Carson Mobile Home Closings, Port Litigation and Pet Clinic Protest top Most-Viewed Stories of the Year By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
I
t’s been a busy year for the Harbor Area. In 2021, three of the highest-viewed stories on Random Lengths News’ website featured Carson. Number one featured residents of Imperial Avalon Mobile Estates being forced out, number four focused on beloved diner Ted’s Burgers, and number 10 addressed the terrible smell that lingered on the city for two months. Three stories put a spotlight on San Pedro, all involving alleged crimes or protests. Two focused on Long Beach, one on their dining program and another on the lack of response to complaints about police.
1. Mobile Home Residents Forced Out
Two out of three sisters: Squash bean stew p. 10
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
2021 was the Year of the Coup, its aftermath, aftershocks, and recurrent antecedents. Even before the year began, Random Lengths News warned that Donald Trump’s denialist reaction to his 2020 election loss was both a grift — raising hundreds of millions of dollars with zero accountability and only the vaguest semblance of rationale — and a coup, noting at the time: “While many observers have resisted such talk, it’s important to realize that a failed coup is a coup nonetheless, even a comically inept one. What’s more, even a comically inept coup can sometimes succeed.” We also went on to note that, “however anomalous, atypical and quixotic Trump’s attack on our democracy might be, it is echoed by a framework of constitutional structures that are inherently hostile to the one-person/ one-vote spirit of democracy we nowadays take to be
fundamental to our democracy. What’s more, between these two extremes — the atypical Trump and the foundational constitutional structures — there lies an extensive middle ground in which democracy must battle for its very life.” After the coup attempt came to a head on Jan. 6, we warned, “It was dangerous not just because it left five people dead — and could have left many more — but because it may well be only the beginning.” This message was highlighted again in August, in response to congressional hearings and new revelations in books. “There was an attack carried out on Jan. 6, and a hitman sent them,” Officer Harry Dunn said in the first House hearing on the insurrection. “I want you to get to the bottom of that.” But, we noted, “The guardrails of democracy that held this last time have already been
severely eroded in the past six months,” citing voter suppression laws, escalating attacks on election administration, and opposition to even hearing from Dunn. “The illusion that the insurrection is behind us could be even more dangerous than the illusion that the COVID pandemic is behind us as well.” While many more details have emerged since then, with the promise of extensive public hearings next year, Republican support for subverting future elections has only grown stronger since then. Meanwhile Democrats tried to make democracy work. On March 11, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which we called “the most consequential and most popular rescue package since the New Deal.” Although no Republicans in
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Review: Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley p. 9
2021: The Year of the Coup
Local restaurants mostly silent on proof of vaccination status p. 3
RLN’s Most-viewed Local Stories of 2021
Graphic by Suzanne Matsumiya
[See Local Stories 2021, p. 4]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Two new apartment buildings are set to begin construction in Carson, one with 300 units and the other with 19. Unfortunately, to build these developments mobile home residents are being forced out of their homes. Residents of Imperial Avalon Mobile Estates were given 12 months to leave after Faring Capital bought the land to convert it into a mixed-use development. More than 400 residents are seniors on a fixed income. Faring Capital hired an appraiser for each mobile home, but Claire Condon Anderson, mobile home owner since 1983, was not happy with the results. “He and his associate grossly undervalued my home at $37,000 when I have records of similar homes selling recently for $150,000 to $200,000 locally and some were even in this same park,” Condon Anderson said. “If this park must be closed, we want the fair market value for our homes and not just the value of a scrap pile.” Residents own the actual homes, which are called coaches, and
[See Year, p. 8] 1
2
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Healthcare Open Enrollment
If you need quality health care coverage, now is the time to enroll. American Rescue Plan subsidies are available to hundreds of thousands of middle-income Californians who are either uninsured or who pay for health coverage directly from a health insurance carrier off-exchange. This year’s open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace runs until Jan. 15, 2022. Details: 800-318-2596; https://localhelp/healthcare.gov
Upgrade to a Real ID for Free
The Department of Motor Vehicles is offering eligible Californians a free Real ID upgrade for a limited time for anyone who received a driver’s license or identification card during the pandemic. If you renewed your license or ID card between March 2020 and July 2021 you are eligible. You have until Dec. 31, 2021 to get a free Real ID. A Real ID is not required; however, if you wish to continue to use your driver’s license or identification card to board domestic flights within the U.S. or enter secure federal facilities, you will need a Real ID by the new May 3, 2023 deadline. Details: www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/identificationcards/real-id
Join the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
Local Restaurants Mostly Silent on Proof of Vaccination Status By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor If you have recently dined out, you may have been asked a simple question. Can you provide proof of vaccination? In the City of Los Angeles, proof of COVID-19 vaccination must be shown at indoor restaurants, gyms, entertainment and recreational facilities, personal care establishments and some city buildings. The Los Angeles City Council’s requirement went into effect Nov. 8. On Nov. 29, enforcement measures began. Random Lengths News set out to learn just how the local restaurants are dealing with the new law. The response was, well, untelling. Other than one restaurant, we did not hear from any of the independently owned and operated establishments we contacted.
The Other Side of The Pond
A quick check, after talking to someone who recently returned from Paris, France, confirmed that the city of lights has streamlined this process for restaurants to expeditiously check customers’ vaccination status and move hungry clientele to their tables.
In Paris, restaurants have an app they can download which allows them to scan the QR code of the clients vaccination status, and then they can tell if it’s valid or not. If it’s valid, they can enter. If it’s not valid, they cannot serve them. It would seem that in LA County — in the [See Restaurants, p. 12]
Between Jan. 25 to Jan. 27, 2022, thousands of community members across greater Los Angeles will be counting their neighbors experiencing homelessness. The count, which is mandated by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, helps paint a picture of the progress, trends and shifts in the fight to end homelessness. The LA Homeless Count is the biggest in the nation and can only be made possible by volunteers. Ensure that community members experiencing homelessness get counted. Details: www.theycountwillyou.org
LASD Asks for Help Locating Missing Person Imelda Christina Tapia, Torrance
LB Fire, Primary Operating Partner for UCLA Health’s Mobile Stroke Unit
The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services or Health Department is seeking 250 community volunteers to help conduct the 2022 Point in Time or PIT Count, its street count of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, taking place on Jan. 25, 2022. The count is vital in determining the scope of homelessness, defining existing resources available, and identifying gaps to better serve these individuals. To volunteer for the PIT Count, people must: Be 18 years or older; Attend a virtual orientation and training prior to the day of the count; Commit to a three- to four-hour canvassing shift on Tuesday, Jan. 25. Details: www.cognitoforms.com
Frank Buono, owner of Buono’s Pizzeria on 6th Street in downtown San Pedro and on Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach replied enthusiastically to this request. Thank you, Frank. Buono reiterated that his establishment is required to check the vaccine status of its patrons if they are eating inside. Outside, they do not have to check. Buono said 90% of his customers are “good.” The other 10% get mad and leave. Buono said he does not appreciate being the “police” for the unvaccinated but he always invites them to eat outside, where heaters are lit to help keep his customers comfortable. He noted, when people are coming for take-out, the restaurant doesn’t have to ask for proof of vaccination. When asked what help his business has received from the County of Los Angeles to implement these rules, Buono said on their last inspection someone asked him how he felt about having to ask for proof of vaccination. Buono only said that he is not going to share what his answer was with this reporter. Aside from that, he said there hasn’t been any help.
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
City of Long Beach Seeks Volunteers for 2022 Homeless Point in Time Count
Buono’s Pizzeria
Long Beach Fire Department is now serving as a primary operating partner for UCLA Health’s Mobile Stroke Unit Program or MSU, a shared emergency medical service that provides lifesaving therapies to potential stroke patients throughout the Los Angeles County region. As a primary operating partner, LBFD is dedicating one firefighter/paramedic to serve as a team member for the MSU. Details: www.longbeach.gov/press-releases/longbeach-fire/msu
Outdoor dining at La Tarantella in Long Beach. Photo by Arturo Gracia-Ayala
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Missing Persons Unit investigators are asking for the public’s help locating a missing person named Imelda Christina Tapia. She is a 30 year-old female Hispanic who was last seen at 10 p.m. Nov. 19, on the 1100 block of W. Fiat St., in Torrance. Imelda is 5’4” tall, 100 lbs with short black hair cut in a bob hairstyle and brown eyes. Tapia wears glasses, and was last seen wearing unknown colored pants and a green sweatshirt. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the LASD Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call 800-222-8477.
3
[Local Stories, from p. 1]
2021’s Most-viewed Stories pay mortgages on them. But their mortgages are usually cheaper than rent in the area, and there is nowhere they can take them. Residents of Imperial Avalon can return and live in the new building once it’s finished, and pay the same rent they were previously. However, they will need to find somewhere else to live in the remaining three to four years. In July 2021, residents of Imperial Avenue and their supporters held a protest outside Carson City Hall. Residents of Park Avalon Mobile Estates, Rancho Dominguez Mobile Estates and Park Granada Trailer Lodge Mobile joined them, as they were facing a similar situation. In late May 2021, residents of Park Granada were given two months to leave their homes. Tina Delgadillo is moving from her mobile home to a smaller place where she will rent, instead of being a homeowner. Her rent is a 517% increase from what she was paying at the park.
2. Casual Longshoreman Sued by POLA
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Carlos Saldana attended several protests in person holding satirical signs mocking the harbor commissioners who approved automation by APM Terminals at Pier 400 in July 2019. Shortly afterwards, the Port of Los Angeles filed 20 counts of cyber harassment against Saldana, even though he only carried satirical signs in person. Saldana found out about the criminal charges in December 2019. In November 2020, the charges against him were quietly dismissed. But before then, Saldana had already spent more than $10,000 in legal fees, and was taking medication for the stress from the lawsuit.
4
A protester holds a sign made by Carlos Saldana at a 2019 protest against automation at Pier 400. Photo courtesy of Saldana
“There was no evidence and there was no merit,” Said Mark Coleman, Saldana’s lawyer. “That’s why the charges were dismissed. Oftentimes the charging authority will throw everything at the wall and see what will stick. And this is one of those situations where they had a statute that trumps the first amendment.” Saldaña is currently in litigation against the port for its harassing him over his protests, Coleman said. As of December 2021, Saldana no longer lives in the Harbor Area. On April 20, 2021, he posted on his Facebook page that he was selling his house. “Due to the harassment from the Port of Los Angeles the Saldaña family has had no choice but to sell the home of over 40 years in the Harbor Area of Los Angeles,” Saldana wrote.
3. San Pedro Pet Clinic Criticized, Sues Protestors
A veterinarian clinic came under criticism earlier this year, with customers accusing the clinic of overcharging and treating customers and animals poorly. Two protests were held near the clinic in August, and the clinic’s owner, Dr. Anyes Van Volkenburgh, is suing the protestors for $21.5 million. Treslyn Britton, who attended the protest, shared the story of how her dog died at the clinic. She brought her otherwise healthy dog in for constipation, but Van Volkenburgh said it needed surgery for a tumor. Four hours later, Britton saw her dog lying with a tube in its mouth. “I asked her to show me what she did, she rolled him over and he was cut from the very top of his body all the way down to his groin area. Butchered, stapled, still half alive,” Britton said. Britton asked Van Volkenburgh to help the dog, and she “picked him up and started shaking him and then told me that she could give me the phone number for the cremation place and walked away.” In response to a flood of negative reviews, Van Volkenburgh posted a message on the clinic’s website, but the date it was posted is unclear. “Instead of yelping about me, why don’t you look at your own integrity and ethics and consider whether you deserve to own a pet,” Van Volkenburgh wrote. “Because you probably don’t.” The lawyer that represents the protestors that Van Volkenburgh is suing filed a motion to have the case dismissed under anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) legislation. He argued that the things Van Volkenburgh accused the protestors of doing were protected under their constitutional right to free speech, and that Van Volkenburgh will not be able to prove she can win the case. The anti-SLAPP motion will be heard on Jan. 20.
4. Ted’s Burgers is Oasis for Carsonites
Ted’s Burgers has served Carson for more than 60 years, and for nearly 20 years, one face has remained consistent — Rossmary Palatos.
She began working there as a waitress in 2002, and in 2012, she bought the restaurant with her husband. Palatos enjoys speaking with her customers and will remember names and conversations from weeks ago. “I don’t want them to see it as a restaurant, but as if they were coming to a relative’s house,” she said. When the take-out only order came in March 2020, Palatos had to decide whether to keep the diner open. The restaurant continued running, thanks to loyal customers and the drive-thru.
5. Outdoor Dining Space Created in Long Beach
In February 2021, the City of Long Beach expanded its Open Streets Pilot Project, giving more street space for businesses to use. In January, the city narrowed one lane in each direction in Atlantic Avenue between Claiborne Drive and Armando Drive. This space was used for outdoor dining, after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dining ban was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Then in February, the city used the sidewalk of Atlantic Avenue and parking lots to help businesses expand. According to the city’s website, the Open Streets program will continue until June 2022, or until outside physical distancing is no longer required.
6. Murder Suspect Paul Flores Arrested in San Pedro
Paul Flores has been accused of murdering Kristin Smart, a Cal Poly University student who disappeared in 1996. Flores was living in San Pedro for several years until police arrested him on April 13, 2021. They had raided his San Pedro home twice before this. Flores was charged with first degree murder of Smart, and his father Ruben Flores was charged with accessory after the fact. While he had always been a suspect in the case, investigators could not find enough evidence and Flores was never charged with a crime beforehand. That changed when a podcast called In Our Backyard interviewed witnesses involved [See Most-viewed, p. 14]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
5
The Weekend Before Christmas And all was asleep except… By James Preston Allen, Publisher
‘Twas the weekend before Christmas while the moon was full. From ship to crane in a harbor that’s full, the port’s humming and workers are draying toys meant for stores. Hustling and bustling at breakneck speed to fulfill promises that stockings would be filled from toe to knee With merchandise we all adore. The officials say that it’ll be months before the backlog of goods are taken from our shores. They blame Covid. They blame consumers. They say Amazon and eBay goods are just that good, but they can’t explain the calamity of their logistics chain that started the year before. There’s talk about a shortage of truckers, But silent on why truckers aren’t paid employees. There’s talk about a shortage of warehouse space, But silent on workers and their lack of union needs. They don’t talk about the shipping companies or their avarice or greed. A 20-foot container from China$20,000 it exceeds. It’s not about the people, either on the Waterfront or the road. It’s not about workers who have worked through the fjord, while sacrificing their lives at corona death’s door The world once hailed them “heroes.” Now they are ones preferred not seen and unheard.
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
No one seems to know the cause or the cure. It’s been two years of struggle between what people need and what some others believe for sure. There’s conflict and no resolution; there’s a hunger for change and courage is needed. but no one is sure what it exactly means. We are at a crossroads and the measure isn’t sure. By whatever measure, we will bleed. The time is nigh, which side do you believe? It’s easy to be led astray these days. Fake news and disinformation keeps our wits at bay. With so much information, it is hard to be sure of the ground on which we stand. So we sit in our shelters and think we are safe and secure.
6
We buy Christmas presents and sing carols in the choir. But after the revelry is gone, we’ll still have to reckon with the things not in song. There’ll be a pause on January 6, our darkest day we’ll recall that it must be fixed hoping we don’t fall for grift or tricks. We’ll cry for justice But it could just get nixed.
So the full moon rises over Port of LA Ships are backed beyond Catalina isle and the most that they can say is: 24/7, we’re working on it. Help is one the way.
I Will Not Seek Reelection to Congress in 2022 By Rep. Alan Lowenthal, 47th California District Almost 30 years ago to the day, I made the decision to run for the Long Beach City Council because I felt that my councilmember didn’t listen to me or my neighbors. Every day since, over three decades of public service, I have recommitted myself to listening to you, serving your interests, and doing my best for you. This journey has taken me from Long Beach City Hall, to the California State Capitol, and to our nation’s capital. During my time as a public servant, I have met some of the most incredible people, received the counsel of wise leaders, and had the honor of working with some of the most dedicated public servants. However, throughout this journey, sharing moments with the people I serve have always been some of the high points of my career. I have been deeply touched by your support over so many years just as I am deeply honored by the trust and faith you have placed in me to represent you. My first experience in politics was as a teenager working on the campaign of Adlai Stevenson. I have often reflected on him saying that the job of a public servant is to “do justly” and “to walk humbly.” I have tried to live up to this throughout my journey. But just as every journey has a beginning, so too does it have an end. I am announcing today that I will not be running for reelection to Congress in 2022.
“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. 27
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.
It is time to pass the baton. It is time to rest and surround myself with the benefits of a life well-lived and earned honorably in the service of my fellow citizens. During this journey, I have had the pleasure of raising two fine sons who have blessed me with four grandchildren who I adore. I now look forward to spending my time with them and watching them grow and flourish into wonderful people like their parents. It is also a chance for me and my wife, Debbie, who has been my rock throughout this journey and who has been by my side despite her own sacrifices, to even more deeply enjoy our lives together. But this is not the end. I will be your champion in Washington for another year, and I am determined to make the most of that time. After that, there are certainly other pages left to
write in my life and other challenges I would like to take on beyond the halls of government. As Robert Frost wrote, there are miles to go before I sleep. I believe deeply in the innate goodness of our nation and our people. I have seen us live up to that potential so many times, and in doing so, move our nation and the world forward. But progress must be earned. It remains up to each of us to continue that struggle. While I am stepping aside from the front lines of that struggle, I will continue to be at your side, fighting for what is right, for what is just, and for what makes us better as both a people and a nation. It has been a distinct honor and a true privilege to serve you and all of the people of Los Angeles and Orange counties in the 47th District during my time in Congress.
High Rate of Boosters at Skilled Nursing Facilities Show Vaccines Can Offer the Best Protection https://tinyurl.com/boosters-offers-protection-RLn
Read these online exclusives and more at:
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia Announces He Is Running For Congress https://tinyurl.com/lb-mayor-runs-for-congress
RandomLengthsNews.com
Columnists/Reporters Publisher/Executive Editor Melina Paris Assistant Editor/Arts James Preston Allen Staff Reporter james@randomlengthsnews.com Hunter Chase Fabiola Esqueda Carson Reporter Assoc. Publisher/Production Vera Magana Dining & Cuisine Writer Coordinator Photographers Suzanne Matsumiya Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Harry Bugarin, Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Terelle Jerricks Chris Villanueva editor@randomlengthsnews.com Contributors Mark Friedman, Ari LeVaux, Rep. Alan Senior Editor Lowenthal, Greggory Moore Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ Cartoonists randomlengthsnews.com Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Internship Program Director Matt Wuerker Zamná Àvila
Design/Production Suzanne Matsumiya, Brenda Lopez Advertising Sales Chris Rudd Chris@RandomLengthsNews.com Cindy Portillo
Editorial Intern
Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 Fax: (310) 832-1000 www.randomlengthsnews.com 1300 S. Pacific Avenue San Pedro, CA 90731
Address correspondence regarding news items and tips to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email: editor@randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor to james@randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed with address and phone number (for verification purposes) and be about 250 words. For advertising inquiries or to submit advertising copy, email: rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com. Annual subscription is $40 for 27 issues. Back issues are available for $3/copy while supplies last. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2021 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters A Critical Eye on Feuer
Student Letters
Editor’s note: In the past few weeks, Random Lengths News received a group of Letters to the Editor from the students of San Pedro High School English teacher Michael Kurdyla. Students commented on stories from the past few months. Reading through the letters, the students did an admirable job following their teacher’s instruction to read and critique stories that piqued their interest. The end result was more than 10,000 words from high school students engaging the most topical issues being discussed today. In the interest of space, we will select a few of the letters for print, while posting the remainder online. Re: “LA Has Big Problems,” RLN, Nov. 25- Dec 15 In the article “LA has Big Problems,” the author Mike Feuer suggests strategies to reform the Los Angeles government. I have never been interested in the government or politics, but reading this made me realize how beneficial a reformation could be. The author shows us how the government could change and how that would affect other things. The article tells us that the problems in LA have been increasing because of the unresponsiveness of our government. This is a great
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Re: “LA Has Big Problems,” RLN, Nov. 25- Dec 15 I have little faith in the “career politicians” in the crowded field of mayoral candidates like Mel Wilson, Ramit Varma, William R. Morrison, Asher Luzzatto, Evan Jasek, Sean Enright, YJ Draiman, Kevin de Leon, Kevin Dalton, Karen Bass, Joe Buscaino, Jessica Lall, and Alex Gruenenfelder. (See Wikipedia “2022 Los Angeles mayoral election”). Candidate Mike Feuer and staff are missing in action when it comes to “governance, homelessness, safety, neighborhood neglect, and inequality.” He calls homelessness “pervasive” but that is hardly true if the homeless are less than 3% of the total population of LA County. What is pervasive is the lack of fiscal accountability under the Feuer reign. He has been characteristically silent about discrimination complaints leveled at housing and code enforcement employees. I sought the city attorney office help in 20152016 to help eradicate housing discrimination and retaliation by private and public entities. I got no assistance from Feuer’s office of 42 attorneys. I also sought his help recently on enforcing the city tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Feuer’s proposals have not currently been implemented because Feuer is part of the problem, not part of the solution. There is little sense in creating more confusion by increasing the number of council districts. He has supported corrupt government policies. He lacks experience and honesty. G. Juan Johnson, 2022 LA Mayoral candidate Los Angeles
topic to talk about because it provides us with many examples of reformation. In this article, Feuer talked about how inequality diminishes us all. I agree with this, and I agree with Feuer when he says that having a small number of people who govern the city isn’t the greatest option. Having enough diversity can help everyone. Including things like school projects. For example, Feuer’s article states, “Too few govern too many, making elected leaders less responsive, less diverse...” (Feuer 2) This statement shows us that not having enough diversity in anything can lead to people not working hard. He also mentions that “Los Angeles’s government was designed nearly a century ago when our city was 25% of its current size.” (Feuer 3) Because of how long ago LA’s government was made, it isn’t viable anymore because of how large the population has gotten. Not having enough diversity leads to not having enough ideas, which leads to unresponsiveness. However, this could change if there was a reformation of our government. Reforming our government could benefit everything in LA and can promote diversity. This is important to our society because if the government can’t respond to our messages our city will fall apart. If we do nothing now, when will we? Daniel Lopez San Pedro High School Carson
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
7
[Coup, from p. 1]
Below, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who recently opposed Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, speaks at Blair Mountain, where miners fought coal companies over the right to unionize. Manchin owns stock in a family owned coal company. Photo courtesy of Manchin’s website
Year of the Coup
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Congress voted for it, it was so popular that even a majority of Republican voters supported it. “It could be the harbinger of a new era — like the New Deal — in which Americans see government playing a crucial role in bettering their lives, thus restoring faith in our democracy,” and there were already a string of bills passed by the House to do just that. But, “that faith could be strangled, rather than restored,” we warned, “if Republicans have their way — relying on the Senate filibuster and a wave of over 250 voter-suppression bills in 43 states. … We could be headed the way of India or Brazil.” Unfortunately, that has been the dominant direction in Washington this past year. Biden’s more long-term “Build Back Better” agenda was split into two bills. The bipartisan infrastructure bill, eventually signed in November, and the still-delayed “human infrastructure” bill that “makes major investments in childcare, education, healthcare and housing just to bring America in line with its international competitors,” as we described in October, adding, “Its climate agenda and broader environmental agenda will benefit families far beyond the 10-year time-frame.” Failure to pass it this year is perhaps the biggest missing story of the year — other than preventing the next coup. Just before Christmas, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin reversed months of public promises and declared he would not support the bill — despite enormous benefits to his home state. But Washington wasn’t the only place where nationally-important events unfolded this year. Two kinds of nationally significant events that occurred nationwide reverberated specifically in California and the Southland as well: extreme weather events, reflecting the climate crisis, calling out for action,
8
President Joe Biden, who is trying to pass a bill with investments in childcare, education, healthcare and housing. File photo.
and more localized pro- and anti-democratic struggles, catalyzed by various hopes and fears. In mid-February a winter storm enveloped most of the continental U.S., but hit Texas especially hard. “The state’s climate denialism, free market deregulation, and lack of infrastructure investment all contributed significantly to the singular catastrophe that struck Texas,” we noted, while California “is seen as a beacon of climate enlightenment.” But that was highly misleading, we reported, “according to the just-released ‘Environmental Scorecard’ from the California League of Conservation Voters” (which changed its name this year to California Environmental Voters), which gave the state a score of 74%, a barely-passing grade. And our
local ports vividly illustrated the problems. “Neither climate policy (involving CO2 and methane, primarily) nor air quality policy (ozone, NOX, SOX and VOCs) are comprehensively addressed, much less is there an integrated plan dealing with both,” we reported. This year — as drought conditions covered 95% of the western states, and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought state of emergency in 50 of California’s 58 counties, while calling Californians to cut water usage by 15% — activists and lawmakers advanced a much more ambitious and comprehensive agenda. Again, it was often stymied by fossil-fuel interests. But the sheer volume of legislation and supporting activism resulted in significantly more progress this year, with some
measures incorporated into the budget process, an additional $15 billion plus invested in the California Comeback Plan’s climate package, and an executive order by Gov. Newsom directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to evaluate achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, a full decade faster than current state policy requires. Newsom made national news as the target of a recall effort that was one facet of the GOP’s scorched-earth attack on democratically elected Democrats, following in the footsteps of Trump’s failed coup. We also reported on the failed attempt to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, as well — an attempt funded by two billionaires listed on the LA Business Journal’s list of “Wealthiest Angelenos,” one of them a $2 million Trump megadonor. “The Gascón recall campaign is also an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, but in more local sense, revolving around race and criminal justice reform,” we reported. Gascón’s election was just one of several fronts in this fight locally: “County Measure J, dedicating funding to redress racial injustice — including alternatives to incarceration — passed by almost 15 points, and Proposition 17, restoring parolees voting rights, passed by 17 points, while Proposition 20, which would have rolled back several important criminal justice reforms, was defeated by 16 points.” Exaggerated fear of rising crime is a perennial conservative weapon, wildly out of touch with a 27-year trend of declining rates of violent and property crime, but “social organizing, particularly the Movement for Black Lives, has profoundly unsettled the assumptions that masqueraded for so long [See Coup, p. 14]
G
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Stills from Nightmare Alley. Graphic by Brenda López
Nightmare Alley is playing at the Art Theatre of Long Beach through Dec. 30 and other theaters near you.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
uillermo Del Toro is something of a known quantity. Whether it’s monsters, superheroes, or Disney folk (look for Pinocchio coming to a Netflix account near you), you can always count on a dose of the mythic and a dark, dank atmosphere. Nightmare Alley is exactly what you’d expect from the auteur behind Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water adapting a post-WWII psychological noir novel about a little bad carny trying to scam his way in the big bad world. Out of a murky past, Stan (Bradley Cooper) finds his way to Ten-in-One carnival. After the proprietor (Willem Dafoe) and a husband-and-wife mentalist team (David Strathairn and Toni Collette) take a shine to him, Stan learns the tricks of the trade so well that fetching fellow carny Molly (Rooney Mara) runs off with him, confident they’ll find a bigger, better life. Two years later they’ve found it, with two shows a night in a ritzy Buffalo supper club. But when the opportunity for big money comes a’knocking, Stan can’t resist going against the advice of his mentors and trying to pass himself off as more than mere entertainer. Plenty happens during the first act of Nightmare Alley, but for the entire hour you can’t shake the feeling that this is all a set-up to the main action, which gets underway once we trade the shadowy interiors and stormy skies of Stan’s carny life for the art deco fantasy in which he gets mixed up with a psychologist with a heart of pitch (Cate Blanchett). Although the ride isn’t half-bad, with Cooper and Blanchett positively smoldering with amorality, ultimately we’re derailed by character choices that seem contrived to drive us to a preordained destination rather than informed by internally consistent logic — an especial failing in a film that explicitly draws attention to its characters’ psyches and motivations. Verisimilitude, however, is never at the top of Del Toro’s to-do list. The man is a fabulist, and Nightmare Alley is at heart a morality play. A reviewer intent on maximizing brevity and concerned only for theme could summarize the whole kit-and-kaboodle in seven words: A crooked man walks a crooked mile. With all his gifts, Stan is a bad man, and you reap what you sow. But deploying such laconicism would be to overlook Del Toro as stylist, which is his strongest suit. Not only does Nightmare Alley drip with his signature ambience, but Del Toro displays more attention than ever to the subtleties of sound design — the tick of a watch, the ringing of a crystal glass. Like him or not, there’s little to say against Del Toro’s craftsmanship. Because its surface is the best thing Nightmare Alley has going for it, if you’re going to see this, you would do well not to wait until you can bring it home. Not every film suffers equally from being viewed at home rather than in a theater, but this one probably isn’t much without immersion. On the big screen, at least, it’s a universe you inhabit. From the inside, it’s easy enough to forgive all that it’s not.
9
F
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
oods that grow together go together, so goes the old saying. It’s become the locavore’s anthem, your cue to coax whatever plant life you can from your home ground, and figure out how best to cook it all. And live happily ever after. The seed catalogs that will soon arrive in the mail will tempt you to dream big, and you should. But in which direction? We can’t plant everything. Planning, and alas choosing, is an important part of gardening. You can’t order your seeds if you don’t know what you want to plant, which means you must ponder what you want to eat, and what you can’t get anywhere else. I can always buy carrots at the farmers market, summer and winter, so I don’t need to grow carrots. But it’s harder to get red cranberry beans, to choose one of many heirloom vegetable varieties that one might choose to grow. If I want to eat beans like that I might just have to grow them myself. Luckily, they grow well in my area. And I know where to get seed. My friend David Lau is a seed farmer, which sounds pretty lonely, even by farmer standards. I kept him company one afternoon at his operation, called Red Tail Seeds, in a field behind a selfserve farmstand on the outskirts of Missoula. His rows have an overgrown, gone-to-seed look to them from a distance. That’s the point, of course. But up close the plants are less messy looking, and appear to be more actualized. Full grown tomato bushes, never harvested and laden with fruit, staked against the weight, look like what Norman Rockwell would paint if he painted gardens. The seed heads of flowered lettuce towered over the garden, larger than life like Popeye after a can of spinach. And pods of cranberry beans, cascading from the plants in their unharvested bounty, dried slowly in the
10
Seedy Thoughts:
Two Out of Three Sisters By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist
Squash bean stew, which is made with dried cranberry beans. Photo courtesy of Are LeVaux
August heat. Lau sells the cranberry bean seed to Fedco Seeds, which calls them “one of the very best baking beans.” After they had dried and cured, Lau dropped off a sack for me to play with. The beans were small and dark, reminiscent of black beans but with an unmistakable ruby glow. They cooked up creamy, without disintegrating, and
have a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Then I added a bunch of meat and winter pantry staples like onion, carrots, potatoes, and finally squash, and called it creamy bean stew. Beans and squash are two of the so-called Three Sisters, a Native American version of “what grows together, goes together.” In the field, the squash covers the ground between the corn, which blasts into the third dimension, with the beans climbing the corn into the sky while their roots add nitrogen to the soil. Sister corn is absent from this dish, although you could easily add it in the form of corn tortillas to make tacos or enchiladas. Otherwise,
it’s fine without corn. We can’t do everything all of the time. And with cousins potato, carrot and onion in the mix, this stew has plenty of local representation.
Squash Bean Stew When I cook this stew I aim for each component to be perfectly soft, but I don’t want it to dissolve together into mush. That means adding the ingredients one by one, starting with the beans, in order of how much time they need. This way every component of the equation is perfect and full of its own unique flavor, and the whole thing adds up to a dish that is simple but full of diversity and texture. Some might call it boring, but when your ingredients are top notch you want to fully experience the flavor of each one. This dish is flexible at every step of the way. In the spices you add, in the various wintry vegetables you choose, and with what you serve it. I scooped it on some tamales the other day to make the circle of sisters complete. 1 cup dried cranberry beans, or a similar small dark bean Optional: a piece or two of bacon or a ham hock Optional: stew meat like beef or venison, however much you feel A sprig or two of thyme or oregano, or a few bay leaves Cube of bouillon or tablespoon Better than Bouillon paste 2 medium sized carrots, cut into rounds about an inch long 1 large potato cut into cubes or several smaller or medium 1 onion, cut in half around the equator 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small kabocha squash Cook the beans in two quarts of water. I can’t tell you exactly how long it will take to cook your beans in the equipment you have at home. I can tell you it will go quicker if you soak the beans overnight, and if you use a pressure cooker. You are ultimately responsible for cooking your beans to the point where the cell wall and oligosaccharide carbohydrates break down from the heat. Otherwise, the bacteria in your gut will have to break down those carbon chains. For a price. I cook the bacon and meat with the beans. Meanwhile, I cut a squash in half and bake it on a cookie sheet for an hour at 350, seeds and all, with the cut sides facing down. After the meat and beansare soft, add the herbs, bouillon (or stock), carrots, potato, onion and oil. Bring to a simmer. After 20 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste. After about 45 minutes, season one final time and ladle the stew into bowls. Scoop out balls of squash and add them to each bowl.
Gallery 478
EX•CERPT: OVER 60 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael Stearns Studio@The Loft SHIFTING GROUND
Gallery 478 presents a survey of artistselected works by Ray Carofano from the 1960s to the present. Inspired and emboldened, like so many of his generation, by the raw documentary imagery of Robert Frank’s Americans and the unflinching images of sub and countercultures by Danny Lyon, Carofano began his photographic odyssey in the early 1960s. From gritty street scenes shot on early morning Manhattan Bretagne, France sidewalks to the California deserts of Broken Dreams and Slab Dwellers, his documentaries on the present as past in the deserts of exurban Los Angeles, to riverrun, the polychrome portfolio on the Los Angeles River, his work has evolved according to his intense curiosity. Carofano describes his work, “As often happens, the subject chooses the artist.” ex•cerpt runs through January, 2022
An artist talk will be held Jan. 8, 1 to 2 p.m. with a reception for the artist to follow. Time: First Thursdays Jan. 6 and Feb. 3, 5 to 9 p.m. and by appointment only through Feb. 18 Details: www.michaelstearnsstudio.com Venue: Michael Stearns Studio@The Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro
Palos Verdes Art Center
Details: 310-347-7969; www.carofano.com Venue: Gallery 478 W. 7th St., San Pedro
THE WINTER SHOW
koryuramen.com
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.- Fri., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. through Jan. 8 Details: 310-541-2479; www.pvac.org Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes
362 W. 6th St. San Pedro 90731 310-935-2886
The Winter Show is a juried all-media online exhibition hosted by Palos Verdes Art Center open only to all Palos Verdes Art Center (PVAC) members. The show was juried by Scarlet Cheng, an arts writer and college adjunct professor. She is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, The Art Newspaper, and Artillery art magazine, and has been published in ARTnews, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Vogue, and many other publications.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Ko-Ryu Ramen
Koi Ramen
Mirabel Wigon creates large scale landscape paintings depicting a vast and complex technological sublime. These paintings explore notions of progress, instability and system collapse. Her works have been featured in numerous group exhibitions both regional and national.
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
11
MUSIC Dec. 24
South Side Slim’s Musical Gumbo South Side Slim is a rising star in the blues world. After six strongly received albums and ass-kicking performances at the North Atlantic and Pocono Blues Festivals, he is taking his place on the front lines of the blues. Time: 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Dec. 24, 29 Cost: $7 cover Details: https://tinyurl.com/ southside-slim-roscoes Venue: Roscoe’s Seabird Lounge, 730 E. Broadway Blvd., Long Beach
Dec. 29
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas This concert features the band’s favorite holiday music and is still selling out shows after more than three decades. The production features state-of-the-art multimedia effects in an intimate setting. Time: 8 p.m. Dec. 29 Cost: $75 to $95 Details: 562-916-8500; www.cerritoscenter.com Venue: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos
Jan. 2
The Alley Cats Don’t miss out on this killer punk rock matinee featuring legends The Alley Cats, The Jack Brewer Band, Suburban John (members of the original Suburban Lawns), & Hamapple. Time: 2:15 p.m. Jan. 2 Cost: $10 Details: https://tinyurl.com/PunkLegends-LB Venue: 2913 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Jan. 6
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Lafayette Ben Charlatan at the Collage Lafayette Ben Charlatan and the Charlatones will bring a hefty dose of Louisiana soulfulness to the Harbor in the new year. Their sound has been compared to the great Leon Redbone, but they have a style all their own. Time: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6 Cost: Free Details: www.collageart culture.com/ Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
12
Jan. 8
Eva Loona and Alyssandra Nighswonger Eva Loona Smith is a new voice, a poet with a guitar who has a new album called “Teach Everyone Art,” and Alessandra Nighswonger is a respected artist who will bring a band to show off new work, including cuts from her recently released Harry Nilsson cover album. Time: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8 Cost: $20 Details: www.collageart culture.com/ Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Scott Henderson Trio Henderson’s impressive work over the years as co-leader of the group Tribal Tech, leader of his own ground breaking trio, and sideman to some of the best jazz artists of their generation, including the great Joe Zawinul, has elevated him to the front ranks of both jazz and blues. Time: 8 p.m. Jan. 8 Cost: $35
AGCC’s ‘Artists At Work Initiative’ Provides Year-long Residencies
Details: www.alvasshowroom. com/ Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Middlebrook This Long Beach band plays a blend of rock inspired Americana, Grunge, Country, Folk and Punk. And Ficklewood is Long Beach’s first and only cidery. Time: 7p.m. Jan. 8 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Middlebrook-Ficklewood Venue: Ficklewood Ciderworks, 720 E. Broadway, Long Beach
By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor
Jan. 9
Long Beach Symphony: Songs And Stories Of Hope This concert features Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein, founder; Dr. James A. Grymes, author of Violins of Hope; Teresa Buchholz on mezzo; and Niv Ashkenazi on violin. Time: 3 p.m. Jan. 9 Cost: $40 to $100 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ LBsymphony-hope Venue: Beverly O’Neill Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
COMEDY Dec. 28
Underground Stand-Up Comedy & Burlesque Each week we bring you the top Headliners and the industry’s top comedians and burlesque performers. You’ve seen them on TV, cable, YouTube, and your favorite podcasts. 21 & over. Time: Dec. 28, Jan. 4 and 11 Cost: $10 Details: https://longbeach. harvelles.com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach, 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach
Jan. 5
January Down 2 Clown Join the fun at this stand-up comedy contest. One win equals three paid opportunities to perform a set. $5 cover for prize money. Time: 7 p.m. Jan. 5 Cost: $5 cover Details: bit.ly/down2clown comedy Venue: Executive Suite, 3428 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach
Jan. 7
Black Friday’z Hustle Yard Media brings talented artists to the stage for you to enjoy a quality show like no other. Comedians Dirty D, Brandon Wiley and Frantz Cassius will be performing with Stacy Taylor as your host. Time: Jan. 7 Cost: $10-$20 Details: https://tinyurl.com/BlackFridayz Venue: The Main Plaza, 22005 S. Main St., Carson
ART
Jan. 8
Dust & Wisps Cornelius Projects announces its first offering of the new year with a two-person exhibition of drawings by Michelle Seo and paintings by Daniel Porras. Daniel Porras and Michelle Seo share a world of color and characters that reflect their respective cultures and experience: Porras elusive and ghostly, Seo maximal and detailed. Both Porras and Seo are Angels Gate Cultural Center Studio artists in San Pedro. Time: 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 8 Cost: Free Details: 310-266-9216; www.corneliusprojects.com Venue: Cornelius Projects, 1417 S. Pacific Ave., Tongva Territory, San Pedro
FILM
Dec. 23
Elf Join a fun holiday film feature starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and Mary Steenburgen. Director: Jon Favreau. “Raised as an over-sized elf, a human travels from the North Pole to NYC to meet his biological father who doesn’t know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.” Seating is limited and registration is required. Time: 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 23 Cost: Free Details: 310-377-9584; https://tinyurl.com/pvld-Elf Venue: Peninsula Center Library, Community Room, 710 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates
DANCE Jan. 8
South Bay’s Got Talent An esteemed panel of judges will rate the performances of local dancers on a scale from 1-100. Judges are asked to base their scores on talent, stage presence, audience reactions and their perception of overall performance. Time: 7p.m. Jan. 8 Cost: $20 to $30 Details: torancearts.org Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance
COMMUNITY Jan. 6
Anime Los Angeles If you’re an anime otaku, then you’re in luck. From Jan. 6 to 9, the Anime Los Angeles will be at the Long Beach Convention. Time: 12 p.m. Jan. 6 Cost: $70 to 90 presale, $90 at the door for full event Details: bandsintown.com, animelosangeles.org Venue: Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
NYE
Dec. 31
New Years Eve at the DoubleTree Bring in the New Year with the sounds of oldies-but-goodies performed by The Blue Satins, The Harbor Groove Band and The Philly Intruders. There will be party favors, appetizers and a whole night of dancing. Time: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dec. 31 Cost: $80 to $175 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ doubletree-nye Venue: DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, 2800 Via Cabrillo-Marina, San Pedro New Years Eve Hosted by Elio Quest Elio Quest rings in the new year with a live performance. Time: 7 p.m. Dec. 31 Cost: $15 Details: bandsintown.com, https:// tinyurl.com/NYE-Elio-Quest Venue: DiPiazza’s, 5205 E. Pacific Coast Hwy,. Long Beach
New Years Party Concert Andy & Renee & Hard Rain South bay’s favorite folk-rockers return to the Grand Annex to celebrate the New Year. Dance into 2022 while the band delivers hits from across the decades. Includes late-night pizza, party favors and a champagne toast. Time: 8 p.m. Dec. 31 Cost: $40 Details: www.grandvision.secure. force.com/ticket/andyandrenee Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro NYE at the Bamboo Club The Bamboo Club is ringing in the New Year with an impressive lineup of local artists and DJs on Friday, Dec. 31. Starting at 8 p.m., The Bamboo Club will host musical guests inside and outside for an immersive experience. Time: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Jan. 1 Cost: $25 to $175 Details: 562-343-2534; tickets. cityspark.com Venue: The Bamboo Club, 3522 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach NYE with Big Lou Ring in the New Year with comedian Big Lou. There will be music, dancing and party favors, but it will be BYOB. Time: Doors open at 9 p.m. Dec. 31 Cost: $20 Details: 424-264-9858 to RSVP Venue: The Main Plaza, 22005 S. Main St., Carson NYE with the Tres Hombres Ring in the New Year with one of the Harbor Area’s favorite cover bands at the San Franciscan. Time: Doors open at 9 p.m. Dec. 31 Details: 310-325-5231 Venue: The San Franciscan, 2520 Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance British New Year Countdown Join in with lovers of everything Brittish in the taproom for a cask ale and champagne toast as they watch the celebration live from London. Everyone in attendance will get a glass of cask ale when they countdown the seconds and toast the New Year. The fun doesn’t stop there. The taproom will be open all night long with cask ale toast for the U.S. New Year countdown at 11:59 p.m. Time: 11 a.m to 1 a.m. Dec. 31 Cost: No Cover Details: yorkshiresquarebrewery. com; 424-376-5115 Venue: Yorkshire Square Brewery, 1109 Van Ness Ave., Torrance Gaslamp’s Vegas in Long Beach Live entertainment and dancing all night featuring Knyght Ryder and DJ Jonney Miles plus Vegas style gaming tables. Champagne and party favors upon arrival. Time: 7 p.m. Dec. 31 Cost: $45 - $1,750 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Gaslamp-LB-NYE Venue: The Gaslamp, 6521 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach
SAN PEDRO — Angels Gate Cultural Center or AGCC will be serving as a cultural hub as part of the Artists At Work or AAW initiative. AGCC will host artists Nancy Woo and Taylor Griffith for year-long artist residencies, and work with AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles and Strength Based Community Change or SBCC as its social impact partners. AAW is organized by The Office Performing Arts + Film with the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, through $3 million in funding from the Mellon Foundation. The Office, in collaboration with the FreshGrass Foundation, conceived AAW early in the pandemic, as artistic communities were ravaged, careers were halted, and dire financial struggles ensued. AAW was inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era Works Progress Administration or WPA and its Federal Project Number One, and addresses an urgent need to reimagine the culture sector and how society values the artists’ role — a need that the pandemic has starkly revealed, and that will continue as the public health crisis abates. Artists At Work is a workforce resilience program designed to support the rebuilding of healthy communities through artistic civic engagement. The program pays artists to keep making art; gives support to cultural organizations (Culture Hubs) and arts workers in that community to host and work with those artists; and connects both artists and cultural organizations to local social impact initiatives in areas such as youth mental health, suicide prevention, food justice, prison reform, at-risk youth, sustainability, and environmental justice. Sixteen artists will work with eight cultural organizations and 16 community-based social impact initiatives across LA County’s five supervisorial districts. Participating artists receive a salary, calculated using the MIT Living Wage Calculator for their respective region, for a period of one year, as well as full healthcare benefits. Artists working in any artistic discipline qualify for the program; they must be local to the region, and actively interested in a social practice. Details: www.theofficearts.com/portfolio/artistsatwork [Restaurants, from p. 3]
Restaurants
country — the technology to do this is available. However, the key is having widespread support and cooperation for the digital technology that could help those who greet and want to serve their customers at the hundreds of great restaurants Los Angeles has to offer. This is a straightforward way for restaurants to confirm vaccination status and get on with the business of serving customers. To ask about this, RLN contacted both the County and the City of Los Angeles and the Economic Workforce Development Department in response to the city’s direction, but otherwise, did not hear back before press time. For now, Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office said that Los Angeles City Council authorized the Department of Building and Safety to issue administrative citations to businesses that violate the ordinance, which will include a $1,000 fine for a second violation, $2,000 fine for a third violation and a $5,000 fine for a fourth and subsequent violations.
Advanced Enough
Upon bringing this process used in Paris to the attention of Frank Buono, he retorted, “We would love to think that we are so advanced, we’d provide that … but we have to use our voice.” The pizza man said this sucks and he and his employees are tired of it. He noted most people are polite and they understand. Buono said if people are dining in, he asks for proof of vaccination 100% of the time. It remains to be seen if LA is going to skate by this process, or if a significant enough portion of Angelenos can support restaurants that want to share their hospitality and exciting cuisine with the customers who love to frequent them.
CLASSIFIED ADS & DBA FILINGS
JOB TRAINING COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/consumerinformation. (AAN CAN)
HOME & GARDEN 20 Ft. tall Queen palm tree, 36 inch box. Perfect for landscaping — $225. Also various sizes of Peruvian spiral San Pedro cactus. Call 310-5617811
SAVE MONEY ON EXPENSIVE AUTO REPAIRS! Our vehicle service program can save you up to 60% off dealer prices and provides you excellent coverage! Call for a free quote: 866-915-2263 (Mon-Fri :9am-4pm PST)
HEALTH Still paying too much for your MEDICATION? Save up to 90% on RX refill! Order today and receive free shipping on 1st order - prescription required. Call 1-855-750-1612 (AAN CAN)
HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/ mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147 (AAN CAN) Cable Price Increase Again? Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-693-0625 (AAN CAN)
SAVE UP TO 80% ON YOUR MEDICATION. Eliquis, Xarelto, Viagra, Cialis and more. Licensed and Certified. Lowest Price Guaranteed. Call 855-750-1612 and get free shipping on your first order. (Open M-F) (AAN CAN)
BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836.
AUTOS
PERSONALS
CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)
Well-to-do businesswoman seeking good man, 60 to 70.
DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS. Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s, too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response Maximum Tax Donation – Call 877-266-0681 (AAN CAN)
MISC. 4G LTE Home Internet Now Available! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as
(AAN CAN)
310-809-0105 PETS
PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.
Bulletin Board (310) 833-8977
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA
Attorney Assisted Law
(310) 781-2823
310-719-8884
PLEASE HELP!
The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter 957 N. Gaffey St.,San Pedro • 888-452-7381, x 143 PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.
FREEDOM. TO BE YOU. If you think oxygen therapy means slowing down, it’s time for a welcome breath of fresh air.
1-888-887-3816
MKT-P0253
Classified Line ads $3.50 per line Classified Showcase Ads $25 per inch DBAs — Filing and Publishing $155 Public Notary Service available here
(310) 519-1442
least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Random Lengths News Date: 12/16, 12/23, 01/06, 01/20/22, Michael P Vicencia, Judge of the Superior Court ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 21LBCP00378 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Gilberto Roberto Gabriel Alvarez for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Gilberto Roberto Gabriel Alvarez filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:
[continued on p. 14]
“Free Fifty” — that’s 5x10x2.
1 When they’re low, insurance companies are more profitable 11 Trans Am that talks 15 Central, with “of” 16 “I Am Not My Hair” singer India.___ 17 Sap 18 Haynes with the documentary “The Velvet Underground” 19 Musical work featuring historical figures, often 20 Indigo dye 21 Second-hand, alternately 22 Costar of Thora and Wes in “American Beauty” 23 Canadian actress Cooper of Apple TV+’s “See” 24 Circumvents 26 He played Tobias Funke 30 Puff ___ (venomous critter) 35 Race a motor 36 Unilever laundry soap brand that’s over 100 years old 37 Basis of the name of a shortlived, short-form streaming platform 40 Detach from the dock 41 “In ___ called malice, yeah” (The Jam lyric that’s almost the proper title) 46 “L&O: SVU” costar
47 Like two structures that map out the same way 52 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared 53 Like the pronouns he, she, and they, grammatically 54 Rosy assertion 55 St. Vincent’s backup group? 56 Kitten’s scruff 57 The act of not paying attention, old-style 58 “House” actor Omar 59 Ferrari model
DOWN
1 Cruise liner decks with pools 2 Head of a bowling team? 3 Monk known as “the Venerable” 4 Counties overseas 5 Do some boot repair 6 Title ship in a 1997 Spielberg movie 7 Solution strength, in chemistry 8 “Do ___ to eat a peach?” (Eliot) 9 Rome’s port in the Punic Wars 10 Like some hams, at this time of year? 11 ___ Damacy (Playstation game with a ball that picks up everything in its path) 12 Like some T-shirt art 13 Spruce quality? 14 Show with the Season 1 episode “Biscuits”
25 “Be Kind, Rewind” device 27 Billy Zane’s character in the Netflix miniseries “True Story” 28 Heeler healer? 29 Japanese light novel series “___ Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level” 30 Like an eagle’s beak 31 Outdated headgear for a poor student 32 Children’s cold medicine brand 33 Boundaries between biomes 34 “Citizen Kane” studio 38 “C’mon, let’s do this!” 39 Municipality in the province of Padua (and not a Japanese send-off) 42 Supposed occupation of Joe Coulombe, founder of a grocery chain 43 Cigar brand whose name means “best” in Spanish 44 Gets petulant 45 Sue Ann ___, Betty White’s role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” 48 “An Impeccable Spy: Richard ___, Stalin’s Master Agent” (2019 Owen Matthews book 49 Future indicators 50 North Dakota State Fair city 51 Wicker basket used in jai alai
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
DIVORCE • TRUST BANKRUPTCY $99 Down•Low Cost
ADULT PULL-UP DIAPERS Xlarge case of 60 $30 VINYL EXAM GLOVES powder-free, small size box of 100 $20
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 21LBCP00350 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Ganira Angelia Quintanilla for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Ganira Angelia Quintanilla filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Ganira Angelia Quintanilla to Janira Angelia Herrera The Court orders that all per-
sons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 02/17/2022, Time: 8:30 a.m., Dept.: 26, Room: -The address of the court is 275 Magnolia, Long Beach, CA 90802, South District A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at
Serving the South Bay
12/02/2021, 12/16/2021, 12/23/31
ACROSS
Don Marshall CPA, Inc. Specializing in small businesses CPA quality service at very reasonable rates www.donmarshallcpa.com
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: 11/24/2021,
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
B AT H & S H O W E R U P DATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call:
Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE Months! 1-877-6730511. Hours MXon-Thu, Sun : 9:30 am to 8:00 pm Fri : 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (all times Eastern) (AAN CAN)
(AAN CAN)
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021250026 The following person is doing business as: ALSOP’S LOCK AND KEY, 849 W. Pacific Coast Highway #114, Wilmington, CA 90744 County of Los Angeles. Registered owners: Frank Carl Fisher, 849 W. Pacific Coast Highway #114, Wilmington, CA 90744. This Business is conducted by an individual. The registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/2021. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/. Frank Carl Fisher, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Nov. 15, 2021.. Notice-In Accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. Effectively January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this
© 2021 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
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.
$109.99/mo! 1-888-519-0171
For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com
JOB OPPS
1-877-649-5043 (AAN CAN)
13
[Most-viewed, from p. 4]
Most-viewed Stories in the case, which led to new search warrants. Both men pleaded not guilty. Their tentative trial date is April 25, 2022.
7. The Epoch Times and the Profitability of Propaganda
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
The Epoch Times is a right-wing newspaper that claims it is “without spin” which is tied to a spiritual movement called Falun Gong. Falun Gong is opposed to the Chinese Communist Party because the party outlawed the movement in the ’90s. The paper is not shy in criticizing China. The publication regularly prints stories that are pro-Donald Trump and anti-Democrats, such as when it called Trump’s impeachment trial a “witch hunt” and complained that Democrats brought “cancel culture” to Congress. The Epoch Media Group spent $11 million on Facebook ads in 2019, but was banned from advertising on the platform in August 2019 after not abiding by its political transparency views. According to ClimateWire, The Epoch Times became more right-wing while Trump was in office. And since then its revenue stream has steadily increased. It made $15.5 million in revenue in 2019, $12.5 million in 2018, $8.1 million in 2017 and $3.9 million in 2016. In August 2021, Chinese authorities
14
arrested 11 people for contributing to the publication, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. If convicted, they may face life in prison.
8. Former Owner of OC Wastewater Treatment Company Indicted
Tim Miller, the former owner of Klean Waters, Inc., was indicted along with his former company for allegedly discharging untreated waste into the Orange County sewer system. Both Miller and the company were charged with participating in a conspiracy and discharging without a permit into a publicly owned facility. According to the conspiracy charge, Miller and the company started doing this in 2012. Klean Waters allegedly discharged water that had firefighting foam and metals, and released water that was not tested. If convicted, Miller could face eight years in prison, and Klean Waters could pay $300,000 in fees.
9. Less than 1% of Police in Long Beach are Disciplined After Complaint
The Citizens Police Complaint Commission, or CPCC, investigated 487 separate allegations of improper use of force from citizen complaints from 2015 to 2018, but sustained only three. These were overturned by Pat West, who was city manager at the time.
QUICK RESPONSE TIME!
COMPLETE PLUMBING SERVICE RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL
831-3138
(310)
Se Habla Español
Lic. #748434
Police officers are only punished with things like suspension or termination in cases that are sustained by the city. In 2019, the CPCC investigated 60 use-of-force allegations and sustained eight, and West overruled six of them. In the second half of the decade, the CPCC sustained 2% of complaints, and the city sustained 0.37%. The city contracted with Polis Solutions to review CPCC, and the city
and Polis presented their recommended changes on Dec. 14. They suggested a restructured oversight model which would give more authority and transparency to the CPCC, which currently holds no authority to discipline officers. Time will tell if this will bring any change.
10. Foul Smell in Carson
Hydrogen sulfide was detected in the Dominguez channel in Carson at
the beginning of October 2021. It smelled like rotten eggs and caused intense headaches, stomachaches, nausea and vomiting in Carson residents, and lingered for nearly two months. Many criticized the city and county’s response to the smell. Coalition for a Safe Environment called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
as ‘commonsense’: that policing and prisons are the inevitable response to social harm,” historian Julilly Kohler-Hausmann explained. As conservatives worked to mount a backlash, we examined how this most recent wave of fear-fanning contrasts with reality. Other kinds of crimes are commonly ignored. For example, domestic violence is almost as common as stranger violence, “Yet, for most of American history, domestic violence wasn’t even regarded as a crime, unless it reached the level of homicide, and parents hitting children is commonly seen as ‘discipline,’ not ‘violence,’” we noted. Wage theft via avoiding the minimum wage victimized 4.5 million people, according to one study, for an average of $3,300 per victim, “well above the threshold for felony theft in every state,” but wage theft isn’t even a crime (except in Colorado and Minnesota), it’s merely a tort, something you can sue for, but not call a cop. While the Gascón recall never got off the ground, the Newsom recall gained national attention, though he ended up winning handily, almost duplicating his nearrecord 2018 election victory. But our coverage shed light on two major problems: the need for significant reform of the recall process, and the deeply pernicious, neo-fascist politics of the GOP’s leading candidate, Larry Elder, who was both the mentor and career promoter of Trump’s chief immigration ideologue. The day after Newsom’s recall victory was the 20th anniversary of 9/11, which we marked by noting that after 9/11, a world-spanning Gallup poll of 34 countries found the vast majority wanted justice, not war in response. The U.S. was one of just three exceptions, with a slight majority—54%—favoring military action, but that came with virtually no exposure to contrary views. Had we had a free, uncensored discussion in the press, a vast ongoing tragedy could have been completely avoided.
owned by Liberty Properties Limited Partnership and its parent company, Prologis, Inc. Large quantities of beauty products stored there, including ethanol, flowed into the Dominguez Channel during attempts to contain the fire. The SQAMD issued five notices of violation to the previously mentioned companies and the County of Los Angeles on Dec. 2.
LEGAL NOTICES
[Coup, from p. 8]
Year of the Coup
take over the investigation of the odor in early November, after a month had passed with no solution. According to a press release issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District on Dec. 3, the alleged cause of the smell was a fire on a warehouse property operated by Virgin Scent, Inc. dba ArtNaturals and Day to Day Imports, Inc and
[continued from p. 13] Gilberto Roberto Gabriel Alvarez to Gabe Robert Padilla The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 01/18/2022, Time: 8:30 a.m., Dept.: 26, Room: -The address of the court is 275 Magnolia, Long Beach, CA 90802, South District A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Random Lengths News and Daily Commerce Date: 12/16, 12/23, 12/30 PUBLIC SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell Miscellaneous business and/or personal prop-
erty described below to enforce a Lien Imposed on said property pursuant to section 21700-21716 of the business & professions code, section 2328 of the UCC, section 535 of the Penal code and provisions of the Civil Code. The undersigned will sell items at a public sale by competitive bidding on 01/11/2022 at 9am on the premises where said property has been stored and which are located at Plaza Self Storage, 630 S. Pacific Ave. San Pedro, Ca. County of Los Angeles, State of California. The following: Jose Cisneros #23 Carlos Lopez #59 Dwayne Robinson #65 John Foreman #129 Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash only. All purchased items are sold as is and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is administered by Daniel Jackson’s Auction Services, Bond number 64819405, phone number (559) 970-8105 Published: Dec. 16, 2021 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors
of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California will hold two public hearings to receive public input and testimony regarding proposed re-alignment of the electoral districts for election to the Board (director divisions). The Board will consider plans based on the 2020 Census, presented by the District’s demographic consultant, as well as additional plans that the public may present. The first public hearing will be held on December 8, 2021. This public hearing will take place as part of a special Board of Directors meetings, which begins at 6:00 p.m. All of the public hearings are open to the public and will be held via teleconference pursuant to Assembly Bill 361. The date and time of the second meeting will be noticed at a future time. Please view the agendas on the WRD’s website for information about how to participate: www.wrd.org. The Board anticipates acting at the close of the second public hearing in January to select a preferred director division plan for final adoption by the Board. For more information on the District’s redistricting process, please contact Angelina Mancillas at (562) 921-5521.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
15
16
December 22, 2021 - January 5, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant