RLn 05-02-13 Edition

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Change Agent Lorraine Shea Brings Labor, Community to Fight Cancer p. 3 ILWU Pensioners Rededicate Monument to First Blood Spilt on the LA Waterfront p. 4 Dwight Trible: Delivers Due Respect to Cosmic Oscar Brown, Jr. p. 11 Recipes to Show Mom She’s Special p. 13

By Cory Hooker, Editorial Intern

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich speaks at a San Pedro Chamber of Commerce breakfast on April 18. Photo: Betty Guevara.

Roller Derby: Bouts On/ to p. 19

The Incumbent Underdog Trutanich Needs His Pit-Bull Tenacity in Uphill Re-election Bid personal narrative sound like the film adaptation of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger’s life, Rudy or maybe Matt Damon’s character in Goodwill Hunting, though without the gift of being a polymath. If nothing else, Nuch has shown he’s a genius when it comes to his determination and pit bull-like tenacity in achieving his ambitions. Nuch reflected these qualities during a Saturday evening interview with Random Lengths, after a long day of hop scotching the City of Los Angeles, campaigning with his wife and unofficial campaign manager, Noreen. During the course of the interview, Trutanich: Incumbent Underdog/ to p. 6

May 3 - 16, 2013

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor From his first day on the job as Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich has operated like an outsider. He picked fights with politically connected developers and threatens to put city council members in jail. And, he does it all unapologetically. He has always positioned himself as a different breed of politician—different than the others who voters tend to hold their noses for when they elect them into office. He is second generation immigrant of Croatian and Italian heritage, nicknamed “Nuch,” which is Croatian for Junior. He was given the name to distinguish him from the other Carmens in the family. In casual conversation, Nuch sometimes makes his

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On April 20, Beach Cities Roller Derby had a match at Wilson Park in Torrance. Photo: Jerrick Romero

The first whistle blew. The skaters quickly jockeyed for position, closely resembling a scene on one of Los Angeles’ many freeways during rush hour. The Hermosa Hitgirls and the Redondo Riot were the two female teams battling in the inaugural league game at Wilson Park. Both these teams belong to the newly-formed roller derby league, accurately named, the Beach Cities Roller Derby. As they rounded the first corner, the women clashed. The blockers, who are much like linebackers in American football, except they play both offense and defense, knocked one of the jammers down. The impact reverberated a loud smack on the skating rink floor. A jammer is much like a running back, except instead of running to the end zone their sole purpose is to lap the other team on the track to score vital points. These, in turn, decide who wins the bout or in layman’s terms, the game. These bouts are incredibly physical and very fast-paced. Being seated around the rink gives it a very “in-your-face” feel, as skaters fly by or slam down on the floor next to you. The atmosphere only adds to the intensity as the crowd jeers and cheers for these hip-swinging skaters. “Just thinking about (roller) derby I can feel an adrenaline rush,” said derby girl Quinstigator. “I feel nervous, but it’s an exciting nervous. I feel young again, like a little kid.” Surprisingly, roller derby is not limited to young athletic women. Many of these skaters are mothers and

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May 3 - 16, 2013

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Change Agent Lorraine Shea Unites Community to Fight Blood Cancers

Longshore worker Lorraine Shea organized a garage sale at a friends house to raise funds for the Man and Woman of the Year competition with proceeds going toward research for blood cancers. Photo: Terelle Jerricks

Change Agent Lorraine Shea/ to p. 4

May 3 - 16, 2013

sisters are, I think, the core of why I’m doing so well as far as fundraising.” ILWU Local 13 board member Dan Imbagliazzo said Shea’s love for her mother is a benefit to the community as a whole. Doers such as Shea are exactly what the community needs, he said. “When someone like her steps up, we all benefit,” he said. “We are able to do this because we are union members. It’s a beautiful relationship.” She even has formed committee to raise money for the competition, called Team Forzo, a name she chose to honor her mother’s strength during her treatment. “When we were going through this whole process with my mother the doctors were in shock because they didn’t think that a 73-yearold woman would get through the first phase of chemotherapy,” Shea remembered. “I was more proud of my mother at that moment than I’ve been for anything. I never saw anyone so courageous. She never complained one time.” Office manager Jennifer Davila met Shea a couple of years ago through Team in Training. Davila is one of Shea’s committee members. Though she has never personally been impacted by cancer, and in fact, joined Team in Training motivated by the physical benefits of exercise, she realizes that there is a deeper meaning to Shea’s efforts. “Her passion for the cause is what inspires me to be on her team,” said Davila, who often helps with preparing prizes for fundraising benefits, greeting people at events, silent auctions and yard

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By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor For most people, the death of a loved one can be one of the most difficult and unfamiliar experiences to deal with. For Lorraine Shea, the loss of her mother, led her to become an agent of change. “When you find out that somebody has cancer, nothing else matters anymore,” Shea, 49, said. “It really changed a lot of things that I saw in life. …Life now is to appreciate who is in your life and maybe make a difference in somebody else’s life. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore.” Shea’s mother, Elizabeth Carter, was a compassionate woman with a keen sense of humor. Shea would take trips with her mother and call her daily after work. In July 2010, Carter was diagnosed with an acute form of Leukemia. The only alternative treatment available was bone marrow treatment, but her age—she was 74 years old—worked against that option. The aggressive Leukemia took Carter’s life on Dec. 1, 2010. The four to five months that followed were very difficult for Shea and her family. “It was a shock because it happened so suddenly,” said Shea, a Harbor City resident. “We had symptoms but really didn’t know what they were or what they meant. Not that we could have done anything about it. Still, it was a pretty tough thing to see my mom go through.” But a mailer the following May gave her the strength to push onward. Team in Training invited her to raise money and run marathon. Team in Training is program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that assists with fundraising and training for endurance sports events. In exchange, participants raise money toward research. She ran a half-marathon in honor of her mother. She decided to continue and ran a full marathon that same year. Team in Training recognized her enthusiasm and asked her to be a mentor to help other runners meet their goals and raise money for the organization. Next thing you know, she got an e-mail from one of the campaign managers. Team in Training nominated her to campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man and Women of the Year, an intense fundraising campaign. For 10 weeks, participants must raise as much money as possible, competing with other people of the same gender. Whoever raises $50,000 is allowed to name a research grant of his or her choice. “It’s probably one of the best things that I’ve ever done,” said Shea, a longshoreman. “Sometimes it seems like it is surreal that I’m trying to raise money but I’ve had a lot of good support.” Friends, family, colleagues and a group of women she’s met through Team in Training have helped both with time and money. “I’ve got people working on flyers, setting up fundraisers, ideas for me,” she said. “My union brothers are amazing.…My union brothers and

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ILWU Pensioners Honor First Blood Shed on the Waterfront May 15 By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

Many movements were established or furthered by the deaths of its martyrs, whether its Jesus preceding the establishment of Christianity; the Boston Massacre preceding the American Revolution; Emmett Till the last lynching before the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s led to an energized nationwide effort to kill Jim Crow. Movements are born from the blood of its members. Well cognizant of this fact, ILWU Pensioners Jerry Brady, Art Almeida, and Angel Blanco are hosting a ceremony honoring the reinstallment of the Dickie Parker and John Knudsen plaque on May 15, in Wilmington. Knudsen and Parker were the first to die in the lead up to the 1934 West Coast-wide general strike. Labor actions taken up until the 1934 general strike failed. Longshoremen on the West Coast ports had either been unorganized or represented by company unions since the years immediately after World War I, when the shipping companies and stevedoring firms had imposed the open shop after a series of failed strikes. As Almeida explains it, “There was a lot of [deployed] goons and employer hirelings were…successful against the unions.” In 1933, during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration, the National Industrial Recovery Act was signed and lead to an explosion of union membership. With the increase membership nationwide, labor activists

became embolden and pushed for greater reforms, especially on the docks. The sticking point in the strike was recognition: the union demanded a closed shop, a coastwide contract and a union hiring hall. The employers offered to arbitrate the dispute, but insisted that the union agree to an open shop as a condition of any agreement to arbitrate. The longshoremen rejected the proposal to arbitrate. Their rejection of the proposal to arbitrate was followed by a series of work slowdowns up and down the coast. Almeida explained that at the time, the dockworkers at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports were accused by their compatriots in San Francisco of not doing enough slow down the ports. “That was a big accusation against Local 13,” Almeida noted. “The piers in Long Beach and LA were all so spread out that it was pretty hard to cover them with pickets and stuff. “The perceived criticism, as I understand it, was that the guys up north were being critical of Pedro that weren’t covering the strike properly. So when they got that, ‘hey they’re not doing their job as strikers,’ they [local longshore workers] head out to either Point Fermin or White Point, 300 hundred of them met there to discuss what they were going to with them doggone

ILWU Pensioners Jerry Brady, left, and Art Almeida. Photo: Terelle Jerricks.

scabs at Pier 146. “They had to make an impression with an action. So that’s what they did when they showed up at [pier]146 at around midnight and attacked that scab camp.” Parker and Knudsen were shot and killed by private guards hired by the employers in the ensuing melee between the striking longshoremen and the strikebreakers. Similar skirmish happened at other ports up the coast. from p. 3

Change Agent Lorraine Shea

May 3 - 16, 2013

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sales. “Everything goes toward charity.” Her first fundraising event for the competition was Feb. 9. It was a concert called the Ryan Rossi and Elizabeth Carter Memorial concert at the Warner Grand.

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Parker and Knudsen, died for the cause, so to speak. And, it wasn’t until later up north in San Francisco and later in Seattle that others died in similar activity. But the first bloodshed was here. There’s pride in that. Brady noted that labor organizers and the rank in file didn’t recognize how much of a success the general strike was until some years later. The Harbor Department and the ILWU dedicated a monument in memory of the sacrifices of Knudsen and Parker in 1985, on the southwest corner of Harry Bridges Boulevard and Neptune Avenue in Wilmington. This site was located where the May 15, 1934 clash took place, near Berths 147. According to the Port of Los Angeles public relations staff, the monument was moved to the memorial lawn on Harbor Boulevard in San Pedro in 2006 in response to a planned redevelopment of the TraPac terminal, affecting the original site. As it was, the monument was located in an industrial area near a major truck route that was essentially inaccessible to the public. But on May 15, a monument of the first blood that shed in the cause of workers rights will installed at its rightful place.

Since, she’s done bowling tournaments, drag queen bingo, yard sales and other fundraising events. For her, the competition is not about winning a title. Though she admits she is competitive within herself, she does want to raise money for the research grant and that is where her focus lies. “I wake up thinking about it; I go to sleep thinking about it,” Shea said. There is a driving force in Shea that goes beyond the memory of her mother. “My heart goes out to kids who don’t have a chance to really live their full life,” Shea said. “I have these six people who I take with me everywhere I go—people who passed away—my mother and my aunt (Camile Ferrante), Ryan Rossi, Mark Vasquez, Larry Bonney (4), and Devin Hamilton (10). It just shows the dynamics of how cancer can take somebody’s life; it’s not prejudice at all.” That’s why she believes raising money for research is so important. “There is a lot of hope raising money. It may not be in my lifetime, but I believe it (a cure) will happen soon. They are coming so close.” And, beyond the increased awareness she has gained throughout her experience, there are other positives to her fundraising work for blood cancers research. “The idea that I get to bring people together who have never met, that’s fun for me,” she said. “That’s what I like about events…bringing the community together. In fact, this may be her calling. “I was always wondering if I ever had a talent or a gift and I think maybe I’ve found it,” she said. “I think God blessed me with something special.”

For details about Shea’s journey or to be part of cause visit http:// unitetofightbloodcancers.org


Truckers Advance Fight for Labor Law Justice By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

compelling enough for the average person who works for a living—was not strong enough to prove a case in court…until now. The report includes a combined re-analysis of 10 previous surveys covering 2,183 workers at seven major ports; along with a totally new investigation, based on Internal Revenue Service employment law and extensive 2-hour interviews—plus reviews of employment documents—with more than 50 workers from six ports to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that port drivers clearly are misclassified as ‘independent owner-operators.’” The report cited three key points in law: • Port drivers are subject to strict behavioral controls. • Port drivers are financially dependent on trucking companies that unilaterally control the rates that drivers are paid. • Port drivers and their companies are tightly tied to each other in multiple ways. Two-plus years later, the time was ripe to reflect on what’s happened in the wake of the Big Rig report. “Less than we had hoped,” was the short answer from Paul Marvy, one of three co-authors of the report. The dearth of federal enforcement action was obviously disappointing. But state level action is being taken and the report’s influence continues to spread. Most reports are quickly forgotten, Marvy noted, but Big Rig lives on. Most importantly, its central finding hasn’t been challenged. “We were very aware of how controversial the industry is and results and the fact that, at a minimum, the American Trucking Associations and likely a number of others, agencies would be hiring people whose job it would be to tear the report apart,” explained Marvy, a lawyer and researcher with Change To Win. They were intent on building the strongest possible case. Surprisingly, “It has never really been publicly attacked,” he said. Indeed, it has helped inspire lawmakers. “There has been legislation proposed and advanced in California, Washington, New Jersey and potentially New York. Last year in Washington we were two votes short in the senate,

in actually getting a bill passed that would have categorically made all of the drivers employees. So, close, but no cigar,” Marvy said. For the most part, these laws build on existing state labor law. So there’s a relationship between enforcing existing laws and passing new ones. The more visible the violations become, the easier it is to argue that they should be forcefully prevented across the board, rather than sporadically punished from time to time. Marvy cited California as the leader in enforcement, and for good reason. There are roughly 260 cases of alleged driver misclassification on file with state labor commissioner’s Long Beach office, said Jon Zerolnick, the Clean and Safe Ports Project director with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. He is one of the principal pillars of the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports. There are another 100 or so cases elsewhere throughout Southern California he added. Zerolnick ticked off a number of examples that have already seen the light of day, but hundreds more are on the way: On Feb. 28, the California Labor Commissioner won a trial contesting an earlier administrative ruling against Seacon Logix over the misclassification of four drivers and resulting wage theft. The court upheld a Nov. 16, 2011 administrative ruling in which Seacon was ordered to pay $105,089.15. “Drivers had signed agreements labeling them independent contractors but the court saw the truth behind the label,” Labor Commissioner Su stated in a press release. “The Court found that the company exerted sufficient control over the drivers such that the drivers were employees of the company and thus, enjoy all basic labor law protections.” Another five more drivers filed similar claims

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In mid-April, the Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Trucks Program was challenged in oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Lined up on the other side was the Obama administration, arguing against the ports’ ability to impose contractual rules on those doing business at the port—rules modelled on the example of how airports regulate taxis and limousines, under what’s known as the “market participation” model. It’s a far cry from where candidate Barack Obama was in November 2007, when he wrote a letter to the mayors of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, praising them for their efforts to clean up port pollution and stressing the importance of the employee mandate—a much more significant provision than anything being disputed before the Supreme Court. The employee mandate was previously struck down by an appeals court panel. The Clean Trucks Program “recognizes that responsibility for investing in higher standards is best borne by firms rather than the individual truck drivers fighting to make a living with little leverage to negotiate for better pay,” Obama wrote. “Many of these truckers may be legally misclassified. Worker misclassification is an issue I have worked on at the federal level to remedy because it hurts workers and costs the taxpayer billions in uncollected taxes.” Given the acute awareness he seemed to have at the time, it’s distressing to see how little he’s done once he had the power to act— particularly since any uncertainty about driver misclassification appears to have disappeared. That disappearance followed publication of a comprehensive study, Big Rig: Poverty, Pollution, and the Misclassification of Truck Drivers at America’s Ports, in December 2010, which Random Lengths reported on at length the following month (“Employee Misclassification IS the Business Model for Port Trucking”, RLn, Jan 14-27, 2011, p. 5). There was already plenty of anecdotal evidence that port truckers were misclassified as “independent owner-operators,” Random Lengths noted at the time, “But that evidence—

against Seacon this past year, with a hearing in February. Another company, Green Fleet Systems, is appealing a similar ruling against it by the Labor Commissioner, involving four drivers, who have been awarded damages totalling $280,882.22. “Drivers see that they’re misclassified,” Zerolnick said. “They understand that the Labor Commissioner is a route to address the misclassification, and to getting back some of the money that has been stolen from them by the companies in recent years as companies have forced the costs onto them of truck leases, insurance payments, registration, taxes, parking fees, truck wash fees, fuel, maintenance and all the other core business costs of port trucking operations. “This is potentially going to be a long process, but as it is going on, the liability is just racking up.... I did a quick back of the envelope [calculation] myself this morning, and we’re talking, the liability for the industry, if we’re only looking at these cases that are currently pending, that is in the tens of millions, assuming around $50,000 per driver.” LAANE has also helped connect workers with legal representation for private litigation. In late February, a relatively new non-profit, the Wage Justice Center, filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of an estimated 100 port truckers worker for cluster of intertwined companies operating under different names, including: “QTS, Inc.,” “WinWin Logistics Inc.,” and “Laca Express Inc.” In addition to wage theft violations, the suit is the first to allege violation of a new California law prohibiting the willful misclassification of employees as independent contractors. “After all the deductions from their checks, the take home salary for the workers probably averages around $5 per hour, $4 to $5 an hour,

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Community Announcements:

Harbor Area Peninsula-Harbor CROP Hunger Walk

The 33rd Annual Peninsula-Harbor CROP Hunger Walk will begin at 11 a.m. May 4 sharp at Point Fermin Park. Congregations and community groups from South Bay neighborhoods will join to bring relief from hunger globally through Church World Service and locally through familiar food providers like the FISH Emergency Center of Harbor Interfaith Services, SHAWL House, Toberman Neighborhood Center, Shared Bread in Redondo Beach and San Pedro United Methodist Church Sunday Suppers. The route is either a 5K or 10K starting and ending at Point Fermin Park, corner of Gaffey Street and Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro. The CROP Hunger Walk allows sponsors to select reputable international agencies other than Church World Service, including CARE and Heifer International. Church World Service funds have provided relief in Indonesia, Haiti, Pakistan, and other areas impacted by natural disasters and promote food security in places like Guatemala and access to safe water in Uganda and Kenya. Details: (310) 378-1953

Electric Lawn Mower Exchange Program

Trade in your old lawn mower and save up to 75 thanks to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Looking to save some green? Trade in your old, operable gas-powered lawn mower, replace it with a high-performance, cordless electric mower and score up to 75 percent in savings. Choose from two brands and five models. You must preregister. Details: www.aqmd.gov

Ride for Kids

Come join hundreds of your motorcyclist (and scooter) friends at the Los Angeles Ride for Kids®, starting at 8 a.m. May 5, at American Honda Motor Co. in Torrance. The Ride for Kids ® program supports the efforts of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to find the cause of and cure for childhood brain tumors. Registration opens at 8 a.m. There is $40 minimum donation. Details: http://larideforkids.org/the-event register-to-ride/ Venue: American Honda Motor Co. Location: 1919 Torrance Blvd., Torrance

May 3 - 16, 2013

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

Shakeh Playing Benefit

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Participate in the Shakeh Playing Benefit for the San Pedro Kiwanis Club, from 7 to 10 p.m. May 10, at the Croatian Center in San Pedro. Shakeh will be bringing her adult contemporary eclectic music to the Croatian Center doing a benefit for the San Pedro Kiwanis Club. She will be playing with local San Pedro cellist, Brian Asher and Dwain Roque on percussion, harmonica and vocals. Suggested donation is $10. Venue: Croatian Center Location: 510 W. 7th. St., San Pedro

Coffee and Conversation

The League of Women Voters, Palos Verdes and San Pedro, invites the public to a free “Coffee and Conversation” with the Superintendent of the Palos Verdes Unified School District Walker Williams and Palos Verdes School Board President Anthony Collatos, starting at 10 a.m. May 11, at the Peninsula Library Center in Rolling Hills Estates. Learn about its plans to maintain financial viability and educational innovation. Details: www.pvld.org Venue: Peninsula Library Center Location: 701 Silver Spur road, Rolling Hills Estates

Open Studios Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 12, for Open Studios Day at Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro. The Studio Artists will open their doors for the public to see what they create in Community Announcements/ to p. 19

from p. 1

Trutanich: The Incumbent Underdog she proved to be his affirming defender and able manager, keeping him on message. Maybe it was a mistake to run for DA,” he said a little remorsefully of his June 2012 run. “The only reason I ran was because the 78 percent of those that are locked up are high school dropouts and have a school district that drops out 50 percent of its students before they graduate from high school,” he said drawing a connection between the prison industrial complex’s dependence on a failing education system. Nuch notes that though the City Attorney’s Office has a truancy program, as the city’s top lawyer, he has no jurisdiction over juveniles because they’re governed by the welfare institution code. “As a DA, I can do things in Juvenile Hall in terms of education. I can go to LAUSD and I can go to the governor’s office and say, ‘listen, we need to start from every school, every kid, every day for 35 minutes study the value of finishing school and life skills.’” In that race, Nuch had accumulated a warchest that was more than twice his nearest competitor but missed making the runoff by wide margin. His campaign woes included his foray into social media and YouTube videos, called Tru Stories. The webisodes had the look and feel of the late ‘80s-early ‘90s legal drama, L.A. Law, with its humor grounded in unintended farce. The webisode highlight his time as a gang prosecutor and attempted to play up his fearlessness in recounting an incident where he was allegedly surrounded by and shot at by gang members while investigating a murder in a south Los Angeles park. The only problem is that there are no documents that indicate that this even happened. Other issues included how Sheriff Lee Baca, who was just beginning to weather his own storm of controversy relating to alleged abuse by sheriff’s deputies in the county jails, wore his uniform in a campaign video endorsing Nuch. Understandably, Nuch’s race for reelection has been an uphill climb. A Times-USC poll had Nuch down by double digits this past month. He puts that gap as being closer to 5 percent—

striking distance from an upset win. Nuch blames his poor showing in the March 2013 primary on the fact that he is an incumbent with three candidates attacking him. “When you have three voices saying that you are a failure…that’s still three voices to one,” he said. Despite his 30 years as a successful practicing lawyer Nuch, still sees himself as the little guy that everyone tends to underestimate.

the women. “Someone even put out that baloney that they didn’t have their headlights on. Wrong. They did have their headlights on. All of a sudden nine officers opened fire on them.” To further hammer his point, he rhetorically asked, “How much money would you take right [now] for letting me point an M-16 from 50 yards out at you?” He noted that if it weren’t for those newspapers in the truck, they would have been dead.

The Settlement

Position on Gun Control

On April 23, Nuch’s office announced that he reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Times delivery women who were mistakenly shot by the Los Angeles Police Department during the manhunt for ex-officer Christopher Dorner. That a settlement was reached was not a surprise, but judging from chatter online, the $4.2 million was a shocker. From Nuch’s perspective, this was a great deal. “There were nine police officers there that day,” Nuch said. “The City of Los Angeles has a legal responsibility to defend those officers in civil court and that they were acting within the force of their authority.” He noted that each of those officers would have needed their own independent lawyer. That would have cost the city at least $9 million and that’s just money to pay to try the case. “They were doing their jobs,” Nuch said of

It’s no secret that Nuch switched party registration from Republican to “decline to state,” but his views aren’t entirely driven by ideology. In recent press releases Nuch praised the Los Angeles’ public safety committee for its unanimous vote for an ordinance on large capacity magazines for high capacity magazine clips for guns that accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition. “I’m in favor of reasonable gun control,” Nuch explained. “I’m not an extremist on either side. If you look at what’s been done in the city we have always been in the center, always. If you got a 10-clip magazine, what do you do.” Nuch imitates the sound of machine gun “boomboomboomboomboomboombooom. Flip it over, and you shoot it again in seconds. Bad guys are going to do bad things. And the only way you’re going to stop bad guys from doing continued on following page

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich speaks at a San Pedro Chamber of Commerce breakfast on April 18. Photo: Betty Guevara

from p. 5

Truckers Advance Labor Justice

so well below minimum wage,” said lawyer Matthew Sirolly, director of the Wage Justice Center.” That happens because they pay them by the load, an amount that doesn’t seem unreasonably low, it’s like $200 per load, or somewhere around there, depending on where they’re going.” But then, “The company deducts back out of their checks all the expenses, so including the rental expense for the truck, gas, insurance, maintenance costs, and all this kind of stuff.” The named defendants routinely work double shifts four or five days a week, but still can’t make ends meet. Things are similar in New York and New Jersey. Teamster organizers have their hands full with multiple organizing efforts, while also pushing for a new state law cracking down on worker misclassification. One company, Proud 2 Haul, has earned the dubious distinction of being the first case in which the National Labor Relations Board has taken jurisdiction involving

port truckers misclassified as independent contractors. David Tykulsker is the attorney who represented the Teamsters and several Proud 2 Haul truckers before the NLRB. He’s now representing six Proud 2 Haul truck drivers in a class action lawsuit to recover money improperly taken from them. “We’ve had a class certified, and we’re in the process of discovery,” Tykulsker told Random Lengths News, but resolution is still a way off. “By the end of the year, I’ll have it done.” “More generally, the points here [in the two cases] are that these drivers are employees, when one actually looks at the facts of their relationship with their employer. That is the reality of what’s going on.... Both of these actions are meant to drive that proposition forward.” It might seem that the new wealth of proof of widespread driver misclassification provides a fresh foundation for the port to require trucking companies to treat truckers as employees: It’s the

law! How could it be against the law to require people to follow the law? Well, it not only could be illegal, it is, explained NRDC lawyer Melissa Lin Perella. “There was a Supreme Court case, Gould, where the state of Wisconsin, adopted a statute that said the state of Wisconsin is not going to do business with those outside of the state who continually violate labor laws,” Perella said. “They tried to say that they could do that under the market participant theory. And the Supreme Court said, ‘You can’t.’” In short, it’s clearer than ever that truck driver misclassification is a major criminal enterprise in its own right, still with the potential to erode our hard-won air quality gains, and it’s equally clear that the ports are powerless to do anything about it. It’s may be time for the Obama administration to step up and enforce the law of the land. But workers, organizers and their supporters aren’t holding their breaths. They’re too busy fighting for justice.


bad things is by taking away their access to magazine clips.” He said he believes the National Rifle Association’s hard-line stance on reasonable gun control measures is wrong. “The Supreme Court said that states have the right to reasonably regulated gun control. And nobody is trying to do anything but reasonably regulate it. “ He asked the state Attorney General Kamala Harris’ office to release the Dealer’s Record of Sale documents to his office. These are documents sellers have to complete before a gun is sold. “You can’t just go to a gun show and buy gun,” Nuch said. “You have to submit to a background check.” Nuch said he requested the documents after reading a Rand study that shows potential gun buyers are 200 percent more likely to obey the law. The records must include the correct name and addresses on them. With the Dealer’s Record of Sale records, Nuch said he sent out letters informing gun buyers that they could not be straw man buyers. At the cost of a 42-cent stamp Nuch noted, he was able to determine the reliability of the Dealer’s Record of Sale records and improved them at the same time.

rich. I was the little guy. It’s partly the reason why I became the City Attorney,” Nuch said.

NFL to Los Angeles

With reports swirling about the impending sale of AEG and Tim Leiweke moving on to other pastures, the city’s hopes for a National Football League team has been dashed yet again, at least for the time being. But Trutanich doesn’t see it that way, touting a written agreement he made with Leiweke. “I was there in those negotiations,” he said. “They can’t just sell to any Tom, Dick, and Harry. We got first rights.” According to Nuch and contrary to popular belief, he and Tim Leiweke are like brothers. Trutanich/ to p. 10

Courthouse Closures

Environmental Record

settlements from regional and statewide cases. Environmental justice activists and founder of Communities For a Safe Environment, Jesse Marquez endorsed Nuch. “The primary reason [I endorsed Trutanich] is because he created the Environmental Task Force to crack down on polluting businesses in Wilmington,” Marquez said. “I like Feuer but he has no prosecuting experience. He has never tried a court case, even though he has a law degree.” Despite his office representing the city on behalf of the clean trucks program, which reached the Supreme Court recently, Nuch attempts to cast a narrative that mirrors that of the American Truckers Associations. “I’m not saying that the Clean Truck Program is bad,” Nuch said. “I’m saying that as a city, for those 1,500 independent truckers we need to make those electric trucks affordable to them and [placed] within their budget. If they want to become an employee, then fine, but it shouldn’t be mandated.” This completely misrepresents the situation, since it’s the trucking companies, not the individual truckers, who have decided employment status for the past few decades. But perhaps what is more telling is that in light of various forms of wage theft by the trucking

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and shipping companies in the form of pushing off to truckers extra fees and wait times that cut into their wages, as recent cases have begun to reveal (see “Truckers Advance Fight For Labor Law Justice,” p. 5). Trutanich is actually siding against the vast majority of truckers. Nevertheless, Nuch praises these drivers as the “guys that built this port when nobody else was coming down here when jobs were slow.” And called them “Teamsters,” seemingly meaning they are members of the Teamsters union, which they are not—independent operators can’t join unions. Although Teamsters were instrumental in helping to build the port, union representation was broken under deregulation. The long struggle to re-unionize is only now starting to pay off. Nevertheless, he believes the right leaning U.S. Supreme Court will rule in the city’s favor (though the employee mandate provision has already been struck down in a lower court). “Our Harbor Department lawyers are doing it themselves; we’re going to be fine,” he says, inaccurately, since the city is relying on outside counsel. “But I feel bad for the little guy,” he says, sliding backing to his personal narrative of growing up in working class family and working in the canneries to put himself through school. “You have to remember, I didn’t grow up

May 3 - 16, 2013

Nuch has pretty stellar record when it comes to the environment. He’s able to boast that the environmental crimes and consumer protection prosecutors in his office have recovered nearly $25 million in penalties for violating the city’s environmental and consumer protection laws. Some of the cases that were settled or still pending include $1.75 million from Crimson Oil for an oil spill in the Los Angeles Harbor and multi-million dollar

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and wife Noreen Trutanich. Photo: Terelle Jerricks

The Local Publication You Actually Read

When asked what his position was on the closing of local courthouses, he flips the script by asking the baiting question, “Who’s the head of the Judiciary Committee?” Nuch doesn’t make distinctions between what branch of government or which agency is responsible for what when he makes these broadsides. But he makes absolutely sure that whatever it is, he sticks it to his city attorney race rival, Mike Feuer. “He’s the one that allowed the budget of the state courts to be cut. He’s the one that made it so that people won’t get justice in our courts,” Nuch said. Gov. Jerry Brown forced the Judicial branch to cut $544 million from its budget after years of smaller cutbacks. “The courts are the last resort for people to get redress of their legal grievances. In the old days we would go out into the middle of the street and have a gun fight. Now we can go to court as a civilized society. That’s what we do. Cutting the budget of the courts so that the people don’t have redress is just wrong. People should be up in arms over this.” Nuch pounced on the state assembly’s inability to balance its own budget by sounding off populist themes. “They didn’t have their budget cut by 35 percent and get half their money cut. “I’m the only elected city official that’s balanced his budget,” Trutanich noted. “Through all four years I’ve been in office, I had a surplus. And I did that while achieving 92 percent favorable verdict rate.” And most importantly, he did it while going after the big guys such as Deutsche Bank for its neglect of foreclosed homes and Home Depot for pollution.

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Ballots, Not B.S. Garcetti, Trutanich and the Necessity for CD 15 to Step Up and Vote James Preston Allen, Publisher

May 3 - 16, 2013

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

You can just hear the refrain from Harbor District residents in the mold of Rodney Dangerfield: We get no respect, or the requisite amount of municipal services from downtown Los Angeles for that matter. From the local perspective, 26 miles from City Hall, it seems true enough. A member of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Board of Commissioners, Doug Epperhart reminds us that we are actually closer to the seat of government in Avalon on Catalina Island than to Los Angeles. The real problem is all the political power is centralized and the power bases of money and votes lay outside of District 15. When you hear the folks at the Port of Los Angeles complain about abundant community concerns in the harbor, it has something to do with the Port of Los Angeles being the largest city department that is within reach of the citizens that are most impacted. In this campaign season, curiously, I have come to recognize one of the other issues in getting a hometown advantage or recognition in citywide politics. A great deal of the political donations that come to politicians campaigning here actually comes from donors who does business in the district, but do not live in it. One of the few hedges that this area has against political irrelevancy is the involvement of the powerful labor unions, particularly the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. In this mayoral race, Local 13 and Local 63 are split between the candidacies of Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel. Local 13, the largest of the longshore units, is supporting Garcetti in a big way. They gave his campaign office space in downtown San Pedro and provided lots of volunteers. The local has even spent a reported $200,000 on an independent expenditure campaign. In full disclosure, the back page of this issue (and other ads in area publications) was paid for by a portion of that independent expenditure money set up by Councilman Joe Buscaino’s supporters. The political split between ILWU 13 and Local 63 is a rare but interesting phenomenon, and has caused certain amount friction between the brothers and sisters of the waterfront. However, the unions’ political contributions do tend to offset the influence of significant private contributions emanating from the hills of Palos Verdes. Having said this, let me remind you that advertising dollars do not influence

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my political endorsements. I have previously endorsed Garcetti in the primary and have found no reason to change that endorsement now. If anything, my endorsement of Garcetti has only been reinforced since Greuel picked up the endorsements of former Los Angeles mayor, Richard Riordan (someone I detest politically) and the ultra conservative Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Those two backers should “pickle” anyone’s support for Greuel. Even though you can never be sure 100 percent, Garcetti impresses me as a candidate who says what he means, doesn’t change his position based upon who he’s talking to and clearly understands the economic importance of our port to the city. However, I have been somewhat on the fence on the city attorney’s race until now. I have come to the conclusion that it is better to have at least one other elected officer of the city, outside of our councilman, who has to spend the night in our district. Carmen Trutanich can be a really argumentative and combative SOB. I know this because I argue with him most of the time, but at least he is our SOB and he does know this area and represents us relatively well. What more do you want from a lawyer who represents the city than an attorney who could argue a fence post into the ground? On top of this, having the city attorney living in our district does add weight to our potential influence at City Hall. Even more important than the political money are the votes, which were deplorably low in this city election. Only 9.39 percent of registered voters in Council District 15 in the March 5 primary—a number significantly lower than the 11 percent voter turnout citywide. If you are one of those who complain about getting no respect from Los Angeles, consider this: if more of you actually voted in these low turnout elections, your collective influence would go up proportionately. Only 10,276 voters cast ballots in this district in the primary election, which is something like .57 percent of the total number of registered voters in the City of Los Angeles. We could, and should, be able to turn out double that amount of voters even to the extent of being the ones who tip the scale in a close runoff. This would earn us all some respect. This low turnout, this apathy towards civic affairs, is quite embarrassing when you consider that in other places and other times people fight oppression and often die for the right of suffrage, Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com

“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XXXIV : No. 9

Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya info@graphictouchdesigns.com Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communi- Assistant Editor Zamná Ávila ties of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, reportersdesk@randomlengthsnews.com Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg throughout the seven cities of the Harbor Area.

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the right to vote. Have we become so blasé about our own futures that we let a handful of corporations and wealthy elites run this city? No, the ballot box is still our best hedge against

deceit of the monied interests. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 21. Ask your friends and neighbors to vote and don’t leave home without your sample ballot.

Forming the Marine Workers Industrial Union By Jerry Brady

On April 26, 1930, about 180 delegates from cities around the nation gathered in New York City to form the Marine Workers Industrial Union. There were 35 delegates from New York and the same from Philadelphia. Twentyseven of the Philly delegates were rank and file Longshoremen, many of them black. San Pedro sent 10 delegates and Houston sent five seamen and five black longshoremen. Many of the delegates arrived in New York riding the freights. One of them was detained for five days on a South Carolina chain gang. Over half of the delegates were former members of the Industrial Workers of the World: Wobblies. By the summer of 1932, in the Port of San Pedro, with the massive unemployment, it took nine months of waiting in the “fink hall” before a job turned up. Many men were forced to sleep under bridges, in lumberyard or any spot that provided protection from the elements and the San Pedro Police. Many unemployed seamen were run out of town. The Longshoremen were offered more relief than their fellow seamen, although their conditions were not much better that the seamen. By 1933 the average weekly wage for dockworkers in San Pedro was $10.45, and about 50 percent of the longshoremen were on relief rolls.

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Old Longshoremen Tell How It Was

Ed Thayne tells about the pre-strike conditions of 1934. He told about 12 men known as the “Dirty Dozen” which was according to Ed: “Twelve inspired men from the longshoremen of the 1920s. These 12 men would talk to the longshore workers in their spare time about the rights, working conditions and the feeling of solidarity, and the fortitude it took to fight for their rights.” Ed became very inspired by these 12 men. As Ed said: “We had militant men, but it took time to become that way. Those 12 men helped many a longshoreman take the courage he needed to get ready to fight for his rights. Get ready to Strike!” Dan Pataopoff tells: “The day before the strike, I started working a banana boat at berth 188 in Wilmington and worked all day and all night and then went on strike. The bosses really gave us a bad time and some of the guys were coerced into staying in, but most of us went out on strike. Little did those bosses figure for the longshoremen success in the future.” Haskell Earl, like many other longshoremen, bore the brunt of the hard-dirty work and longarduous hours during the 1920s and into the 1930s. As Haskell said: Wages were being cut and the workers continued on following page

Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email adv@randomelengthsnews.com or reads@ randomlengthsnews.com. Extra copies and back issues are available by mail for $3 per copy while supplies last. Subscriptions are available for $35 per year for 27 issues. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right to express those opinions. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2013 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.


RANDOMLetters The Case of the Misidentified Letter Writer

For Random Lengths News, it is not an unusual occurrence to receive a few letters that articulate a position that does not concur with ours. In fact, we encourage it in order to raise the level of dialog on the issues that are important to our readers and to further free expression. It was no different in our last edition, where we published a letter, “Words from an Incoherent, Cowardly Bigot.” Though we have conservative and libertarian readers and critics, it is only a minority that actually employs racially inflammatory words and descriptions to make his point. The letter we printed was real and written by real writer from San Pedro. Typically, this letter writer uses a pseudonym but uses the same email address when he submits his letters. Our policy is to run only letters from real people using their real names. We at Random Lengths,

from previous page

Union

and eventually a strong union, We were eventually paid for our “gear time.” Two days before the strike a dock boss came up to John Fiesel and said: “John, it looks like the longshoremen are going to go on strike and if they do are you going to stay loyal to the company or are you going to go on strike?” John answered: “I belonged to the musicians union for years and it did wonders for me. I’ve paid my dollar and joined the union, and if they do go on strike, I’m going on strike!” The dock boss said: “If we, the company wins, you won’t be working here.”

them were through the hole and on the inside of the fence. We were armed with 15-inch hoses (heavy). We were marching across the open area when shots rang out from the ship. Unbeknownst to us, the LAPD was planted on the ship and we were met with a hail of bullets. I was forty feet from Dickey Parker when he fell. John Knudsen fell in the same volley of bullets. Leo Webber was shot in the leg. An ambulance came too late for Parker as he died immediately. John Knudsen died some time later from his wounds. The shooters were cops used as strikebreakers. The shooting came right off the main deck of the ship. The longshoremen scattered and regrouped, but it was no contest against policeman’s rifles. With the two killings and several wounded many arrests came forth during the coming months of the strike. The picketing increased in San Pedro and Wilmington to the tune of 1800 strong, as the seamen and teamsters joined the picket lines. It was said that the 1934 strike did more to solidify longshore and seafaring men than anything that was ever done before.

The Death of Parker and Knudsen

In the words of John Fiesel: My brother Harry, myself, Leo Webber, Jimmy Dawes, Les Bebhart, Jimmy Ford and about five other guys left my place on the night of May 14, 1934, and proceeded to go to berth 145 in Wilmington. We were gonna take care of some scabs. It was evening when we got to the berth. We were heading for the ship, The Diamond Head where they were feeding scabs. We cut the wire on the fence to enter. There were several hundred men altogether and many of

We have moved away to Salt Lake City, Utah to be near our parents who are ill and need us. My friend, Bonnie Christensen, has given me the gift of RL so I get the news of the town I love and miss. I am soooo grateful for the RL articles on the Rancho LPG (butane) tanks that are such an unbelievable hazard to so many lives for miles around. My wish is that the residents of the Harbor area would stand up for their safety and join the ‘activists’—or as I say, ‘concerned citizens’ with San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United. It is enormously shameful that the elected ‘leaders’ have not followed their highest duty - TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS! I was happy to see the EPA finally do something that looks like their mission statement. The EPA has been MIA far too long. Please keep up the honorable fight and God Bless you all. Jody James Salt Lake City, Utah

Buscaino Promises to Bring Harbor Area into 21st Century

Shortly after Joe Buscaino was elected to his first term, the public lobbyist for his town or Wilmington, Donald Compton talked to Mr. Buscaino’s Economic Development Director, Ms. Alison Benker and to his acting Policy Director, Mr. Dennis Gleason, and they each told him TIME FOR THE HARBOR AREA TO GET INTO THE 21st century and that Councilman buscaino was in full

support for same and that he would into writing to the public lobbyist that he favors CONNECTING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES with the HARBOR AREA BY MODERN LIGHT RAIL. The two tip advisors to Mr. Buscaino mentioned above said that he is aware of the long time resistance of Wilmington and San Pedro contributors to the C.D. 15 for former councilpersons Svornich and Hahn, for the past 20 years, who would not move forward on said connection issue by refusing to make getting on

the MTA Board as a priority, something requiring making a deal with the mayor to have him appoint the CD councilperson to one of the four MTA seats controlled by his honor. The public lobbyist finally got his letter from Mr. Buscaino and it mentioned his support for the connection issue, but said, too, that he is on the ACTA board presently. He knows that he cannot be on the two boards in question at the same time. Which will it be if he really wants to bring the Harbor Area More Letters/ to p. 21

Corrections

An article in the April 19 edition of Random Lengths News, “The Great Food Revolt,” a quote by Christi Mendoza didn’t include the qualification that, “Baja Fish has fish that is wild caught, but you have to ask for it.” Also in the April 19 edition, “The Rise of the UAW,” on page 11, misprinted the trademarked name of the of the film festival. The trademarked name of the film festival is LA Harbor International Film Festival™. An article in the March 22 edition of Random Lengths News, “Passover,” under ingredients subhead, needed to include the word, “ounces,” after 2½, for matzoh balls measurement. Random Lengths News strives to bring accurate news and analysis to the Harbor Area.

May 3 - 16, 2013

Bill Givins, at the age of 25 in 1926, started working for Associated Banning Stevedore Company, driving jitney, which then was the old Fordson tractor with floppy wheels. Bill would spend at least two hours a day on his own time, pulling a string of four-wheelers with ship gear, from Wilmington to Outer harbor in San Pedro or to Terminal Island or to Long Beach. In 1930 the McCormick Steamship Company formed their own stevedoring company and Bill Givins continued with them. Bill said: “In 1933 with wages cut and a strike looming, myself and many men like me, joined the union even with all the threats of losing our jobs and further threats of being banished from the waterfront. But we stuck it out and won a contract and won a hiring hall with union control and of course a livelihood for the longshoremen

Thanks Random Lengths

The Local Publication You Actually Read

were trying to form a union which was being undermined by a handful of company tacticians who were known as the Dirty Dozen and sent out by the companies to try and outmaneuver and confuse the men who were trying to organize the rank file. And although some men felt confused, others were impressed by the Dirty Dozen and felt that it was the talk or organizing and a collective spirit that was finally put into the minds of longshoremen who had never worked in anything but a company union. And it was this spirit that finally gave the West Coast Longshoremen the solidarity it needed to go on strike in May of 1934.

have been receiving these letters from this same person for the past 5 or 6 years. A mix of ultraconservative and bigoted ideas (racial or otherwise), we struggled with dilemma of whether to run his letters or not. Early on, we decided to do our own Internet sleuthing to figure out the writer’s identity. We discovered his real identity years ago, but ultimately elected not to run letters where he doesn’t use his real name. The letter writer only became embolden and submitted increasingly incendiary letters, without his real name. This past month, fed up with staying quiet on this person’s diatribes, we decided to expose him for the person he is. We used the research that was originally used to uncover the anonymous letter writer’s identity to run his letter. We, however, mistakenly used the wrong surname of Unvert to identify this writer, his actual name is Richard Paoletti. We regret the confusion that was caused by this error. —Editors

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Trutanich from p. 7

May 3 - 16, 2013

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

“He calls my house, he calls me at night, on weekends. Norma chimes in, “That’s because they respect each other.” Nuch’s recollection of his relationship is like a playground stagecraft where two schoolyard rivals locked horns to establish respect. “That’s because I stood up to Tim Leiweke,” said Trutanich without missing a beat. “I’m the only guy in city government that stood up to him and told him, ‘No, you’re not going to do that today. You’re going to pay us back for the cost of the Michael Jackson funeral. You’re not going to push me around and he said, ‘You’re not going to push me around.’” Trutanich cited the passage of California Assembly Bill 900, which cut key provisions from the California Environmental Quality Act process that would fast track developments, as reason to review the Farmer Field project. “I believe most of them have settled with AEG for a significant sum of money.” Nuch said. Marquez confirmed the news. “AEG did settle with us and a few weeks later settled with the downtown LA Pico Groups which included PSR [Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles],” Marquez said. “We got about 40 more concessions than previously proposed.” Marquez also noted that the settlement was worded so that if AEG was sold all conditions were transferable to the new owner. Nuch hates to lose and he doesn’t easily concede defeat. “My campaign manager ran the worst campaign ever... in the history of politics. I didn’t know of all the problems he was having. I trusted

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him. He was my friend.” “We thought he was a professional,” Noreen chimed in. “I’ve always been one of those guys, where if you come to me, I’ll look you in the eye, and tell you, don’t worry about it. You can count on me to solve that problem.” And, just like that, he turned a conversation about last year’s DA’s race into a recounting of his compelling personal narrative. “That’s why I got an AV rating. That’s why the Bar Association rated me as one of the Top 10 lawyers in the state of California. That’s why. A little guy from Pedro? I didn’t go to one of world’s greatest law schools. But you know what? That work ethic was instilled in me from the days I worked in the canneries for 14 years. As Nuch talked about the early days, before he became a lawyer, he looked at Noreen, before continuing on. “I was always thinking that the other guy was better and that I had to prove myself. That’s why she kept telling me, ‘You’re a great lawyer. You’re a great lawyer. Have confidence in your ability.’” “Then one day she said, ‘You know what? I think you’ve finally realized you’re a great lawyer.’” “It took forever,” Noreen said on cue. “And, it’s true,” Nuch said. “But you know, I had to keep winning, had to keep winning, had to keep winning. That’s the difference between me and every other politician I ever met.” This could explain his sometimes contentious relationship with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the city council. This also could explain his high success rate in getting favorable settlements. This could explain how he won’t be going down without a fight on May 21.


Photos by Taso Papadakis

Cosmic Oscar was awe-inspiring and these artists are masters. Opening the set, drummer Paul Legaspi captured the audience’s attention at the microphone with “Offering Prayer,” a poetic prayer delivered in the didactic verse of Brown From there, Childs on piano transitioned into a bluesy intro followed by Legaspi’s drums coming in with big sound and Breeze Smith’s soundscape offering what Trible calls the “natural vibe.” Smith’s soundscape utilizes many elements, including: a gong, cymbals, maracas, drums, bells and seashells — and that may not even be everything. Together these rhythms and natural sounds moved this room into an instantaneously deep groove, at once earthy and cosmic. Trible is mesmerizing. He literally becomes one with the song exuding every emotion, expressing each nuance of a note or phrase. It’s a winding ride with Trible when he quietly hangs a note in the air followed by a powerful baritone follow-through. Ably vocalizing his smooth, yet emphatic energy, he brings an electric charge to his music. Childs, the highly accomplished musician and composer who performed with Brown at the original Jazz Bakery, plays exquisitely. His style is polished and straight ahead, while classical and elegant at the same time. He grounds Cosmic Oscar continued on page 13.

May 3 – 16, 2013 May 3 – 16, 2013

azz vocalist Dwight Trible is a titan who has performed and worked with some of the most important figures in jazz, ranging from percussionist Billy Higgins, pianist and composer Horace Tapscott, Harry Belafonte ... and the list gets longer. Amongst these greats, Trible calls Oscar Brown Jr. his mentor. It was after Brown’s death in 2006, that Trible got the idea for putting together a project to honor Brown and his legacy called the, Cosmic Oscar Project. A talented singer, poet, songwriter, playwright actor and civil rights activist, Brown gained critical acclaim for integrating songwriting with social commentary. He is seen as the forerunner to the black freedom music that arose in jazz, funk, soul and hip hop music paving a road for such artists as Gil Scott-Heron and Public Enemy’s Chuck D. “Oscar was not only a friend but a mentor and we were pretty close,” Trible said. “Whenever he would come to LA we would hook up, get together and break bread and talk about ideas.” After Brown died, Trible, believed the Cosmic Oscar Project was the next natural step in carving Brown’s place in history as one of the greats.

“I felt that the world had not really embraced Oscar like he deserved,” Trible said. “He never really was recognized for the genius that he put forth for so many years. It’s like Van Gogh. Later on, everybody gets it. But I felt that we can’t let it take that long for people to really get to know and to dig the gift that Oscar gave.” Trible and his band members in the project have taken Brown’s music and made it their own, adding their flavor and perspective to it. “He had his thing that was very dominant,” Trible said. “We wanted to do something that would let you still know with every song that this is Oscar, but this is Oscar coming to you in a different kind of way.” The Cosmic Oscar project, comprised of Dwight Trible as lead vocalist, Billy Childs on piano, Breeze Smith on percussion and soundscape, Paul Legaspi on drums and David Robaire on bass performed at the Jazz Bakery at the Musicians Institute Concert Hall on April 14. The Jazz Bakery is showing their Movable Feast concerts at a few choice locations around Los Angeles. That is, until they are back in a permanent home in the Culver City downtown arts district. Trible’s approach to Brown’s catalog elevates his music to the sublime. Where Brown is the dramatist on “Brother Where Are You,” Trible is passionate. On “Living Double in a World of Trouble,” Brown sings a light-hearted blues compared to Trible’s reflectiveness. Yet, Trible delivers Browns messages to today’s audiences while still connecting to his longtime fans.

ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment Support Your Community. Shop Local.

J

by: Melina Paris, Music Columnist

11 11


SUSHI BAR

May 3 – 16, 2013

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

Japanese Restaurant Sushi Bar 380 W. 6th St. • 832-5585

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FREE!!!

Please present this coupon at concessions for ONE free regular size soft drink or bottled water. Exp. 06/02/13RLn

LA HARBOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - 10th

May 2 – 5 Disney’s The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), the Show Biz Red Carpet Gala honoring Mitzi Gaynor and There’s No Business Like Show Business (1953), Chased by the Dogs (1962 - Arabic w/Eng subtitles), 22 shorts by The New Filmmakers LA, and a feature documentary Brothers On the Line. Tickets $10–$65, info and times at laharborfilmfest.com.

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

May 10 | 8pm Starring RYAN GOSLING. “A sly yet oh so whimsical film about love, loneliness and the human condition…” -Rottentomatoes.com Grab your girlfriends (yeah, and guyfriends), have dinner at an excellent downtown restaurant and join us for this quirky but charming movie. Tickets $8 cash at the door.

TRIBUTE TO DON HO AND THE ALIIS!

May 19 | 2pm Manny Lagod, former vocalist and bass player with Don Ho in Hawaii, presents a tribute to this legend of Hawaiian music, featuring Kimo & Patti Harris, Akemi Welsh and the Polynesian Paradise Dancers, comedian/magician Mark Kiyabu, the Kolohe Kanes and the Scott Martin Latin Jazz Brass Band. Tickets $35 (incl VIP reception) / $25 and info at mannylagod.com.

GOLDEN STATE POPS SALUTES: “VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS 35TH ANNIVERSARY” May 11 | 8pm Golden State Pops presents a historic concert celebrating the most prolific film music label in the world; works by Jerry Goldsmith, Georges Delerue, Danny Elfman and more. Tickets, $60–$21, and program at gspo.com.

BLUE GOD

May 18 | 7pm Face2Face Productions and Faithway Baptist Church present a new faith based play with music, featuring an all-star cast that explores “...what happens when the consumption of ambition blinds us from all that matters.” Tickets, $28 / $38, and info at inglewoodtickets.com.

THE CCOLLANAN PACHACAMAC TETRALOGY

May 29 | 6pm Multimedia performance artists YUYANAPAQ use synthesized music, sound sampling and live percussion against manipulated Super8 images in a surrealist exploration comprised of three tragedies and the world premier of the satyr play Hichascancuta. Admission FREE! Information at yuyanapaq.com

478 W. 6th St. • Historic Downtown San Pedro • 310.548.2493 Events, dates, times, prices, programs and performers are subject to change without notice. Please visit warnergrand.org or grandvision.org for schedule updates, or call 310.548.7672. In 2013, repair and restoration of the Warner Grand marquee and decorative neon was provided by the SAN PEDRO HISTORIC WATERFRONT BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT as a gift to San Pedro residents and visitors. The Warner Grand Theatre is a facility of the City of Los Angeles – for rental inquiries or other questions, please call the business office 310.548.2493.


Cosmic Oscar from page 11.

An album celebrating the black freedom movement in the 1950s and 60s, “We Insist” was co-written by max Roach and Oscar Brown, Jr.

of one of the most harmonious jazz standards that we know. As Trible let us know, “THIS is the Cosmic Oscar Project. We got it,” he gestured up to Oscar. “Let the world hear how we want to represent.” Visit http://jazzbakery.org for more Jazz Bakery shows. Visit www.dwighttrible.com to learn about Dwight Trible.

ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment May 3 – 16, 2013

Trible’s vocal circuitousness with the bigness and openness of his piano playing. On “Brother, Where Are You,” one of Brown’s most popular songs, Trible sings of a young man looking for hope. As he draws out each word - it’s as if his mouth prepares for the words before they rise out of his vocal chords, poignantly delivering the message. A small boy walked down a city street And hope was in his eyes As he searched the faces of the people he’d meet Or one he could recognize Brother where are you, They told me that you came this way Offering some lightness to Brown’s versatility as a songwriter, they played “Living Double in a World of Trouble.” If you haven’t guessed or don’t already know it, it’s about a man who’s got “one more woman than the legal laws allow.” A bluesy number with kick, Trible is heartfelt, starting off introspective and ending in a testifying manner. At one point during the performance, Trible told the audience that Brown was a great folk hero of our time. Childs interjected, “of all time.” Trible chuckled, “He corrected me.” Speaking to Brown’s culture hero status they performed, “Brown Baby,” from Brown’s all-time classic album, Sin and Soul. “Brown Baby” is a lullaby he wrote for his newborn son. Trible’s singing with only piano and bass provided soft music and prominent vocals, tapping into the awareness of his brown baby’s identity during the early 1960s and passing on all that he wishes for him, including the simple wisdom of how to walk through his life. This number with Trible’s superb vocals was nothing short of heavenly. The finale of the show was the classic “Afro Blue,” the Mongo Santamaria number that Brown penned lyrics to. The quintet started with a long instrumental intro: piano straight ahead, drums and soundscape, exploring all the moods this piece conveys. It was a beautiful interpretation

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Support Your Community. Shop Local! May 3 – 16, 2013

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Personalizing Mother’s Day I

Column and Photos by: Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe, Guest Columnist

t’s no secret that Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for U.S. restaurants. Take mom out for a nice meal, give her the day off from cooking and cleaning, what a treat! But if you would like to make the day festive and personal, try these tips for “Making Mother’s Day Special,” starting her day by fixing breakfast or brunch. And {hint} you can still take her out for dinner. Prepare a fresh and easy brunch that is on the healthier side. The menu includes a light egg and cheese strata, fresh fruit parfait, with juice, and coffee or tea. The strata provides a delightful savory element, while the parfait adds a sweet note. Dads and children can pull this lovely menu together without too much effort. The strata (aka overnight egg casserole) is prepped the night before then easily baked in the morning. Children can help layer fresh fruit and yogurt for a colorful presentation. Serve juice with a strawberry perched on the rim of the glass for an elegant touch. Make it personal by adding mom’s favorite ingredients to the strata. Does she like ham, asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli? If she likes spicy, serve the strata with salsa on the side. Make the fresh fruit parfaits with the fruits mom likes best.

She will feel special when you pay attention to detail. Set a pretty table with her favorite theme or colors and flowers. Carnations have been the symbol of Mother’s Day for over a century. Why not mix carnations with her favorite? In addition to one arrangement, add a bud vase with a single flower at each place setting. She will be charmed! Pull on her heartstrings by placing small, framed pictures of your family around the table. Set the mood by playing mom’s favorite music in the background. And, don’t forget to tell her how much you love and appreciate her. Be sure to write your own special message to her in a card. Lastly, make sure mom relaxes while the whole family pitches in to clean up…leaving her very proud and the kitchen — spotless!

L ig h t E g g & C h ee se Strata Recipe (serves 4 - 6)

• 3 cups cubed dense crusty white bread • 5 large eggs • 2 cups low-fat milk • 1 teaspoon dry mustard • 3/4 teaspoon salt • fresh ground pepper, a few grinds • 1 cup grated reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, or mom’s favorite cheese


Entertainment May 3

Frictional Frictional consists of three members, bringing you the sounds of the guitar, baritone, ukulele, bass, drums, vibes and the tenor guitar. Tickets for the show will be $20. Starts at 8p.m. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom. com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

May 4

Oblivion Express Auger’s Oblivion Express features five members playing the hammond B3, fender rhodes, drums, bass and guitar. Tickets are $20. Starts at 8 p.m. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom. com Venue: Alva’s Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Jail Weddings Jail Weddings is a 9-person band that plays various tones of love songs. Each song is viewed through a different perspective, but at the end of the telescope there is one common vision, love. Tickets range between $10 and $25. A two drink minimum purchase is required. Starts at 11:30 p.m. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt & pepper together in a large bowl. Place bread in a greased medium-sized baking dish, top with cheese. Pour egg mixture over the bread. If using, add mom’s favorite ingredients (see below). Gently mix it all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Additional Ingredient Ideas: • 2 cups of cubed ham • 2 cups of blanched asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces • 2 cups of sautéed sliced mushrooms • 2 cups of steamed small broccoli florets

Light Fresh Fruit Parfait Recipe • fresh fruit • jam, preserves, or marmalade • lemon or lime • non-fat Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain) • mint sprig for garnish

Nothing Says Mother’s Day Love Than Dinner at an English Pub The Whale and Ale is the place to treat your mum with while enjoying European cuisine. The award-winning proprietor Andrew Silber has an extensive menu prepared that will make for a tasty dining experience. From the Ploughman’s plate with its grilled English banger sausage, small house salad, a wedge of English Cheddar cheese, and a Branston© pickle. The menu is a European culinary adventure for any family that loves food. For all the mothers present, there will be free glass of French champagne on the house. Details: www.whaleandale.com Location: 327 W. 7th St, San Pedro Mother’s Day at The Queen Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch Spend the day on the Queen Mary with your mom with free flowing champagne, live music and a tantalizing signature menu for the most discerning palates. The Queen Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch will take you on a culinary adventure featuring over 50 unique dishes from around the globe. If you a taste for a traditional western breakfast with made-to-order omelets, pancakes, eggs benedict and homemade hash--you got it. If you’re feeling like southwestern, there’s the albondigas soup and carne asada tacos. You can even spice it up with hot n’ sour soup or Asian style ribs. If want to add some leafy greens to your morning, there will be salad station featuring a chef crafted Cobb salad, imported tuna nicoise and a variety of domestic and imported cheeses. The highlight, of course, is their signature carving station that will feature a beautifully prepared prime rib with au jus and leg of lamb with mint jus. Cost: $59.95 Adults: $19.95 Kids. Tax and gratuity is additional. Details: http://www.queenmary.com/ Location: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach,

Mother’s Day Buffet Brunch at Parkers Lighthouse Looking for a change of pace and scenery, take you mom and the family to Parker’s Lighthouse to celebrate Mother’s Day on their Waterfront Patio with a champagne brunch with unlimited champagne and mimosas. The coolest feature of brunch at Parker’s Lighthouse is the variety offered on the menu. Their cold buffet include all manner of fruits and vegetables salads, and oyster bar with all sorts of fresh seafood, and a hot buffet and dessert. Parker’s will be serving their regular dinner menu at 3 p.m. Cost: $42 Adults; $21 Children 5 to 12 Details: ( 5 6 2 ) 4 3 2 - 6 5 0 0 ; h t t p : / / parkerslighthouse.fbmta.com Location: 435 Shoreline Village Dr., Long Beach The Sky Room’s Mother’s Day Brunch Celebrate your mom on top of the world at the Sky Room. At the top floor of the historic Breakers Hotel, its dining room offers 360degree city views, vintage Art Deco decor, white tablecloths and custom china. The Skyroom offers a three-course brunch. The first course feature any option from oatmeal brulee with fresh fruit to fresh fish whether it red snapper or Ahi tuna. You can even go light with either watermelon or tomato salad. The second course feature variety of omelet dishes, poached salmon and eggs benedict. The third course is a fabulous dessert to start the day by giving mom her just due. Cost: $45.00 per person; $19.95 Children Details: (562) 983-2703; http://www. theskyroom.com Location: 40 S. Locust Ave., Long Beach

May 3 – 16, 2013

Slice mom’s favorite fresh fruit into bite sized-pieces. In a medium pan, heat enough jam to generously coat the fruit, stirring frequently. When the jam has melted, stir in fruit plus a hearty squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, then chill slightly. Using clear glasses, alternate yogurt with fruit in layers to make a parfait. Garnish with a mint sprig. (Our favorite fruit combination is fresh strawberries with orange marmalade and lime juice.) Love You Ma! Happy Mother’s Day! Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe blogs about food and entertaining at Taste With The Eyes: http://www. tastewiththeeyes.com

Mother’s Day Dining

ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment

Use a single ingredient, or a combination adding up to 2 cups. Cook the strata, uncovered, in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes so that the top is a nice golden brown and the custard is set. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Don Juan Los Blancos A band from Mexico that was formed in 2008, this rock’n’roll group, which features two members, plays with a ferocity that is sure to give the audience a healthy dose of testosterone boost. Tickets will cost between $10 and $25. Starts at 10:15 p.m. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach Calendar to page 16.

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Calendar continued from page 15.

May 5

The Topics San Pedro favorites, The Topics, will be at Godmother’s Saloon, from 4 to 5 p.m. on Cinco de Mayo. There’s no cover charge. Details: (310) 833-1589; www.godmotherssaloon. com Venue: Godmother’s Saloon Location: 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro

May 7

James Clary Garrison Pro Jam James is a session and live musician/vocalist, who is bringing his talents to Long Beach. He has been an artist since he was 15 years old, and has and has wrote and produced for artist such as the legendary Ray Charles. Tickets are $10. Starts at 9:30 p.m. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach

May 10

Rendition Band The Rendition Band is performing at the Godmother’s Saloon, 9 to 10 p.m. There’s no cover. Details: (310) 833-1589; www.godmotherssaloon. com Venue: Godmother’s Saloon Location: 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro

May 11

Frank Uzueta Trio Frank is presenting his jazz vocalist Peter Marin, who will be performing selections from his new CD release, Overnight Success. The trio will combine jazz sounds from the piano and guitar, led by vocals from Marin. Starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for this event. Details: (800) 403-3447; www.alvasshowroom. com Venue: Alva’s Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

Community/Family

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

May 4

Gala Dinner Come to the 58th annual Gala Dinner and Auction, May 4, at The Grand in Long Beach. Details: (562) 595-5945 Venue: The Grand Location: 4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach Boutique, Rummage San Pedro Bay Historical Society will host its semiannual Boutique & Rummage Sale, from 8 a.m. to 1p.m., at the Muller House Museum in San Pedro. Early bird admission is $5. Lots of treasures from archival items such as San Pedro High School yearbooks, to wonderful antique and boutique finds, furniture, dishes, linens, toys, tools, clothes and other household items. Details: http://sanpedrobayhistoricalsociety.org Venue: Muller House Museum Location: sanpedrobayhistoricalsociety.org

May 11

May 3 – 16, 2013

Grunion Fish-tival The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium presents the Grunion Fish-tival on May 11, from 7p.m. to 12a.m. The California Grunion is a unique fish that comes out of the water to lay its eggs on the sand. After nine days, the next tide comes ashore signalizing the hatching of the eggs and washes them back into the ocean. Attendees will be able to hatch their own grunion eggs, make origami and participate in arts and crafts. After the activities, attendees will head to the beach and observe the grunion. The cost of this event is $5 for adults and $1 for seniors, children and students. Details: (310) 548-7562; www. cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro

16

West Coast BBQ Classic The Queen Mary presents the 2nd annual West Coast BBQ Classic, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 11, a delicious day of barbecue and music. Sixty pit masters from around the country compete for taste buds and the title of “People’s Choice.” Tickets to the event start at $10. Details: (562) 499-1771; www.queenmary.com Venue: The Queen Mary’s Waterfront Events Park Location: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach Calendar to page 17.

The Bernie Pearl Blues Band played two and half of hours to a fully engaged sell out audience on April 20. The capacity crowd watched every move and nuance the veteran blues man played. The first set began with Bernie Pearl on acoustic guitar with Mike Berry playing the upright double bass performed a full set of country blues adding drummer Albert Trepagnier for the last two songs. They closed that set, with the kicking “Rocks and Gravel Boogie.” The show was originally billed as a trio,but the audience was delighted with two very special guests sitting in with Bernie, Bobby ‘Hurricane’ Spencer (Sax) and Mike Alvarez (Harp). Both Spencer and Alvarez traded licks with Pearl all through the electric set, while Berry Trepagnier locked in the groove all night. The group took on a more sophisticated Texas & West Coast Blues sounds of T Bone Walker and Lowell Fulsom, this red hot blues unit showed everyone at Alvas showroom that the blues is alive and kicking. The first two shows of the series at Alvas have sold out. The next generation blues revivalists, CatFish and The Hollywood Hound Dogs with Johnny Main from The 44’s will be performing May 31 with special guest Sean Lane at Alvas Music/Showroom’s Friday Night Blues.

• Happy Hour • Blu Bar at Crowne Plaza • $4 Drinks and half off appetizers. (310) 519-8200, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro Iron City Tavern • Happy Hour 1/2-price appetizers & drink specials: 4 to 6 p.m. Mon. to Fri. 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro; (310) 547-4766 Ports o’ Call • Happy Hour: Mon. to Fri., 3 to 8 p.m. Taco Tuesdays. Oyster shooter & bloody mary Wednesdays. Jazz it Up Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (310) 833-3553, Berth 76 Ports O’ Call Village, San Pedro San Pedro Brewing Co. • Happy Hour: 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri. (310) 8315663, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Whale & Ale • Happy Hour: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Mon to Fri., 4 to 7 p.m. on Wed. Late Night Happy Hour: 10 p.m. to Midnight, Fri. Only. (310) 832-0363, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro Happy Hour Listings Are Paid Advertising


Calendar from page 16.

May 11

The Poetry of Motherhood Rachel Bruhnke will discuss and sign her new book The Poetry of Motherhood, from 2 to 4 p.m. May 11, at Williams’ Bookstore in San Pedro. Rachel Bruhnke is a Teacher at POLA high school and is a resident of San Pedro. Her book is a collection of baby-inspired wisdom for their first year. Details: (310) 832-3631 Venue: Williams’ Book Store Location: 443 W. 6th St., San Pedro Second Saturday Tour San Pedro Bay Historical Society’s “Second Saturday Tour” will feature the old Christian Science Church redone by John Mavar, Dodson House, Odd Fellows Hall, headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan, Daniels Field and more, starting at 10 a.m. May 11, in San Pedro. Donation is $5. Details: (310) 833-1707; sanpedrobayhistoricalsociety.org Venue: Vons’ parking lot Location: 13th Street at Gaffey, San Pedro

Adam Sandler in the 1998 movie The Wedding Singer. (Above) Abby Huesmann and Miguel Garcia portray the singing bride and bandmate, respectively, in the Renaissance High School theatrical interpretation of The Wedding Singer. (Right) Credit Nancy Wride.

May 17

When the Wedding Singer is the Final Exam by: John Farrell, Curtain Call Columnist

I

including Dorothy, who ‘flew’ during the tornado which brought her to Oz. Students got to learn how to do that there. It’s a great opportunity.” The recent production, The Wedding Singer, is the story of a New Jersey wedding singer, played in the movie by Sandler, who gets dumped at the altar when he is to be wed and has to find a new relationship. Sean Blocker is starred in the Renaissance High School for the Arts production. Blocker, born in Long Beach and now from Lakewood, is a 17-year-old junior but already has plenty of experience in theater. Among other roles he was Beau in the Renaissance High School for the Arts Bus Stop and was the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz. “I tried out for both lead roles in Wedding Singer” Blocker said with the air of a trooper in what must have been one of his first interviews. “I was chosen for Robbie.” The Wedding Singer is a musical, and Blocker had to dance and sing, as well as act. “We’ve been rehearsing since February, and we’ll finally get on stage this week and next.” Like every student at Renaissance High School for the Arts, Blocker is planning on college, but where he hasn’t decided yet. “I’ve still got a lot of time to decide that,” Blocker said. Blocker and Julia Sullivan had the lead roles in the Renaissance High School for the Arts production. Details: ( 562) 901-0168, www. lbrsa.schoolloop.com Venue: Center Theatre of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center Location: 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

Adobe Day at the Historic Dominguez Rancho Experience a day at the Rancho learning how to make adobe bricks, pan for gold and how to make a branding iron, furniture and other items that were created by a blacksmith, from 1 to 3 p.m. May 18, at the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum. Details: (310) 603-0088; www.dominguezrancho. org Venue: Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum. Location: 18127 S. Alameda St., Rancho Dominguez

May 19

Salt Marsh Open House Marshes are more than mud. Step out into nature at the Salinas de San Pedro salt marsh. Bring your binoculars, camera, sketchpad, journal or just your curiosity. Discover the many animal residents of the salt marsh with guidance from Sea Ranger naturalists and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Education staff, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Details: (310) 548-7562; www. cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro Calendar to page 18.

May 3 – 16, 2013

stagecraft, to lighting, makeup and videography. Oh yes, the Renaissance High School for the Arts student orchestra will be playing the score. Renaissance High School for the Arts is just nine years old said Christine Whipp, who is arts coordinator there. The Wedding Singer was their 18th production. “We are a regular high school, grades 9 to 12,” Whipp said in a recent phone conversation. “We are a small school, only 500 students in all and everyone who comes here has applied to be here. We teach all the basics but all electives here are in the arts, including theater. I’ve been here since before it started as a high school for the arts, and it is very successful now. Our test scores are amongst the highest everywhere, which is great news for the parents whose students attend here, and it also shows how effective an arts program is for students everywhere.” Renaissance High has only limited facilities on campus, but they have been supported since their beginnings by the City of Long Beach, and their productions are held in downtown in either in the Center Theater or in the bigger Terrace Theater next door. “We try to do a traditional show in the fall and then a more recent one,” Whipp said. “Not only do kids get to perform in a professional house but our technical students get to work with professionals and professional equipment, including lights and sound equipment. It’s a win-win situation for us.” And sometimes a bit more. Last season Renaissance High School for the Arts did a production of The Wizard of Oz based largely on the classic film (the have also done The Wiz) and they did it in the Terrace Theater. “We found that there was someone at the Terrace who had experience ‘flying” and we decided to use him and his experience for that show,” Whipp said. “We were able to fly students,

May 18

Port of Los Angeles Free Public Boat Tours The Port of Los Angeles is offering free boat tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 18, starting the Cabrillo Way Marina in San Pedro and Banning Landings in Wilmington. Tours are on the hour and they are first-come, first-serve. Tours will be leaving from 2 locations: From the Cabrillo Way Marina located at Berth 43, 2293 Miner Street in San Pedro and at Banning’s Landing, 100 E. Water Street in Wilmington. Details: www.PortofLosAngeles.org

ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment

t’s doubtful any of the cast for The Wedding Singer has much experience in that profession, or in the field of adult romance. But that is one of the pleasures of the theater: seeing performers stretching themselves to inhabit new experiences. After all, no one gets killed in Tosca, though it is a bloody opera. And Mimi goes home after each performance of La Boheme, after dying of consumption and then taking her curtain call. The same is true of The Wedding Singer, a musical with a score by Matthew Sklar, book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, lyrics by Berguelin, based on the film of the same name by Herlihy. The Wedding Singer was a successful 1998 movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore and was turned into a Broadway musical thereafter. Students from the Long Beach Renaissance High School for the Arts recently presented it as their annual musical at the Center Theater of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. They have little personal experience with the story, which features a New Jersey-based performer and a personal wedding gone wrong. No, they are too young for that, but then they were too young for West Side Story when that was their musical presentation several years back, and that didn’t stop that production from being a hit. That is what Renaissance High School is all about. Renaissance High School’s campus is in downtown Long Beach, but it accepts applications from all over the Long Beach Unified School District including not only Long Beach but Lakewood and Signal Hill. The twice-annual productions they present star students from the acting program and dance programs, and they also feature input from the the music department and the visual arts department as well. Renaissance High School for the Arts students do every aspect of the production, from costumes to set design to

Stung! Join the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for a lecture and book signing, from 7 to 9 p.m. May 17, at the John M. Olguin Auditorium in San Pedro. Join us for an evening of the gelatinous kind as former CMA volunteer and researcher Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin debuts her book, Stung!: On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean. Cost is $7. D et a i l s : ( 310 ) 5 4 8 - 7 5 6 2 x 211 ; w w w. cabrillomarineaquarium.org Venue: John M. Olguin Auditorium Location: 3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro

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Calendar continued from page 17.

Theater/Film May 2

LA Harbor International Film Festival Come to the LA Harbor International Film Festival, May 2 through 5, at the Warner Grand Theatre. General admission is $10. Details: http://laharborfilmfest.com/ Venue: Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro

A Decade Anniversary, LAHIFF by: Cory Hooker, Editorial Intern

May 3

Recover Ron Klineberg presents Recover, starting at 7:30 p.m. May 3, at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance. Enjoy this original musical journey. Tickets are $25. Details: (310) 781-7171 Venue: James Armstrong Theatre Location: 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance

May 4

Kamayani Prachi Dixit presents Jaishyankar Prasad’s Kamayani: A Dance Drama, starting at 6 p.m. May 4, at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance. Kamayani is an epic poem depicting the interplay of human emotions, thoughts and actions using mythological metaphors. Details: (310) 781-7171; www.nupuracademyla. com Venue: James Armstrong Theatre Location: 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance

May 10

Revolutionary Optimists The Friends of the San Pedro Library and Grand Vision Foundation invites the public to a showing of the award-winning documentary Revolutionary Optimists, about children in Calcutta, India who are starting a revolution, starting at 7 p.m. May 10, at the Grand Annex in San Pedro. Called to action by a former attorney, the young activists have already made radical health and sanitation improvements in one of the city’s poorest slums, awakening a neglected populace to the real possibility of change. Details: (310) 832-6288. Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

The 10th annual LA Harbor International Film Festival™ returns to the Warner Grand Theatre May 2 through 5 to celebrate their decade anniversary. This year features many different international films that span a wide variety of genres, which founder Stephanie Mardesich says aim’s to, “educate, enlighten and entertain.” This year’s Read the Book, See the Movie program features the Adventures of Huck Finn screening at 10:30 a.m. on May 2. The Opening Night POLA Premiere will screen Chased by the Dogs. Made in 1962, this rare treasure of an Egyptian film will showcase in full subtitles May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Hollywood Nostalgia Tribute program will screen There’s No Business Like

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

May 11

The Hollywood Nostalgia Tribute will be on the third night of the film festival, featuring the Irging Berlin film, There’s No Business Like Show Business starring Marilyn Monroe and Donald O’Connor

Since its inception, the film festival has grown to be a large attraction for out of town visitors to come and experience San Pedro. “As much as we want people to come see movies, we also want them to see San Pedro,” Mardesich said. Tickets are available at Williams’ Book Store and www.brownpapertickets.com. General admission is $10. Students, seniors and members of the Grand Vision Foundation pay $8. Veterans and those currently serving in the military are admitted free. First come, first seated. Details: www.laharborfilmfest.com

Art reception is scheduled, from 7 to 11 p.m. May 4, with performances by Lauren Freeman. Ibarra is a San Pedro artist, designer, producer and local maven, who has been designing and producing printed matter (flyers and zines) promoting the local San Pedro punk music scene since the early 80s. Venue: Cornelius Projects Location: 1417 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Money and Life Shift Long Beach is proud to present the new film, Money and Life, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach. Shift Long Beach is accepting donations to support the film, and our events, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Details: http://moneyandlifemovie.com Venue: Cultural Alliance of Long Beach Location: 727 Pine Ave., Long Beach

May 12

Real Men Sing Tunes … And Play With Puppets The Norris Center for the Performing Arts presents the West Coast premiere of Real Men Sing Show Tunes… and Play With Puppets through May 12. The new, song-filled adult musical comedy about men is a madcap and hilarious romp through the all the many stages of manhood. The light-hearted show takes on such male issues as fatherhood, mid-life crisis, dating, marriage, aging, and sex, and makes clever use of puppetry to fill out the cast of zany characters. It contains mature language and situations and is not intended for children. Performance times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $38. Details: (310) 544-0403; www.norriscenter.com Venue: The Norris Theatre 18 Location: 27570 Norris Center Dr., Palos Verdes

May 3 – 16, 2013

Show Business. Filmed in 1953, this classic will screen May 4 at 7 p.m. The always exciting and educational DocSunday, sponsored by the ILWU Foreman’s Union Local #94, will be screening two films: The first is New Filmmakers LA-On Location. Sponsored by LA Weekly, this collection of short films, all 1 to 4 minutes long, features scenes from both San Pedro and Los Angeles. It will screen on May 5 at 1 p.m. The second feature for DocSunday, screening at 3 p.m., is the acclaimed documentary Brothers on the Line. Documenting the rise of the monumental United Auto Workers. Featuring never before seen archival footage of strike lines and powerful speeches.

May 6 Best of the Best: Student Art Exhibitions

Craig Ibarra’s Germs, at the “This Is Not an Art Show” exhibit. The stenciled art work is Los Angeles based punk band, the Germs, who were active between 1977-1980. Ibarra’s work will be on display through June 29.

May 3 Student Art Month

The Palos Verdes Art Center/Beverly G. Alpay Center for Arts Education proudly presents three student art exhibitions, May 3 through May 26, 2013 at the Art Center’s temporary location, Promenade on the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates. The culmination of this year’s student art from Art At Your Fingertips, Partners In Art and The Best of High School Art will be exhibited. Details: (310) 541-2479; www.pvartcenter.org Venue: Promenade on the Peninsula Location: 550 Deep Valley Dr., Suite 261, Rolling Hills Estates

May 4 Gay Greatness

The Center cordially invites the community to attend Gay Greatness, a multimedia presentation by Gregorio

Luke, at 12 p.m. May 4, The Art Theatre in Long Beach. Gay Greatness will celebrate the accomplishments of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer individuals in art, history and culture. Mr. Luke has presented over 1,000 lectures in museums and universities throughout Mexico, Europe and the United States in institutions such as the Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, and Universities such as Harvard, Columbia, UNAM and Georgetown, among others. The event is free. Venue: Art Theatre Location: 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach

May 4 This Is Not An Art Show

Cornelius Projects is pleased to present This is Not An Art Show, featuring the works of Craig Ibarra, May 4 through June 29, in San Pedro. An opening

Marymount College presents Best of the Best: Student Art Exhibitions, featuring this year’s best student artwork from Marymount College, from May 6 through 11 at the Arcade Gallery in San Pedro. The closing reception will take place at 6:30 p.m. May 11. The event is free. Details: (310) 303-7223; www.marymountpv.edu Venue: The Arcade Gallery Location: 479 W. 6th St., San Pedro

May 18 Malaga Cove Art Show

Bring your family and enjoy a free day of art at the Malaga Cove Art Show and Sale, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18 and 19, at Malaga Cove Plaza. Chat with the artists and view their work. When you find that perfect painting, photograph, ceramic vase or piece of jewelry you can purchase it with confidence knowing that it is a unique expression of the artist’s vision. About 30 artists affiliated with the Palos Verdes Art Center will show and sell their ceramics, jewelry and acrylic, oil and watercolor paintings. Details: (310) 541-2479; www.pvartcenter.org Venue: Malaga Cove Plaza Location: Palos Verdes Drive West between Via Corta and Via Chico, Palos Verdes Estates.


n O s t u o B : y b ’ r e D r Rolle from p. 1

or adults. Another huge difference from your average derby is that they also have co-ed bouts. Rinks and practices are shared by both the men and women skaters. They have one co-ed team, two all-female teams and a junior derby team, all of which are actively recruiting. Pigeon has ‘Fresh Meat’ trainings held every Sunday, where she helps beginners learn the basics of roller derby. “We all really support each other,” Pigeon said. “No matter if you’re brand new, if you’ve been skating for over a year, we’re all a family: A family of athletes in training.” “It doesn’t even matter if you’re the best skater, if you’re the worst skater, you’re all in the same thing together,” Daisy Doom added. “There are a lot of moms, a lot of professional people, doctors, lawyers. It’s that sisterhood that really keeps you going.” The bouts take place at Wilson Park in Torrance once a month. However, Pigeon is still looking for a permanent home for their league because she plans to expand next year and incorporate the San Pedro Badfish. They also have begun forming an all-star team to travel for scrimmages and competitive bouts across the state. One of their upcoming bouts takes place

Harbor Area from p. 6 their studios. The galleries will feature four new openings by a range of artists from the professional art world, local community and K-12 schools. Details: trevor@angelsgateart.org Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center Location: 3601 S. Gaffey, Building E, San Pedro

Creating Engaging Marketing Campaigns

Join Seth Avergon, president of Avergon Marketing Group, for Creating Engaging Marketing Campaigns, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 15, at the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Boardroom Gallery. Venue: Chamber Boardroom Gallery Location: 390 W. 7th St., San Pedro

Lecture: Tell Me Doc

Long Beach Derby Gals. Photo: Mathew Highland.

Community Behavioral Health Program’s free quarterly health information series, “Tell Me Doc…,” will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 17, at the Community Hospital Auditorium in Long Beach. Community Hospital Long Beach is expanding services over the next six to 12 months. Learn about the hospital’s: (1) inpatient geriatric psychiatry program, (2) partial hospitalization treatment, (3) outpatient behavioral health clinic, (4) newly opened perinatal mood-anxiety disorder program, (5) 24-hour Behavioral Health Hotline (855) 2452443 RSVP by May 15 at (562) 494-0576; Pdingwell@memorialcare.org

LB Water Department Increases Lawn Removal Funding

Qualified applicants are now eligible to receive $3 per square foot of grass removed, or up to $3,000 total per project. The Long Beach Water Department’s Lawn to Garden (L2G) Program funds the first 1,000 square feet of lawn removed for each project, meaning that customers who apply for the full incentive amount will receive $3,000 to defray many of the costs associated with removing a grass lawn and installing a drought-tolerant landscape in its place. The department will host the Long Beach Lawn to Garden Tour, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18. More than 30 homes that completed projects through the L2G Program will be on display throughout the city. The tour is free and open to the public. RSVP at www.lblawntogarden.com.

City Clerk Seeks Poll Workers

On April 20, Beach Cities Roller Derby had a match at Wilson Park in Torrance. Photo: Jerrick Romero.

which take place throughout the United States, leading to one major final game. It is currently one of the more popular underground sports, especially since it has been the subject of films, such as the 2009 film, Whip It. The sport has grown so much that it is now even being considered for the 2020 Olympics. The underlying message that keeps repeating is that anyone can be a derby girl. “I use to be in telecommunications but then I got out of the corporate world because it was killing me,” Daisy Doom said. “I was working in Telecom and I was working with a girl who was an original derby doll. That got me excited because I was a skater my whole life. I would encourage any female on earth to do derby. I really would, because it gives you a view of sisterhood and competitiveness.” Beach Cities Roller Derby will hold its next bout at 7 p.m. on May 11 at Wilson Park, Torrance. Tickets are $12. Children 12 year and under get in free. Details: www.beachcitiesrollerderby.com

Long Beach AIDS Ride

Registration now is open for the Long Beach AIDS Ride, a one-day bike ride to raise funds and awareness about HIV/AIDS in Long Beach.

May 3 - 16, 2013

in Bakersfield versus the Bakersfield Diamond Divas. Roller derby was started during the Great Depression, later fading out of popularity by the 1970s until its reemergence about 40 years later, during our current recession. The sport itself seems to provide an escape of sorts for the day-to-day stress in an otherwise unfriendly economy. By 1940 it had more than 5 million spectators across the United States. The major difference between roller derby then and now is the athleticism involved. Originally it was much like modern day scripted professional wrestling, with scripted races and predetermined winners. Now, it is an all out battle to win the bout for your team. With more than 1,200 leagues worldwide, the sport of roller derby can be found anywhere, including Spain, South America, Japan and Israel. Every year the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association sponsors annual championships,

The Office of the City Clerk - Election Division is in need of about 1,300 additional poll workers to staff polls for the 2013 General Municipal and Special Elections on May 21. Spanish or Korean bilingual poll workers are especially needed. The Election Division expects to place about 6,400 poll workers to work at polling locations in the jurisdiction of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and/or the Los Angeles Community College District. Poll workers earn stipends for each election day they work. Inspectors receive a $100 stipend and are paid an additional $25 for attending a mandatory training class and another $50 for picking up and dropping off polling place supplies and voting equipment. Clerks receive an $80 stipend and an additional $25 for attending a mandatory training class. To serve as a poll worker, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen and registered voter who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and is able to speak, read and write in English. Applicants may sign up by calling the Election Division’s Pollworker Recruitment Hotline toll free at (866) 899-8683 or locally at (213) 978-0363. An online poll worker application is also available at http://clerk. lacity.org/Elections in the “Pollworkers” section. Details: http://clerk.lacity.org/Elections.

The Local Publication You Actually Read

some even grandmothers. Which explains how exhilarating, fun and accessible roller derby can be. They look forward to leaving their everyday jobs, heading out on the rink and hitting one of their best friends. There is even a junior roller derby for girls ages 6 to 17 to go out there and skate. The creator of the Beach Cities Roller Derby, Pigeon, explained in simple fashion why so many women, including moms go out to skate every weekend. “It gives the chance for moms to go out there and feel like mother f!@#!*g rock stars,” she said. All derby girls agree that it’s a relief when they step out on the rink for a bout that they are featured in. “You can let it all out on the track,” said Quinstigator, who is a mother of a 7- and 11-year old. “Your energy, your frustrations; it’s a way to let go.” Whether it be in the way they organize events or in the way they tailor their uniforms, roller derby has always carried a do-it-yourself attitude, and the Beach Cities Roller Derby is no different. It is a powerful grassroots community organization that’s bonded by a form of sisterhood. Anyone who shows up will be accepted, no one gets turned away. Freaks, geeks, and nerds alike. “I hear the other girls saying, it’s the first time they have had a group of friends that they actually look forward to going out with,” Pigeon said. “It’s really exciting and empowering,” said Daisy Doom, another mother who spends her free time battling it out on the track. “There’s really no kind of place you can go where you’re with a bunch of other girls and you have mad respect for each other. You want to see each other do well. You fall down, you get cheered for. Girls don’t get along with each other very much, so when it comes to derby it really turns the table on that.” Participating in roller derby also requires the skaters to create their own name and persona— most being pretty witty—such as Block Lobster, ClockHer Texas Ranger and Buns of Anarchy, just to name a few. And these monikers perfectly fit the punk-rock style that they embrace. These skaters live by their name. Derby becomes a major part of their everyday life. Training and conditioning as often as possible, they bleed and sweat roller derby. Pigeon, who also sometimes goes by her real name, Shayna Meikle, created Beach Cities Roller Derby in April 2012 for the lack of a roller derby league in the South Bay. Quinstinator was looking for some derby action, but her location made it unable for her to attend any leagues bouts that took place out of town. “I was skating at the Strand by myself, just pretending to be a Derby Girl. Because they had a team in Long Beach and Los Angeles, it was just too far for me to go and play. Then when the derby team came to the South Bay. It was like, ‘Yes!’” Long Beach’s Derby had to close its doors last year, but a new league has since re-emerged. The Long Beach Derby Gals league was formed earlier this year with the intent of increasing production value and the toughen competition. They are also actively recruiting after their first successful bout named, Back from the Dead. Beach Cities Roller Derby, unlike some other derbies, is skater owned and managed. This is beneficial because it allows people of all skill levels to participate, whether it be children

Community Announcements:

19


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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS FILINGS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013056859 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Harbor Foot and Ankle Podiatric Medical Group, 1360 W. 6th Street #150W, San Pedro, CA 90732. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Bruce D. Levine DPM. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above March 13, 2013. 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/ Bruce D. Levine, president. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 13, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013056858 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Myfunkysocks, 4005 Admirable Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

05/02/13, 05/16/13, 05/30/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013062323 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Fantasy Spa mobile Pet Grooming, 2671 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Adrian Garcia, 2671 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. Erica Garcia, 2671 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by a married couple. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above April 1, 2013. 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

05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013056860 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Zelaya Services, 7606 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90047. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Mauricio Zelaya, 7606 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90047. This business is conducted by an individual. The

05/02/13, 05/16/13, 05/30/13

RANDOMLetters from p. 9

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013062328 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Soderstrom Garage Doors, 1221 Lyndon St., #10, South Pasadena, CA 91030. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Derek Soderstrom, 1221 Lyndon St., #10, South Pasadena, CA 91030. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above October 1, 2010. 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/ Derek Soderstrom. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 29, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13, 04/18/13,

guilty of a crime.). S/ Adrian Garcia, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 5, 2013. NoticeIn accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/18/13,

registrant commenced 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/ Mauricio Zelaya. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 21, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013044529 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Babes Secret Stash, 1767 W. Chandeleur Dr., San Pedro, CA 90732. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Connie Lepkosky, 1767 W. Chandeleur Dr., San Pedro, CA 90732. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced 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/ Connie Lepkosky. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 6, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013038133 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Absolute Supervision, 1714 W. 238th St., Los Angeles, CA 90501. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Robert Anthony Torres, 1714 W. 238th St., Los Angeles, CA 90501. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced 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/ Robert Anthony Torres. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 1, 2008. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013068852 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Alpha Omega Arts & Designs, 455 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Thomas T. Asuncion, Jr. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above April 1, 2013. 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 T. Asuncion, Jr, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 5, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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

into the 21st century by, at least, getting a modern METRO STATION down here in his first term. Mr. Buscaino has endorsed mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti and the lobbyist has already received Michaels, a San Pedro High School Student telephone call, live, as him to Vote for Garcetti for Mayor as a favor for Mr. Buscaino, on May 21. The lobbyist told volunteer Michael that he would vote for Garcetti IF COUNCILMAN BUSCAINO WOULD PROMISE TO LOBBY GARCETTI TO APPOINT HIM TO THE MTA BOARD this summer. Anyone who knows politics knows that ENDORSEMENTS are given free. What has Mr. Buscaino promised and what has candidate Garcetti promised in return? Donald Compton Wilmington

Eric Garcetti Should be Elected Mayor

Eric Garcetti wants to be the next mayor of Los Angeles. As a citizen I am endorsing him because Los Angeles needs him to fix its broken personnel system. While the other candidate hasn’t been willing to talk about personnel matters, Eric Garcetti has publicly acknowledged that the city’s personnel system is broken. He is fully aware of these fiscal facts: The city’s current budget is over 7 billion dollars. Of that total, over 60% supports a workforce of over 30,000 employees. Garcetti’s also aware that, together, the 34 budgetary departments spend nearly $3 billion, with the average department spending over 85 percent of it total appropriation just for employee salaries! Candidate Garcetti is fully aware that employees are the city’s most expensive resource, and he’s sensitive to the view that the city’s 4$B workforce is not wellmanaged. If he’s elected mayor of LA, here’s what he’ll do about the situation. Mayor Garcetti will honor his oath of office. He will support the city charter. More specifically, he will enforce the crater sections related to the city’s personnel function—Sections 540, 541 and 542. These sections are not now being enforced. The past three mayors refused to enforce them and by that refusal, they violated their oath of office and corrupted the civil service system. Mayor Garcetti will keep his promise to the people; he’ll fix civil service. Mayor Garcetti will appoint a civil service commission to represent the public at city hall. Its purpose, in part, will be to limit politicians’ access to city jobs. I’m confident he will appoint commissioners who know the history of civil service, and who are familiar with state-of-the-art policies and practices related to the management of employee performance. Mayor Garcetti will conduct a nationwide search for the best qualified director of human resources. He’ll appoint that director to be the general manager of the city’s personnel department, to administer the civil service system. Mayor Garcetti will appoint a chief administrative officer for each agency. Those CAOs will report to him. He may expect them to learn from HR authorities like, Edward E. Lawler II. Samuel Sperling Monterey Park

May 3 - 16, 2013

04/18/13, 05/02/13, 05/16/13

under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/18/13,

The Local Publication You Actually Read

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2013048326 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Local 420 Patients Collective, 600 S. Pacific Ave., #104. County of Los Angeles. Articles of incorporation: 46-1717368. Registered owner(s): General Organics, 11 Hillrise, Dove Canyon, CA 92679, California. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above February 15, 2013. 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/ Peter Jason Cappely, president. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 12, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

90275. County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Kerry Rizzo, 4005 Admirable Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above October 1, 2010. 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/ Peter Jason Cappely, president. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 21, 2013. Notice- In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Business 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 expires 40days 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 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 14411 et. Seq., Business and Professions Code). Amended (New Filing): 04/04/13,

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Mayoral Candidate Wendy Greuel Meets With San Pedro Chamber of Commerce

May 3 - 16, 2013

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

On April 30, city controller and mayoral candidate, Wendy Greuel met with local business leaders and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce in the waning weeks before the May 21 election. During the meeting she discussed her support for world class transportation, particularly one that connects the Harbor Area to LAX and downtown Los Angeles. Greuel addressed business leaders’ concerns about the potential replacement of city managers when a new mayor is elected. Greuel said all city department heads would have a six-month evaluation period to decide whether they would stay on for the rest of her term in office.

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The Local Publication You Actually Read

May 3 - 16, 2013

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May 3 - 16, 2013

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area


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