RLn 05-17-12 Edition

Chinese Paper-Cutting Artist Shares Pain and Beauty p. 4

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Can’t Afford “Too Big to Fail” Banks—Is it Time to Try Publicly Owned Ones? p. 6 LOLPERA: How Meme Cats Became the Inspiration of an Opera p. 14

All is Quiet on the Western Front — Until September

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

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The Local Publication You Actually Read May 18 - 31, 2012

Democratic representatives Laura Richardson and Janice Hahn face off in the newly created 44th District.

ith the redrawing of the 36th and 37th congressional districts into the new 44th District, two formidable Democrats, Rep. Janice Hahn and Rep. Laura Richardson, are pitted against each other.

This contest of Democrat versus Democrat caused the congressional race to resemble a baseball game that hadn’t yet started more than a bare-knuckled prize-fight scheduled for the June 5—the date of the primary election for the 44th Congressional District in which the top two votegetters, regardless of party affiliation will move on to the general election in November.

Richardson, who was elected to Congress in 2007 after winning a special election following the death of Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald, amassed more than $1 million to get re-elected unopposed in 2008. Richardson raised significantly less money, $650,000, in the 2010 Congressional elections against challenger Star Parker who raised $1.6 million. Parker, a relatively unknown candidate was endorsed by the Tea Party. While somewhat of a new face in Congress, Janice Hahn is no Star Parker.

Battle for the 44th/ to p. 17

HARBOR AREA

Committed to independent journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for more than 30 years

Angels Gate Gets Facelift Kevin Walker, Editorial Intern

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

“It’s a part of the historic fabric, not only of San Pedro, but of Los Angeles,” president of the Cabrillo Beach Booster Club, Gary Dwight said.

“It’s a historic icon.”

Dwight is rightly enthusiastic. His organization recently completed phase one of a project to restore the historic Angels Gate Lighthouse, which for 99 years has guided ships into the Port of Los Angeles and become a symbol of San Pedro’s connection to the Pacific Ocean.

In 2009 the Harbor Board of Commissioners, following a recommendation from the Port Community Advisory Committee, awarded $1.8 million for the first phase of the lighthouse’s restoration. The project was completed using money from the China Shipping Mitigation Fund, which is intended to finance public projects in the Wilmington and San Pedro communities as part of a 2003 settlement between the Natural Resources Defense Council and local environmental activists on the one hand, and the Port of Los Angeles on the other.

Angels Gate’s maintenance is technically the responsibility of its operator, the United States Coast Guard. However, this responsibility extends only to the proper functioning of the lighthouse’s siren and lens and not to the quality or appearance of the structure as a whole. Besides a coat of paint 16 years ago, the Coast Guard has been uninvolved in the upkeep of Angels Gate.

“Holy smoke ...parts of it were falling down,” said Dwight, recounting a visit to the lighthouse.

“Nothing but rust holes [and] graffiti.”

The long period of neglect took its toll on the lighthouse. Its prominent position on the breakwalls of the outer harbor also meant that incoming ships to the Port of Los Angeles were greeted

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Community Announcements:

Harbor Area St. Mary Hosts Safety Fair For Seniors

On May 31, St. Mary Medical Center will host a senior safety fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the John Parr Health Enhancement Center on the St. Mary campus.

The event will include lectures from top physicians, as well as a welcome from acting South Division Commander Long Beach Police Department, Dan Pratt. Topics will include: Trauma and injury incidents in seniors, medication safety, making a home disaster kit and fall prevention. The fair also will offer foot screenings, immunization assessments, vision screenings and more. Validated parking $2.

Details: www.stmarymedicalcenter.org Venue: St. Mary Medical Center Location: 1050 Linden Ave., Long Beach

Cesar Chavez’s UFW Marks 50 Years

Angels Gate Lighthouse. File photo.

by a rusting eyesore. “[Angels Gate] wasn’t a great first impression,” said Phillip Sanfield, Port of Los Angeles spokesman. “We’re thrilled Cabrillo Beach Boosters took the project.”

The recently completed first phase focused entirely on repairing the lighthouse exterior. A planned phase two will address fixes to the lighthouses interior and landing. Funds for the next phase have yet to be found. Dwight estimates that another $1 million will be needed to complete the Angels Gate restoration and that money will have to be raised through a mix of donations and grants. Still, he is determined to get it done.

“Its a part of our beach,” he says. “It’s a gem.”

More than 2,000 farm worker delegates and supporters will attend the United Farm Workers’ 50th anniversary convention from May 18 through 20, in Bakersfield—five decades after Cesar Chavez began organizing one of the most important movements for social change in American history.

Chavez’s March 31 birthday is now an official holiday in eight states with thousands of communities naming public places in his honor and holding annual observances. The UFW began 5 decades ago when Chavez drove to dozens of impoverished Central Valley farm towns, talking with thousands of farm workers while laboring in the fields himself to support his family. That led to the famed 1965 to 1970 Delano grape strike and boycotts of grapes and other products supported by millions of Americans.

Since then, California farm workers have won union contracts with previously unimaginable benefits plus historic legislative victories. Recent UFW bills heading for Gov. Jerry Brown this year would prevent more farm worker deaths from extreme heat and grant farm workers overtime pay.

Delegates from union contract ranches and farm workers presently organizing with the UFW will honor 1960s pioneers with songs and skits performed by Luis Valdez and the Teatro Campesino and speeches by dignitaries at the 187-acre National Chavez Center in the Tehachapi Mountain hamlet of Keene, which hosts Chavez’s gravesite and Memorial Garden, a Visitor Center and sprawling educational center.

Details: www.ufw.org/convention. continued on following page

from previous page National Maritime Day The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Committee invites the community to the National Maritime Day Observance and Memorial Service on May 22. The service begins at 11 a.m. at the foot of 6th Street at the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial in San Pedro. There will be a luncheon afterward at 12 p.m. at nearby Ports O’Call Restaurant at Berth 76, Ports O’Call.

Tickets are $40 per person, tables of ten $400.

For luncheon reservations please respond by May 18.

Details: (310) 833-3553 Venue: Ports O’Call Restaurant Location: 1199 Berth 76, San Pedro Mental Health Awareness Community Resource Fair On May 31, the San Pedro Mental Health Center is hosting a Mental Health Awareness Community Resource fair, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Details: (310) 519-6100 Venue: San Pedro Mental Health Center Location: 150 W. 7th St., San Pedro Adult Education Townhall Meeting A town Hall Meeting to discuss the fate of Adult Education in the Harbor Area is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 18, in Wilmington. RSVP. Details: (310) 548-4292 Venue: Banning Recreation Center Location: 1331 Eubank Ave., Wilmington Progressive Democratic Club Meeting The Progressive Democratic Club will meet at 4 p.m. May 20, at El Coyote Restaurant in San Pedro.

This will be an endorsement meeting covering judicial seats, the 47th Congressional District and review of propositions that are on the June 2012 Ballot.

Details: (310) 508-9234 Venue: El Coyote Restaurant Location: 800 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro.

Waterfront Red Car Line Out of Service Until June 28 The Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line will temporarily stop service from May 14 through June 28 — with the exception of Memorial Day Weekend, May 25 through 28—due to construction of the new Downtown Harbor Project near downtown San Pedro and Ports O’ Call Village.

While the Red Cars are non-operational, the San Pedro Historic Waterfront Business Improvement District’s Red Trolley will make stops along the Red Car route. The PBID Red Trolley runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. and the first Thursday of every month from 5 to 10 p.m.

Details: (310) 732-3508; www. portoflosangeles.org.

Harbor Interfaith Set to Move into New Home

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

Tahia Hayslet, executive director and CEO of Harbor Interfaith Services spoke excitedly about the features of the newly built facility the service organization will be officially moving into on June 10. Comprised of 15,000 square feet that includes a conference room, a computer lab and small playground for toddlers. But Hayslet, is really excited about the extra bathrooms.

“Before, we only had one bathroom for all of us and the clients, so we got to know each other really well,” Hayslet jokingly said.

She noted that the new facility, located on 9th street across from the 99¢ Only Store, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified building. LEED certification means that the building was independently verified, and was designed and built with an eye towards sustainable site development, water savings and energy efficiency. And, most importantly, providing space to accommodate staff using public transit or biking to work.

All joking aside, Hayslet noted that the new building was needed just to serve their existing clients.

“This is a consolidation of space,” Tahia explained. “We are going to adequately serve the clients we have now on site.”

One of the biggest improvements in how they’ll be able to work is that clients will have more privacy, so they will be able to freely talk about issues of domestic violence and substance abuse so that case managers will be able to best direct them to resources. Before, clients could find themselves talking about such issues with other clients in the room, if at all.

A key feature of the new building is its infant and toddler care facilities, which will make it easier and more efficient for staff to assist clients with children.

“Stress management workshops would be impossible before because we had parents all in one room trying to pay attention while controlling their children,” Hayslet said.

The new computer lab has 10 desktops termi-

Executive director and CEO of Harbor Interfaith Services, Tahia Hayslet overlooking the playground at the service organization’s new facility near 9th and Gaffey streets. Photo: Terelle Jerricks.

nals and an additional 20 laptops to assist clients writing resumes, applying for jobs online, or students doing their homework. Before, case managers had to direct clients to the library which had fewer computers and only allowed users to sit at a terminal for 30 minutes.

Previously, Harbor Interfaith has largely

coped with the cramped spacing conditions by referring clients to other local services groups such as Rainbow Services, Toberman, Beacon House and House of Hope.

The new space will include an enlarged waiting area that will allow more efficient processing Harbor Interfaith/ to p. 10

Buscaino Requests Safety Hearing on Rancho LPG

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

mittee, so we can most effectively address their concerns.”

While the motion was framed in terms of general public safety concerns, Buscaino’s press release specifically cited “the Rancho LPG liquefied petroleum gas storage facility...[b]uilt in 1973... [which] has two 12.5 million gallon refrigerated tanks containing butane, a by-product of the refining process…”

The release went on to say, “Buscaino will invite representatives from numerous regulatory and enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level,” including the state and federal Environmental Protection agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the Los Angeles county and city fire departments, among others.

“The Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Rancho LPG Safety Hearing/ to p. 10

The Local Publication You Actually Read

On May 1, Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino introduced a motion requesting that the council’s Public Safety Committee participate in a special meeting to investigate the potential risks and overall safety of liquid bulk storage facilities in the Harbor Area.

The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Jan Perry and Councilman Mitch Englander, chairman of the Public Safety Committee. Perry has previously played a leading role in responding to local activists’ public safety concerns centered on the Rancho LPG facility on North Gaffey Street.

“Public safety is my No. 1 priority,” Buscaino said. “The 15th Council District has a number of liquid bulk storage tanks, and numerous residents have contacted me, concerned about the safety of these tanks.

“I think it’s important to get all the experts from various regulatory agencies in one room to present the facts to the community and the com-

May 18 - 31, 2012

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In The Times of a Butterfly

By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

Chinese master paper cutter, Xiyadie (pronounced Zhee-yá-dee), has been exhibiting his work, The Metamorphosis of a Butterfly: A kaleidoscopic vision of life by a gay Chinese artist at Flazh! Alley Art Studio in San Pedro, in conjunction with The Center Long Beach.

Consisting of more than 50 works, Butterfly celebrates the artist’s family and same-sex life, transcending discrimination and social stigma in China. His work will remain on display through July 14.

To the naked eye, Xiyadie simply marries the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting with same-sex erotica. But hidden in the intricate patterns of the cutouts is his story detailing his struggles as a gay, married father of a son with cerebral palsy. “(My art is about) living and feeling,” Xiyadie said through his interpreter, Alan Quach. “My feeling with my living is different because I have a lot of pain and suffering in my past, so that is why I have stronger feeling to express my art.”

In Chinese, Xiyadie means Siberian butterfly. He chose that pseudonym to disguise his identity. It alludes to the freezing winds that blow from Siberia.

His collections detailing aspects of his personal story made from red paper cutouts illustrate his love for his family, his challenges and his dreams for them.

“Joy 14,” an intricately cut example of the family series depicts the interaction between the artist’s mother and son, both of whom are ill. His son, who only can move his foot, massages his grandmother’s legs to relieve her pain.

In “Letter,” Xiyadie displays how his son’s

4

sister reads a letter from their mother and love of the mother pours through the paper, and moves the dog and bird.

Paper cutting originated in Eastern Han Dynasty of China between 25 and 220 A.D., which has been passed down from generation to generation.

Xiyadie grew up poor in the Shen xi Province of China and his family were farmers skilled in the art of paper cutting--skill handed down though several generations in his family. At 16 years old he followed in their footsteps, albeit with a spin of his own. In the beginning, it was just something he did for fun.

It wasn’t until after he was married, at the age of 26, that he began to recognize his homosexuality. He had same-sex encounters in his teenage years, but he hadn’t associated them with being gay. As with other gay men of his culture, his traditional upbringing dictated that he would marry and have children. It wasn’t until he moved to Beijing that he fully began to accept his sexuality.

“Before I came to Beijing I had a lot pain,” he said. “I tried to change myself to not be a gay person, but I couldn’t. In my mind, gay life is beautiful, so I cannot put it [out of] my mind.”

Xiyadie depicts this struggle in many of his art pieces, such as “The Door” series, which deploys color cut-outs depicting nature and red doors to convey the narrative of his male-onmale desire and the beauty and pain of his coming out process.

Other works go deeper into his family life, dreams and pain.

“Joy 18,” a red-paper cutout, explains his and

Artist Xiyadie stands next to his paper cutout, “Joy 14,” one of several pieces about family and sexuality. His work is on display through July 14 at Flazh!Art Studio in San Pedro. Photo: Anthony Castro, The Center Long Beach.

his wife’s decision to stay together for the sake of keeping the family together. The cutout depicts Xiyadie lost in a war with his wife ready to leave, but not before encountering his son, who buries his head on Xiyadie chest crying.

The “Vase” is a symbol of peace and prosperity. It he shows an androgynous couple copulating. The head of one of those two people extends outside of the vase and spews beautiful flowers from several stems that touch a centerpiece on top of the figure’s head, the symbol of the happiness of marriage. It is this sense of empowerment and harmony that he’s been able extract through his artwork.

“Cutting this thing I have to have a lot of imagination,” he said. “Through my imagination, I am the creator; I’m the king. So, cutting paper is not cutting my skin, cutting my body, it’s cutting paper.

“I can do whatever I want. I create the whole work... That’s why in my product, you always see a lot of nature like birds, trees, flowers; all connect from nature.”

In China, authorities largely turn a blind eye to homosexuality as long as it is not obvious. His work would be confiscated if they were to be displayed without proper permits. Although it is has continued on following page

from previous page

Butterfly

not been illegal to be homosexual since 1997, authorities still discourage people from living openly gay.

Authorities are known to shut down events and establishments that are perceived to promote homosexuality, even if there is almost underground-like activities such as gay

New Faces, Leadership

By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter Several positions of leadership in the Carson community have seen turnover in recent months. Here’s an introduction to three new faces:

Sheriff’s Captain After a Scandal Lt. Eddie Rivero has, as of April 1, officially become captain of the Carson Sheriff’s Station, where he is responsible for supervising 160 deputies.

He began serving as acting captain a year ago, when the previous captain, Bernice Abram, was placed on administrative leave and never returned Officially, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been very

quiet about circumstances surrounding Abram’s departure, but media investigations have uncovered that her voice was allegedly heard on a wiretap of a suspected drug dealer.

Rivero joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 22 years ago and spent his early years as a training officer. Promoted to sergeant in 2000 at the Norwalk Station, he handled the department’s response to discrimination and harassment complaints. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2006 and was assigned to the Carson Station in 2007.

City Clerk: Filling Kawagoe’s Post Donesia Gause was appointed the new city clerk of Carson, replacing longtime City Clerk Helen Kawagoe, who resigned in December due to health reasons.

Gause was sworn in on Feb. 28, immediately after the Carson City Council selected her from a short list of four final candidates. She is serving the remainder of Kawagoe’s term, which expires in March 2015.

Other finalists for the job included Wanda Higaki, Carson’s deputy clerk, former city mayor and Councilwoman Vera Robles DeWitt, and Quiana Williams, a staffer with the state assembly.

Gause, formerly an analyst for the city clerk of Long Beach, is a certified municipal clerk, who also previously worked as the deputy city clerk for the City of Compton.

University Presidents Switch Two state universities are switching presidents. Dr. Willie Hagan, interim president of California State University Fullerton, has been named as interim president of California State University Dominguez Hills, effective June 11, when current CSUDH President Mildred Garcia begins as president of CSUF. Hagan has served in various senior leadership positions at CSUF during his 16 years at the campus, including stints as vice president for administration and chief financial officer.

“I am honored to have been selected to lead the Dominguez Hills campus, and look forward to working closely with faculty, students and staff to build on the university’s excellent foundation,” said Hagan.

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In Random Lengths News

One of Xiyade’s works in progress. Photo: Zamná Ávila.

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DESIGNS

nightclubs. As with most places in the world, small towns are more conservative and more heavily censored. His work is, thus, not able to be publicly displayed in China.

Freedom is more a matter of connections and a matter of whom you know in China, he said. For example in Beijing, people seem to be more open to homosexuality, as long as criminal acts do not take place. His work has been displayed in gay and lesbian festival in Beijing.

“I don’t care whether it is private or public,” he said. “I do these things for myself… I lived in Beijing for 8 years, I don’t have television, radio.

I don’t know what’s going on outside with the politicians. I just do my art work… I never complain about government because I don’t have experience with government.”

Although Xiyadie is not concerned with pushing any social or political messages, he’s glad he’s impacted the lives of others. Like his Siberian namesake, Xiyadie revels in his freedom of expression even under severe cold climates, where it must rise against adversity.

“When I do my product, I don’t think about what people want, what people need, what people enjoy, what people think about it; I don’t care,” he said. “I just care about what I want. I just, like a butterfly, fly everywhere I want to go.

“If I think about what people like, what people want, what people enjoy, my art has a limit; it doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to other people.”

Flazh! Alley Art Studio will be open by appointment and with a special Pride schedule: 7 to 10 p.m. May 18; 12 to 6 p.m. May 19; 2 to 6 p.m.

May 20; 7 to 10 p.m. June 8 ;12 to 6 p.m. June; 2 to 6 p.m. June 20 Details: (310) 833-3633 Venue: Flazh! Alley Art Studio Location: 1113 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

5

Public Owned Bank

Gov. Brown Release Revised Budget, Deficit Nearly Doubles Size Forecasted in January

By Kevin Walker, Editorial Intern and Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

Back in 2009, after several “too big to fail” financial institutions were bailed out, Los Angeles progressive circles discussed establishing a cityowned bank to manage public pension funds and invest in the city’s transportation and affordable housing infrastructure. The idea didn’t get much traction, but the idea lingered as municipalities like Jefferson County in Alabama filed for bankruptcy after getting caught in the same adjustable

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rate loans that ensnared so many foreclosed homeowners across the country.

Ellen Brown, president and chairwoman of the Public Banking Institute, gave a talk on creating such a state owned bank on May 10 at El Camino College. Her talk centered on her recently published book, Web of Debt. In it, she argued that the government should use its constitutional authority to print money instead of relying on the Federal Reserve, noting that it’s an institution composed of privately owned banks.

Because the current system is debt-based, she argues, the cost of interest is built into the total cost of all goods, making prices vulnerable to inflation. Additionally, Brown makes the point that money paid out in interest to banks leaves the community.

“Why don’t we have our own bank?” Brown asked rhetorically. “We could be quite wealthy again like we used to be.”

Public banks, she argues would keep money in the country, state or county in which it is based.

Interest paid to the bank would effectively be state revenue and could in turn be loaned out for public works and improvements.

Brown highlighted real world examples, such as the State of North Dakota, which has a public state bank and managed to avoid the worst of the recession and maintain a surplus.

“The way it works is that all the state’s rev-

Ellen Brown, who developed her research skills as a practicing civil litigation attorney, is also the author of two other books, Forbidden Medicine and Nature’s Pharmacy, co-authored with Dr. Lynne Walker, in addition to her book Web of Debt.

enues, by law, are deposited in the bank and then the bank does what all banks do,” she said. “It uses those revenues to create loans… the state always has access to its money.”

The North Dakota state bank was founded in 1919 after an electoral victory by the state’s farmers who formed a political party to keep funds within the state and away from Wall Street bankers who were in the process of foreclosing on their land.

By applying a similar model to California, Brown believes the state would be able to loan out up to $142 billion and service its current debt through the purchase of municipal bonds.

Public banking is not a new concept, nor is its present disfavor in the United States shared by other countries. Brown says that Brazil, Russia, India, and China all make use of public banks to finance infrastructure projects while avoiding massive debts.

“They, like North Dakota escaped the credit crisis,” she said. “In fact they have remarkable growth… one of the secrets is that they own their banks.”

Public banking has a history in the United States dating back to the colonial period. Pennsylvania was allowed to print its own currency until comments made by Benjamin Franklin describing his colony’s economic strength and independence alarmed British bankers who feared losing financial control of North America.

“It alarmed the bank of England,” she said.

“When they found out that the colony was not struggling as they thought the Bank of England leaned on the king and he said ‘no more script anywhere.’”

The government would not issue its own currency again until 1860 when President Abraham Lincoln implemented the “Greenback” program and issued currency not backed by the dominant Bank of England. This money funded both the Civil War and western expansion without borrowing from overseas creditors.

The system ended after Lincoln’s assassination, but was taken up a generation later by prosilver legislators like William Jennings Bryan.

This last attempt to institute public banking failed, according to Brown because of misleading language in the 1913 Federal Reserve act, which established the United State’s current central bank.

“Rockefeller and Morgan got together and backed this bill... they changed from the Aldrich act... to the federal reserve act so it sounded like it was federal,” Brown said. “It was so obscurely worded.”

For more information on Brown’s book visit www. webofdebt.com.

Sacramento—Gov. Jerry Brown released his May revised budget May 14, reflecting a larger than expected budget shortfall of $15.7 billion from $9.2 billion in January 2012. The governor had been warning the state electorate of the dire state of the budget for more than a week, while keeping a lid on the actual details until this past weekend in his YouTube address.

Brown attributes the $6.5 billion increase in the budget deficit to three factors: an overly optimistic revenue forecast by $4.3 billion; Unexpected spending increase by $2.4 billion for K-14 education related to Prop. 98; and the federal government and courts blocked California’s attempt to achieve cost saving through cuts in fees to MediCal Providers and requiring co-payments from MediCal participants.

To close the gap, the governor is proposing additional cuts in the form of freezing the court construction program for another year and using local reserves to offset general fund costs for local trial courts on a one-time basis; making cuts to hospital and nursing home funding to lower MediCal costs; and reducing in-home supportive services hours by 7 percent.

LA Urges Extension of State Film Tax Credit

Los Angeles—The Los Angeles City Council, on May 11, approved several measures urging the state to adopt incentives for filming in California, including extending the California State Film Tax Credit program into 2020. Authored by council members Eric Garcetti, Richard Alarcon, Paul Krekorian and Tom LaBonge, the resolution urges the state to strongly counter the incentives being used to lure film and television production to other states.

“LA’s signature industry is more than glitz and glamour; it’s one of our biggest job creators,” Garcetti said in released statement.

“We must do all we can to not only keep film, TV and commercial productions here, but to expand the number of productions in Los Angeles,” Alarcón said The resolution demands that the state enact Assembly Bill 2026 and Senate Bill 1167. The extension of the California State Film Tax Credit expiration date means giving the film and television industry $500 million worth of incentives throughout five years.

The program is reserved for “below the line” jobs such as carpenters, electricians and truck drivers, and specifically excludes directors, screenwriters, actors and the like.

Assistance League of San Pedro Elects New President

San Pedro-—Shirley Tyler, a 45-year resident of Palos Verdes was recently elected to serve as president of the 487 member Assistance League® of San Pedro-South Bay for the 201213 fiscal year.

The Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay has been an all volunteer charitable organization for over 85 years, devoted to the needs of the children, families and seniors of its community.

Tyler worked in promotions, marketing and public relations while employed at the Daily Breeze earning two Copley Bells and several marketing awards. She joined the Leukemia Society of America—now referred to as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She began as a program coordinator and ended as interim executive director—learning most of the finer nuances of fundraising along the way. She received several awards—the greatest being recognized as third highest fundraiser in the country It was through Tyler’s involvement in her faith community, St. Peter’s By the Sea Presbyterian continued on following page

from previous page

New Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay, Shirley Tyler.

church, that she was introduced to the Assistance League, many of which had been active at one time or another.

Capt. Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Arrested in Germany for Extradition to Costa Rica German authorities arrested the Founder and President of the U.S. based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Capt. Paul Watson, May 12 for extradition to Costa Rica. The extradition request stems from a 2002 violation in Costa Rica when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero. On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their illegal shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted.

When they reached the port, the crew of the Varadero accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them. A Guatemalan gunboat was subsequently dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew.

Sea Shepherd said Watson was filming a documentary at the time of the alleged incident. The environmental activist group said the video proves their version of events.

To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd said it set sail for Costa Rica only to uncover more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.

Capt. Watson is being assisted by the European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European Deputy Jose Bove.

from p. 1

Battle for the 44th Hahn has raised almost $2 million war chest and extensive Democratic network that goes back to her father’s time, the late Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. But a network formed during her time Los Angeles City Council. A dozen state assembly members have come out and endorsed her, as well as much of the elected establishments in the cities of Compton, Carson, Lynwood, South Gate and Los Angeles.

More than 30 labor unions ranging from the ILWU Southern California District Council to the National Nurses United, and almost 50 community and Democratic activists have endorsed Hahn. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this list is the breadth of interest groups represented from ethnic-based Democratic caucus to various lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups. She also counts Watts community activist, and founder and executive director of Parents of Watts, ‘Sweet’ Alice Harris and Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, former head of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church among her endorsements.

In contrast, Richardson has a list of “supporters” that include individual members of the of the Congressional Black Caucus and perhaps a dozen individuals and organizations under the headings of California state officials, local officials, labor organizations and community leaders.

Both Hahn and Richardson list the support of Carson Mayor Jim Dear and Carson Councilman Elito Santarina. Random Lengths News was unable to get a comment on their positions before press time.

Longtime Democratic activist and president of the Progressive Democratic Julian Burger noted Hahn has been working the phones and the pavement since November 2011, months before the state Democratic convention in February of this year.

“Janice was calling people and going to club meetings. Laura didn’t start until a full two months afterwards,” explained Burger, who has worked on Carson Mayor Jim Dear re-election campaign and Marcy Winograd’s two runs for congress.

“I have never seen a race like this, especially a congressional election.” Burger said. “Everybody loves Laura, but she hopped on the horse too late.”

Random Lengths News attempted three times to

reach Richardson’s campaign through the number listed on its website and left one voice message. In subsequent call, her campaign’s voice message box was full.

Burger praised Janice’s front team in getting out ahead and reaching out to Democratic Clubs and delegates to the state convention and securing either their endorsements and their votes.

“Janice hires good people.

When they tell her to do something she does it, and she wins,” Burger said. “Who would have thought that the redistricting maps would turn out the way they did?”

The new 44th Congressional District merged parts of the old 36th and 37th districts.

The Local Publication You Actually Read May 18 - 31, 2012

7

Why America Should be Angry The ghost of Reagan and my endorsement of Hahn

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

With this editorial, I fully and unequivocally endorse Janice Hahn’s candidacy to return to Congress and represent the new 44th Congressional District. I have chosen to do this not for the many reasons that others have previously voiced, such as her support for union workers, or her stance on equity for women and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. I endorse her because of something that is quite unique to this newspaper: Hahn is the only person, aside from myself, that attracts the ire of certain right-wing letter-writing critics. This, in my mind, means that over and above everything, I agree with her on politically, she must be doing something right!

Now, this may be one of the races in which Ms. Hahn doesn’t mind coming in second. I believe I hold the title for receiving the most snide and vitriolic attacks for my political writings. But I do enjoy the company and I will remind you, my loyal readers, that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I support and defend “free speech” rights of all the citizens enshrined in the First Amendment, even when it doesn’t suit me personally. I have been asked quite adamantly, yet politely, by both friends of Hahn and by the Congresswoman herself to refrain from publishing “any more of those horrible” letters. To which I’ve responded, “I have no control over what some people choose to write and send.”

“But you have the publisher’s prerogative not to print,” they rejoin. I end the conversation by noting that I only use that prerogative to avoid litigation.

“I don’t tell you how to run the congressional office, so don’t tell me how to run the newspaper,” I say.

So let’s talk about why people are angry. They get absolutely apoplectic when I argue that one of their sacred cows, Ronald Reagan, is the cause for much of our current malaise. The president who sold the country on “trickle down” economics; the one who started us on the path of “free trade” as he facilitated the shipping of good industrial jobs south of the border and west of the Pacific. He’s the one who was hired by the private sector back in the 1950s to sabotage national health care. He probably still would if he were alive today. He is the one who signed the law deregulating the Savings and Loans industry only for it to implode a short while later in the same manner we witnessed with the current banking crisis.

As Americans, we should be very angry.

We live in the wealthiest nation on earth, yet

8

35 million of our citizens can’t afford health insurance and routinely go to emergency rooms for health care. Since the time of Ronald the “Great Communicator” Reagan, the wages of the working class have stagnated into a flat line, while the price of a middle-class standard of living has doubled or tripled. Public education has been under-funded, then it is attacked for not keeping up with privatized schools––schools that get their support from the elite few whose salaries have grown exponentially from exporting jobs and importing cheap manufactured goods. Many of those who are the most pissed off misguidedly blame the public sector unions. The public sector makes up only 12 percent of the workforce, but has managed to hold the line against attacks on the middle class, by protecting collective bargaining–something the rest of America, should consider.

People are angry because they’ve been lied to while Wall Street vultures foreclosed on their dreams of a middle class lifestyle. Millions of Americans have been forced into bankruptcy, while the billionaire bankers get bailouts to cover their bad investment bets on derivative bond swaps––a financial product that nobody really understands. Yet, derivative trading continues to plague and embarrass the CEO of one of Wall Street’s largest banks, Chase Bank, which announced it simply lost $2 billion on leveraged bets while spending millions lobbying against Wall Street regulations.

The only folks who seem to be placing their anger in the right place is Occupy Wall Street, who have been routinely abused and arrested for speaking the unsavory truth–that the moneychangers are corrupt. And, in saying this unholy critique of capitalism, they deliver the most unlikely refrain in the public domain of this land of the free: There are some things more important than profit.

So yes, I endorse Janice Hahn for Congress.

Precisely because certain right-wing letter-writing tea-bag sympathizers have criticized her, because she stood her ground where it really mattered, and because she unequivocally understands which side of the class divide she represents and because she will occasionally respond to her critics. I have urged her to do it more often. And you should too. For all those that mutter some sotto voce uncertainties about “Janice not being perfect,” I say that this is why she accurately represents this district, which for all of its assets is so much less than perfect. It’s one of those things in life that makes you work harder, an example we all might like to emulate.

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the seven cities of the Harbor Area.

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By Chuck Hart, President of San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United We are in receipt of a copy of a letter written

by ILWU, Local 26, President, Luisa Gratz, on April 11, 2012. Their letter is to request that the Commission ignore and dismiss the Port Community Advisory Committee’s Motion to revoke the Port’s revocable rail permit servicing the Rancho LPG facility until a proper risk assessment has been performed establishing the level of risk and liability exposure to residents, the City and to the Port.

It appears that the dangers associated with the commodity of Liquid Energy Gas escapes the ILWU totally. This fact, very clearly, emphasizes the critical need for greater education about the volatility, flammability and inextinguishability of butane and propane gases. As the initiators of this hazardous operation, it is incumbent upon the Port and the City of Los Angeles to better inform the union workers and all those potentially impacted about the extreme dangers associated with this commodity, its storage and its transport. Another conservative, yet significant finding, was revealed upon the review of Rancho’s worst case LPG release scenario documents on file with the City of Los Angeles, which indicates an impact on more than 700 lives, in the adjacent neighborhood.

A very concerning “insinuation” in the ILWU letter is the reference to the “Community activists” generating “libelous” statements regarding the performance of work associated with their union members. This statement is completely

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ILWU Local 26 President Doesn’t Get It

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false and seems to be aimed at creating opposition among their union work force. We question where this motivation is coming from. The ILWU letter is written as if by the lobbyists working for Rancho LPG. It is important to note that the same homeowners organizations engaged in this fight for safety at Rancho LPG were the litigants in the China Shipping lawsuit on the issue of Port air pollution. In 2000, the ILWU actually pitted itself against the community on that issue adopting the curious notion that the homeowners were attempting to wipe out the longshore industry in their quest for “clean air.” This latest effort by the ILWU to purportedly “protect” the up to 12 jobs associated with Rancho LPG is a painful reminder of that earlier debacle. The efforts of the homeowners were finally successful in winning the China Shipping lawsuit and meeting the goal of air quality mitigation. That lawsuit netted the entire community, and especially those exerting themselves daily on the docks, cleaner air. The Union now claims credit for making the Port a healthier environment for their workers, even though they opposed these efforts at the time.

The union letter is correct in the recognition of the many refineries and chemical facilities posing potential problems to the Harbor region. Certainly, the homeowners well understand that fact.

However, for numerous reasons Rancho LPG continued on following page

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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 #08916627). All contents Copyright 2012 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.

RANDOMLetters Gaffey Street Improvement

I have an idea for Gaffey Street but did not know who to tell so I chose you. My idea, as an improvement when you come off the freeway and are introduced to San Pedro, is to have a fundraiser to get money to refurbish the current bridge and make a mini replica of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, including the two diffent colored blue lights; the pillars would be painted green etc, as the Vincent Thomas.

Also the current walkways would cut off close to the support pillars and removed to prevent vandals, etc. I think this would excite the public into getting involed.

Tom Baer San Pedro

Hahn Passes by Paseo del Mar Landslide

Having failed to win by a landslide the special election to replace Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-El Segundo), her successor, Janice Hahn paid an unprecedented visit on April 3 to the Paseo del Mar landslide, which does not reside within her constituency. Claiming to be on a fact-finding mission with Army Corps of Engineers, the Congresswoman coupled random comments with an uncompromising insistence on not making any bold promises or declarations.

Stepping onto Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s jurisdiction, Hahn once again displayed her singular capacity to state the obvious while failing to mention anything compelling.

Her personal tour of the Paseo

del Mar landslide is a blatant move to shore up votes in the newly crafted 44th Congressional District, which winds it way up from the San Pedro Peninsula to South Gate. Although facing a weak challenge from Congressional colleague Laura Richardson, Hahn is not letting any crisis go to waste making rounds, feigning interest, expressing unremarkable concern, then moving on to bolster her reelection campaign.

From the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to the economic stagnation that still shackles the Harbor Area, Congresswoman Janice Hahn never fails to ignore a “process” for evaluating the solution to anything. Does this politician ever demonstrate any initiative?

Instead of hyping Waterfront renovations and San Pedro landslides, Congresswoman Hahn ought to fulfill her present responsibilities to the 36th Congressional District. Instead of pointing out the obvious with a cadre of Army staff pumping her patriotic connections, Hahn ought to press for the repeal of ObamaCare, massive deregulation with trading partners across the Pacific and in North America, a concerted plan to limit government and lower taxes, and return currently overlooked rights to the states and the people.

From Playa del Rey to Torrance, the beach cities to South Los Angeles, the voters of the 36th Congressional District are still waiting for their representative to fulfill her responsibilities to the voters, instead of perpetual preparing herself for reelection and higher office.

Arthur Christopher Schaper Torrance

At Odds with Local stands apart from the rest of the facilities in its ex-

Councils and recommendations of homeowners groups in revoking the rail permit servicing Rancho LPG. This rail permit may be re-applied for by the facility after achieving an acceptable level of risk to the public and ensuring adequate insurance coverage to both the City and Port of Los Angeles in the event of any disaster stemming from the facility’s operation.

The potential of disaster from the Rancho facility increases every day in multiple ways. It is now known that Pacific Gas and Electric knew for 50 years that there were problems with the pipes in the region of the San Bruno explosion that decimated an entire neighborhood and took 8 innocent lives. Concerns regarding the Rancho site have raged on now for over 40 years. Why should people have to die in order to bring about rational action? We cannot afford to wait another minute in removing this impending threat. It is incumbent upon the Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners and the Mayor to do what is morally right in this situation. We urge you to use your authority in this attempt to restore public safety by revoking the rail permit as recommended by the PCAC. If the facility is indeed “safe,” as described, there will be no problem in restoring the permit when this fact has been proven.

gets $189,973 a year. He has two deputy mayors, each of whom gets $169,000 a year; another deputy mayor gets $161,000 a year, and

each of this other 8 deputy mayors gets $153,000 a year.

Samuel M. Sperling Monterey Park

May 18 - 31, 2012

treme risk exposure. Rancho’s 25-million gallon capacity, makes it the most voluminous facility of its type in a populated area in the nation.

While the ILWU and other agents of government proclaim that the facility is in “compliance,” that statement does not ring true. A facility that has been “exempted” from having to comply with existing rules and regulations since inception (as Rancho/Petrolane was) CANNOT be truthfully in “full compliance” nor be deemed “safe.” Ms. Gratz makes a cavalier statement to simply “fix” what is “wrong” with the facility.

Obviously, she has not reviewed the issue or simply does not understand the complaints. The first thing to be “fixed” would be to remove the tanks from the Palos Verdes Fault rupture zone.

What Ms. Gratz’s letter does, is underscore the necessity of the Harbor Commission and the City of Los Angeles to assume their responsible leadership role in acting immediately in an effort to safe guard all the union workers, the school children, the homeowners, the local businesses and all impacted parties. It is imperative to move on the Motions of the PCAC, Neighborhood

In Los Angeles, resident pay more than they should for city services because departments suffer from that ancient, bureaucratic disease: “Top-heaviness.” Now, organizations are said to be top-heavy if they have more management levels than they need. But in this column, that term is based, not on management levels, but on highly paid employees.

As a taxpayer, I question whether any city department really needs more than one assistant general manager. Nor am I persuaded that assistant GMs should be civil service exempt. Yet for all the talk about reducing the cost of city government, which I support, I have not heard anything that lest meme believe that the bosses actually want to cut costs/maintain service at City Hall.

Consider: The Community Development Department employs fewer than 2000 workers. It has a General Manager who is paid $195,592 a year, and 3 Assistant General Managers each of whom gets annual salary of $71,000. Understandably, having 3 assistants is good for the General Manager’s ego, but how does it help the people that CDD is supposed to serve?

Or consider the Information Technology Agency. Its General Manager gets $241,122 a year.

Does the Department need 3 exempt assistant general managers —does it need to pay them a combined salary of $537,000 a year to manage 374 employees? Does that benefit the Public?

And consider the Department of building and Safety, with a workforce of 723 employees. The

superintendent of building is paid an annual salary of $211,994. And he’s assisted by no less than 5 deputy superintendents! One deputy dets $196,000 a year, another gets $154,000 and each of the other 3 gets $176,000. Management salaries are called “General Administrative Support.” Well, $1,089,994 is a lot of GAS for one city agency!

But no city department is more top-heavy than the Mayor’s Office.

Consider these statistics: Mayor Villaraigosa gets an annual salary of $232,425. His chief of staff

The Local Publication You Actually Read

from previous page

Top-heaviness Jacks-up the Cost of City Government

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from p. 3

Rancho LPG Safety Hearing Council has long had questions about the safety and appropriateness of locating liquid bulk storage tanks, such as the butane storage tanks at Rancho, adjacent to a residential neighborhood, as well as the safety of trucks and trains that are used to move the products,” said Northwest President Diana Nave. “I am impressed and pleased at how responsive council member Buscaino is to our community concerns.”

“The community will be behind Joe if this is an honest effort on his part,” said Jody James, a board member of San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United and the San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners Coalition. “I want him to value our lives more than the deep pocketed special

interests and lobbyists. He knows the hazards of Rancho’s Butane and Propane tanks and that the enormous tanks sit on the Rupture Zone of the Palos Verdes fault... I want him to lead and have the guts to do the right thing here. Mitigation of the risks must be done at the expense of Rancho’s operators. They should not be privatizing the profits and socializing the risks.”

Buscaino’s prospective hearing is just one front of the ongoing Rancho LPG battle. The Port Community Advisory Committee asked the Harbor Commission to exercise its authority to revoke Rancho’s rail permit and proceed with a comprehensive risk assessment process.

ILWU Local 26 entered the fray, on May

11, when President Luisa Gratz in a letter called on the commissioners to reject the Port Community Advisory Committee’s resolution out of hand, claiming the facility was perfectly safe and accusing unnamed persons of libelling union workers.“We have been informed that Rancho is in compliance [with safety standards]. We have not been informed of conditions that are hazardous for our members employed at Rancho,” Gratz wrote. “What is more troubling for our members and our union is the libelous insinuation that any threat that this facility poses to the community will be due to the fact that our workforce is not doing their job properly.”

No such insinuation has ever been made to this reporter in months of covering this story.

Neither the PCAC motion, nor the minutes of the extensive discussion surrounding its passage, contain any reference at all to workers at the facility. To the contrary, the whole point of critics’ objections is that the facility is inherently hazardous due to the nature of the LPG itself. Random Lengths called Local 26, seeking any specific from p. 3

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

Harbor Interfaith of CalFresh applicants.

10

With the new space, they’ll have to add some additional staff, particularly in the area of child care.

There has to be one teacher per 12 students. Harbor Interfaith has 34 students, requiring a total of three teachers. A grounds keeper and IT person.

The children in Harbor Interfaith’s afterschool program will be able to go back to the service headquarters rather than go to the Boys and Girls Club.

The children in the after school program who have been going to the Boys and Girls club will now be able to use resources at the home site, Hayslet said.

There’s now a clothing room with a enough space to sort and organize donated clothes.

“Before, we would have to lay the clothes out on a tarp and hope you’d find matching pairs,” Hayslet said.

Hayslet noted that Harbor Interfaith started off as simply a food pantry, but its mission expanded over the years without increasing the space in which it does it.

Harbor Interfaith’s stated mission is to empower the homeless and working poor to become self-sufficient by providing support services that include shelter, transitional housing, food, job placement, advocacy, child care, education and life-skills training.

Harbor Interfaith was built in 1975 when visionaries in the local faith community organized a volunteer-operated food pantry. Since then, the mission has grown to where in 1983, secured

examples they might have involving anti-labor insinuations or accusations, but Gratz was not available before press time.

“While we are glad that there is finally attention being paid to this enormous problem, we also realize that invited governmental officials will be there to simply justify their reasons for allowing this high risk facility to exist, to give assurance that it is “fine”... and to insulate themselves from the government’s irresponsibly bad decision making from the start,” said Janet Gunter, another long-term critic of Rancho LPG. “While we expect a refrain from officials that the facility is in “compliance” with all “oversight agencies,” that is really not true. An “exempted” facility (as this one was) is never one that is in full “compliance.” That is why it has been “exempted.”

Had all regulations and laws applicable to this type of facility been stringently followed, this operation, as it exists today, would have been prohibited. To say that Rancho is in “compliance and safe” under the law is in diametric and total opposition to the truth.” rental units to provide emergency housing for homeless families.

In 1990, the agency bought a World War I-era army barracks and converted it for use as a 20unit emergency shelter where homeless families can stay for up to 90 days.

In 1996, due to the closure of the Long Beach Naval Station, the agency received funding to purchase a 24-unit apartment building to operate a transitional housing program. Families stay there for up to 18 months while completing their education or job training. And in 2003, Harbor Interfaith received a $1 million grant from First 5 LA to open a childcare center.

It was In 2009 that Harbor Interfaith received a $4.97 million grant from the County of Los Angeles and grants from the Ahmanson, Parsons, Weingart, S. Mark Taper, Eisner and W.M. Keck foundations to build the Family Resource Center that’s opening June 10.

Harbor Interfaith broke ground on the building in August 2010. When asked what it took get the Family Resource Center from groundbreaking ceremony to completion in 18 months, Hayslet said, “100 percent buy in from the staff, board, and volunteers.”

But she cautions past and current supporter not to get complacent in their giving.

“People think that because we have done well securing large grants in the past that we’ll always have success in getting large grants, and that’s just not true.”

She said the service organization needs all the help it can get and expressed gratitude the Harbor Interfaith has received throughout the years.

by: B. Noel Barr, Mustic Writer Dude

T

he Nevada sun is relentless even in the spring. In a town that never sleeps it is always great to hear about some hometown boys making the move to larger audiences. Seatbelt is making that transition from local bar band to main stage.

The Orleans Hotel hosted the 25th annual “Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend,” where fans from all over the world came to enjoy a style of music that was born 60 years ago. Just inside, away from the clamor of the slots and the hurdy gurdy cacophony of the casino was a righteous noise. On the final afternoon of the four-day event the rockabilly group Seatbelt was on one of the main stages, playing to a sizeable crowd of hard core 50s revivalists.

The band Seatbelt is based in the Harbor Area. They are known

for being part of the San Pedro music scene. Guitarist, vocalist Scott McLean, bassist Jim “The Kid” Matkovich who plays the upright bass and vocals, and drummer John “Lenny” Lenkeit, were giving autographs at the end of their set.

On May 19, Seatbelt will be opening for blues-rock based band The Hellhounds. In an evening of roots oriented blues, rockabilly and good time rock ’n’ roll. We spoke with Scott McLean, primary songwriter and founder of the group Seatbelt, from his home in Long Beach by phone.

We asked about the upcoming show at the Grand Annex on May 19.

“Sean Lane (leader and founder of The Hellhounds) is

someone who I have enjoyed listening to since way back at the old Sacred Grounds (Niko’s Pizza current location),” McLean said. “The two bands played together back when our band first started out. We stayed in touch and thought we would like to share the billing again.

“I often find our group in a multi-billing with other bands playing the same thing. I like having different styles being played in a show, rather than just one style or genre.

Just because I play rockabilly doesn’t mean I don’t like other types of music.”

The late music impresario Bill Graham did a lot of this type of booking, where jazz, blues, rock or whatever would

Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.

Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.

Photo courtesy of Scott McLean and the Seatbelt.

Continued on page 16.

May 18 – 31, 2012 May 18 – 31, 2012

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Buddha is Big at Baramee by: Gretchen Williams, Cuisine Writer

ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment

E

scape the chaos and noise of downtown when stepping into Baramee, the new Thai restaurant at home in the old 6th Street Bistro in San Pedro.

Calm and serenity reign at Baramee, with a frieze of Buddha and his brothers crowning one wall, opposite original aged brick. Quiet music continues the calm feeling. Dining al fresco on the patio, protected by sails overhead, is lovely in the spring and summer.

Gentle as the atmosphere might be, the menu at Baramee is packed with fascinating and exciting dishes. The starter list is ripe with riches, demonstrating the diversity of Thai cuisine as well as the artistry of the chef. Chicken satay, traditional grilled chicken skewers served with killer peanut sauce, is garnished with addictive cucumber salad.

Fresh Buddha roll is refreshing and full of crunch, with noodles, tofu and vegetables wrapped in edible rice paper, dipped in a flavorful homemade sauce. Coconut shrimp fans will love Baramee’s golden beauties, crispy and served with tangy sweet and sour sauce.

Aromatic soft shell crab is lightly battered and fried, then served with chili lime sauce, fun San Pedro’s Best Guide To —Fine Dining—

Brochure

May 18 –31, 2012

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12

to eat with the fingers. Crispy cream cheese does not seem Thai, but the mellow mixture of cream cheese and crabmeat wrapped in fried wonton skins works and makes great finger food. Triangle Tofu is tribute to the thousands of ways to use tofu, here fried until brown and served with house sweet and sour sauce with ground peanuts.

Tom Yum is famous Thai chicken or shrimp hot and sour soup, packed with light flavors of lemongrass and lime, and just hot enough to make you sit up and take notice. Tom Kha is also chicken or shrimp in a rich coconut milk broth and a touch of lemongrass.

Thai salads are filled with intriguing ingredients, often using fruit as vegetables and combining hot and cold elements in one dish. Papaya Pok Pok is made with shredded green papaya tossed with green beans, tomato, cashew nut and spicy chili-lime sauce, unusual and delightful. Spicy beef salad is the pride of the menu, tender beef tossed with onion, cucumber, tomato, basil leaves and spicy chili-lime sauce. Roasted duck salad is elegant with savory strips of roasted duck on a bed of Romaine hearts and spring baby lettuces and tomatoes, with chili-lime dressing.

Curry at Baramee is Thai style, offering green, red or yellow curry sauces with chicken, beef, pork or tofu, shrimp or seafood. Coconut milk is the basis for each sauce, spiced and seasoned with different combinations of herbs, spices and aromatics. Roasted Duck Curry is fabulous, combining roast duck and pineapple, basil, red, green and yellow bell peppers in a smooth red coconut curry sauce. The incredible sauce is bright coral color, sensual and velvety. San Pedro Harbor Curry is red coconut curry with shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels and crab, a perfect tribute to our fair city.

There is a master at the wok at Baramee and the expertise shows in dishes like spicy eggplant or asparagus shrimp. Long Asian eggplants become silky and delicious, meltingly soft and infused with the flavors of onion, basil and bell peppers.

Asparagus shrimp is grilled with style, wok’d with shiitake mushrooms, lots of shrimp and tiny asparagus spears, with light garlic sauce. Classic Continued on page 13.

Continued from page 12

Thai Vegan is steamed spinach wok’d with tofu in that killer peanut sauce, a dish that will make any vegetarian happy.

The grill gets good use at Baramee, with fragrant Thai Boxing Chicken and Bangkok Barbecue Pork. Thai boxers are lucky fellows if they get to eat Thai Boxing Chicken after the match.

A full half chicken is grilled with sweet and sour sauce for excellent effect, a glossy glazed skin and juicy breast meat.

Noodles are popular in Thailand at all times of day and night. Seafood Pad Thai is the traditional rice noodles with shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels and crab with crushed peanuts and bean sprouts. Drunken Noodles are best eaten late at night, thought to be the perfect antidote for a bit too much to drink, flat noodles with meat, shrimp or tofu and basil, bell peppers and spicy chili sauce.

Thai fried rice is different from the Chinese variety, combining rice, egg, onion and tomato with chicken, beef, pork, seafood or tofu with a light sauce. Hawaiian Fried Rice is a fusion dish of rice, chicken, shrimp, pineapple, cashew nuts, onion, raisins and egg, a riot of color, texture and flavor.

Baramee’s special dishes would stand out on any menu. 110 Trout is named for the beloved Harbor Freeway, traditionally steamed boneless fish with chili lime sauce. Grilled fillet of salmon is first marinated in Thai herbs and spices and served with spinach. Mandarin Duck serves roasted crispy boneless duck with spinach. Crazy filet mignon with fresh cut green beans will make you crazy with desire, prepared with either spicy

Thai herbal sauce or tasty garlic sauce. Crying Tiger “meat so good that tigers cry for it,” slow grilled marinated rib eye steak with the chef’s secret sauce is a popular favorite.

Each dish at Baramee is plated and served with extreme care. Decorative fruit and vegetables garnish each plate and sauce is often smeared on the plate for dramatic effect. Ordering dessert at Baramee is an adventure, as much for the spectacle on the plate as for the marvelous sweet itself. Mango and sticky rice and Lychee fruit on ice are typical Thai desserts, but the presentation at Baramee is so beautiful that it seems a tragedy to eat it and destroy the composition.

Chocolate cake is unctuous chocolate mousse cake, strewn with fresh berries and a splash of

chocolate sauce.

Baramee has a very respectable wine list with choices to suit everyone. Many of the wines are poured by the glass, a happy development for New Zealand whites and Italian reds. The beer list spans the globe, while traditional Thai iced tea and iced coffee are off the charts great.

Venue: Baramee Thai Location: 354 W. 6th St., San Pedro Details: (310) 521-9400

• Happy Hour • Blu Bar at Crowne Plaza • $4 Drinks and half off appetizers. (310) 519-8200, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro The Chowder Barge • Try the 34oz. captain’s mug! (310) 830-7937, 611 N. Henry Ford, Leeward Bay Marina, Wilmington Godmother’s Saloon • Live jazz from Mike Guerrero Trio: 7 p.m. every Wed. (310) 833-1589, 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro

Breakfast at The Barge Weekends 9am Eggs Benedict Best Chowder in the LA Harbor!

Hours: Mon, Tues 11am - 3pm Wed, Thurs 11am - 8pm Fri, Sat, Sun 9am - 8pm

611 N. Henry Ford, Leeward Bay Marina, Wilmington 310-830-7937 • www.ChowderBarge.com

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. (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

Entertainment May 18

Paseo at SP Brewco Rock band, Paseo, will be performing at 10 p.m.

Cover is $3.

Details: (310) 831-5663 Venue: San Pedro Brewing Company Location: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro

May 19

Dave Fell Guitarist Dave Fell will be performing an acoustic set at 8 p.m. May 19. Tickets are free.

Details: http://tinyurl.com/DaveFell Venue: Long Beach Towne Center Location: 7501 Carson Blvd., Long Beach

Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.

Underground LBC Pride Party Spare Parts for Broken Hearts will be performing at 8 p.m. May 18 with the Angie Evans Band, Julz the Huntress and Bong Fury Burlesque. Tickets cost $10. Twenty-one and older only.

Details: http://tinyurl.com/LBCpride Venue: Harvelle’s Location: 193 E. Broadway, Long Beach

Ample Armed Forces Celebration Club Bounce will host Ample Armed Forces Celebration. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in full military regalia. The event begins at 9 p.m.

May 19. Dress code is enforced.

Details: (562) 243-5758; http://clubbounce.net Venue: Club Bounce at the Marriot Hotel Location: 4700 Airport Plaza Dr., Long Beach

Sunday–Thursday 10am-11pm

1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro

Fast Delivery!

310–732–5800 Fax: 310-732-5804

Ben Wendel and Dan Tepfer Duo Grammy-nominated performer, composer and producer and recording artist Ben Wendel will be teaming up with the Dan Tepfer Duo. The show starts at 8p.m.

Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Great Composer Tribute: John Williams The Golden State Pops Orchestra will pay homage Entertainment CalendarContinued on page 14.

May 18 – 31, 2012

Friday & Saturday 10am–11:30pm

Meiko Los Angeles based indie singer songwriter Meiko will give a free performance at 6 p.m. May 19.

RSVP. Details: (562) 433-4996 Venue: Fingerprints Music Location: 420 E. 4th St., Long Beach

13

Entertainment Calendar from page 13. to John Williams in a special night featuring music from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Memoirs of a Geisha, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter.

Tickets cost $15 to $50 and are on sale now. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. with a stage-side chat with Hollywood Reporter Jeff Bond.

Details: (310) 433-8774; www.gspo.com Venue: Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro

May 20

Thies Consort Enjoy an afternoon with Robert Edward Thies and friends, starting at 4 p.m. May 20, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan Beach. The Thies Consort draws on Southern California premiere ensemble artists to perform innovative and unique programming with musical continuity based on a style, composer or other concept. Suggested donation is $15 and $5 for students.

Details: (310) 937-7275 Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church Location: 1340 11th St., Manhattan Beach Rock of Ages Classic rock band Rock of Ages will be performing at 8 p.m. May 20. Cover is $5.

Details: http://tinyurl.com/RockoA Venue: Best Western Golden Sails Hotel Location: 6285 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach 4 Way Street CSN&Y - Tribute For more than 4 decades, the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young has spoken to generations of audiences worldwide. From the gentle love songs like “Our House” and “Guinnevere” to the politically charged anthems like “Chicago,” “Long Time Gone,” and “Ohio”, CSN&Y’s powerful messages have never failed to excite and move audiences.

Ticket Price $20.

Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

May 24

State of the Union Neo-jazz jam band State of the Union will be performing at 8:30 p.m. at the Seabird Jazz Lounge in Long Beach.

Details: (562) 437-8355; http://Seabirdjazzlounge. com Venue: Seabird Jazz Lounge Location: 730 E. Broadway., Long Beach

ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment

May 26

Minyo Station CD Release Minyo Station will be performing at 2:30 p.m.

May 26 at the Alvas Showroom. Tickets cost $20 advanced and $25 at the door. Seating is limited and advanced purchase is recommended. Attendees are invited to bring their own food and alcohol (beer and wine).

Details: (310) 806-1131; www.minyostation.com Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Avengers Punk Rock San Francisco punk rock band Avengers will perform at 9 p.m. May 26. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $8.

Details: www.alexsbar.com Venue: Alex’s Bar

May 27

May 18 –31, 2012

Gold Rush Country Country-rock band Gold Rush Country will be performing at McKenna’s on the Bay at 4 p.m.

May 27.

Details: (562) 342-9411 Venue: McKenna’s on the Bay Location: 190 Marina Drive, Long Beach

14

Vince Falzone Vince Falzone will be performing songs from his new album Strip of Leather at 10 a.m. at the Namaste Science of Mind and Spirit Center May 27.

Details: (562) 980-7610; http://tinyurl.com/ Falzone Venue: Namaste Science of Mind and Spirit Center Location: 1100 Iroquois Ave., Long Beach

May 30

Mike O’Bryan Blues and folk musician Mike O’Bryan will be performing between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. May 30.

Details: (562) 342-9411; http://tinyurl.com/blues Mike Venue: McKenna’s on the Bay Location: 190 Marina Dr., Long Beach

Meme Cats with Nine Lives

By John Farrell, Theater Writer

T

here is an old wives tale that cats have nine lives.

Apparently meme cats live on even longer than their flesh and blood avatars. Meme cats are those funny and sometimes curious pictures of cats that have become a source of fun on the Internet.

Cats that are hugely fat, cats that are dressed in human clothes, cats that, to humans, at least, are warm (and of course fuzzy) and have been unlucky enough to be captured on cell-phone cameras in embarrassing positions.

They have been on the Net for a long time and are just as popular now, maybe more popular, than when they first appeared. (You can find them at www.icanhascheezburger.com.)

They have been a source of fun for many, but for two people, composer Ellen Warkentine and librettist Andrew Pedroza, they have become a little bit of an obsession, so much so that the two have composed an opera, called LOLPERA, based loosely on the many funny pictures that they found on the Net. They started with one song, about the cat deity “Ceiling Cat” and before long they had a work of two hours in length that was premiered this past October at the Garage Theatre in Long Beach to critical praise (from more than just this critic, by the way). It featured a seven-piece orchestra that played Warkentine’s music and a cast of singers and dancers that included Pedroza in a starring role. Pictures captured from the Net were projected on the walls along with the text, and the story, a classic duel between the forces of good

(Ceiling Cat, who oversees everything) and Basement Cat (a black number who is the embodiment of evil) was not really about cats.

“If you have you have already seen ‘LOLPERA’ and think it is about cats, you need to see it again,” Warkentine was quoted as saying in the Press-Telegram at the time of the works’ premier.

Pedroza said at the time that the work needed to be seen again, and now it will be, as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival scheduled June 14 through 24 all over the theater scene in Hollywood, with previews that will begin June 7 and a big opening night party June 13. The Hollywood Fringe Festival, now in its third year, features dozens of plays and performances in comedy, musicals, dance, film, cabaret and operas, using different theaters all over the Hollywood area, more than 20 venues in all. (The actual boundaries of the festival are Franklin Avenue to the north, Melrose Avenue to the south, Wilton Place to the east and La Brea Avenue to the west., from Hollywood United Methodist Church in the north on Franklin to ComedySportsLA in the south, from the Actor’s Circle Theatre in the west to the Underground Theater in the east). The Festival, based on the more-than-50-year-old Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, offers theater companies from around the United States and the world a chance to produce a show in Los Angeles. There is a competition in the various categories and awards, with shows sometime competing in several Fringe Festivals all over the United States. LOLPERA will be going to the New York International Fringe Festival in

August after performances in Hollywood.

The original Fringe Festival occurred in Edinburgh in 1947, when a number of performing companies came and presented their own productions in addition to the official Edinburgh Festival, which was itself an attempt to revive performing arts in a Europe recovering from more than 10 years of war. The “fringe” was a description for performances outside the Festival itself. The Festival continued, as did the “fringe” performances, which were themselves organized in 1959. Since then other Fringe Festivals have begun in locations as far apart as Minnesota and San Francisco, Melbourne, Australia and South Africa.

“We’ve been rehearsing five hours or so on Saturday and six hours on Sunday” for the Fringe Festival performance, Pedroza said after a late night rehearsal this week.

No, not a rehearsal of LOLPERA, but for performances of The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, in which Pedroza has a role and which opens at the Long Beach Playhouse Mainstage Theater May 19. Pedroza has a busy schedule.

“We have been rehearsing all over the place, but now we have been given room at the Expo Building in Long Beach to rehearse, which gives us a lot of room.” Pedroza said his schedule is “difficult, but doable.”

The version of LOLPERA they are rehearsing is close to the original. “It’s almost the same as the one we performed at the Garage Theatre last year,” Pedroza said. “We are clarifying and restoring the work. We are making the whole opera faster and funnier, with the pictures and the captions and everything.”

LOLPERA will be performed in Hollywood at the Hudson Theaters on Santa Monica Boulevard. The larger and more traditional theater space, 99 seats and a large space for the production, are given the company room to refine the Continued on page 15.

Continued from page 14

performance.

“We are really focusing on making the action clearer and more concise,” Pedroza said.

They also have to plan for the contingencies of the Festival itself, where every theater is used by many companies.

“It’s a lot bigger but we have to work around the other companies that are using the same building,” he said.

They haven’t been officially accepted for the New York Festival, but should be this week, and are planning to take a large contingent to New York for performances there in mid-August.

At the Garage Theatre the opera was performed by seven musicians, with Warkentine playing her score from the piano and other instrumentalists, including saxophones, a harp and a violin, contributing to the music. Sixteen performers, including dancers and singers, were in the cast that nearly overpowered the Garage Theatre’s space.

Just how many musicians will play for the performances in Hollywood and New York isn’t decided yet. (It apparently depends on who shows up.) Pedroza isn’t worried.

“As long as we have Ellen at the piano, we will be all right,” he said.

For her part, Warkentine, who also spoke by phone, is enjoying the experience of refining her music.

“I really enjoy reworking the music, refining it and making is sharper and better,” she said. “I’m

Entertainment Calendar from page 13.

May 31

Lee Alternative pop-artist Lee Adams will perform with the Dirty Martinis at 7 p.m May 31 at DiPiazza’s in Long Beach. Cover is $5.

Details: (562) 498-2461 Venue: DiPiazza Location: 5205 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach

Community/Family May 17

LOLPERA. photo by: freshframefoto.com

having a great time revising it and revisiting it.”

And they take the work very seriously. “We are trying to find a way to combine elements of Les Mis, 1984, Clockwork Orange together, to spread the energy,” Pedroza said. “The people who have seen the website are right on with the treatment of the characters. We are poking fun at the internet generation, the iPhone generation, including myself, but there is a whole lot more in

Plaza Automotive President, Mitch Harmatz, about to dig into his 75th omelet at the Omelette and Waffle Shop May 12.

this work than just that.”

Tickets are $10. Performances are at 7 p.m.

June 10 and 17, with an additional 3 p.m. performance June 17.

Details: (323) 455-4585; www.thegaragetheatre. org, www.hollywoodfringe.org Venue: Hudson Theatres Location: 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles

Mitch has 75th Omelette!

May 18

San Pedro Farmer’s Market There will be a farmer’s market on the corner of 6th St. and Mesa between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. May 18. Fresh and organic produce, crafts and flowers will be sold.

Details: www.sanpedrochamber.com Location: near 6th at Mesa streets

May 19

Boat Tours Public boat tours of the Los Angeles Harbor will depart from berth 75-79 at Ports O’Call Village and Banning’s Landing at 100 E. Water St., in Wilmington. Tours will leave on the hour and are first come first serve between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Details: (800) 831-PORT Venue: Ports O’Call and Banning’s Landing Location: Berth 75-79 in San Pedro and 100 E. Water St., Willmington Santa Cruz Island Voyage with Naturalists The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium will lead a trip to Santa Cruz Island from Ventura at 8 a.m. May 19.

Space is limited and reservations are required.

Tickets are $55 for adults and $35 for children 12 and younger. Friends members pay $50.

Details: (310) 548-7562; www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org

May 20

Armed Forces Sunday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will host a prayer and reception in thanks to all area servicemen and women and their families at 9:30 a.m. May 20.

Venue: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Location: 1648 W. 9th St., San Pedro

Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.

San Pedro--Early, every Saturday morning, San Pedro Plaza Automotive owner, Mitch Harmatz walks from his 25th and Western shop to the Omelette and Waffle restaurant for breakfast. May 12th marked his 75th omelet from the restaurant’s extensive menu.

It took Harmatz 18 months to reach number 75. The 57 yearold Harmatz thought he was at the end of the omelet menu when before he was informed that he still had a whole half page of omelets waiting for him and several more that simply appears on the restaurant’s special menu on their dry-erase board. The Waffle shop has more than 100 different kinds of omelets on its menu.

The omelets range from the regular cheese omelet to the crabmeat asparagus omelet. Harmatz’s 75th omelet was a shrimp omelet. His omelets are made with only egg whites and according to the Waffle shop’s proprietors, Mona Sutton and Leslie Jones, trans-fats aren’t used in the preparation of the meal.

When asked if he’s managed to stay close to his high school weight, Harmatz replied, “Yes …the short answer to that is yes.”

He explained that eating the Waffle shop’s omelets wasn’t the sole reason, but regular exercise that include cardiovascular work, which recently included taking a Zumba class, and range of motion/ connective tissue training which ultimately allowed him to run on a regular basis.

When Harmatz starting getting close to the big 75th omelet, Jones decided to spread the word. The end result was many of Harmatz’s closest friends joined him for an omelet.

“Mitch is so much about bringing people together and we thought it was just a good idea.” Jones said.

Indeed, Harmatz involvement in the community, aside from Plaza Automotive, has consisted of sitting on several boards in the community ranging from the Toberman Neighborhood Center board of trustees to sitting on the San Pedro Advisory Council to Marymount College. And that’s in addition to his giving time, resources, and energy to numerous other causes in town.

Aquarium’s First Penguin Exhibit The Aquarium of the Pacific will debut a new permanent exhibit, the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, home to the first penguins in the Aquarium’s collection. The penguins will join the Aquarium’s collection of more than 11,000 animals in the institutions 50 exhibits representing the diversity of the Pacific Ocean. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors, $13.95 for children 11 and younger. Children younger than three and Aquarium members get in free.

Details: (562) 590-3100; www.aquariumofpacific. org Venue: Aquarium of the Pacific Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

Theater/Film May 18

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Enjoy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at 8 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays May 11 through 19, with 3 p.m. performance May 20, at El Camino College Campus Theatre in Torrance. The play revolves around the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. Cost is $15.

Details: (310) 512-6030, www.littlefishtheater. com Venue: Little Fish Location: 777 Centre St., San Pedro Theater/Film Calendar to page 16.

May 18 – 31, 2012

15

Theater/Film Calendar from page 15.

May 20

Scott McLean. Photo courtesy of Scott McLean and the Seatbelt.

Strong!

ITVS Community Cinema presents, Strong!, starting at 2 p.m. at the Grand Annex in San Pedro. Strong! Chronicles the U.S. Olympic weight lifter Cheryl Haworth as she prepares for Beijing 2008, exploring popular notions of power, strength, beauty and health. Free.

Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Continued from page 11.

Seatbelt be heard on the same bill in one night. The show at The Grand Annex falls into this category with the rockabilly sounds of the early 50s played against blues of the same time period.

Sean Lane has scheduled the show to open with Seat Belt followed by the Hellhounds doing their nod to 50s blues, early rock ’n’ roll and their current work.

“This is The Hellhounds show we are just opening for them,” McLean said. “I know I’ll be sitting in with The Hellhounds for at least one number later in the show. We are going to be playing music from our latest CD Pour Me a Traveler for our set.”

Blues guitarist Dave Widow, and harmonica player Darren “Mojo Slim” Lancaster to help deliver more classic blues during the latter half of the show. Earlier in the day McLean will playing with Jerry Butera’s surf group The Reef Rammers,

May 26

Panache Enjoy Panache, through May 24, at Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro. Random Lengths News theater critic John Farrell said about Panache: The play is a delight, life-affirming, of course, but with plenty of laughs, too.

Details: (800) 832-ARTS Venue: Campus Theatre Location: 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance.

May 27

Mrs. Smart’s Spectacular Circus!

The Found Theatre presents Mrs. Smart’s Spectacular Circus!, at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays, through May 27, at The Found Theatre in Long Beach. Bored with school, her parents, her electronic gadgets, and her 2,472 “really close friends” on FacePlace, Priscilla Pagliaccio decides to seek adventure under the Big Top. Come along for the roller coaster ride as she joins up with Mrs. Smart’s Spectacular Circus! and learns lessons about love, friendship, and living in the real world. With wild music, crazy costumes, fun circus acts, and lots of off-beat humor. Tickets are $10 for adults, $10 and $5 for children younger than 12.

Details: (562) 433-3363 Venue: The Found Theatre Location: 599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach

ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment

Art Into the Wilderness Angels Gate Cultural Center presents Into The Wilderness: The Journey Within. The exhibition considers how ideas of wilderness continue to define contemporary life and contemplates new opportunities to define the transition between physical and imaginary geographies. The opening reception is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 20 and will remain open until Aug.18. There will be a gallery walk-through on May 20 starting at 2 p.m. All are welcome. Admission is free Details: www.angelsgateart.org Pearls of Wisdom Pearls of Wisdom: End the Violence displays works by survivors and concerned community members who recast their personal memories of domestic pain into iridescent pearl-like objects, through May 20 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Using the metaphor of pearls as treasures that form inside an oyster in response to a harmful irritant, each participant took an object that symbolized the abuse and transformed it into a pearl of wisdom, using paint, text, imagery, plasters bandages and more.

Details: (310) 440-4500; www.skirball.org Venue: Skirball Cultural Center Location: 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles.

May 18 –31, 2012

Curious Matters Witness the assemblage of Curious Matters, from 6 to 9 p.m. through June 28, at The Loft Gallery in San Pedro. See how James Preston Allen uses The Box as a Metaphor and see the new work of Ann Olsen Daub.

Details: (310) 831-5757 Venue: The Loft Gallery Location: 401 Mesa St., San Pedro

16

Student Show Experience how students use work in various media, including jewelry, ceramics, digital media and more, through May 31, at the El Camino College Art Gallery in Torrance.

A gallery reception and open house is scheduled, from 6 to 9 p.m. May 18.

Details: (310) 660-3010 Venue: El Camino College Art Gallery Location: 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance.

365 W. Sixth Street, San Pedro, Calif • 310-547-2348

Friday, May 25, 2012

(Every Fourth Friday of the Month)

Dance Class 7 p.m. • Band Starts at 8 p.m.

Come join Barry Anthony, Sylvia Rodriguez and LA’s hottest swing band, “The Swing Of Things” for SWING PEEDRO, an evening of wonderful music, friends and dancing to your favorite Classic Big Band Swing songs. You’ll hear the songbooks of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Harry James, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Nat King Cole and many more while dancing and socializing with friends at the People’s Palace in the heart of San Pedro!

New to dancing? Take the free one hour dance lesson with our pro instructor at 7, learn some steps and at 8, the music and the dance begin! Don’t have a partner? Come along and dance with our instructors, guests and suave Peedro staff dancers. Free light refreshments! Advance tickets available for $17, online at www.experiencesp.com and www.peoplesyogahealthdance.com and Swingpeedro.com Tickets at door $20. Call (310) 547-2348 for info and tickets. Get your tickets early!

at the 25th Annual Los Angeles Wood show starting at 9 a.m.

We had to ask about the name change, when we first met the band while they were promoting their CD Modern Sounds of Pagan Love Songs.

The group was formerly known as a Seatbelt and the Pecking Order.

“It was a long name,” McLean said. “Most people call us Seatbelt. That was another band.”

The group had changed around McLean as former members were replaced by current members.

“When we made the new record we decided to call the group by the shorter name. Doing this, we separated [ourselves] from the former group,” McLean added. “When we played Las Vegas last month, they still had us billed under the other name, but the MC announced the change from the stage so that was cool.”

Mclean told us about the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend.

“That was fantastic,” he enthused. “We got to play on Sunday afternoon, we had a good crowd.

It sounded great it was the best show we have ever played. It was better than the first time we played we were on a bigger stage as opposed to playing in the lounge.”

As fans clamored for autographs, Seatbelt’s latest CD Pour Me a Traveler and other merchandise were being sold to fans hungry for new music of this genre.

Seatbelt started writing new material as the players in the band found their musical voice in the group.

“We started to have a ton of songs to record,” McLean said. “We were real happy with the results. In fact, we had started on a follow up to Pour Me a Traveler. We have a bunch of new songs for that.”

Mclean told us of a new cover they have added to their set list.

“We get a funny reaction to this, but we have a rockabilly version of ‘Over the Rainbow.’ We do it as a fast song, everybody knows it as a ballad,” McLean said. “It works really well that way.”

The current CD talks about the good and bad sides of drinking.

“It was part of what I was going through, with all this serious stuff,” he said. “Nobody wants to be serious when you’re supposed to be playing music to have a good time. The next record is going to be different from that. It is going to be happier.”

Seatbelt has been a busy group playing some local gigs like at Godmothers Saloon in San Pedro and Pete’s Place, an English Pub in Lomita. The group now is playing festivals like the upcoming Rockabilly Showdown at the Orange County Fairgrounds in early June. They are scheduled in August for The Rockabilly Fest in Oceanside.

Like the headliners of the May 19 show, The Hellhounds, Seatbelt is on a trajectory that is taking them out to bigger shows out and away from the Harbor.

Details: www.grandvision.org.

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Real Estate Investor seeks to purchase commercial or multi-unit residential properties in San Pedro. No Agents please.

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Buy it now at Williams Bookstore, Random Lengths News office and The Tobacco Leaf at Western & 25th

Don Marshall CPA, Inc. (310) 833-8977

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Serving San Pedro and the entire South Bay since 1980

Specializing in small businesses CPA Quality Service at very reasonable rates

www.donmarshallcpa.com

8/12

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Vintage Auto & Motorcycle Storage 25 indoor & outdoor stalls

• Armed Response Alarm System • Web-based Video

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The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.

888-452-7381, x 143

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Three bedroom, 13/4 bath home on a large corner lot.

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LARGE 4 BEDROOM FAMILY HOME

Large 4 bedroom, 2 bath home so near the channel you can see the ships moving past. It has an island kitchen with a nice dining area. There is a large backyard just behind the 2-car garage. A long driveway is suitable for boat, rv, or any other toys. This home is also large enough and the floorplan is suitable for extended family. Come on down...Reduced to $298,000.

For more information call Golden West Realty

310.548.2881

www.goldenwestsanpedro.com 1 5 1 7 S . G a f f e y S t . • San Pedro, CA 90731

05/03/12, 05/17/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012046456 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Diabetic Medical, 255 W. 5th Street, Suite# 1212, San Pedro, CA 90731.

County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Rowena Cebian, 255 W. 5th Street, Suite #1212, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Rowena Cebian, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 20, 2012. Notice-In accordance

continued on following page

May 18 - 31, 2012

DBA filing and publishing $120 (310) 519-1442

NEW LISTING IN WILMINGTON!

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 20120493646 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Champion Autoworks, 760 W. 27th Street #1, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Bleu Box Events, 760 W. 27th Street #1, San Pedro, CA 90731. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1527, San Pedro, CA 90733-1527. This business is conducted by a corporation. Articles of Incorporation #:3320912. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Sandra Koerner, President This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 23, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/05/12, 04/19/12,

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from previous page with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/05/12, 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012046458 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Tony’s Mobile Auto Detail, 678 W. Sepulveda St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Sandra PenaLopez, 678 W. Sepulveda St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Sandra PenaLopez, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 20, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious

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LEGAL BUSINESS FILINGS

Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/05/12, 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012046455 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Brotto Company USA, 28649 S. Western Ave., RPV, CA 90274.

County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Branko Tomasovic, 28649 S. Western Ave., RPV, CA 90274. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above March 5, 2012. 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. Branko Tomasovic, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 20, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County

Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/05/12, 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012056170 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Grande Coin Laundry, 1202 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731.

County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Eric S. Golden, 25241 Nueva Vista, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Eric S. Golden, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 3, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement

pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12, 05/31/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012056171 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Harbor Day Preschool, 580 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Articles of Incorporation #: C0124596. Registered owner(s): San Pedro United Methodist Church, 580 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Wayne Lebsack, President This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 3, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12, 05/31/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012060465 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Got It Right Entertainment, 3745 Stephen M White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Michael B Stribling, 3745 Stephen M White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Michael B Stribling, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 6, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was

filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 04/19/12, 05/03/12, 05/17/12, 05/31/12

Fictitious Business Name ‘Statement File No. 2012076043 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Ofeliaí’s Bookkeeping Service, 1350 W. 9th Street, #4, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Ofelia Familathe , 1350 W. 9th Street., #4, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above April 18, 2012. 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. Ofelia Familathe, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 25, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/03/12, 05/17/12, 05/31/12, 06/14/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012060859 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) YKM Services, 305 W. Santa Cruz St., #6 San Pedro, CA 90731.

County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Raul Madrigal, 305 W. Santa Cruz St., #6 San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above April 18, 2012. 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. Raul Madrigal e, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 9, 2012. Notice-In ac-

cordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/03/12, 05/17/12, 05/31/12, 06/14/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012088229 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Century Motorcycles,1640 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731.

County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Gwendolyn Rutherford, 630 W. 24th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Timothy Hickerson, 525 W. 22nd Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by a general partnership. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Timothy Hickerson, Partner/Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 9, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/17/12, 05/31/12, 06/14/12, 06/28/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012089406 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Das Boot, 2317 S. Gaffey, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Eric Swanson, 2317 S. Gaffey, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Eric Swanson, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 9, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/17/12, 05/31/12, 06/14/12, 06/28/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012082131 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) RDS Consulting, 1180 W. 7th Street Apt #1, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Rodel Filio , 1180 W. 7th Street Apt #1, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrants commenced

to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Rodel Filio, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 9, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business name in violation of the right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/17/12, 05/31/12, 06/14/12, 06/28/12

DBA (Fictitious Business Name) filing and publishing $120

(310) 519-1442

The Local Publication You Actually Read

May 18 - 31, 2012

19

20

May 18 - 31, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area