Local Musician Ventures to Teach Musical Stars By Melina Paris, Editorial Assistant
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[See Guitars, p. 16] Musician Lanny Cordola poses with several of The MLK girls whom he has tutored in guitar. The girls are still stuck in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Cordola
New city program will respond to mental health crises p.2
Raffaello’s tradition continues at its new location p. 12
For the second time in a generation, a Democratic president has taken office Nasdaq — not you, not your families,” he said in his kick-off campaign speech near his in the midst of an economic catastrophe overseen by a Republican predecessor. hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “If I’m fortunate enough to be elected president, Joe Biden, who was vice president last time, seems to have learned his lesson I’ll be laser-focused on working families, the middle-class families that I came from.” That promise is clearly reflected in the fully paid-for — it needs a big response, something on a 10-year $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan, which makes generational scale — and almost everyone in the major investments in childcare, education, healthcare and Democratic Party agrees. But not quite. And two housing just to bring America in line with its international hold-out senators could spell disaster — not just competitors. Its climate agenda and broader environmental for Biden’s agenda, or the Democratic Party, but agenda will benefit families far beyond the 10-year timefor American democracy and the future of the frame. planet as well. If the plan doesn’t pass, climate The local impact would be dramatic, according to action appears doomed, and Donald Trump Harbor Area representatives. could well be re-elected in 2024, again with “The Build Back Better plan would make millions fewer votes. transformational investments in addressing the toxic air “It’s not sufficient to build back,” after the pollution from trucks and ports,” said Congresswoman pandemic, Biden said on the campaign trail, “We Nanette Barragán. “It would make it possible to replace have to build back better.” And he had a specific polluting trucks and cargo handling equipment with new focus in mind. “Throughout this [coronavirus] Congresswoman Nanette Barragán supports President Joe crisis, Donald Trump has been almost singularly Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Photo courtesy of Barragán’s zero-emissions technology. This would dramatically focused on the stock market — the Dow and website [See Build, p. 10] 1
October 14 - 27, 2021
Limited production value doesn’t prevent Angels in America from shining p. 11
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Foul smell: Residents are fed up with county, city’s stalling p. 4
What ‘Build Back Better’ Could Mean
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
n 2014, following the reporting of a 2012 terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Lanny Cordola, a Los Angeles musician and cofounder of Magdallan [a Christian metal supergroup] packed up his guitar and left for the country to see how he could help. He later returned to Afghanistan and engaged in youth work, teaching guitar to teenagers of the war-torn country. “The plan is to make this an entity where [the girls] can travel the world, play music, tell the story about their lives and the people of Afghanistan,” Cordola said. He calls these girls The Miraculous Love Kids. Cordola has been teaching them guitar and together with Cordola, the girls have recorded videos of them performing virtually alongside huge American musicians like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Sammy Hagar, The Bangles, The GoGos, The Runaways, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Australian singer Nick Cave and others. Cordola, who was born in Harbor City, gained much of his success in Hollywood in the mid 1980s to ’90s. The guitarist, songwriter and producer has also been a member of glam rock bands Giuffria and House of Lords. He spoke to Random Lengths News from Pakistan, to which he relocated on the very last day of the American pull out of troops from Afghanistan. He waited until he had to leave. His visa was about to expire. Now, he is trying to raise awareness and funds to get 12 particularly vulnerable girls with their families out
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Attend a Healthcare Lecture Series
Providence Little Company of Mary is offering a healthcare lecture series intended to help educate the community on important healthcare services offered at Providence Little Company of Mary. All lectures will be held virtually and will allow participants to learn about the latest treatment options as well as ask questions. Lectures on Take Control of your Health Oct. 21 and Men’s Health Nov. 18. Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and Nov. 18. Cost: Free Details: 888-432‑5464; www.app.news.providence.org/community-health-care-series Venue: Online
Ports Provide Update on Clean Air Action Plan
SAN PEDRO — The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will give an update on the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan on Oct. 19. Among other topics, the meeting will include a discussion of tariff language being developed to implement the Clean Truck Fund Rate. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be virtual. This is the second meeting of 2021 and the 12th under the CAAP 2017 Update. The CAAP 2017 Update is a comprehensive strategy for accelerating progress toward a zeroemission future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Clean Air Action Plan was originally approved in 2006. The ports will take public comments at the advisory meeting to receive input on CAAP implementation issues. The agenda will be posted on the CAAP website prior to the meeting. For more information, visit cleanairactionplan.org. Records of prior meetings can be found here: www.cleanairactionplan.org/2017-clean-air-action-plan-update Time: 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: Free Details: Click here to register and receive instructions on how to participate via computer or phone: www.portla.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_1SdP-29zQYWGcH2Ei9WlcA Venue: Online
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
DOE Launches Environmental Justice Program
The Department of Energy has launched a new program to help environmental justice communities and communities that have been harmed by pollution from fossil fuel industries. The DOE Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) will help communities take control of their clean energy future by providing support services to develop locally driven energy plans to reduce air pollution and increase energy resiliency. The department is currently accepting comments and questions about the program at: www.communitiesLEAPinfo@hq.doe.gov. Important dates to remember: Oct. 25, 2021 — Registration period opens Dec. 15, 2021 — Registration period closes Dec. 17, 2021 — Application deadline March 28, 2022 — Expected date for selections Details: www.energy.gov/communitiesLEAP/ communities-leap-register-and-apply.
October 14 - 27, 2021
Rent Relief Program Still Open
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Applications did not close Sept. 30, as originally planned. Instead, applications will be accepted until funds are exhausted. Eligible renters and landlords can apply for relief funding at the link below. Details: www.housing.ca.gov
COVID-19 Boosters Now Available
Pfizer booster shots are now available for those who received the Pfizer shot more than six months ago and are: • 65 years of age or older [See Announcements, p. 4]
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
Buscaino Steps Down as President Pro Tem By Fabiola Esqueda, GNI Fellow
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino announced on Aug. 21 he will step down as president pro tem to focus on his run for mayor. The decision came after six council members were preparing to remove him from his post. The motion for his removal came just days before Buscaino was quoted in a Los Angeles Magazine article degrading his colleagues. He described Council President Nury Martinez as a “disappointment” and called City Councilman Kevin de León a “scrub.” Buscaino, who is running as a Democrat for the mayoral seat, announced his resignation during a city council meeting. The vote for his removal was scheduled for the following week. His time in office serving the 15th District, which includes San Pedro and Wilmington, was characterized by opposition from his colleagues for his rough criminalization propositions on the homelessness crisis. Earlier this month, he introduced a ballot measure that would criminalize people who live on sidewalks and those living in homeless encampments if they turned down shelter or housing options. He planned to go against his colleagues’ recommendations if they didn’t act on his proposal — he would have to gather the 64,000 signatures needed to qualify the measure for the June 2022 ballot. Buscaino, who was born and reared in San Pedro, is notorious for going against his constituents and apologizing for his controversial choic-
es later. For this reason, his right-centrist views on homelessness, policing and international aid are left with much criticism from left-wing activist groups and his fellow council members. Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., Buscaino called for the arrests of officers Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane. He also showed his support for the nationwide protests. Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and other activist groups have called for the reallocation of the police budget. But Buscaino proposed an increase in police funding and voted against cutting the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget by $150 million. Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles condemned Buscaino’s proposal. He most recently came under fire when he tweeted his support for the controversial $1 billion funding of the Iron Dome, Israel’s missile defense system. “Congresswoman Barragan is 100% correct,” Buscaino tweeted in response to Rep. Nanette Barragán announcing she will vote for the additional funding. “I am happy she represents us in Congress and I too support Israel!” Buscaino is the first mayoral candidate to show support for Israel. This was after the Gaza attacks earlier this year, where Israeli airstrikes killed 212 Palestinians, including at least 61 children. The attack displaced about 75,000 people. Buscaino, former senior lead officer of the
Councilman Joe Buscaino recently stepped down as president pro tempore of the city council. File photo
Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division, announced his candidacy for mayor in March to succeed Mayor Eric Garcetti. His opponents for the mayoral position so far are Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin De León, Rep. Karen Bass, City Attorney Mike Feuer and president and chief executive of the Central City Association, Jessica Lall. More are expected to announce their candidacy in the coming months. The mayoral primary election is in June 2022. The two remaining candidates will be voted on in November 2022.
New City Program Will Respond to Mental Health Crises By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
The City of Los Angeles is partnering with the county to launch a pilot therapeutic van program, which will send mental health professionals to people experiencing mental health crises, instead of police and firefighters. On Sept. 21, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the creation of a memorandum of understanding between the Los Angeles Fire Department, or LAFD, and the Department of Mental Health, or DMH, to create the program, which will last for one year. Mayor Eric Garcetti approved the motion on Oct. 4. In addition, the city council approved transferring up to $2,000,000 from an unappropriated balance fund used for mental health services to the LAFD, as the vans will operate out of fire stations. One will be in Station 40, which is on Terminal Island, according to the Chief Legislative Analyst’s report on the project. The vans will have teams of clinical drivers, peer support specialists and licensed psychiatric technicians, according to the city council’s motion. The city council began discussing using the program in September 2020, but it still does not have an official start date. “I wonder why it took them so long to actually start to do something,” said Doug Epperhart, president of the Coastal San Pedro Neighbor-
hood Council. Epperhart argued that the city’s interaction with homeless people was driving the creation of the program. “When you have problems with homeless people, you know, addiction, mental health issues, so on and so forth, they seem to call the police first of all,” Epperhart said. “And this is one place where the police are actually … working with social services people, but it’s not even close enough.” Laurie Jacobs, former vice president of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, said she supports the program. “We need less law enforcement in mental health situations,” Jacobs said. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez spoke about the program at the Sept. 1 meeting of the city council’s Public Safety Committee. “This therapeutic mental health van pilot marks a substantial shift in our partnership with LA County, to deploy the very important and missing mental health resources — trained health professionals — in lieu of fire and police personnel,” Rodriguez said. LAFD Chief Graham Everett said that the LAFD had been looking for solutions to dealing with mental health emergencies as far back as 2019.
“The problem we were trying to solve was trying to find some alternatives to the 28,000 calls a year we were going on related to mental health patients that may or may not have had a medical issue associated with their call,” Everett said. The LAFD took about 17,500 patients to the emergency room in 2019 and has had similar numbers in 2020 and 2021. Everett said the LAFD is taking a lot of people to the hospital that don’t necessarily need to go there. “They have a mental health crisis and they may need to go to a mental health facility, our EMTs and paramedics … it’s not within their scope of practice to do so,” Everett said. “Really we’re limited on the services that we can provide. And this association with the county provides us [with the ability] to have experts in the field of mental health, and to be out there on scene with these patients, provide them with the best possible care, and transport to the most appropriate facility.” Everett argued that this would help the LAFD as it would allow them to keep their resources available for medical emergencies, and help hospitals as well, as it would prevent their emergency services from being as crowded as they are currently. Dr. Steve Sanko, interim medical director of the LAFD, said that the program will have five [See Mental Health, p. 5]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
October 14 - 27, 2021
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Ada Briceño:
The San Pedro Roots of Orange County’s Transformation
Carson Votes to Form Equity Committee
CARSON — Carson’s City Council announced on Sep. 7, the creation of a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee (DEI). For the committee to move forward, Mayor Lula-Davis Holmes and Councilmember Jawane Hilton will overlook the creation of the DEI. The DEI will plan strategies on how to further diversity, equity, and inclusion for city employees. Details: tinyurl.com/carson-dei-committee
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
“You can’t just fight injustice in one area of your life”
Orange County’s transformation from the heartland of homogeneous Goldwaterera conservatism it once was to the diverse, increasingly progressive place it is today had many different causes, all of which needed to be brought together to achieve such sweeping change. Connecting people, issues, and causes together has long been a way of life for Ada Briceño, co-president of UNITE-HERE Local 11 and now chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County — the first Latina to hold either office — so she’s a perfect representative of that transformation. But in a way, it all started in San Pedro. Her family fled Nicaragua in 1980 when she was just 6, and because of a car accident, her father lost out on a longshore job he’d been offered here. So Briceño began working at a very young age. And that’s where her lifetime
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area [Announcements, from p. 2] • Between the ages of 18 and 64 with an underlying health condition • A worker in a high-risk situation such as a teacher, healthcare worker, etc. Details: Find out if you qualify for a booster shot or view vaccination opportunities near you: www.vaccines.gov/
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Download Your Digital Vaccine Record
The State of California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record (DCVR) portal allows Californians to download their COVID-19 vaccination record. In order for you to obtain your record: COVID-19 vaccination information must have been submitted to the California Immunization Registry (CAIR2, SDIR, and RIDE) by your vaccination provider. All the information you enter into the DCVR Portal must match your record in the registry. Details: www.myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov
Get Involved With the Redistricting Process
Use your voice to help the commission create a list of communities of interest by submitting a form today. Details: How to get involved page: www.longbeach.gov/redistricting/how-to-get-involved
October 14 - 27, 2021
Attend A Public Map Input Session
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The California Citizens Redistricting Commission will hold public map input sessions on Oct. 21 to 23, 2021 to allow for district map plan presentations by the public. Presentations will provide an opportunity to showcase submitters’ ideas, potential solutions and specific boundaries for congressional, State Senate, Assembly and/or Board of Equalization districts. Public Map Input Sessions Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 21, 2021 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23 Details: Request for appointment sign up - Oct 21 to 23, at /docs.google.com/forms/ d/e/public-map-input-sessions
— Ada Briceño
of activism, rooted in the labor movement, all began. Random Lengths News interviewed her about her history of activism, how she became the first Latina president of her local at age 26, how her union activism broadened to working in and with other organizations, eventually leading to becoming party chair, all the way up through the 2020 elections, the recent recall election and looking forward to the future in the 2022 midterms. The full interview is online at RandomLengthsNews.com. Briceño wears two hats, that of UNITEHERE Local 11 co-president and the Democratic Party chairperson of Orange County. She’s worn the first hat for a much longer period. The longtime labor activist got her first taste of fighting for workers rights in San Pedro when a labor activist stood up for her when she was a teenager working at Ports O’ Call Village. “Mr. Solorsano was his name,” Briceño recalled. She noted he had recently died from COVID during the pandemic. “I couldn’t help but really remember and cherish the moment when he stood up for me,” Briceño said. “Though, of course, my mother had stood up for me before.” Briceño recalled working at Bob’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream shop in which the store looked like a banana dipped chocolate. It was just one of a few jobs she held while in San Pedro, including Ante’s Restaurant and the Sheraton Los Angeles Harbor Hotel. The longtime labor activist described how the store owner’s son was inappropriate with her. “I couldn’t understand it because I was very naive and very young. He would say very inappropriate things,” Briceño said. She recounted incidents where the young man would go to the adult store that was once at Ports o’ Call and return to show off his haul, “that was not necessarily in good taste.” Briceño said she wouldn’t dare tell her mom, but her friend and co-worker told her dad. “She called me one day, and said, ‘Dad is taking you up with me and we’re going to Bob’s Ice Cream place.’” She remembers Mr. Solorsano had marched the two of them to the store, and he said, “They quit!” She recalled the father yelling at the ice cream shop owner the whys and the what fors of the two girls quitting. When he was finished, the girls marched out after him with their heads down, but never looked back. “That was an important lesson for me,” Briceño said. “I’m thankful for him and I honored his life for having the courage to take somebody else’s kid and standing up for them. Another life lesson came when she was employed at the Sheraton LA Harbor Hotel. Today it’s the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel between 6th and 7th streets. “It was walking distance from my home,” Briceño said. “I got a job there, and I made a couple more dollars an hour then I had [earned] at either Ante’s or any of the other places I had
County COVID-19 Tenant Protections Extended
Ada Briceño, co-president of UNITE-HERE Local 11 and chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. File photo
worked. I had my best meal of the day there, and finally I had healthcare.” She said the best thing about her experience there was that she understood that the labor contract provided her labor rights. She was 18 years of age at the time and was just finding her voice. She remembered being happy reading through the contract and asking for the shifts she wanted. She learned how to stand up for herself during that time. “It was not difficult because I quickly made friends with others around the hotel, [like the] the cooks and dishwashers,” Briceño said. “But the people who really took my heart in the hotel were the room attendants.” “As a front desk clerk I was often communicating with them. I was the only bilingual front desk clerk, therefore everybody would ask me, ‘Is room 1918 clean?’ and so I had to call the room attendants and ask them. And at lunch time I made friends with them. They started telling me their problems.” “The funny thing is that in addition to working at the front desk — they had hired me for a part-time position at human resources, filing away stuff,” Briceño recalled. She described feeling bored and a little nosy. So, she read people’s discipline records. “I would look and read, and I thought, ‘How unfair is this?’ Room attendants work so hard and are getting disciplined, for not finishing the room for example.” “I saw how they sweat, and I’d see how difficult it is. So that really opened my eyes, and it wasn’t hard for me to want to stand up for them.” Briceño noted that not only was it easy for her to stand up for them, she learned it was better that she taught them how to stand up for themselves. “When we teach someone to stand up for themselves in one area of their lives, there’s other areas of their lives that are affected,” she said. “At some point in my career, early on in my leadership, is what really drew me and kept me in the labor movement, and specifically in my union.” For the rest of the interview, starting with how she came to work for the union, go to RandomLengthsNews.com
LOS ANGELES — The LA County Board of Supervisors, Sept. 28 voted to extend LA County’s temporary eviction moratorium through Jan. 31, 2022. These protections, which went into effect March 2020 and set to expire on Sept. 30, provided a set of affirmative defenses against evictions for residential and commercial tenants, as well as mobile home space renters. The updated policy, now renamed the county’s COVID-19 Tenant Protections Resolution, continues to provide a defense against eviction for residential and commercial tenants, while also expanding the owner move-in provisions. Details: dcba.lacounty.gov/noevictions. Landlord/tenant laws and programs in LA County: rent.lacounty.gov. Housing is Key rent relief program: housingiskey. com.
Rent Registry Online Portal Launched
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) Oct. 1, launched the county’s first online Rent Registry. The LA County Rent Registry, which contains portals for both property owners and tenants, will allow property owners to register and update property information, report changes in tenancy, pay annual registration fees, track case status and request exemptions. The registry will add enhanced functions in the upcoming months for property owners and tenants, including the ability to submit applications for rent adjustments, as well as property owner requests for capital improvement and primary renovation pass-throughs, and notifications of termination of tenancy directly to DCBA. Property owners can register their rental properties at rentregistry.dcba.lacounty.gov. DCBA’s Housing and Tenant Protections Division will be hosting informational webinars on the registry for property owners and landlords, and will house helpful materials, user guides, and tutorials on their website at dcba.lacounty.gov/rentregistry.
New Funding Approved for Mental Health Crisis Response
SAN PEDRO — New funding was approved Oct. 5, in the Los Angeles County final budget for FY 2021-22 to improve the response to residents suffering mental health crises. The final budget resolution, including supplemental changes to the county’s budget, approved Oct. 5, includes: Funding for five new Veteran Mental Health Evaluation Teams or VMET, which partner a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinician with a sheriff’s deputy and respond to law enforcement scenarios involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis. These five new teams will be specifically dedicated to responding to the unique needs of veterans. They bring the total number of MET teams in the county to 39. An additional $20 million toward the county’s Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams — unarmed mental health professionals who can be called to respond to a person experiencing a mental health crisis. The new funding will allow the program to be expanded to 24/7 operation and add more teams to improve response times. This is especially important ahead of the national mental health crisis line 9-8-8 going live next summer. [See Briefs, p. 6]
[Mental Health, from p. 2]
Mental Health Response DMH teams strategically placed around the city close to crisis stabilization centers. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proposed the pilot program to DMH, then to the city. “We would have a checklist for medical clearance to be seen by a psychiatric provider,” Sanko said. “It would be used by either the DMH therapeutic … van providers, or by LAFD members, who could then summon the therapeutic vans.” Councilmember John Lee said that while the bases for the vans were supposed to be near mental health facilities, they did not do a good job covering his district, Council District 12. “We still only have one in the valley,” Lee said. “We have nothing in the west valley.” Lee said he has found another space to place a base for the program and has asked the county for help with funding, but he has not heard a response yet. Everett said that the city needs more than five vans. He said if the pilot program is successful, it will add more. “Even though those vans are going to be running 24 [hours per day], there’s only five of them in the city,” Everett said. “So, it’ll be an impact, but it’ll be a small impact at first.” Rodriguez said she wanted to make sure the therapeutic van program was not duplicating another program the city council is considering — an unarmed crisis response model. The city council approved this model 13-0 at its Sept. 15 meeting. It is based on the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, or CAHOOTS, model used in Eugene, Oregon. That program sends a medic and crisis worker to respond to mental health crises. Neither the medic
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who supports the city and county’s therapeutic van pilot program. File photo
or crisis worker are cops, and both are unarmed. Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson said that the motion for the unarmed response asks the LAFD and Los Angeles Police Department to analyze similar programs, including the therapeutic vans. “I understand that there’s overlap,” HarrisDawson said. “I want overlap. I want the problem that we have two people responding to the same thing thoroughly, because right now what we have is nobody reacting to it, essentially. Or we get from the fire department or the police department, ‘I can’t do anything unless that person harms someone or harms themselves.’ And that’s just an unacceptable solution.”
Real People, Real News, Really Effective October 14 - 27, 2021
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Foul Smell: Residents are Fed Up with County, City’s Stalling By Fabiola Esqueda, GNI Fellow, Carson Reporter
October 14 - 27, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Carson residents are sickened by how city officials and the county have handled the repulsive smell caused by hydrogen sulfide in the Dominguez Channel. Residents began reporting the smell before Oct.1 but did not hear an official report from county or city officials until Oct. 8. Even then, misinformation spread like wildfire. On Friday evening Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes posted on her Facebook page declaring the cause of the smell was a pipeline leaking hydrogen sulfide. But agencies representatives of the Los Angeles Department of Public Works and Los Angeles County Fire Department in contact with Random Lengths News had already ruled out the possibility of any leakage. “I have called for a full investigation because up until today, no information was released to the public or the city,” Davis-Holmes said. “My question to all involved agencies now that we have identified the problem is what and when will the problem be corrected. Who is at fault, and what will be done to prevent this from happening again. This lack of transparency is unacceptable.” By Sunday, Davis-Holmes stated the origin of the smell was “organic waste material drying out after being exposed during low tide.” Later that afternoon, the City of Carson hosted a press conference with Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and representatives from Los Angeles County Public Works, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Department of Public Health, and the fire department. Ana Meni, Carson resident and president of AFSCME Local 809, showed up to the press conference as it ended, confronting Carson councilmembers Jawane Hilton and Cedric L. Hicks for not notifying residents of the press conference. She had found out about the conference after both Hilton and Hicks had gone live on their Facebook. “There has been a total disconnect of what the issue is and what the cause of it is,” she said. “There was no concerted joint effort task force between all the different public entities. I am appalled by that because it is our public officials’ responsibility to look out for this community. How on earth are we supposed to have any faith in their abilities if they can’t even take care of this. They can’t even get on the same page to make sure they know what the hell is the cause of this problem. While everybody’s farting around, all of us are sitting here suffering.” Residents have found community in Carson groups on Facebook. Many share their frustrations and worries. Others have spent the week scrambling for information and investigating alongside the channel, sharing videos, photos and any details that might help them ease their distress. The smell has only gotten worse. According to residents who commute to work as of Oct. 11, the odor can be smelled further into neighboring cities, including Long Beach, Torrance and Compton.
Headaches and nausea
Lakeisha Coleman began to experience headaches on Sept. 22. On Oct. 1, she 6
equate warning of hazardous concentrations. As of Oct. 11 the amount of gas detected has yet to be released. Dr. Muntu Davis stated those numbers will be available soon. Residents are left wondering why the information has never been available to begin with. “We’ve been pushing to try to get that information out,” he said. “I do want people to understand that these levels fluctuate throughout the day, and are different in different locations.” Hydrogen Sulfide is used in oil and gas refining. It can also develop naturally in sewers and enclosed spaces, such as manholes. With Carson being the home of the largest refinery in the West Coast, residents theorized there was a pipeline leak. On Oct. 8, Los Angeles County Fire Department Health Hazmat Division arrived on the scene. Los Angeles County Fire Department inspector Jonathan Matheny found no evidence of any petroleum based product leak. Later that evening, Marathon Los Angeles Refinery released a notice that the refinery had not caused the elevated readings of hydrogen sulfide. [See Foul Smells, p. 17]
[News Briefs, from p. 4] Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes, Los Angeles Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, councilmembers Jawane Hilton and Cedric L. Hicks address Carson residents. Photo by Raphael Richardson
checked into the emergency room for intense headaches, stomachaches and nausea. In a period of two weeks, she saw her doctor on four different occasions. They prescribed her multiple medications, ordered her to see a neurologist and recommended a sleep study. When city officials announced on Oct. 8 that they found hydrogen sulfide in the air near her home, her doctors stopped all treatments and advised her to leave Carson. “I really feel like I’m taking off on an airplane every second of my life right now,” she said. “I felt like my head was just gonna open up.” Coleman went with her doctor’s recommendation and drove up north for the weekend. While she was away, her symptoms disappeared, but when she returned Sunday morning, she began to experience the symptoms again — just three hours after her return. “I really don’t have a plan,” she said. “I have four children in my home. My husband, my animals. This is just insane.” Her doctors say the hydrogen sulfide was most likely the cause of her headaches. According to The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health there is no long-term impact on health. Residents are encouraged to take several precautions, including closing their windows, limiting time spent outdoors and keeping air circulating in their home. The Dominguez Channel is in Sergio Avila and his wife’s backyard. In the last couple of days they both have experienced intense symptoms. Their four dogs began vomiting as soon as the smell began. The Avila family claim the smell is not new to them — it’s a common recurrence. “You know what that smell has been here before but not for this many days,” Avila said. “What I don’t understand is how they say it’s not health hazardous but when I read online and searched up hydrogen sulfide it says if you smell high levels it can be deadly.” Brissa Gonzalez works at the SouthBay Pavilion near Avalon Boulevard and the 405 Freeway. She began smelling the rotten egg-like smell two weeks ago. “Usually, when I am on my break I eat outside, but I can’t even do that anymore,” she said.
“I lose my appetite.” Businesses in the same shopping center are considering down. Schools in the area began taking extra precautions, including moving outdoor activities indoors and closing all windows during instruction. Many parents have expressed concern with sending their children to school. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommended schools take the same protocols of “a bad air day.” He recommended businesses affected by the smell to keep their doors closed and buy air filter systems. “You have to make the best decision for the situation,” he said when a small business owner emotionally shared that she was debating on temporarily closing her business.
How much is too much exposure?
South Coast Air Quality Management District found elevated concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in the air surrounding the Dominguez Channel near Avalon Boulevard and the 405 Freeway. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, low concentration of hydrogen sulfide can cause headaches, eye irritation and nausea. Exposure to high concentrations can lead to more serious health complications — naturally by decaying organic matter or by pipe leaking from refineries. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the level of exposure depends on the duration and the dose. The gas is quickly absorbed by the lungs and can affect each individual differently. Children are more susceptible to inhale larger doses due to weight ratios and diameter of their airways. The gas is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.5 particles per billion, or ppb. Dangerously, continuous exposure can rapidly deaden the sense of smell. Although odor is an indicator of the presence of the gas, the level of smell does not indicate increasing concentrations. Meaning higher concentration can have less odor. For this reason, odor is not a reliable indicator of hydrogen sulfide’s presence and may not provide ad-
An additional $10 million for LA County’s Crisis Call Center to help support the implementation of 9-8-8 next summer. The funding will enhance our existing call centers to provide appropriate responses to 9-8-8 callers, ranging from over-the phone suicide prevention counseling, mobile crisis response teams, and linkages to mental health and substance use services.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Brings Partnership Between California Truth & Healing Council and the Decolonizing Wealth Project
SACRAMENTO — As California honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the third year in a row, Gov. Gavin Newsom Oct. 11, announced a partnership between the California Truth & Healing Council and the Decolonizing Wealth Project to support philanthropic and community engagement, grantmaking and narrative change. Through this partnership, the Office of the Tribal Advisor and the Truth & Healing Council will work directly with the Decolonizing Wealth Project to convene philanthropic ambassadors for the work of the Truth & Healing Council, develop a grantmaking program and galvanize philanthropy to support the recommendations from the council’s final report, among other activities. The California Truth & Healing Council was established by the governor in 2019 to provide an avenue for California Native Americans to clarify the record on the troubled relationship between Native peoples and the state in the spirit of truth and healing. Led and convened by the governor’s Tribal Advisor, the council includes representatives from California Native American tribes throughout the state. The council officially launched in December 2020 and is slated to issue a final report on or before Jan. 1, 2025. With a goal to develop civic infrastructure within California’s Native American community, this partnership will also support the engagement of Native American families across the state to participate in the council’s meetings, talking circles, listening sessions and other general activities. The Decolonizing Wealth Project will leverage its expertise in community healing to ensure Native American families, and other participants involved, have access to culturally competent healing opportunities and other tools as they navigate this process. Ultimately, this partnership aims to catalyze deeper community engagement in truth and healing conversations and build political will for truth and healing work in other states and at the national level. Details: https://tribalaffairs.ca.gov/cthc/help/
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
October 14 - 27, 2021
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Watch Buscaino Run And now it’s the LA Mayor’s race By James Preston Allen, Publisher
October 14 - 27, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
I’ve been watching Joe Buscaino run for something since before he ever got elected to anything — including councilman for Council District 15. From the very beginning, even as a Los Angeles Police Department senior lead officer, it was clear he was running for something with his cheery disposition and dimpled smile, but it wasn’t obvious for what. Clearly his cheerleader manner and personality needed an audience, but I was always suspicious of his ability to lead by consensus behind a vision of what Council District 15 needed, wanted and aspired. But he did know how to play to his base in San Pedro. What we have experienced since his election is his reacting without fully understanding complexities, like his proposals for addressing homelessness for example. What we have seen is his grand standing on hot button issues to make political points and then exhibiting tone-deafness to anything that approaches criticism. He is not the candidate that Los Angeles needs or desires to address the current state of the city. Currently, while the ships pile up at the ports, and as a result of a misplaced anchor we have seen the first major oil spill off the coast of Southern California in years and then the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (think rotten egg smell) in the Dominguez Channel, which runs through his district — Buscaino has not said a word. Instead, he’s out trumping up support for his anti-homeless camping ordinance, and his communications deputy Branimir Kvartuc is out assaulting and insulting the general population who show up at his made for Fox News press conferences. Now San Pedro, from whence Buscaino comes, has a lot in common with the rest of the aging historic neighborhoods of Los Angeles — broken sidewalks and cracked gutters, plenty of illegal ally dumping, a fair amount of street crime, increasing rents and shortage of affordable housing. Of all of these very basic municipal concerns, Buscaino can only now say that he’s addressing the housing shortage, but not with enough affordable units. What makes Pedro somewhat unique is that it’s the “biggest small town in all of LA” and while people here may have short fingers, they do have long memories — Pedro is not the kind of place that easily forgets broken promises. In San Pedro, no one crosses swords with a seated councilman nor insults wealthy
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philanthropists, both of whom ply the local charities with honey butter donations and favors in exchange for their silence or nodding acquiescence. Get on Buscaino’s wrong side and the favors dry up. The extent to which a few will whisper things to a reporter, do so only if their names aren’t attached. I ask, “What country do you live in where you can’t speak freely?” This, as the locals place their hands over their heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Sometimes, I think this town is too small for its own good or that the council office has too much power when placed in the wrong hands. The LA City Council is far too powerful for the common good and too easily corrupted. I am a supporter of city attorney and mayoral candidate Mike Feurer’s proposal to double the number of city council seats and halving their salaries. It’s not a perfect solution but a step in the right direction that would not come from Buscaino. However, back to the missteps and missed opportunities of Buscaino’s 10 years in office. During the homeless crisis he was late to the game on shelters and was only able to clear the pedestrian right of ways around the Beacon Street post office because of the federally funded program, Project Room Key, which I’ve heard will be ending soon. He was a late adopter of the Bridge Home Shelters and the tiny homes (which as I’ve told you before he adamantly opposed at first) and wouldn’t have stopped police enforcement of the homeless without a court order and scolding by a federal Judge David O. Carter. In other words, he’s always been late to the solutions and something other than a leader during a crisis —even during the pandemic. None of these late solutions would have ever made it into Buscaino’s weekly self-serving email newsletters if there wasn’t a selfie attached to it. This, every intelligent San Pedran knows, but few will utter out loud for fear of reprisals. This in itself is the reason I believe that the majority of Joe’s hometown won’t even vote for him in the coming LA mayor’s race. Clearly, up until a few weeks ago, this race was between him and Mike Feuer, even though there are lesser known candidates who have declared. But with the announcement of Councilman Kevin de León and Rep. Karen Bass (two candidates with far more progressive credentials and citywide recognition than Buscaino), this has placed Buscaino in an “also
“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. 21
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.
ran” position. If he keeps running to the right of everyone else, he’s bound to get a majority of the dwindling Republican votes in the city, which if you understand him is the right place for him —a minority candidate in an increasingly majority democratic land. The reality is he’s a Democrat in name only or a DINOsaur in other words.
Buscaino is seriously out of step with the political shift happening in the greater LA region and is seriously misrepresenting San Pedro at city hall — it’s time for him to find employment elsewhere. I wonder if he’s actually running for mayor or just running away from San Pedro?
Abortion-ban Horse is Out of Constitution’s Barn
Texas law is the result of of decades long failure to protect women’s privacy By Lyn Jensen
Let the mansplaining begin, from the governor of Texas on down, about how girls have to understand, it’s not like the great state of Texas is outlawing abortions even if they are survivors of rape or incest — abortion can happen before six weeks or in a “medical emergency,” you have to understand. This new-fangled Texas law, the one the Supreme Court refused to block in early September, just forbids anyone from “aiding” or “abetting” an abortion once a “fetal heartbeat” (what right-wing propaganda calls one, anyway) has been detected, do you understand? If someone violates the law, anybody greedy or vindictive enough to sue can get money. Nothing unconstitutional about that, understand, right? That’s as good a way as any to explain the consequences of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed last May (along with
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some other laws which restrict abortion but aren’t getting so much publicity). Even the “Heartbeat” name shows willful ignorance of facts — a weeks-old embryo is not a fetus and has no heartbeat. Except we’ll explain women have enjoyed a constitutional right to safe and legal abortion since 1973, roughly a half-century and two generations ago. That’s when the Supreme Court made a decision called Roe v. Wade (or “Roe” for short) which determined that to deny women abortion, at least in the first trimester (first three months) of pregnancy, infringes upon Americans’ right to privacy and freedom from discrimination. After Abbott signed this “Heartbeat” propaganda masquerading as law, abortion
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[See Abortion, p. 9]
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Plains All American Pipeline
RANDOMLetters Pipeline Misery
Re: Oil Terminal Project Highlights Larger Issues, RLN, Sept. 30 by Paul Rosenberg I was actually completely surprised at this article that broke last week in RL. However, I was extremely pleased that “someone” was listening and making sense of it all. The truth is pretty clear that the port, city, county, state, and many other agencies have had a lot of control over the Petrolane/ Amerigas/Rancho 25 million gallon LPG storage facility’s existence for many, many years. However, for whatever political reasons at play, no one has taken the leadership to exercise that control in the name of public safety. The port’s Valero lease has certainly been one of those levers that could have historically eliminated the high risk that this site poses to the nearby neighborhoods and communities. Our concerns for earthquake, terrorism, and antiquated 50 yr. old infrastructure have only increased due to the greater likelihood of potential for catastrophe at this site. The urgency of taking immediate action on this high risk and deadly situation is significantly amplified. “Somebody” needs to do something! But, who will? The latter half of this article,
too, needs to be acted upon. The issue of the Port’s continued policy of “rolling over” long term leases to previous tenants without competitive leasing practices should not be tolerated. Who is benefiting by this practice? This embedded port policy is rife with opportunities for corruption. The end losers in this game are the “people” of the State of California by the revenue that is lost from a lack of competitive bidding. That additional revenue could, at least in part, be used to offset the environmental damage suffered by those living in the shadow of these industrial ports. Never has the environmental damage from these ports been more obvious than at this very moment with the barrage of polluting ships sitting outside our harbors, and the extensive oil spill sitting off our coastline. These types of horrific impacts from industry are not going away any time soon. When will our government officials step up to their duty to protect? Please pick up the slack here and represent your constituencies properly. The “hands-off approach” to the port’s behavior has been embraced for far too long at great public expense. Janet Schaaf-Gunter Member: San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United, INC.
[Abortion, from p. 8]
Abortion Ban
A 2018 mass shooting at a Southern California nightclub left 13 dead, including the shooter and a law enforcement officer who responded to the scene. As the story unfolded over the following weeks, journalists covering this horrific event sought public records, including autopsy reports. It’s the grim work of reporters to review death records and inform their readers about a community’s darkest moments. But in the case of the massacre at the Borderline Bar & Grill in the Ventura County city of Thousand Oaks, those records have remained secret. The reason for the secrecy is unacceptable. A judge blocked their release based on the prospect of a future law change. That threatens the integrity of the California Public Records Act. Now we are asking a California appeal court to undo this alarming decision, which has kept the public in the dark for too long. FAC, joined by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the
been subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. While there are reasons agencies may delay or deny the release of certain information or images, that’s not what happened in the Borderline case. Here, the trial judge blocked access completely and indefinitely, depriving the public of information that could shed light on the government’s actions in an unspeakable tragedy. There are real conversations to be had about privacy versus the public’s right to know, but that’s not what’s happening in the case decided by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Henry Walsh. We hope the Court of Appeal sees that. Read our amicus brief in the Los Angeles Times et al. v. Housley, B310585. And find more information on our website. David Snyder Executive Director First Amendment Coalition
October 14 - 27, 2021
Supreme Court to seat more justices, ones that would be presumably appointed by a president who supports women’s constitutional right to abortion, and a Senate willing to confirm them. Both suggestions are blind to the reality poking the entire abortion-rights movement in the eye right now. In reality the great majority of Republicans — in both the House and Senate — boast proudly of being what they call “pro-life” (catchphrase for anti-women) and they’re not going to vote for any codifying of abortion rights or jiggling of the Supreme Court. The Democratic Party has a long history of defending women’s right to choose, but unless enough Democratic senators are elected to either abolish or overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule, daydreams about codifying abortion rights and/or fiddling with the Supreme Court aren’t going anywhere. For decades the American left has campaigned on women’s right to abortion. As if “choice” was separate from other civil liberties. Obviously that messaging is too weak to withstand decades of relentless right-wing “fetal heartbeat” propaganda. Republicans cultivate power from a certain stream of American culture — millions of voters who dutifully vote for sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and often even against their own economic self-interests. Barack Obama’s victory, and the Senate seats carried with it, demonstrated how an alternative stream of American thought can win millions of votes across a large and diverse swath of states. The Democrats at best have a bigger, more inclusive base, but that base needs motivation to faithfully get to the polls every cycle, because the only other viable option is to allow the Republicans to continue to spit on the Constitution — and on women — all they want.
Government Secrecy Must Not Be the Legacy of Mass Shooting
Press and the California News Publishers Association, filed an amicus brief urging the Second District Court of Appeal to rule in favor of transparency. In our brief supporting the Los Angeles Times, Ventura County Star and Associated Press, we explain that the reasoning for ongoing secrecy is simply wrong — incorrect as a matter of longstanding California law and therefore a violation of the public’s fundamental right of access to government records. A judge granted an injunction sought by families of some of the deceased based solely on the existence of proposed legislation — legislation that never became law. Whether such legislation is good public policy — and we contend it is not and worked with press and civil liberties groups to combat a flawed bill — matters not. Injunctions cannot be granted based on a potential future law change. Autopsy reports have long
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
providers in Texas, including Whole Women’s Health, hauled Texas into federal court. By September the case made it to the Supreme Court, which had the option to take or leave the case, and also to block or not block the law until after they heard it. Five justices — all appointed by Republican presidents who campaigned on antiabortion platforms — decided there were “serious questions regarding the constitutionality” of the law, but the law was just too “complex and novel” for them to block until they could have a hearing on those “serious” questions. In other words, the court just allowed the law to take effect until they get around to making an actual ruling, sometime in 2022. The court will also be ruling on a Mississippi law that bans abortion after fifteen weeks, which seems downright liberal in comparison to the Texas law. By then perhaps the case of Dr. Alan Braid, a San Antonio doctor who’s stepped up to test the Texas law, may be before the court, too. While the Supreme Court fiddles and Texas women’s constitutional rights burn, copycats to this bizarre right-to-sue law proliferate. Oklahoma’s already passed a law that copies the Texas one, and Florida’s getting in line to do so. Conservative states could also perhaps adopt right-to-sue laws that would encourage anybody to sue anyone who “aids or abets” same-sex marriage — or voting rights, birth control, school desegregation, or the Miranda decision. What alternatives being floated to combat this extreme right-wing agenda consist of, in essence, locking the Constitution’s barn door long after the horses of right-wing apocalypse have run loose and caused irrevocable damage. One suggestion being floated is to “codify” the Roe decision — pass a federal law that says states may not interfere with abortion. Another involves somehow jiggling the
Plains all American Pipeline agrees to a mult-million agency settlement in March 2020 of $60 million dollars in penalties for over 105,000 gallons of oil spilled at Refugio Beach (Santa Barbara). The owner was held responsible for economic damages and criminal neglect. The pipeline in question is over 123 miles and goes into 3 different counties. The pipeline broke on May 19, 2015, and it took 5 years to reach a settlement! The State was paid $22 million for leasing the State Land. The State Land Commission said it will cost the State $375 million to plug the abandon oil wells that feed the pipeline. This is tax-payers money! In the meantime, Plains reported $143 million in net income in the third quarter of 2020 and held $24.2 billion in assets. If you look at all environment and wildlife damaged that was done, you wonder why the penalties were not higher? Plains and their affiliates and partners have a history and reputation for escaping and avoiding rules and regulations. Rules do exist, but the agencies are not responsible and do not enforce the laws. Big oil companies are willing to pay the fines, as it is just part of playing the game as it is considered part of their operating cost. They pay the fines and that gives them permission to do it again.
The most recent oil spill happened in Huntington Beach on Oct. 4, 2021, as another broken pipeline spilling 126,000 gallons of oil affecting 25 miles of prime coastline. This oil spill is from “Beta Offshore” which is a subsidiary of Houston-based “Amplify Energy.” John Winkler San Pedro
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[Build, from p. 1]
Build a Better Future improve air quality in our region, especially for communities of color near the Port of Los Angeles.” Congressman Alan Lowenthal agreed. “The scope of investments we’re looking at will absolutely be transformative for families and for our district,” he said. “Climate investments will have a huge impact greening the port and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure, while investments in the care economy — including child care, the price of medicine, home care and the cost of college — will provide critical support to many people while creating good jobs.”
Catching Up With the Rest of the World
October 14 - 27, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Yet, aside from the climate investments, the vast majority of the spending would only help us to catch up with the average of where other countries already are. “We’re among the first in the world to guarantee access to universal education,” Biden said in a major speech in Howell, Michigan on Oct. 5. “Now, the Organization of Economic Cooperation
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and Development ranks America 35th out of 37 major countries when it comes to investing in early childhood education as a percent of GDP.” We spend less than 4% of the international average. The OECD average is $14,400, the U.S. spends just $500. As sociologist Jessica Calarco tweeted, “Other countries have social safety nets, the US has women.” Biden’s plan would change that, moving us more toward the average. It would make attendance at licensed child care centers free for the lowestearning families, with a cap of 7% of family income for those earning up to twice the state’s median income. It would also provide universal preschool for 3 and 4-year-olds, and — in its current version — raise the pay of child care workers and preschool teachers to the level of kindergarten teachers. The child care and the pre-K programs will cost $250 billion each over 10 years, but will likely pay for themselves several times over in the lifetimes of the children through increased productivity, and reduced health care and social spending costs. Another program will add free
President Joe Biden talks about his Build Back Better Plan. File photo
community college, for another $100 billion, so that the current standard of 13 years of free public education — established in the 1890s — will expand to 17 years. (There is also expanded support for four-year colleges via a variety of programs.) A similar logic can be seen in other programs as well. For example, a White House fact sheet notes that in 2018, “we spent less than one quarter of the average that other advanced economies spend on workforce and labor market programs as a share of GDP.” The Build Back Better plan includes $80 billion in a variety of workforce development programs. Biden’s stated goal is to create one to two million apprenticeships over the next 10 years. America is also an outlier in providing paid family leave. According to the OECD, on average, “mothers are entitled to just over 18 weeks of paid maternity leave around childbirth,” but the U.S. is “the main exception” by offering none “on a national basis.” And while paid leave for fathers is not universal, the OECD average is 8.1 weeks. The Build Back Better plan would provide up to 12 weeks of paid family leave annually, replacing 85% of wages up to $290 per week ($15,080 annually), and decreasing percentages beyond that. We wouldn’t be a world leader, but we would at least join the modern world. Similarly, the Build Back Better plan extends the refundable child tax credit that provides families with $3,000 per child 6 years old and above, and to $3,600 per child under 6. It began under the American Rescue Plan, running through the end of this year, and is projected to cut child poverty by 45% according to research from Columbia University. The Build Back Better plan would extend it through 2025. Similar credits in Europe have long resulted in much lower child poverty rates, so once again, we would simply be catching up with where the rest of the developed world already is. Together with two other child tax credit programs its cost would be $400 billion. It’s money well spent, as Nobel laureate Paul Krugman observed. “The evidence for high returns from spending more on children is much stronger than the evidence for high returns to spending on roads and bridges (although we should do that, too),” he wrote. “So every year that we don’t increase aid to children, for example by expanding the child tax credit, leads to decades of wasted human potential.” To catch up on healthcare would require something like Medicare for All, since we’re the only advanced industrial nation without universal healthcare. But the Build Back Better plan would significantly improve coverage, with $210 billion for expanded Obamacare subsidies, $200 billion to
expand Medicare in red states that didn’t expand it under Obamacare, $250 billion for long-term home care for seniors and the disabled, and $370 billion to expand Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing services, and lower the eligibility age to 60. It would also empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices, saving more than $456 billion over 10 years (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and limiting out-of-pocket costs for recipients to $2,000 per year. Finally, it would dedicate $300 billion for housing and homelessness — which we’ve under-invested in for almost 50 years — and $700 billion for a range of climate programs that also have a significant working-class and middle-class focus, particularly on the jobcreation side. The two largest programs are a roughly $300 billion package of tax incentives to increase the use of wind and solar power and electric vehicles, and a $150 billion proposal known as the Clean Electricity Program, would reward electric utilities that switch to renewables, and penalize those that don’t.
The Arguments Against
A number of specious arguments have been made against the plan. Some say it’s too big. While the total cost of $3.5 trillion sounds large — and it is — it’s just 1.2% of the projected GDP over the next 10 years and, as already noted, it’s fully paid for. This is done with $2 trillion in taxes (on corporations and individuals earning over $400,000), the Medicare drug price savings, improved tax compliance from increased Internal Revenue Service funding, and macroeconomic effects. And while some have raised fears it would lead to inflation, a Sept. 15 letter from 15 Nobel Prize-winning economists argued just the opposite. “Because this agenda invests in long-term economic capacity and will enhance the ability of more Americans to participate productively in the economy, it will ease longer-term inflationary pressures,” they wrote. But the biggest problem facing the plan is the simple, publicly unexplained opposition of two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Manchin has spoken in vague generalities (opposing “an entitlement society” for example). Sinema hasn’t spoken at all. Neither has been willing to negotiate specifics, which [See Build, p. 17]
T
om Stoppard may have written the four or five greatest plays of the last half-century, but for cultural significance there’s no topping Tony Kushner’s Angels in America — and the fact that each of its two parts, 1993’s Millennium Approaches and 1994’s Perestroika, won the Tony for Best Play that year only begins to tell the story. Ranging from New York to Utah and heaven to the Kremlin, blending past and future and fact/fiction/fantasy, Angels is an epic journey of people, phantoms, and (of course) angels coming together in shifting combinations to explore how we lose and find ourselves as the old order gives way to the new. Life and death. Love and politics. Sin and salvation. Disease and regeneration. Kushner’s magnum opus — heartbreaking, hilarious, pithy without being pretentious, socially conscious without being didactic, and never, ever dull despite a combined runtime of somewhere around six hours — represents one of those rare instances where a cause célèbre completely lives up to the hype. Excited as I was to find that my first trip to Long Beach Playhouse in nearly two years would be to see Millennium Approaches, I was also wary. The problem for any theatre company taking on such a great and important piece is simple: there’s a lot of room to fall short. Tony Kushner did his job — you better do yours. Making me warier still was that they were attempting to stage this grand work not on their main stage but in their smaller, less functional upstairs space. Fortunately, the combination of meticulous direction and a very strong cast easily overcomes the production’s built-in limitations, providing a fine showcase for one of the best plays you’re ever going to see. The year is 1985, and
Roy Cohn (Noah Wagner), a powerbroker ever since he made his bones under Joseph McCarthy during the “Red Scare,” has groomed young Joe Pitt (Brian Patrick Williams) to become an important cog in the conservative political machinery that is coming to dominate the United States. But they’ve both got an inconvenient secret: they’re closeted homosexuals. Worse still, Cohn is about to be diagnosed with HIV, while Joe, a Mormon transplant from Salt Lake City, has a pill-popping shut-in of a wife (Harper, played by Allison Lynn Adams) increasingly given to elaborate hallucinations. Meanwhile, elsewhere in NYC is another couple: Louis (Michael Mullen), a word processor in the court building where Joe works, and Prior Walter (Christian Jordan Skinner), who is about to reveal to Louis that he has AIDS. Over the ensuing three hours so much ground is covered — in terms of both plot and theme — that it’s hard to believe only three additional actors (Richard Martinez, Lisa J. Salas and Alison Boole) are involved. But Kushner’s carefully assigned doubling expands the scope of what’s typically possible for such a small cast… provided the actors are up to the task. That’s no problem here. As Cohn, Noah Wagner is biting and ferocious, while he’s delightfully jovial in his turn as one of Prior’s ancestors. As a more distant ancestor, Brian Patrick Williams is so transformed — and funny — that you might not pick him out as the same guy playing the tormented Joe. It’s like that all down the line, with every actor playing two or three roles. Director Ryan Holihan has coached [See Angels, p. 13]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective October 14 - 27, 2021
The cast of Angels in America. Photo courtesy of The Long Beach Playhouse. Photo illustration by Brenda López
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A
s I walked into Raffaello’s Ristorante with my friend for the very first time, we could hear such vibrant sounds through the corridors. Conversations about family and distant singing filled the air. The ambience, brick walls, and lots of locals were some of the many things that made this restaurant so inviting. Families sitting down at the tables around us were cheering with such contentment, a welcoming feeling we thought. A traditional Italian restaurant on the quaint street of 7th in San Pedro was the main attraction for a Wednesday night. I was pleasantly greeted by Gino Cutri, one of the three brothers who now run the restaurant after their parents opened it back in 1984. It was originally on 4th Street, only a few blocks away from where it is now and conveniently located across the street from their other location, a very elegant venue called Marcello’s Tuscany Room where they hold banquets, parties and weddings. But before Raffaelo’s took over 457 W. 7th Street, it was the 7th Street Chophouse. It was La Conga Mexican Grill from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The last time an Italian restaurant resided at that address was when it was Di Orio’s Italian Kitchen from the mid1980s to 1990s. Prior to that, it was La Conga Restaurant from 1968 to 1986. The Cutri family purchased the building after the 7th Street Chophouse closed in
Raffaello’s Tradition Continues at New Location By Vera Magana, Dining and Cuisine Writer
2013. The Cutri family rented the venue to restaurateur, Danielle Sandoval (yes, the one running for the CD15 city council seat in 2022), who opened Caliente Cantina Lounge but closed within a year. After being in San Pedro for the past 30 years, Raffaelo’s finally found a new
home that turned out to be a seemingly minor move with such a big impact for them. Ready for dinner, we started with the house salad. Placed in front of us was a toss of mixed greens, radish and carrots topped off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a slight spoonful of parmesan. My friend took the first bite, “Simplicity at its finest! A very hearty salad,” he said while smiling with a mouthful. Next, for appetizers the lovely server recommended the calamari fritti, a portion big enough to share for two people which was nothing short from fresh, not overly seasoned, slightly breaded and oh boy, did the marinara sauce compliment the tentacles and the squid nicely. Wanting a traditional dish for my entree, I went with an order of spaghetti and meatballs that did not disappoint. A classic, well made
with a selection of wines for $7 a glass, I chose to go with the brut Prosecco and my friend with the delicious and boozy paloma Italiana. A paloma with Raffaello’s own take of Italy on it, topped off with Italian soda. Before parting ways, I tried their hazelnut truffle (hazelnuts semifreddo ice cream with a liquid chocolate core, coated with praline hazelnuts and crushed meringue) to top off the amazing meal I just had. I kid you not, it was like eating a giant ferrero rocher chocolate. The semifreddo ice cream, mixed in with the hazelnuts was absolute bliss. “Nostalgic” is the best word to describe the dish as it took me back to my childhood. A true sign of tradition for me. With its family feel and modern style, Raffaelo’s is leading Little Italy in San Pedro into the future of Italian food even with neighboring restaurants like La Bocca Felice and J.Trani’s Ristorante, they were named one of the three most popular LA area Italian Restaurants on TripAdvisor. All there is left to do now is wait and see if there will be a third generation of family taking over and maintaining the delicious recipes. As
Calamari fritti served at Raffaello’s Ristorante. Photo by Vera Magana
October 14 - 27, 2021
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San Pedro’s Little Italy Hosts Festa Italiana
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San Pedrans got together to celebrate everything and everyone Italian at the Festa Italiana on Oct. 2. The free, outdoor street fair provided space for local vendors selling Italian treats, beer and wine, as well as live performances. Officially, the festival was celebrating the start of Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, which was first celebrated in 1989. The heritage month is in October to coincide with Columbus Day, the American national holiday traditionally celebrated on Oct. 12, now celebrated on the second Monday in October. From the designation of Peppertree Plaza in San The Buono family of Buono’s Pizzeria was recognized for its Pedro as Little Italy culinary contribution to Los Angeles. From left, Frank, Teresa to Festa Italiana has and Andrew Buono. Photos by Chris Villanueva been Councilman Joe Buscaino’s passion project over his last term in office. As in many major cities across the United States, Italian immigrants played an integral role in shaping Los Angeles. Italian immigrants started arriving in Los Angeles in the early 19th century, spreading their influence on neighborhoods in the form of restaurants, storefronts and the waterfront.
The dining room at Raffaello’s Ristorante. Photo courtesy of Raffaello’s Ristorante’s Facebook page
dish with the taste of Italy. My friend ordered vitello saltimbocca (veal topped with prosciutto and mozzarella in Marsala wine sauce). The veal, so tender, melted right into your mouth. The sides of mashed potatoes, squash, and cauliflower were the perfect add ons to dip into the marsala wine sauce. Being just the two of us we realized how reasonably priced all the dishes were, between $15 to $30. The drinks on the menu were hard to resist,
a newcomer, I can guarantee they have a menu that will make you second guess your order due to all of their great options to choose from. It will easily entice you to come back for more. Details: 457 W. 7th St, San Pedro, 310-5140900. Open: Monday through Thursday, 11a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11am. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.; Saturday, 11a.m. to 9:45 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
considered, which matters in the end.” With a sure hand on the tiller and able seamanship, Long Beach Playhouse is on course for the promised land. COVID-19 safety protocols include mandatory masking throughout the duration plus proof of vaccination or a negative test result within the prior 48 hours.
[Angels, from p. 11]
Angels
his cast perfectly. Despite dialog that’s often dense and imparts meaning at every turn, the actors always know what they and their castmates are saying, hitting all the beats and making it conversational rather than recited. Allison Lynn Adams truly lives Harper’s mania, and Richard Martinez manages his primary character (Belize, an ex-ex-drag queen and friend to Prior through thick and thin) with a
Time: Friday through Saturday, 8 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. through Oct. 30 Venue: Long Beach Playhouse Location: 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach Cost: $14 to $24 Details: 562-494-1014; www.LBplayhouse.org.
Scenes from Long Beach Playhouse’s production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. Photo courtesy of The Long Beach Playhouse
perfect balance of humorous flamboyance and thoughtfulness. And as Louis, Michael Mullen delivers a ponderous (i.e., intentionally so on Kushner’s part) ramble so convincingly that you think he must be improvising. Holihan has done solid blocking work in a play that is meant to employ minimal scenery and rapid scene shifts sans blackouts. (Per Kushner’s directive, Angels in America is “an actor-driven event.”) And even beyond what is specified in the stage directions, Holihan has
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
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
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]
October 14 - 27, 2021
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
HAPPY DINER #2
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
take on Part Two: Perestroika next season, which calls for more protracted magic moments. None of this, however, truly detracts from the exploratory voyage undertaken in Millennium Approaches. As Louis says, “[It] should be the questions and shape of a life, its total complexity gathered, arranged and
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BIG NICK’S PIZZA
found his own little ways to create and further parallels between scenes and characters. For example, initially placing Cohn offstage while his doctor provides a primer on AIDS creates a neat echo of the play’s opening scene that Kushner didn’t think of but would certainly approve. The only way in which Long Beach Playhouse comes up short is regarding what Kushner calls the play’s “moments of magic,” which should be “thoroughly amazing” even if “the wires show.” In these moments, too often shortcomings in the sound and lighting design fail to transport us just when we need to be transported. Hopefully, Holihan and Co. will come up with better strategies for attacking such problems (difficult ones, considering the limitations of the Playhouse grid) when they
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Oct. 29 Bob Malone Known for his high-energy piano rock concerts, Malone has worked with Ringo Starr and many others. He is featured on The Grinch (2018) soundtrack and is a long-time member of John Fogerty’s touring band. Enjoy Malone’s show at the Annex with a full band. Includes Halloween festivities, costumes encouraged. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 29 Cost: $23 and up Details: www.grandvision.secure.force. com/bob-malone Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
THEATER Oct. 14
MUSIC Oct. 15
Jazz at LACMA Limited Edition: Nolan Shaheed As a lead trumpet player and soloist, Nolan Shaheed has been a recording session ace, and has played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Aretha Franklin and the touring bands of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. He has been a member of the Luckman Jazz Orchestra and, in addition, has operated Nolan Shaheed’s Recording Studio in Pasadena. Time: 6 p.m. Oct. 15 Cost: Free Details: www.lacma.org/event/jazz-lacma-limited-edition-nolan-shaheed Venue: Smidt Welcome Plaza, LA County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Oct. 16
The Mac Mammals Tunes from the British Isles and America. Time: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: $20 Details: www.collageartculture.com Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
Oct. 22
October 14 - 27, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Rose’s Pawn Shop A little like Mumford & Sons or Old Crow Medicine Show, Grammy-nominated Rose’s Pawn Shop offers up some lyricdriven roots rock. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 22
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Cost: $23 and up Details: grandvision.secure.force.com/ roses-pawn-shop Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Oct. 23
Ronstadt Revival This is a tribute to Linda Ronstadt. From the early years with The Stone Poneys to her 1970s covers, hear You’re No Good, Blue Bayou, When Will I Be Loved, Tracks of My Tears and many more. Enjoy a preconcert wine tasting led by sommelier Mona Harrington, 7 to 7:45 p.m. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 23 Cost: $28 and up Details: grandvision.secure.force.com Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Acoustic Americana 2 Enjoy an evening with three guitar virtuosos. Time: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 Cost: $15 Details: www.collageartculture.com Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
Oct. 27
Quinto Sol Mariachi Band This uniquely mixed gender group will sing in English and Spanish. Time: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 Cost: $15 Details: www.collageartculture.com Venue: 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
New Original Works Festival REDCAT’s New Original Works or NOW Festival returns to in-person performances with nine new works by Los Angeles artists who are redefining the boundaries of contemporary performance and confronting urgent issues in new contemporary dance, theater, music and multimedia performances. NOW will unfold over three weekends and feature a triple bill of performances. Each program will show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Time: Oct. 14 to 16, Oct. 21 to 23 Cost: $10 to $20 Details: www.redcat.org/new-originalworks-festival-2021 Venue: REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles Sun & Sea Enjoy an opera by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė and Lina Lapelytė, an allfemale creative team. Sun & Sea’s Los Angeles premiere transforms MOCA, with 13 vocalists and 10 tons of sand. Sunbathing characters offer up a range of seductive harmonies and melodic stories that glide between the mundane, the sinister and the surreal. An exploration of the relationship between people and our planet emerges, captured in one afternoon on a crowded beach. Time: Thursday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 14 to 16 Cost: $25 Details: 213-633-5351; www.moca.org/exhibition/sun-sea Venue: The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA,152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles
Oct. 15
Psycho Beach Party Originally pitched as Gidget Goes Psycho to New York City audiences, Psycho Beach Party is a celebration of zany, irreverent camp at its finest. Set on the sunny beaches of Malibu in the early 1960s, this comedy tells the story of Chicklet, a would-be surfer girl harboring a dark secret. Live performances with limited audiences: Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23 and 3 p.m. Oct. 17 Cost: $10 to $15 Details: www.centerforthearts.org Venue: El Camino College Center For the Arts, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
Oct. 17
Tape Face Mime with noise, stand-up with no talking — drama with no acting. Viral sensation Tape Face has to be seen to be believed. Tape Face is a character created by performer Sam Wills. Through simple, clever and charming humour, aimed at satisfying that inner child hunger, this America’s Got Talent finalist gives a wry and hilarious performance. Time: 7 p.m. Oct. 17 Cost: $30 to $50 Details: www.torrancearts.org/show/ tape-face Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance,
Oct. 20
Blues in the Night Conceived and originally directed by Sheldon Epps, this Wren T. Brown directed production will begin showing in the fall. With little spoken text, the interweaving
stories are defined through glorious songs that cover the range of this indigenous American art form, from Bessie Smith to Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox and Ida Cox. Come check out the post-show talkback with the cast on Oct. 31. Time: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday from Oct. 20 to Nov. 7 Cost: $37 to $55 Details: 562-436-4610; https://ictlongbeach.org Venue: International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach
Oct. 22
Little Fish Theatre While Little Fish Theatre can’t yet be open indoors, it is rolling open its parking gate for the return of Chills and Thrills, featuring five twisted and spooky short plays guaranteed to get you in the Halloween spirit. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 22, 23, 29, 30 Cost: $15 Details: 310-512-6030; boxoffice@littlefishtheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 S. Centre St., San Pedro
Oct. 23
Sister Act The Musical In 1992, Sister Act delighted audiences with its plot and its soundtrack of classic rock ’n’ roll music. In 2006, that same story of a lounge singer on the run from her hitman boyfriend was turned into a musical. The rock songs were replaced with original compositions. The result is a delightful show with toe-tapping tunes that keep audiences charmed from start to finish. Time: 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 through Nov. 20 Cost: $14 to $20 Details: 562-494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
ART
Oct. 16
Unmasked The pandemic of 2020 introduced the mask which was meant to protect not only ourselves but also others. The mask that was meant to protect, unmasked deeply rooted sentiments: racism, oppression, fear, insecurity, doubt, denial, repression and anger. Artists were invited to be a part of this art exhibition by creating art that includes a mask. Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: galleryazul.com Venue: Gallery Azul, 520 W.8th St., San Pedro
Oct. 26
Armchair ArtWalk Tour This Armchair Artwalk will feature Alan Johnson and Andrew Silber. Along with other arts enthusiasts, they organized a tradition San Pedrans celebrate every month. Andrew Silber, former owner of The Whale & Ale Restaurant, is the San Pedro Arts District vice-chair. Alan Johnson is the president of Jerico Development. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email to join the meeting. Armchair Artwalk will also be live streamed from Facebook: www.facebook. com/SPWArtsDistrict. Time: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26 Cost: Free Details: Register at https://bit.ly/2ZKXQgl Venue: Zoom
Details: 424-277-1020; rsvp@artlab21.org Venue: El Segundo Museum of Art, 208 Main St., El Segundo
Ongoing
Leavings from The Pandemic In this series, artist Michael Stearns said he seeks to create a mindfulness about our wasted materials and ask if it Is possible for humanity to transition to a zerowaste lifestyle in a consumer culture? Or are we trapped in this destructive cycle of consumption? Time: 12 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Oct. 23 Cost: Free Details: michaelstearnsstudio.com Venue: Michael Stearns Studio@The Lofts, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro When the World Stopped Paintings from the lockdown solo show of works created by Argentinian artist Monica Carbonell. Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday through October Cost: Free Details: www.msartgallery.com Venue: Menduina Schneider Art Gallery, 366 W. 7th St., San Pedro Betwixt and/or Between Betwixt and/or Between is organized by John David O’Brien, and includes works by Nena Amsler, Fatemeh Burnes, Mark Steven Greenfield, Renée Lotenero, John David O’Brien, Pam Posey, Shirley Tse, Alexis Zoto, and Ismael de Anda III in collaboration with Eugene Ahn. Betwixt and/ or Between seeks to illuminate how these different vital points are connected within the artists, their practice and ultimately the viewer. Time: The exhibition runs through Dec. 11. Cost: Free Details: https://www.angelsgateart.org/ galleries/ Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro Hair Pulling Between Good and Evil The exhibition explores ideas around Filipino/a/x identity. The Philippines have a rich tradition of weaving and mixed media. The artists in this exhibition not only weave together different materials, but family histories and connections. Identity is personal, historical and even haunted. Pulling from disparate identities of first, second and third generations, but also mixed-raced backgrounds, the artists bridge familial tradition and heritage between the living and the dead. Time: The exhibition runs through Dec. 11. Cost: Free Details: www.angelsgateart.org/galleries/ Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 Gaffey St. San Pedro
FILM
Oct. 16
Oct. 30
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella) 1997 Italian comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni. When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp. Rated PG13. Italian Language with English Subtitles. One ticket required per vehicle. Time: 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com /e/cinema-sotto-le-stelledrive-in-life-is-beautiful Venue: Battleship USS Iowa Museum, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
blue/s Experience 49 ESMoA invites you to a special preview and reception, with curatorial remarks at 6 p.m. from curator and arts writer Essence Harden. blue/s is a group exhibition. Through site-specific installation, sculpture, photography, painting, collage, and soundscapes, the Experience is an exploration of the color, influence sound and mood held within blue. The exhibit runs from Nov. 4 to March 26. Time: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30 Cost: Free
Coco Join a screening of the Disney film Coco to kick off San Pedro’s Day of Remembrance on 6th Street. Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful land of the dead following a mysterious chain of events.
Oct. 24
Time: 2 to 3:45 p.m. Oct. 24 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ coco-at-the-warner-grand-tickets Venue: Warner Grand Theater, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
LITERATURE Oct. 21
Breathing Fire: Female Inmates on the Front Lines of California’s Wildfires Join a panel conversation lead by author and journalist Jaime Lowe, covering the restorative justice work needed in California that each woman on the panel is on the forefront of. Lowe’s book reveals the inner workings of California’s correctional camps, providing intimate portrayals of the women inmates who routinely put their lives on the line to save a burning state. Time: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 Cost: Free with registration Details: online.cap.ucla.edu Venue: CAP UCLA Online channel History is Delicious From well-known cultures to those just being rediscovered, History Is Delicious, a children’s book, explores the history of different dishes, cultural traditions, and even a few great recipes. Join author and illustrator Joshua Lurie and Richard Foss in conversation. Time: 2 p.m. Oct. 24 Cost: Free with RSVP Details: www.collageartculture. com Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
FOOD Oct. 16
FAHMFest: Food, Music, Art & Fashion Filipino Festival FAHMFest, an immersive festival inspired by Filipino-American culture, is coming to the Outer Harbor/Berth 46. Featuring all-time favorite foods, music, art, dance and fashion, this family-friendly event will highlight the elements that make Filipino culture special. Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17 Cost: $20 to $75 Details: bit.ly/FAHMFestLA Venue: Port of Los Angeles Outer
Harbor, Berth 46, San Pedro
COMMUNITY Oct. 16
Family Art Workshop Saturday Enjoy art activities for adults and children of all ages. Angels Gate will be hosting the Family Art Workshop in-person at Angels Gate, as well as virtually on Zoom. COVID-19 safety protocols (mask wearing and contact tracing) will be enforced on-site. Time: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ family-art-workshop-october Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S.Gaffey St., San Pedro Docent Guided Nature Walk Explore the native coastal sage scrub habitat for the unique opportunity to see concrete observation stations built in the late 1920s to support the 14” guns at Fort Macarthur, view what remains of a dual 6” gun battery built during World War II and visit one of the best preserved Cold War-era Nike missile launch sites in the country. Hiking difficulty is moderate to strenuous. Meet at the RPV City Hall. Free parking will be available. Time: 9 a.m. Oct. 16 Details: 310-544-5260; www.losserenos.org/ Location: Alta Vicente Reserve, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes San Pedro Strong and Healthy Community Health Fair Join the upcoming San Pedro “Strong & Healthy” Community Health Fair. There will be free health screenings and COVID-19 vaccinations, plus free Aquarium entrance. Enjoy music, exhibits, educational tables, food trucks and giveaways. Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Dr, San Pedro. Virtual Creation Station This month’s theme is Halloween. Make a pumpkin headband and a ghost. Free craft kits are available
for pick up from Oct. 1 to 15 at the Rancho at 4600 Virginia Road Long Beach. These kits will have everything you need to follow along. Time: 1 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: Instructional videos will go live at 1 p.m. on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/rancholosc/ creation-station and YouTube at: www.youtube.com/channel/rancho-creation-station Venue: Online
Oct. 17
Halloween Spooktacular The event will take place in the lower parking lot near the Bay Club parking structure. Families are invited to enjoy trick-or-treating candy stations, music, costumed characters and much more. This event will follow safety protocols as outlined by state and local health officials. Please note there will be no trick-or-treating throughout the center. Time: 12 to 2 p.m. Oct. 17 Cost: Free Details: www.peninsulashoppingcenter.com/events-and-promotions Venue: Peninsula Shopping Center, 67 Peninsula Center, Rolling Hills Estates
Angels Gate provides educational tours while the historic museum building houses fascinating exhibits, a research library, a ham radio station and a gift shop. Time: 12 to 5 p.m. Oct. 23 Wednesday through Sunday Details: 310-548-7618; www.lamaritimemuseum.org/ Location: 600 Sampson Way Berth 84, San Pedro
Oct. 24
Dia De Todos Santos A day full of fun including mariachi, crafters and delicious food truck offerings. Enjoy a Tree Of Life memorial at The Garden Church, children’s folklorico and Mariachi and traditional ofrendas. Time: 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 24 Cost: Free
Details: www.dia-de-todos-santos.com Location: 398 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Oct. 30
Scary Stories Saturday Join around a bonfire for an allnew program of tales for the witching season, suitable for young and old, living and… shhhh! Performance outside in the amphitheater around the bonfire. Distanced seating; masks required. Picnics are welcome. Bring your own chairs and dress warmly. Limited number of folding chairs available free on site. There will also be an online free Scary Stories with similar programing between Oct. 22 to Nov. 2 at: www.melaniejonestoryteller.com/witch
Time: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 Cost: $5, children 6 and under, free. Cash only Details: https://melaniejonesstoryteller.com/writer/witch Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro 25th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour This one-of-a-kind living history event provides an amazing opportunity to remember the lesserknown and well-known figures in Long Beach history. Time: 9 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30 Cost: $1 to $25 Details: 562-424-2220; www.hslb. org/event/25th-cemetery-tour Venue: Sunniside and Municipal Cemeteries, 1095 E. Willow St., Long Beach
Oct. 23
Children’s Art Workshops in the Garden Angels Gate Cultural Center and Feed & Be Fed are partnering on this new Art Workshop series for children, ages 5 to 12. Join artistteacher Jayn Ghormley, and create art inspired by the outdoors. In October’s workshop, Ghormley will lead children through an exploration of fall vegetables, using pumpkins and squash as inspiration for attendees to create their own artwork. Time: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 23 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ childrens-art-workshops-in-thegarden) Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro The Maritime Museum Reopens Discover the history of the Port of Los Angeles on land or at sea.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective October 14 - 27, 2021
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them here at least within the next year, so we can have time to figure out what to do with them. We’re appealing to the Pakistani government … and recently sent letters to get permission to have them here with us.” Shea said they don’t need Pakistan’s money or for the government to take care of the girls or house them. They want time to process the paperwork, get the passports and then process the cases onward so that number one: they get the girls out of a dangerous place so they are safe. Number two: it buys them time to figure out where they want to bring them, which isn’t necessarily the United States. That’s only one option. Shea said Cordola is considering Norway and other European countries like Bulgaria. But those are just possibilities.
[Guitars, from p. 1]
Guitars for Girls of Afghanistan. Because of their video exposure and the toppling of the government to Taliban forces, these girls are now targets. The last time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, in the late 1990s, it banned music. So far, this time, it hasn’t outlawed music officially but the possibility has a chilling effect. “I was at the end of my journey in the matrix of mainstream music and was looking for a way to give a voice to the war torn, poverty stricken kids through music — 25,000 that perish painful deaths each day due to poverty and war,” Cordola said.
Musician steps up
The need to get them out es urgent
October 14 - 27, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Cordola first went to Afghanistan in 2014 because he heard the Taliban had killed two little girls. He said he was angry and mortified. He had been travelling to Pakistan and he said fate had it that he could go to Afghanistan and meet the family of these two little girls. Being a musician, he had his guitar with him thinking he would play for the children. Upon seeing him, eight-year-old Mursal, the youngest sister who survived that attack, asked Cordola, “Will you be my teacher?” “[It’s] not even a part of my nature,” he said. “Because I’m a band guy, a studio guy. I’m not the kumbaya guy. These kids opened up a whole portal into my spirit that I became the kumbaya guy.” The names of her sisters were Parwana, who was 9 or 10, and Khorshid. Cordola noted that they don’t have birthdays and they don’t know exactly how old they are. “What struck me … I mean, I want to work for non-violence and peace in the world,” Cordola said. “But ... when you go to these horrible places, you might have to put that aside to defend and help some of these kids who are so vulnerable. My thought was, I can no longer live in a world where I cannot do at least something to respond to this evil. I had the opportunity to get over there and meet the family and the sister that survived that attack. That’s a whole other story. She is the most incredibly complicated troubling girl I’ve ever met in my life, Mursal.” Since the events in Afghanistan, Cordola said he’s been going through four kinds of phases: shock, sadness, outrage and gratitude from people who care. “I just got an email from Cindy Brady of The Brady Bunch [actress Susan Olsen of the 1970s sitcom, The Brady Bunch],” he said. “She lent me her support and Rich Williams from a band that I love, Kansas, and of course, Tom Morello has been stellar and Nick Cave has been stellar. Vicki Peters from the Bangles, in the music community and then just everyday, simple, cool, humble people sending me messages.” Cordola said it humbled him to the core. Celebrity means nothing to the former session musician unless it’s going to help humanity in some way — the least of our brethren, he said. “I’m trying to get out three messages, Cordola said. “The Taliban, ISIS and these creatures; they’re not Muslim. For those of us who have a spiritual bent, they feel like a demonic force. “The other message is that every day, 25,000 children die because of these monsters, because of poverty and war. The third 16 thing is I’m trying to wake up the music
Musician Lanny Cordola with The Miraculous Love Kids and their guitars in Afghanistan. Right, The Miraculous Love Kids play guitar. Photos courtesy of Cordola
community to start being a bigger voice for the Miraculous Love Kids. That’s what they are to me. They are ... little MLKs. They want to be activists now. We actually are doing In The Name Of Love [U2] which is about Martin Luther King and I’m trying to get a hold of Bono now. They sing it so beautifully. Martin Luther King, who is a big influence on us, said, ‘An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.’ It’s priorities ... taking care of the vulnerable. That’s what The Miraculous Love Kids is all about.” Cordola said he’s 100% committed. People have asked him why he doesn’t just give this up … he did his best. He said he could never give this up. Right now in Pakistan he has a friend named Todd Shea. Shea is the founder of CDRS or Comprehensive Disaster Response Services, a nonprofit registered in the U.S. and Pakistan for disaster relief and development work. Professor Mark Levine at University of California Irvine introduced the two men. Levine met Shea through an associate who did relief work in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. Both musicians, Cordola and Shea are interested in doing humanitarian work with music. They have been working together ever since they met. The original plan to get 12 girls out of Afghanistan turned into 36, to include the girls’ families. Cordola said it’s been a complete disaster so far. “So many false hopes,” Cordola said. “So much of this talk. I don’t speak that [nonprofit] language and that’s why I was never really embraced by the American embassy or any NGOs and they didn’t like the fact [I’m an] outsider. Now maybe a few of them are waking up because [people] are writing about me.”
Disaster relief at Ground Zero
On Sept. 11, 2001, Shea was headed to a recording studio to rehearse for his upcoming show at CBGB when he got a call from his manager saying “Turn the TV on, something terrible has happened.” “I dropped what I was doing and started heading to the towers,” Shea said. “It changed my life because I immediately went into relief work after that and kind of put my music career in the dirt. My manager was Sid Bernstein, the
guy that brought The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to America. He was retired [then] but got behind my music. He was good to have on my team.” After 9/11, Shea realized he was good at logistics and supply chain for first responders. “After a week at Ground Zero I left there changed. What I learned about myself at Ground Zero armed me with the knowledge and intention to go forward and use that knowledge to help in disaster situations.” Since then Shea has been involved in disaster situations in Pakistan and in several hurricanes and other disasters in America and various conflict zones or camps including Belize, Kuwait, the Philippines, Japan, Haiti and Bangladesh. Shea said right now there are a couple problems with the MLK girls. Almost none of them or their families have passports. Further, the Pakistani government is trying to keep this relief situation under control. Shea said he understands what they’re doing, but to get to a third country without their passports, the girls are going to be refugees and be located in a refugee camp for a while no matter what. Getting them out of Afghanistan is problematic but possible. The passport office and the agencies involved in processing passports are not fully functional. It could take months. They are considering getting them to Pakistan with just their birth certificates and then try to get their passports over time. In Pakistan, Shea and his organization can take care of these girls and it’s where Cordola happens to be right now. “We think it’s a good option if we can get them here and get Pakistan’s permission to keep
In the meantime, musician Tom Morello released a statement on behalf of the Miraculous Love Kids. Cordola has received more than 1,500 letters and emails — most of it positive. And some are donations. “Tom Morello is like a secular saint,” Cordola said. “That dude cares about the world. He played with our girls on the song Sweet Dreams [Eurythmics]. When you see the one girl, Jelly Bean, she just knows this is Mr. Tom and he’s a really good guitar player. She has no idea he’s a world renowned guitar maestro. When you see the video and they’re trading licks, I’m like a proud father because I’m like a father to some of these girls.” When we spoke to Cordola, the girls were all with their families, not with him. Cordola did that by design. He deliberately kept everything small. If the U.S. had not pulled out of Afghanistan, Cordola’s plan for the girls was for them to go on a U.S. tour — a goodwill tour — and to meet musicians like Brian Wilson. He also wanted to start work on a docu-series and to record at Sun Records in Memphis. Lastly, he wanted to take the MLKs to see their namesake memorial in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. “To go to these great places where Martin Luther King did his great works, [to] the Grand Canyon, a proper tour like that,” Cordola said. The plan was I wanted to get some [of the girls] to the U.S. next year, but because of COVID-19, that is a whole other level of complexity,” Cordola said. One of the songs in MLKs repertoire is Peter Gabriel’s Red Rain. Cordola described the amazing reaction the girls had to it. “[They heard] the song, the kids [were] up and they started clapping, like it was a stomp and singing. It was like these kids have just changed my whole perspective on life and music.” Raising the funds is for their future, Cordola said. The next step is working to do everything he can to get them out. It’s driving him crazy. The best place for them is in Pakistan. “I talk to them daily,” Cordola said. “My mantra is ‘please listen to me, and I will listen to you.’ And they do listen.” Details: www.miraculouslovekids.org and www.cdrsworld.org
Tom Morello’s Facebook post: https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / l a n n y. c o r d o l a / posts/10224746773953213
[Foul Smells, from p. 6]
Foul Smells in Carson “It’s a small bridge right next to the 405 and it goes over a split off of the main channel,” Matheny said. “And once you go upstream of that bridge, you don’t smell anything. The moment you go downstream of that bridge, you can smell it so they believe that there is something under the bridge.”
What is happening?
Matheny insists that there are no long-term health risks for residents. But the smell is horrendous. “Listen, I can tell you, it’s a terrible smell,” he said. “It smells like something is decomposing. I was a paramedic for a number of years before I was promoted to engineer and I’ve seen a lot of decomposing bodies. And it’s that smell of something decomposing. It is horrible.” Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works said the odor is a natural occurring process of vegetational decay that cre[Build, from p. 10]
Build Back Better
than say which super-popular program he wanted to cut, he put the onus on everyone else — a move that would certainly cause further divisions. Sinema has been even less helpful. She’s opposed to two things she’s championed in the past. First, she came out against having Medicare negotiate drug prices in late September, just after a drug company-backed dark money group launched ads supporting her. Drug companies have become major donors for her. Second, on Oct. 8, the New York Times reported that Sinema, who began her political career as a Green Party activist, “wants to cut at least $100 billion from climate programs” as part of her effort to slash the plan’s size. Behind all the obfuscation, Manchin and Sinema simply oppose what their voters want in favor of special interests that support them. Majorities in both states support Biden’s plan by more than 2-1, according to September polling from Data for Progress: 68-25 in West Virginia and 65-28 in Arizona. While corporate influence in the Democratic Party has declined significantly in the past decade, it appears to have just enough clout to upend Biden’s primary piece of legislation. How much can be salvaged remains to be seen. But we should never forget the scope of what was proposed, and how much better life in America could be. It’s clearly possible, and it’s clear what’s standing in the way.
Jason Low, assistant deputy executive officer of Science & Technology Advancement representing the South Coast Air Quality Management District said they received more than 1,000 complaints from residents of Long Beach, Wilmington, Gardena, and other surrounding cities. Coleman decided she will stay at a hotel away from the Dominguez Channel. “It’s sad to have to leave your home,” she said. Mayor Lula-Davis Holmes announced a reimbursement system for residents who need to buy any supplies to alleviate the burden of smell. Details: 800-675-5857; PW.lacounty.gov Reimbursement details: 800-675-4357
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is how legislation normally gets done, and they’ve dragged out the process significantly, while the media mischaracterizes it as a battle between progressives and “moderates.” But as Joan Walsh noted at The Nation, “The ‘left’s’ version of the reconciliation bill totaled $6 trillion; it was already cut back to $3.5 trillion.” The vast majority of genuine moderates are fully on board. So it’s almost the entire party vs. two senators who’ve been unwilling to even negotiate. For months, they’ve been asked, “Tell us what you want to cut” and they’ve refused to say. “It is really not playing fair that one or two people think that they should be able to stop what 48 members of the Democratic Caucus want, what the American people want, what the president of the United States wants,” Senator Bernie Sanders said on Oct. 7. After that, word leaked out that Manchin wanted Democrats to choose just one of three family-supporting programs — the expanded child tax credit, paid family leave or subsidies for child care — all of which were overwhelmingly supported by West Virginia voters by 46% to 53% in a late August Data For Progress poll. So, rather
ates low dissolved oxygen level, which creates hydrogen sulfide. He said the lack of rainfall and heat has made the situation worse. “They created organic material and then rapidly died off and when the material rapidly dies off it releases a tremendous amount of hydrogen sulfide,” Pestrella said. Pestrella said the high levels of hydrogen sulfide are extremely unusual. “What’s unusual about this event is its persistence and the length and the strength of the smell,” he added. “I really do appreciate the over 800 people who have called us.” The Department of Public Works states it is still sampling water in the channel to see if there are any additional pollutants of concern beyond the hydrogen sulfide. There is still no solid plan on how to get rid of the smell. Public Works is hoping that the sampling could help develop scientific solutions to get rid of the odor or to put oxygen into the water.
Until then, residents are expected to be patient and wait. “Most of the time, these kinds of odors dissipate fairly quickly,” Pestrella said. “This one is not dissipating at the rate that we expected it to. I’m looking to solve the problem as quickly as possible with my major objective: protecting your health. Second objective is to investigate and find the problem and to remediate it as quickly as possible.” How easily and how quickly is still up in the air. “Clean it up!” Coleman exclaimed. “Some people may need to be compensated for their time away from home. But the most important thing is that they need to make it safe for us to live here.”
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RLNews is looking for freelance food and music writers who are knowledgeable about San Pedro and Long Beach area restaurants, culture and music scenes. Experienced writers preferred, but will consider aspiring bloggers. We are looking for writers who have a curiosity for a wide range of cuisines or music in the greater LA / Long Beach Harbor Area. Committment to writing to deadline is a must. Having a strong social media following and bi-lingual skills is a plus. Submit inquiries and any links to your writing to editor@ randomlengthsnews.com or call 310-519-1442 weekdays.
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021185542 The following person is doing business as: (1) Long Beach Jestski, 852 West 9th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: John Marshall Grimes II, 852 West 9th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an Individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. John Marshall Grimes II, owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 08/20/21. 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: 09/02/21, 09/16/21,
October 14 - 27, 2021
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
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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,
[continued on p. 19]
“Home Repairs”— visiting some unusual places.
09/30/21, 10/14/21
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA
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business as: (1) JOSSEPHINE BARBERY AND SALON, 1216 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Josefina Recio Castaneda, 1216 S Pacific Ave, 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: 03/2018. 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/. Josefina Recio Castaneda, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 09/08/21. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920.
© 2021 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
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Pedro cactus. Call 310-5617811
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JOB OPPS
ACROSS
1 Submarine acronym 6 Batting game for little kids 11 Cousin in 2021’s “The Addams Family 2” 14 “Fingers crossed” 15 Vietnamese capital 16 Pasture grazer 17 Replaces, as with a charged battery 19 Local response to “Want some Irn-Bru?”, perhaps 20 Android alternative for smartphones 21 Doctor who’s a playable character in “Overwatch” 22 Choir member 24 “Let’s get together sometime” 29 “That’s the one” 30 Was on the radio 31 Actress Menzel of “Wicked” 34 Not well 36 Singer Rita 39 More than enough at the buffet 43 Come-___ (enticements) 44 Princess in L. Frank Baum books 45 Bug persistently 46 Like TV’s “Batman” 49 Buffoon 50 They may involve blue material
56 Not fully upright 57 Org. for Pelicans and Hawks 58 Losing tic-tac-toe line 60 Seafood restaurant freebie 61 Major book publishing company (or what the circled squares contain) 66 Easy “Card Sharks” card to play from 67 “The Beverly Hillbillies” star Buddy 68 Poe’s middle name 69 “Totally tubular” 70 Causing jumpiness, maybe 71 Ibsen heroine Gabler
DOWN
1 Emphatic exclamation, in Ecuador 2 “Incredible!” 3 Static, e.g. 4 Fitting 5 “Parks and ___” 6 What’s exited in Brexit, for short 7 Herb used in Thai cuisine 8 “Can I take that as ___?” 9 Grant played by the late Ed Asner 10 Roadside rubbish 11 Plaint that may prompt words of encouragement 12 “Happy Birthday ___” 13 Annoying sibling, maybe 18 Some insurance groups, for short
23 Letters on a wide wedge, maybe 25 “Auld Lang ___” 26 Pick up aurally 27 Country cottage, in Russia 28 M as in NATO? 31 “Where did ___ wrong?” 32 Home refuge 33 Put a message on, as jewelry 34 Hostess snack cake 35 Philosophy suffix 37 “Messenger” material 38 Competition hosted by Terry Crews, for short 40 Faux pas comment 41 Grateful Dead bass guitarist Phil 42 El ___, TX 47 Word before hours or fours 48 Units to measure London’s Shard, e.g. 49 “___ I!” (“Same here!”) 50 Title elephant of children’s lit 51 City on the Mohawk River 52 Preposition with mistletoe? 53 John H. Johnson’s magazine 54 “What ___ it take?” 55 “A pity” 59 TV’s “Warrior Princess” 62 “Supermarket Sweep” network 63 Codebreaking org. 64 “Likely story!” 65 Stadium chant for Marta, e.g.
LEGAL NOTICES & DBA FILINGS NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, Bids for the following Work: CRITICAL VALVE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM PHASE 3 at VARIOUS LOCATIONS LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S3003 Bid Deadline:
ments, must be submitted no later than November 9, 2021, at 5 p.m. Questions received after the pre-Bid question deadline will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted electronically through the PB System. Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted. Questions submitted to City staff will not be addressed and Bidder will be directed to the PB System. NIB -3 Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Visit. There will not be a pre-bid meeting or site visit for this project. Site images are provided with the
Prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Bids shall be submitted electronically via the Port of Long Beach PlanetBids (PB) System prior to 2:00 p.m.
Bid Opening:
Contract Documents Available:
Electronic Bid (eBid) results shall be viewable online in the PB System immediately after the Bid Deadline. Download Contract Documents from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal: www.polb.com/sbe Click on the POLB Vendor Portal 1. Register and Log In 2. Click “Bid Opportunities” 3. Double-click on respective bid Project Title 4. Click on Document/Attachments tab 5. Double-Click on Title of Electronic Attachment 6. Click “Download Now” 7. Repeat for each attachment For assistance in downloading these documents please contact Port of Long Beach Plans and Specs Desk at 562-283-7353.
Pre-Bid Meeting:
None.
Project Contact Person:
Victor Sagredo, victor.sagredo@ polb.com
NIB -1 Contract Documents. Contract Documents may be downloaded, at no cost, from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal website. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the Port of Long Beach PB System website in order to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued.
NIB -2 Pre-Bid Questions. All questions, including requests for interpretation or correction, or comments regarding the Contract Docu-
NIB -4 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: Installation and replacement of water valves, installation of fire hydrant assemblies, pavement repair, other appurtenances, trench excavation, restoration and traffic control. See Section 01 11 00, Summary of Work in the Technical Specifications
NIB -7 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 50% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract. The amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City on the Schedule of Bid Items. The bid price of any materials or equipment rental costs from vendors who are solely furnishing materials or rental equipment and are not performing Work as a licensed subcontractor on this project shall also be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. NIB -8 SBE/VSBE. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/ Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement for this Project is twenty-seven percent (27%) of total bid. The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement shall include a minimum of five percent (5%) of total bid value as VSBE. POLB expects all Bidders
This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 (with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)). No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5. Contractors and Subcontractors must furnish electronic Certified Payroll Records (CPRs) to the Labor Commissioner’s Office, and in addition, hardcopies or electronic copies shall be furnished to the Port of Long Beach. NIB -10 P r o j e c t L a b o r Agreement. This project is not covered by a PLA. NIB -11 Tr a d e N a m e s and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination
NIB -12 Prequalification of Contractors. NOT USED NIB -13 B i d S e c u r i t y, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all
required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City. NIB -14 C o n d i t i o n a l Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder. NIB -15 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s
Bonds and other acceptable Bid Security shall be guaranteed and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. NIB -16 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code. NIB -17 Iran Contracting Act of 2010. In accordance with Public Contract Code sections 2200-2208, every person who submits a bid or proposal for entering into or renewing contracts with the City for goods or services estimated at $1,000,000 or more are required to complete, sign, and submit the “Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit.” Issued at Long Beach, California, this 27th day of July, 2020. Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: For project updates after Bid Opening, please contact plans.specs@polb. com.
DBA FILINGS [from p. 18] or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 09/16/21, 09/30/21, 10/14/21, 10/28/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021208707 The following person is doing business as:(1) V&B Chinese Food House, 335 West 6th Street, Commerce, CA 90040, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Brandon Chhea, 457 W. 13th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2018. 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/. Thomas Gregory Compagnon, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 09/17/21. 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: 09/30/21, 10/14/21, 10/28/21, 11/11/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021205703 The following person is doing business as:(1) Lifetimes Health Solutions, (2) Lifetimes, 1441 W Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Sharon L McGann, 1441 W Paseo del Mar, 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: 01/1996. 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/. Sharon L McGann, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 09/15/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A ficti-
tious 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: 09/30/21, 10/14/21, 10/28/21, 11/11/21
DBAs $ 155
Filing & Publishing
310-519-1442 Remember to renew your DBA every 5 years
October 14 - 27, 2021
Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/ VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at www.polb.com/ business/permits.
NIB -6 Contractor’s License. The Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “A”, California Contractor’s License to construct this project. In addition, the Bidder or subcontractor(s) shall hold a current and valid Class “A” or “C-34”, California Contractor’s License to perform installation and replacement of water valve and Fire Hydrant Assembly Installation. The Bidder or subcontractor performing asbestos pipe removal shall be certified in accordance with Section 02 82 13, “Asbestos Abatement.”
NIB -9 Prevailing Wage Requirements per Department of Industrial Relations. This Project is a public work Contract as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www. dir.ca.gov/dlsr/DPreWageDetermination.htm and on file at the City, available upon request. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices.
that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after City’s issuance of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City.
For the link to the Port of Long Beach PB System and for information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at www.polb.com/business/business-opportunities.
documents for reference. Any site photographs, videos or maps included in the Contract Documents do not constitute a complete visual depiction of the site and should neither be considered nor are warranted as such. The City makes no guarantee that existing construction and site conditions matches construction depicted on record reference documents. It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to identify existing conditions. Note that downloading the photo images document(s) can be used to satisfy a portion of a Bidder’s good faith efforts to meet the SBE/ VSBE participation goals listed below.
NIB -5 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Contractor shall achieve Substantial Completion of Work within 90 calendar days and Affidavit of Final Completion of the Project within 180 calendar days as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8.2 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES SET FORTH IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ENGINEER’S APPROVAL OF AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COMPLETION, WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS.
to achieve the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting an SBE-2C Commitment Plan demonstrating the Bidder’s intent to meet the combined SBE/VSBE participation goal. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the combined goal, the Bidder shall demonstrate that it made an adequate good faith effort to do so, as specified in the Instructions to Bidders. The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 283-7598 or sbeprogram@polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at www.polb.com/sbe.
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Please refer to the Port of Long Beach PB System for the most current information.
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October 14 - 27, 2021
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