to the eye than it first encounters. She said paint — a vinyl emulsion from Paris which she the torch really wasn’t meant to be part of it. said provides a beautiful, intense matte finish. “Political turmoil inspired Liberty’s torch,” “There’s some beautiful colors, from house paint to flash paint to mixed media but the torch is painted with house paint,” Olsen Daub said. “The surface on each are treated accordingly. The Wizard of Oz is just so rich with imagery to be
[Les Enfants, from p. 9]
Les Enfants Terribles
June 10 - 23, 2021
slowest, subtlest movement rarely devolving into undesirable stasis. Over the last decade, while Long Beach Opera has almost always succeeded musically, their concepts and execution have often come up short. This is why the first show of the Darrah era seems so promising. In an epoch when force majeure is a compelling artistic compromise, LBO has delivered one of their most aesthetically compelling productions ever. What might they do once the COVID fetters are removed? Les Enfants Terribles runs . . . well, you missed it. Performances were May 23 through 25. Long Beach Opera’s second — and final — live event for their 2021 season is a doublebill of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Kate Soper’s Voices from the Killing Jar on Aug. 14 and 15 (both operettas each night). For tickets and more information visit LongBeachOpera.org.
Time: 3 to 6 p.m. June 12. The show is up through July 17. Details: www.anneolsendaub.com; www.michaelstearnsstudio.com Cost: Free Venue: Michael Stearns Studio at The Lofts, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro
direct broadcast into car radios (we cracked our windows to get the best of both worlds). Because Elisabeth and Agathe have so much melodic overlap, perhaps casting sopranos with a bit more tonal disparity than the Schubert/ Beaty combo might have better served in spots. Otherwise, all four performances were solid, with Schubert particularly standing out; and the casting was irreproachable vis-à-vis acting, appearance and movement. This goes for the small ensemble quartet, who together represented a sort of miasmatic flow of emotional energy. A highlight here was Shauna Davis’s mirror dance. Along with Darrah’s direction, Chris Emile’s choreography deserves mention. Early in Les Enfants Terribles, as Gérard’s narration (prerecorded by Gay) describes Elisabeth and Paul’s “overlapping pools of truth and fantasy,” Schubert and Nelson undulate back-to-back, arms enlaced, bringing the words to watery life. Lovely such touches abounded, with even the
Olsen Daub said. She manifested the torch and wanted it to be golden yellow. At first she didn’t know why but now she does. “Yellow was chosen to remind us there’s no place like home,” she said. “It’s not just all the wizard. It has to do with now too, how people interpret things. It’s been a challenge but I found my niche … something I can build, paint and create … and it’s unique to me.” These sculptures have inspired Olsen Daub to make more, especially the crown that Glinda the Good Witch wore. “It’s uplifting but yet there are stories behind [the pieces],” she said. “It’s a story within a story. It inspired me to make more things based on nature and wonderful things with flora, fauna and nature. It’s been really fun to create.”
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s Los Angeles reopens and people emerge cautiously into activities loved and missed, galleries summon, to indulge us in the beauty they showcase. Anne Olsen Daub’s exhibit Out of The Box is just such an indulgence where viewers can feel a child’s wonder via Frank Baum’s The Land of Oz. The exhibition opens at Michael Stearns Studio at the Lofts June 12. From her imagination Olsen Daub has created concepts and characters constructed from corrugated paper/cardboard that speak both to the fairy tale and to current times. During the last year through the pandemic, Olsen Daub began this work inspired by the seven deadly sins. It evolved from there. She wanted to create big, bold and colorful single iconic images. She succeeded. Their scale allows the observer to feel tiny beside them, as if through a child’s eyes conjuring wonder. Out of The Box creations indeed jump out of their frames with powerful coloration and most pieces measuring about five square feet. Parts of Tin and Nimmie are mutually supportive characters in this tale. The idea came to Olsen Daub after she had worked with a piece for a long time and it evolved into Parts of Tin. The pieces — representing the Tin Man, or Tin Woodman who the character is named after and Nimmie, Tin Man’s love interest — are compatible beside each other. Nimmie is prominent in pink hues and Tin, the working man, is painted in industrial silver. Olsen Daub reveals each one’s softer side, through a heart for Pieces of Tin and her intriguing choice of red doors for Nimmie’s lips. The seven deadly sins inspired her piece All That Glitters. At first glance it echoes a monumental, gold glittering vase, but then, it’s a voluminous bag cinched at the very top, stuffed full of loot. Field of Poppies is lush in crimson; its vibrant, contiguous blooms burst outward exuding sensual botanica. “The rest of the sins were depressing, and not inspiring,” Olsen Daub said. “I just took off from there, and honestly it just kind of happened. It wasn’t like I picked it. But once I got into Parts of Tin and Nimmie and the torch — [a bright golden yellow sculpture titled No Place Like Home] ... it [became] very abstract ... to pull it together into one concept. Some are stronger with The Land of Oz than others, but as a group they all complement each other and have something to say.”
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JUNE 10 - 23 • 2021 MUSIC June 17
Neel Agrawal COLA Artist Fellow Neel Agrawal takes the stage at the Skirball Cultural Center to present his collaboration with legendary Indian violinist and vocalist, L. Shankar. Agrawal is a multi-percussionist incorporating Indian, Middle Eastern and jazz percussion with electronic textures and soaring vocals. Time: 8 p.m. June 17 Cost: Free Details: www.facebook.com/ events/neel-agrawal
June 18
Jason Luckett Jason Luckett is a prolific singersongwriter. His music is relaxed, fun, introspective and danceable — in a personal style Jason calls “groovy acoustic soul.” As refreshing and thoughtful as Jack Johnson or Amos Lee. COVID-19 safety: Face masks are required, groups will be seated together and socially distanced from others. Time: 8 p.m. June 18 Cost: $22 Details: www.grandvision-jasonluckett-tickets.com Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
June 19
The Fenians Live For more than 30 years, The Fenians have delivered their potent mix of traditional Irish folk and rock ’n’ roll all across the USA and Ireland. Their foundation is decidedly Celtic, but there is no mistaking the complimentary influences of rock, folk, bluegrass, jazz and world music. Time: 7 p.m. June 19 Cost: $32 and up Details: 310-781-7171; www.torrancearts.org Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance
DANCE June 12
Ebb & Flow Join Heidi Duckler Dance at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown on June 12 and 13 for their first live outdoor performance in 2021. The festival will feature dance, visual arts, music and technology through the form of interdisciplinary art pieces stationed throughout the park. Each unique piece is an exploration of climate change, nature, humanity and health. RSVP. Time: 1 p.m. June 12 and 13
Cost: Free Details: http://ebbflow21.eventbrite.com Venue: Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown, 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
June 24
Sarah Elgart City of Los Angeles Artist Fellow Sarah Elgart will present a sitespecific dance performance at the Skirball Cultural Center in collaboration with Grand Performances. Sarah Elgart’s work engages audiences by transforming and catalyzing bus terminals, airports, museums and more with movement, music and media to make magic out of the mundane, allowing viewers to see “old places with new eyes. Time: 8 p.m. June 24 Cost: Free Details: www.grandperformances.org/sarah-elgart
THEATER June 12
Richard III Richard is the play’s remarkable, charismatic, and repulsive ringmaster — he takes the audience into his confidence as he plots to kill everyone before him in line for the throne. Being seduced by Richard’s shameless treachery is one of theater-going’s most delicious guilty pleasures. Time: 2 p.m. June 12 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Richardlll Venue: Streamed virtual event
FILM
June 19
June 10 - 23, 2021
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City Lights Come see City Lights in your best 1930s and ‘40s outfits. Get into
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the spirit of classic Hollywood and continue the celebration of the Warner Grand’s 90th anniversary with Charlie Chaplin’s critically acclaimed silent comedy. This event will be in person at the Warner Grand Theatre. Be prepared to wear your face mask and expect social distance seating. Time: 7 p.m. June 19 Cost: $15 Details: www.grandvision.com/ city-lights-ticket Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
June 25
Stop Making Sense Enjoy the first of the Sounds of Summer film series at Exposition Park. Universally acknowledged as one of the best concert films ever made, Stop Making Sense captures the energy, imagination and joyous highs of Talking Heads at their peak. Stop Making Sense shot at the Hollywood Pantages Theater in 1983 is kinetic, uplifting, intelligent but unpretentious. On its release audiences danced through the aisles. Time: 6 p.m. June 25 Cost: $25 and up Details: http://wuti-soundsofsummer.com Venue: Exposition Park South Lawn, 500 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles
ART
June 10
Meditations in Solidarity Hellada Gallery presents Jana Opincariu’s exhibit, Meditations in Solidarity, a collection of paintings created during the pandemic. Opincariu creates hyper-realistic images of bodies, objects and animals with surreal, macabre undertones. Join the closing reception and Opincariu’s artist talk at 6 p.m. June 26. Time: 5 to 9 p.m. June 26, closing reception Cost: Free Details: www.hellada.us Venue: Hellada Gallery, 117 Linden Ave., Long Beach
June 12
Out Of The Box Join the opening reception for artist Anne Olsen Daub whose new work is inspired by the seven deadly sins and evolves into references to The Wizard of Oz. The exhibit runs through July 17. Mask wearing is appreciated in the gallery. Time: 3 to 6 p.m June 12 Cost: Free Venue: Michael Stearns Studio @The Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro
LITERATURE Ongoing
Miraleste Library Virtual Book Club Each month, read and discuss a different book. Time: 1 p.m. June 13 on Zoom Details: www.pvld.org/bookclubs/ mbc
COMMUNITY June 10
Summer Classes Are Here Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation teamed up with some of the best instructors in Los Angeles to bring you hundreds of classes for all ages, levels and budgets. Classes include: arts and culture, computers and technology, exercise and fitness, health and wellness, martial arts, performing arts, music and dance, special interest and sports. COVID-19 Safety Guidelines will apply for in-person outdoor classes. Details: www.parks.lacounty.gov/ summerclasses
June 11
Euro Cup Kick Off Game Come to Little Italy LA for the Euro Cup Kick Off Game Celebration. Street closure will start in the morning and a large LED screen will be placed at 6th and Mesa streets in San Pedro near Buono’s Pizzeria in the heart of Little Italy LA. Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 11 Cost: Free Details: https://fb.me/ e/1KiU6poAF City of Carson Celebrates Philippine Independence Day Virtually A virtual celebration in Carson featuring cultural performances and various entertainment for the family will mark the 123rd anniversary of Philippine Independence Day. Entertainment will feature big names in Filipino pop music, homegrown talents and cultural performers. Time: 5:30 p.m. June 11 and 11 a.m June 12. Details: 310-847-3570; www.facebook.com/SpotlighTV. online, http://carsonca.gov/ PID123 Cost: Free Venue: Channel 18 (Local) Spotlight TV (June 11), Channel 35 Spectrum cable, Channel 99 ATT (June 12)
June 12
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Reopens Visitors will get a first look at the aquarium’s new rocky intertidal exhibit and a major refresh of the tidepool touch habitat. Guests will also watch the premiere of an award-winning short film, Night at the Aquarium, which features a voice-over actor portraying the late aquarium director John Olguin as he unravels the mystery of a missing sea creature.Visitors must wear masks and their visit to the aquarium will be limited to 90 minutes. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 12 Details: 310-548-8395;
www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro. Crossroads Long Beach Car Show Come see custom cars and motorcycles, eat some good food, hear live music and participate in opportunity drawings June 12. All proceeds go to supporting Crossroads Long Beach annual Back 2 School Jam Event. Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 12 Cost: Free Details: Crossroads Church Long Beach,1900 E. South St., Long Beach
June 13
Succulents: Liberated or Constrained in Containers? Ernesto Sandoval will explore the benefits of growing succulents in the ground versus in containers using examples of growing plants in the collections of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory in Northern California, where Sandoval cares for a plethora of plants, as well as examples from private and public succulent growers. Time: 1:30 p.m., June 13 Cost: $15 Details: southcoastcss.org Venue: Zoom
June 18
Storytelling Workshops Creative Storytelling Workshops will feature a live story reading by a Los Angeles County Library librarian. The story will then be brought to life through a variety of expressive art activities led by a Los Angeles County Museum of Art teaching artist. Time: 4 p.m. June 18 Cost: Free Details: LACountyLibrary.org/ LACMAprograms
June 19
Juneteenth 400 Celebration at the Port of Los Angeles Join in virtually for the first-ever, one-of-a-kind event to celebrate Juneteenth. It will be a day of tributes, education, and entertainment, culminating with fireworks over the water. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the U.S. Join in virtually. Time: 1 to 8:45 p.m. June 19 Cost: Free Details: https://www.portoflosangeles.org/juneteenth Family Art Workshop Join artist-teacher Carlos Eduardo Gacharná in this workshop exploring color and culture. Make your own tile patterns based on the art of two different cultures in the African Diaspora: the Ashanti of West Africa and the Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. Learn how stories and patterns spread and how folktales inspire modern day cultural icons like Spiderman and The Avengers. Register on eventbrite to receive the Zoom link prior to the event.Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Time: 1 to 3 p.m. June 19 Cost: Free Details: colleen@angelsgateart. org
Ongoing
San Pedro Farmers Market Every Friday find fresh local produce and goods right in San Pedro. If you are interested in becoming a vendor or to learn more, please visit https://www.sanpedrochamber.com/san-pedro-farmersmarket Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Venue: Pepper Tree Plaza, 629 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
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June 10 - 23, 2021
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June 10 - 23, 2021
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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.
PETS PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021078313 The following person is doing business as: (1) KURT’S CONCRETE, 1918 W 169th Street, Gardena, CA 90247, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Kurt Giles, 1918 W 169th Street, Gardena, CA 90247. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2009. 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/. Kurt Giles, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 04/02/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/29/21,
Los Angeles on 05/06/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 05/27/21,
06/10/21, 06/24/21, 07/08/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021111890 The following person is doing business as: (1) PATRICIA’S SKIN CARE, 1622 S Gaffey Street #202, San Pedro, CA 90731. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Patricia Elaine Bondon, 873 W. 18th 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: 07/2020. 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/. Patricia Elaine Bondon, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 05/17/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section
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“Knowing the Angles” — when it’s all right.
05/13/21, 05/27/21, 06/10/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021104264 The following person is doing business as: (1) FUNERAL COACH PLUS, 118 Gaviota Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Ronnie Grubbs, 118 Gaviota Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 07/2020. 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/. Ronnie Grubbs, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of
17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 05/27/21, 06/10/21,
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1 Hummus scooper 5 Snarls, like traffic 11 Pistachio, e.g. 14 Counting Crows singer Duritz 15 Prompt 16 “Suits” airer 17 Item of Mario Bros. lore where you can see the angle in the NW corner 19 Dose, informally 20 Covered with grime 21 Hummus brand 23 Liam Neeson film franchise 26 ___ folkl≤rico (traditional Mexican dances) 28 Pol. entity that lasted from 962 to 1806 29 “That was my best effort” 33 Country singer Paisley 36 Frigid 37 “My kingdom for ___!” (Richard III) 38 Mount in Greek myth 39 Apprehends 41 Sharp-toothed spur wheel 42 Lo ___ (Chinese noodles) 43 Just had a sense 44 Ab ___ (from the beginning) 46 ___ deferens 47 Level-headed 48 Optician’s wares 49 Part of the psyche
50 In the wee small hours of the morning 52 Nattered away 54 Slash on a bowling scoresheet 56 Dispatched, as the Jabberwock 59 Sculpture, paintings, etc. 60 Intro to a certain cipher that resembles the angle in the SE corner 66 Homer Simpson outburst 67 Ferret’s cousin 68 Word before ringer or tired 69 Music with confessional lyrics 70 “Interview With the Vampire” vampire 71 Birds with dark green eggs
DOWN
1 Dog’s foot 2 William McKinley’s First Lady 3 “Que ___?” (“How’s it going?”) 4 Cause laughter 5 Like most restaurant orders, lately 6 “Put a sock ___!” 7 Website for craftwork 8 Word usually put in brackets 9 Actress Thurman 10 Drink with a red, white, and blue logo 11 On a calculator, it looks like the angle in the NE corner 12 Manufacturer’s target 13 Exclamation after a big finish
18 Region conquered by Alexander the Great 22 “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” author Mitch 23 Speculates 24 Tarot deck grouping 25 Where to find the letter that looks like the angle in the SW corner 26 Surrounds 27 Antarctic penguin 30 Adrenaline rush 31 Mara of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” 32 Late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve 34 Cheese in some bagels 35 Ted of “Mr. Mayor” 40 Pinky ___ 45 “Hamlet” courtier who oversees a duel 51 Push away 53 Pole on a battery 54 1993 hitmaker with “No Ordinary Love” 55 Dance with a lot of rentals 56 Roasting stick 57 “Girls” creator Dunham 58 Perform without ___ 61 Vexation 62 Ball club VIPs 63 On the left, for short 64 It might be free at a French restaurant 65 Mobile game interruptions
[Appeal, from p. 2]
Appeal Denied
DBA FILINGS & NOTICES [from p. 14] Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2022021104268 The following person is doing business as: (1) RITO RESTORATION, 1840 S Gaffey Street #414, San Pedro, CA 90731. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Jorge A Espinoza, 202 N Bandini, 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/. Jorge A Espinoza, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 05/06/21. Notice-In accordance with subdi-
vision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 05/27/21, 06/10/21, 06/24/21, 07/08/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021122657 The following person is doing business as: (1) LEXSERVICE, (2) LEXERVICE, 735 Pacific Coast Hwy, Harbor City, CA 90710. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Stephen Haddad, 735 Pacific Coast Hwy, Harbor City, CA 90710. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 09/1994. 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/. Stephen Haddad, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 06/01/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration.
DBAs $ 140 Filing & Publishing
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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: 06/10/21, 06/24/21, 07/08/21, 07/22/21
PUBLIC SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell Miscellaneous business and/or personal property described below to enforce a Lien Imposed on said property pursuant to section 21700-21716 of the business & professions code, section 2328 of the UCC, section 535 of the Penal code and provisions of the Civil Code. The undersigned will sell items at a public sale by competitive bidding on 07/07/ 2021 at 9am on the premises where said property has been stored and which are located at Plaza Self Storage, 630 S. Pacific Ave. San Pedro, Ca. County of Los Angeles, State of California. The following: Jannette Saavedra Kevin Reynolds Elizabeth Adcox Carlos Lopez Anthony Martinez Andrea Addison Kenneth Pressley Maria Ford George Ross Cordellia Hunter Linda Ellis Julian Oates
#16 #30 #40 #59 #110 #111 #122 #164 #225 #258
Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash only. All purchased items are sold as is and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is administered by James O’Brien’s Auction Services, Bond number 14663730099, phone number (909) 681-4113
project but did not get called on. This included two San Pedro neighborhood council presidents. All three San Pedro neighborhood councils previously supported the appeal. “We are very concerned that the city violated due process rights yesterday by cutting off public comment the way they did, essentially suppressing the public’s ability to exercise their right to make a public statement to the decision makers,” Rudisill said. Rep. Nanette Barragán voiced her approval of the appeal and said the project did not have enough affordable units. “San Pedro already possesses hundreds of luxury market rate units to which this development would add without offering the residents of San Pedro a meaningful solution to the growing difficulty of living affordably in this city,” Barragán said in a letter. Barragán argued that the development would drive displacement of San Pedro residents, who are already at a high risk of displacement. “Building more luxury housing in working-class neighborhoods brings a rush of speculative investment that drives up rental costs and, in turn, prices many of my constituents out of their neighborhoods only adding to growing affordability concerns for all renters,” Barragán said. Aksel Palacios, the planning and economic development deputy for Councilman Joe Buscaino, spoke in favor of the project. “This project addresses the shortage of housing citywide, as well as addressing deeper housing units for residents at all income levels,” Palacios said. Palacios said the project will help revitalize Pacific Avenue and praised it for its bicycle parking. This while destroying two historic storefront buildings — La Rue’s Pharmacy and the iconic Dancing
Waters club. John Smith, a 17-year resident of San Pedro, said the project has an inadequate amount of parking, in an area of San Pedro that has little parking already. “Although the project says that it has more parking spaces than dwelling units, that’s actually misleading,” Smith said. “Many of the parking spaces are what they call tandem. If you’re not sure what tandem is, that’s where one car is parked directly behind another, such that the first car cannot pull out unless the second car does. So that only works if both cars belong to the same apartment.” Smith pointed out that parking spaces will be rented separately from the apartments, so this will not necessarily be the case. He also said that a lot of people can’t use public transportation because they don’t live next to a bus line. San Pedro resident Army Linderborg criticized the project for not following the community plan, particularly in its height. “The area is zoned for all buildings to be capped at 30 feet,” Linderborg said. “This building, at 35-and-a-half feet, will tower over the neighborhood and be a full story and half higher than any other building in the area.” San Pedro resident Daniel Nord said that San Pedro residents have given ample evidence to the city as to why this project should not be approved. “We’ve given you dozens of documents, we’ve given you expert studies, we’ve given you seven EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] maps showing extreme environmental injustice in San Pedro, we’ve given you our testimony, our letters our three neighborhood councils wrote supporting the appeal — all of it,” Nord said. “Now the community’s power is in your hands and we expect you to serve us, and not just developers and other politicians.” The appeal was denied and heads to the full council for a vote.
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