RLn 11-29-12 Edition

Page 1

Celebrating the

Holidays

in the Harbor Area By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

W San Pedro Holiday Spirit Parade 2011. Photo: Jessie Drezner, contributing photographer.

Celebrating the Holidays/ to p. 2

By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor

M

“They’ve threatened people’s jobs, they’ve tried lowering people’s hours—their actual rate of pay— they’ve flipped their schedules around, they’ve intimidated them,” said Greg Fletcher, who works at a Walmart in the City of Duarte. “What I’ve experienced in my store was basically mocking and insults from my superior management. They have called members of our group lazy, they’ve called us losers, they’ve even compared us to the KKK.” The Rev. Eric Lee, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference spoke at the Black Friday rally and demonstration, seeking to place the labor struggle against Walmart in the context of the economic rights that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was transitioning before he was assassinated “This is Dr. King’s organization,” Lee said of Walmart Workers Strike Back/ to p. 1 6

November 30 - December 13, 2012

More than 800 OUR Walmart demonstrators turned out Black Friday on Nov. 23, demanding respect for its associates, full time status and benefits for more workers. Photo: Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

ore than 800 people gathered Black Friday, Nov. 23, at the Walmart parking lot in Paramount to voice their discontent with the retailer’s treatment of its employees. The demonstration joined others that spanned 46 states. Nine people were arrested for obstructing traffic on Lakewood Avenue in front of the Walmart. For years, protestors say, Walmart has subjected its associates to sub-living wages and benefits and blocked their efforts to unionize. OUR Walmart, an organization of Walmart employees backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, has staged these demonstrations without seeking union recognition. The workers say they are protesting the company’s attempts to silence and retaliate for speaking out.

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inter Wonderland Park is set for the morning and afternoon at Wilmington Waterfront Park. Later that evening, the Afloat Parade is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip Sanfield said that Wilmington Winter Wonderland event started at Bayview Park about five years ago. POLA would truck in 20 tons of snow and make little hills for children, mostly younger than 12, to play in. Cognizant that many of the children who will be coming have not ever previously played in snow before, the port will be providing winter equipment such as gloves. There also will be a car seat giveaway and car seat instruction workshop. The port is expecting an attendance of 2,500 children. There will also be a Christmas tree giveaway provided by city agencies.


Community Announcements:

Harbor Area Red Paint’s Winners Ceremony

Join the Red Paint Winners Ceremony on National World AIDS Day, from 12 to 10 p.m. Dec. 1, at the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach. Details: lbaidsfoundation.org Venue: Cultural Alliance of Long Beach Location: 727 Pine Ave., #365, Long Beach

World AIDS Day with The Center Long Beach

Join The Center and the Long Beach community at our 2nd annual World AIDS Day event and candlelight walk, from 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 1, to commemorate the international day of remembrance of those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Details: (562) 434-4455 Venue: Long Beach Gay & Lesbian Center Location: 2017 E. 4th St., Long Beach

L.A. Area Tall Ships Seek Volunteers

November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

The San Pedro-based tall ships Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson are the venue for the TopSail Youth Program. Volunteers are needed for the summer and fall seasons. Orientation meetings for new volunteers take place once each month. The 90-minute meetings are followed by a tour of one of the ships, if available. Come to one of the upcoming meetings, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 15, 2012 and Jan. 15, 2013, at the Los Angeles Maritime Institute DECK House. Volunteers need no prior sailing experience. Training will be offered to all volunteers after a background check is completed. Volunteers for non-sailing activities are always welcome. Details: (310) 833-6055 Venue: LA Maritime Institute DECK House Location: Berth 78 Apt. P3, San Pedro

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HARBOR AREA

Be a Santa to a Senior

Be a Santa to a Senior and provide holiday presents to those who might not otherwise receive a gift this holiday season, now through Dec. 19. The Be a Santa to a Senior program also helps to stimulate human contact and social interaction for those older adults who might not have guests during the holidays from San Pedro to Marina Del Rey. Be a Santa to a Senior is organized to ensure that seniors get the items they need and want, which in many cases are grocery and pharmacy cards to help with the cost of food and medicine. Prior to the holiday season, participating local non-profit organizations identified needy and isolated seniors in the community and provided those names to Home Instead Senior Care. Christmas trees, which went up the week of Nov. 19 in 20 South Bay locations, including the Del Amo Mall, feature ornaments with seniors’ first names and their respective gift requests. Be a Santa to a Senior works as follows: •Holiday shoppers can pick up ornaments from one of the Christmas trees, buy an item listed on it and return both the unwrapped gift and the ornament to the store. •Home Instead Senior Care enlists the volunteer help of its staff, senior care business associates, non-profit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts. Details: (310) 542-0563; www.beasantatoasenior.com

Visual Arts Award Applications Available

Applications are now available for the Palos Verdes Art Center’s 2013 Beverly G. Alpay Memorial Awards for the Visual Arts. These grants provide funds to enhance the abilities and encourage the careers of visual art students, working professional visual artists and young persons seeking to become visual artists. Completed applications are due Feb. 22, 2013. While the definition of visual arts is very broad, the Alpay Awards focus on traditional media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and photography. The program emphasizes artistic merit and excellence. Community Announcements/to p. 5

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

from p. 1

Celebrating the

Holidays

in the Harbor Area

Later that same day is the Afloat Parade, where Councilman Joe Buscaino will preside as grand marshall. He, along with the judges, will be presiding over the event from the deck of the USS Iowa. The ship will be celebrating its first year in the parade. The parade will start in the East Basin near Banning’s Landing Community Center in Wilmington and will take about 90 minutes to cover the entire parade route up POLA’s Main Channel. Spectators may view the procession from several points along the channel, including the Banning’s Landing Community Center, 100 E. Water St., Wilmington; the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, 600 Sampson Way, San Pedro; Ports O’ Call Village, 1100 Nagoya Way, San Pedro; the Cruise Ship Promenade at Harbor Boulevard and Swinford Street, San Pedro; 22nd Street Landing, 141 W. 22nd Street, San Pedro; and Cabrillo Marina, 200 Whaler’s Walk, San Pedro. Viewers are invited to enjoy festive pre-parade events be-

The 2011 Holiday Afloat Parade. Photo: Jessie Drezner.


The Banning Museum in Wilmington is hosting its annual Victorian Christmas from Dec. 1 through Dec. 2. Photo courtesy of Banning Museum.

ginning at 4 p.m. The port was going to host the Holiday Fountain event at the Fanfare Fountain, but had cancelled months ago believing that it conflicted with too many other community events.

Banning Museum’s Victorian Christmas

In what has become an annual tradition in Wilmington, the Banning Museum will be transporting guests back in time to the Victorian period between late 19th and early 20th centuries to the horse and buggy, big hoop skirts and manners. Visitors will be treated to period entertain-

ment, tours of the museum decorated in holiday splendor, refreshments, a children’s craft, a special exhibit on antique Ohio Valley pottery and a horse-drawn trolley ride between The Banning Museum and Drum Barracks Civil War Museum. As a special treat, a Queen Victoria re-enactor will receive guests for the two days and Jolly St. Nick will pose for photos with the children. The community is invited to welcome in the holiday season at the Banning Museum’s Annual Victorian Christmas Celebration and Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 and 2, at The Banning Museum, 401 E. “M” Street, Wilmington. This year, local food and craft vendors will Holidays/ to p. 4

The Local Publication You Actually Read November 30 - December 13, 2012

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from p. 3

Holidays

November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

be in an attendance, cranking out treats. There will also be a lecture on wreath-making and blacksmithing. This event is free and open to the public. Details: (310) 548-2005; www.thebanningmu-

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seum.org Venue: The Banning Museum Location: 401 E. “M” St., Wilmington

Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade Line-Up Dec. 2 marks the 32nd annual Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade. Hundreds will line the streets as an annual tradition. This year’s parade : • Port Police and their vehicles signal the start of the parade • San Pedro HS Pirate Golden Regiment • San Pedro HS JROTC • Marvin Martinez, president LA Harbor College • Coastal SP Neighborhood Council, June Burlingame Smith • Dennis Lord, Community Grand Marshal • San Pedro Co-op Nursery • Portuguese Bend Nursery School • Boys and Girls Club of LA Harbor, Youth Grand Marshals • Tri-City Falcons • POLAHS Girls’ Athletics, Sports Grand Marshals • Congresswoman Janice Hahn • Councilman Joe Buscaino • Councilwoman Jan Perry • Councilman Dennis Zine • LAPD Emerald Society Pipers/Drums • Commander William Scott LAPD • Col. Sam McNeil LAAFB • Central SP Neighborhood Council

The San Pedro High School Pirate Golden Regiment in 2011 Holiday Spirit Parade. Photo: Jessie Drezner, contributing photographer

• San Pedro Bay Historical Society • Improved Order of Red Men • Marine Veterans WWII (Lane Victory) • Eastview Little League • San Pedro City Ballet • Cub Scouts • Groupo Nadino • South Bay Divas • Carson High School Blue Thunder • Girl Scouts of San Pedro • Cabrillo Beach Contingent and an ATV • Wilmington Middle School • Beach Cities Shrine Club • California Diversity Pageant • Croatian Cultural Center • San Pedro Relay for Life

• Folklorico del Mar • San Pedro Democratic Club • Albertsons • American Red Cross • Mary Star of the Sea • Mary Star Parish Fiesta 2012 • Bayview Baptist Church • Hope Chapel • Crowne Plaza Hotel • Heydey Fitness • Gardena High School • Berendo Middle School • San Pedro Elks Lodge #966 • Holy Trinity School • People’s Place • Point Fermin Elementary Marine Science Magnet • San Pedro Lions Club/Toberman Kids • Diamond Cheer • Bishop Montgomery HS Knights Band & Guard • San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice • Harbor Teacher Prep Academy • Encore Entertainers • Face Painting by Brenda • Phillips Fire Trucks, which will serve as Santa Claus’ ride • Dana Middle School Marching Band


Community Announcements:

Harbor Area from p. 2 Applicants must live or attend school within 25 miles of the Palos Verdes Art Center. Maximum grants in the various categories range from $500 for youth to $3,000 for Masters of Fine Arts candidates. Details: (310) 541-2479; www.pvartcenter.org

Holiday at the Library

Join Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, the Long Beach Public Library, Friends of the Long Beach Public Library and the Long Beach Public Library Foundation for holiday-filled events, from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Ruth Bach Library, and Dec. 8 at Eldorado Library, in Long Beach. Venue: Ruth Bach Library Location: 4055 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach

Night at the Aquarium

The Aquarium of the Pacific has invited Councilman Joe Buscaino and all residents of District 15 to a free evening at the Aquarium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 5, in Long Beach. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy as a donation. Details: (562) 590-3100 Venue: Aquarium of the Pacific Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

The Lizard In The Roses

Jeana Radovcich will discuss and sign her new children’s books The Lizard In The Roses, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6, at Williams’ Book Store in San Pedro. Radovcich also illustrated the book with full color drawings. Details: (310) 832-363 Venue: Williams’ Book Store Location: 443 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Candy Cane Lane Sticks to Family Fun By Tami Jackson, Contributing Community Reporter Twenty-seven years ago, business owners on the 1400 block of west 8th Street in San Pedro put their mental bricks together and constructed a brand new community adventure called Candy Cane Lane. Years ago, Matt Lincir, owner of Alvas Music Store, created the large candy cane decorations that now line the street. Each year his staff hangs them and plugs them in so the candy canes also light up. Candy Cane Lane is a familyfriendly festival that has grown larger every year, filling children’s eyes with hypnotic glitter. This year’s celebration takes place, from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7, at Weymouth Corners. Each season, free holiday music, street dancing, carnival games and live entertainment compete for festival-goers’ attention. Then there are free snacks galore to make every heart soar, just like the Christmas reindeer. In the early days of Candy Cane Lane, wondering eyes could scarcely believe that Santa, with his beard so white, had truly materialized from a store’s roof top in a flurry of artificial snow.

“It made the children believe he just flew in,” said Diane Acosta, owner of Polly Ann Bakery, who has helped spearhead the festivities every year. More recently, Saint Nick has arrived like a knight on a bright shiny fire truck but nobody is saying exactly how he will suddenly appear this year. “It’s supposed to be a surprise,” Acosta said.

Let the Carnival Games Begin

Mona Khalbourji, owner of Mandyz Boutique, a store that sells women’s apparel and accessories, oversees the vendors and games for this annual celebration. She said three new vendor-booths will be added to Candy Cane Lane this year. Among them, Crestwood Elementary School will teach youngsters how to make Christmas ornaments. The Parent and Teacher Organization for the Seventh Street Elementary School plans to sell candied apples and hot apple cider. Then Rosalie Robles, from Catholic

Beyond window shopping, patrons may also indulge in free appetizers offered by merchants or buy holiday snacks, holiday trinkets and Christmas cards from street vendors, businesses and restaurants nearby. Participating stores will provide special enticements to lure celebrants inside. Mandyz Boutique, for example, will serve refreshments and offer 15 percent off storewide. Anyone who buys a gingerbread cookie from Polly Ann Bakery will receive free help decorating it with frosting and candy.

At least we can make one of these easier. Van Buren & Associates

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1302 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro (310) 519-1442 info@graphictouchdesigns.com 46% of independent shopping dollars goes back into the local economy. Make the Pledge to support independent retailers & services whenever possible.

November 30 - December 13, 2012

DESIGNS

Join the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Foundation for a memorial wreath laying ceremony, at 9 a.m. Dec. 15, at the Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center in Long Beach. This ceremony will honor servicemen and women who have died while fighting abroad and the sacrifice of Sgt. Thomas Raymond MacPherson. This ceremony is taking place in coordination with the annual nationwide “Wreaths Across America” program on Dec. 15. Details: (562) 570-6932; www.lbhometownheroes.com Venue: Rosie the Riveter Park Location: Clark Avenue at Conant St., Long Beach

With the Wave of Wands Everything Becomes Beautiful

In Random Lengths News

Everyone is invited to attend the SP Democratic Club’s annual party and celebrate with local elected officials and fellow Dems on Dec. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. All are welcome, free. Details: (310) 367-7186 Venue: The Whale & Ale Location: 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro

Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony

mobile DJ service, fills the holiday air with tunes from night’s start to finish.

When you need help, think local. Support the Independents.

San Pedro Democratic Club Holiday Party

Participate in an afternoon of holiday festivities including tours, appetizers from Mexico and Spain, holiday craft making, dancing, music, toy drive, a visit with Santa and a posada procession from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum in Rancho Dominguez. Suggested donation is $4. Details: (310) 603-0088; dominguezrancho.org Venue: Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum Location: 18127 S. Alameda St., Rancho Dominguez

Arts, will be selling religious gifts. For other Candy Cane Lane activities, children may get their picture taken on Santa’s lap. Firefighters will also be onsite to boost small children up into the fire truck so they may see and feel what it’s like to sit inside the cab. Entertainment will include a performance by the San Pedro High School Marching Band. Estimating the very flexible stage schedule, Acosta suggested the Port of Los Angeles High School Dance Team might perform at about 5:30 p.m. The flamenco dancers should follow at about 6:30. Then, at about 7 p.m. a singer known as the Italian Elvis is scheduled to perform. That’s all while Jazzy Jackson, owner of Kitty Hawk, a

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Walmart Workers Strike Back from p. 1

November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

the SCLC. “If he were alive today, he would be standing with us,” Lee thundered. Lee recounted a recent interview with mainstream media outlets in which reporters would ask, “how many workers are striking?” seeking exact numbers as an indication of the legitimacy of their movement. He also blasted the tendency of the mainstream press to put a time limit on such demonstrations. “The national press ask, ‘How long is this fight going to last?’” Lee recounted. “The Montgomery Bus Boycott was originally only supposed to be a day. But it went for 381 days…

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We are going to continue to fight until Walmart changes its ways.” Walmart employees have long complained about low pay and lack of benefits. Their benefits are contingent on them being full-time workers, OUR Walmart argues, a situation that benefits Walmart when they maintain part-time employees. Some workers are paid as low as $8 an hour, about $16,000 per year, with wage increments about 20 to 40 cents per hour. A spokeswoman for the retail giant, Rachel Wall, said the striking employees wage complaint is untrue, repeating Walmart standard talking point that they have “very competitive pay and benefits.” “In California our average wage for hourly associates who work full time is $12.89 an hour,” Wall said. “We have a wide variety of health benefits… There are clearly opportunities to promote for a company of our size… Clearly, a majority of our associates eventually advance to full-time employment.” Wall directed reporters to Mayra Estrada, who’s been with the company for 8 years, to substantiate the stores stance that most employees are happy with their jobs. Estrada, who works keeping inventory in the backroom of the store, says her job allows her the ability to support her three children and pay for the expenses of her household. She said she is unaware of what protestors were demanding. “I need the job, in the first place, and the truth is that I am comfortable working here,” Estrada said in Spanish. She gets paid more than $12 an hour. “I get all my benefits, my 40 hours and,

Nine OUR Walmart demonstrators, in a display of civil disobedience, sat in the middle of the street in violation of city ordinance of obstructing traffic. Photo: Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

well, I am fine working here.” Neither Wall nor Estrada substantiated whether full time employment was the norm in the company, only to say that the company offers both full and part-time work. But she is the exception to the rule, not the norm, said María Elena Jefferson, who also works at the Paramount store and gets $10.95 an hour after almost five years working there.

Jefferson said she and other workers, who have been with the company for a few years, are not looking to gain much more in terms of wages but they are struggling to gain full-time employment. Jefferson has been requesting to work full time but has been denied on several occasions. “They look at us in the face telling us that there aren’t sales, when we know that (the store) continued on following page

State Senator Wright Faces Felony Charges By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter

With a top-two law being in force during the November election, Carson residents had only two choices for state senator in the newly drawn District 35. One was seasoned Democratic Sen. Roderick Wright, who represented the former Senate District 25, which includes Inglewood. The other was a not-so-well-known Republican teacher, Charlotte Svolos. Wright won, with more than 76 percent of the vote, in a district that’s about 61 percent Democrat. However, Carson’s choice for senator comes with a long-running political scandal. Since 2010, Wright has been fighting eight felony charges, all related to whether or not he resided within district boundaries while he was voting and running for office in the Inglewood-centered District 25, between 2007 and 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and remains free on $45,000 bail. According to the indictment, Wright faces two counts of perjury for declaring on his 2007 voter registration form and his 2008 declaration of candidacy that he resided in Inglewood. The indictment alleges that he actually lived in Baldwin Hills. The third count alleges a false declaration of candidacy. The final five counts all concern voter fraud, alleging Wright voted five times while not legally registered. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum penalty of eight years and four months in state prison. He would also be barred for life from serving in public office in California. Although the Los Angeles County grand jury

unsealed the indictment in 2010, Wright’s trial has been delayed several times. Therefore, the case remained unresolved while he campaigned and won this latest election. His latest pre-trial procedure was scheduled for Nov. 29 in Los Angeles. If Wright is acquitted of the charges facing him, he will be termed out in 2016. If he is found guilty, a special election becomes likely. Wright was elected to his first term in the California State Senate in 2008. Most notably, he succeeded in authoring Senate Bill 827, legislation that the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce hailed as 2009’s “single largest job creation bill.” But, the League of Conservation Voters called it “the end product of a very complicated and unsavory legislative process.” Previously, Wright served three terms in the California State Assembly representing the Assembly District 48 between 1996 and 2002. Prior to his initial entrance into elected office, Wright was the district director to Rep. Maxine Waters where he assisted citizens with federal matters such as Social Security, Medicare and veterans issues. Wright obtained his degree in urban studies and city planning at Pepperdine University. The redrawn District 35 includes Carson, Lawndale, Compton, Gardena, Hawthorne, almost half of Torrance and most of Inglewood, along with slivers of Los Angeles, Long Beach and unincorporated county land.


Rev. Eric Lee, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and member of Clergy, Laity United for Economic Justice rallied the crowd of demonstrators to keep the pressure on. Photo : Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

from previous page

its workers to speak up, the spokeswoman said. “We want to hear those concerns,” she said. “We want them to come to a member of management. They don’t have to go to their supervisor or their manager. They can go to any manager so that we can address those concerns. But I would say that is a very small number of associates. Nonetheless their concerns are valid and we want to hear them.” Not true, said Jefferson. With the exception of the holiday seasons, she said that normally conditions are such that they have very few workers. Often the store schedules one person per department and puts one worker in charge of three departments. “In reality we don’t have a voice in the store,” Jefferson said. “We are ignored when we ask for something. They don’t respect us… We are very angry because they don’t do changes and they have ways to make changes.” Yet, in the end, her struggles are all worth it, Jefferson said. “Because I like my work and I need it, I’m going to fight for that work.”

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is full of people,” said Jefferson. She believes the company gives preferential treatment to certain employees and that some just don’t speak up because they are afraid of losing their jobs, in Spanish. “I tell them, ‘If they are going to fire us they are going to fire all of us.’” The labor campaign against Walmart began this past October, with 60 employees in Los Angeles. The rallies grew to thousands in cities throughout the country, including Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Chicago, Orlando, and parts of Kentucky, Missouri and Minnesota. Hundreds also demonstrated at the Wal-Mart Stores Headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Some Walmart workers have alleged that they have been subject to unsafe and unsanitary conditions, sexual harassment, excessive hours and forced labor in addition to the low pay and lack of benefits. Despite testimonials from employees who say they have spoken to managers, sent letters to board members and even gone to speak to executives at the corporate headquarters at no avail and no reaction to their concerns, Walmart continues to encourage

November 30 - December 13, 2012

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Save the Court:

Contract to Provide Local Justice Still Stands The question is whether Los Angeles or California is still legally bound to provide San Pedro a courthouse? By James Preston Allen, Publisher

November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

No one seems particularly shocked, angered or insulted that the county will be closing all courtrooms in 10 community courthouses throughout the region–a move considered because of budgetary considerations. I am not shocked. But I am angered and insulted because the establishment of the 100-year-old court in San Pedro was one of the many promises that the City of Los Angeles made to the citizens of the once independent city of San Pedro. This was a part of the deal to be “consolidated” into the larger municipality. For a very long time, I’ve heard the old timers repeat the refrain that Los Angeles “promised us a courthouse.” So, when I heard the news about the San Pedro courthouse being closed, I went looking for the documentation that verified this memory. I called a local judge who grew up here, but he didn’t know where to look. I talked with Art Almeida, the former president of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. He told me to call the archives down at the Beacon Street City Hall in Pedro. Anne Hansford, the historical society’s archivist, knew exactly what I was looking for. “The Consolidation Report from 1909,” she replied to my somewhat poor description of the document. “Yes we have a copy here.” The actual full title sheds a bit more light: Report of the Consolidation Committee of Los Angeles, Filed with and Approved by the City Council June 8, 1909 to the City Council and civic bodies of the City of Los Angeles and the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County, California. Quite a title for a modest 13-page report. But within it, it says quite a bit about what we, the citizens of the former cities of San Pedro and Wilmington should expect from our adopted (consolidated) city. Not the least of which is the development of a “port of free commerce” that is “financially able to bear the burden of the bond issues required to carry forward this great project.” This was an endeavor justified by the welfare of Southern California and the entire Southwest due to the opening of the Panama Canal. In exchange for our forebears vote to consolidate with Los Angeles, this report recom-

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mended (and later ratified by the Los Angeles City Council) 11 actions for San Pedro and 12 for Wilmington. For San Pedro, the seventh recommended action item reads as follows: That a police station, with a sufficient number of officers and men, be at once established in that portion of the consolidated city… to safely guard and protect the interest of said portion… and that a department of the Police Court, properly officered, be established therein. Now the question remains: After all these years, after police courts and justice courts were merged into municipal courts in 1926 and later, after the county took control of the municipal courts, and later after the municipal courts were merged with the state court system by Proposition 220 in 1998, does the city or the County of Los Angeles still owe San Pedro a court? Or does California, as a “successor of interest,” have an obligation to keep this court open? Of even greater importance is whether the people of the San Pedro Harbor Area and Los Angeles County, in general, will stand for the tyranny of austerity budgeting that threatens to limit our access to the justice system through distance and inconvenience. Reasonable access to the legal system is a right not a privilege. To elaborate this point on inconvenience and access, think of this: The Superior Court, in its infinite wisdom, is redirecting certain types of cases to specific courthouses for a more “efficient” adjudication of justice. Small claims actions will be “hubbed” out of the Inglewood Courthouse and all unlawful detainers, landlord-tenant evictions, will be heard in the Long Beach Courthouse. This means that the next time a small business owner in the Harbor Area wants to sue for a business debt, both the plaintiff and the defendant would have to drive to Inglewood, as would everybody else in the entire county. Likewise, any landlord or tenant in Inglewood would have to drive to Long Beach to have their day in court. Does any of this make logistical sense? This actually is pretty stupid from the citizens point of view.

Save the Courthouse/ to following page

Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com

“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XXXIII : No. 24

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

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

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Remembering JFK By Arthur R. Vinsel, Contributing Writer

With a future U.S. president at the helm, the PT-109 was patched-up wreck in hair trigger battle readiness. The 80-foot mahogany plywood crates were laden with four torpedoes, four 50caliber machine guns, a 20 mm cannon, 3,000 gallons of high octane aviation fuel, and a handful of sailors hanging on for dear life. Lt. j.g. John F. Kennedy’s boat epitomized the spirit of World War II. The PT-109 and its men became the later focal point of some of my most memorable newspaper stories, including the story of the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. A rookie reporter of 23, I felt an eerie sense of being a part of history. This was no drill like Journalism 101, where the teacher gives a few bits of data and you try to organize them objectively. This was life and death drama, and I was to cover it. Because I was there, the events of Nov. 22, 1963—the story of the century—were numbing. Reporters traditionally should only report, never taking part in the news. I put myself in the story the day JFK died, for as it turned out, that seemed the only way to tell it. I interviewed a Garden Grove resident, an oilfield worker in Huntington Beach that served with the president. “They all called him The Skipper, even after he became U.S. president,” recalled Torpedoman 2/C Ray Starkey, 47.”

Columnists/Reporters Lyn Jensen Carson B. Noel Barr Music Dude John Farrell Curtain Call Gretchen Williams Entrée Andrea Serna Arts Writer Malina Paris Culture Writer Kevin Walker Community News Tami Jackson Community News Calendar 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Slobodan Dimitrov, Diana Lejins, Betty Guevarra Contributors Danny Simon, Arthur R. Vinsel

Cartoonists Ann Cleaves, Andy Singer, Matt Wuerker Advertising Production Mathew Highland, Suzanne Matsumiya Advertising Representatives Mathew Highland, Chad Whitney reads@randomlengthsnews.com adv@randomlengthsnews.com Editorial Intern Joseph Barould Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 www.randomlengthsnews.com

Torpedoman Ray Starkey served with future President John F. Kennedy on the PT boats during WWII.

Based at Rendova in the Solomon Islands, squads of PT boats prowled Blackett Strait by night, targeting enemy supply barges and occasionally a “The Tokyo Express”—swift Japanese warship that would shell U.S. positions. Starky and I met because someone in Washington, D.C. proposed a goodwill reunion in August 1963 between surviving PT-109 crew and men of the Japanese destroyer Amagiri that rammed and sunk the boat. President Kennedy would not attend but the government thought a reunion of old foes after PT 109/ to p. 19

Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email adv@randomelengthsnews.com or reads@ randomlengthsnews.com. Extra copies and back issues are available by mail for $3 per copy while supplies last. Subscriptions are available for $35 per year for 27 issues. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right to express those opinions. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2012 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.


Wilmington Exposed to West Nile Virus Again

RANDOMLetters Mismanagement in the LAPD

The city budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 authorizes employment of 3,328 civilian (non-sworn) employees in the police department. Moreover, the budget authorizes the expenditure of $231,860,000 as a salary for those employees. The 3,328 civilian employees of the PD represent more than 100 civil service job classes. Employees in most of those classes were hired on probation. Under Civil Service Rule 1.26, they should have been required to demonstrate their fitness by the actual performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities. Regrettably, the police department violates 1.26; it relies on its own rating procedure. It uses form LAPD 01.78.3—Probationary Civilian Evaluation Report—to rate civilian probationers in virtually all those 100-plus job-classes. But that rating procedure is deeply flawed. It features 19 traits/ habits, many which are undefined. Thus, rating based on that proce-

Community Alert

San Pedro Community Plan Open House, Public Hearing

Editor’s Note: The writer of this letter incorrectly refers to a Letter to the Editor, “Wilmington Exposed to West Nile Virus— Councilman Buscaino Can Fix It, But Will He?” that was published on Oct. 18. It was not an article. I just read the above mentioned article and I am relieved that someone finally cares enough to publish an article! I am not originally from Wilmington but my husband Andrew Chacon is. It amazes me how Banning High School doesn’t give more love to our boys who will eventually play football for the school. I thought communities are supposed to come together for the sake of the children. My boys, who are now 11 and 13 years old, have been a part of Wilmington/Carson Pilots since they were 5 years old (2004). The field conditions have always been terrible. Parents have been trying to come together for years for a solution. A couple of years ago the city came out several times to complain about the conditions. This never worked by the way. I feel like our community is being overlooked because of where we are located. There is no question about that! Our boys and girls deserve a safe environment to practice. We

Libya Mismanaged

Editor’s Note: This Letter to the Editor was mailed Oct. 29. The Obama administration mismanaged the four American lives lost in Libya. Obama let the news media go in a different direction with an insulting Internet video that mocks Islam. By allowing this misconception of what actually took place,

Obama was able to utilize this as a distraction so he could continue with his campaigning. If security officers were withdrawn from the country as conditions were worsening, it would be logical for Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others to withdraw as well. Col. Andrew Wood oversaw a 16-member “site security team” that was assigned to protect diplomats in Libya. Where were these 16 members and why did they leave the ambassador unprotected. Eric Nordstrom, the State Department official under Hillary Clinton was responsible for diplomatic security in Libya and should have pulled everyone out since the

diplomatic post was at risk without any security. Since this issue is days before the election, we will not find out who was responsible until after the election. This is a good example of the poor foreign policy that the Obama administration oversees. Thomas Sowell is quoted as saying, “It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.” Ted Tester San Pedro

from previous page

San Pedro Courthouse

al. Generally, denial of reasonable access is in fact a denial of justice. In the specific case of the San Pedro Courthouse, I argue it is also a breach of contract. It is a part of what the city promised San Pedro 103 years ago. If they wish to cancel one part of this agreement, then it calls into question the entire contract. Furthermore, there is the legal question of which is responsible for providing a court in San Pedro as “successors in interest to the obligation”: the county or the state? Note here that when the State of California consolidated the current San Pedro Courthouse, when it was run by the county, the state paid nothing for the property. To cap this off, my source inside the court says that most of the judges have come to the conclusion that the state consolidation of county courts into one giant system operated by the State’s Administrative Office of Courts was one of the biggest boondoggles ever perpetrated on the people of California. I am beginning to agree. Join me in saving the San Pedro Courthouse!

November 30 - December 13, 2012

From the legal system’s administrative standpoint, I’m sure it does makes sense. But the costs to the general public in terms of travel time, lost work hours or shear hassle factor are not being considered. This is a nightmare! A nightmare foretold by our ever-increasing enforcement costs of the Three Strikes law, the death penalty, the war on drugs and our paranoia of escalating crime. In the City of Los Angeles, we’re willing to pay to maintain a 10,000 officer force, but not a cent more for the justice system to prosecute the criminals. And, what’s more is that there is not enough budget or jails to house those already convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors so that they serve even half of their sentences. Yet, we continue to budget billions of dollars for Homeland Security, billions more for a drug war that we continue to lose. And, can’t seem to realize that legalization of pot would give both revenue and relief to a justice system that is distraught with enforcing certain laws that can no longer be enforced effectively. In the end, our civil society, our very legal rights to reasonable access to justice both, civil and criminal, are threatened to the point of being dysfunction-

The Local Publication You Actually Read

The Los Angeles Department of City Planning will host an open house and public hearing regarding proposed zone changes and plan amendments to the San Pedro Community Plan, from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12, at the Boys and Girls Club in San Pedro. The proposed plan would preserve the character of existing single-family and lower density neighborhoods by maintaining lower-density land use designations and limiting the allowed residential density of some neighborhood commercial areas. The proposed plan seeks to direct growth away from existing residential neighborhoods by focusing growth in higher-intensity commercial centers, including emphasis of downtown as San Pedro’s regional center with increased residential and commercial activity. Proposed land use changes would be implemented by plan amendments, zone changes, height district changes and other long range implementation programs. The purpose of the hearing is to obtain testimony from affected and/or interested persons regarding the proposed changes. The decision maker will consider all the testimony presented at the hearing, written communication received prior to or at the hearing and the merits of the proposed changes as they relate to existing environmental and land use policy and regulations. Details: (213) 978-1163 Venue: Boys and Girls Club Location: 100 W. 5th St., San Pedro

dure is of no real value. Why, for example, does the PD rate the Written Expression of Equine Keepers? Why are firearms examiners rated on their Neatness of Work Product? And how can supervisors rate the Attitude, Initiative, and Oral Expression of custodians, equipment mechanics, clerks, police surveillance specialists, etc.? Clearly, the procedure used in the police department to evaluate probationary civilians is not a valid working test. It generates ratings that are based on traits and habits, and which don’t accurately reflect employees’ job performance. LAPD 01.78.3 is a one-sizefits-all trait list. Its use affronts employees’ common sense, and frustrates their supervisors. The fact that 01.78.3 is still being used in the LAPD suggest that PD leaders have allowed their department’s civilian workforce to be mismanaged—that they’ve allowed taxpayer dollars to be wasted. A final thought: It does seem a bit ironic that the city department most closely identified with law enforcement would be caught— not only violating civil service law, but like a cat covering crap—attempting to hide the mess it made. Samuel M. Sperling Monterey Park

are a working class community and just want the best for our kids. Pilot kids are humbled by their surroundings, but they deserve to be treated equally! Very truly yours, Darlene Chacon Wilmington

9


—Friday, December 7, 5–9 pm—

November 30 – December 13, 2012

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

Shopping • Music • Entertainment • Food • Face Painting Carnival Games • Jumper • Take Pictures With Santa!

10


by: Melina Paris, Contributing Music Writer

T

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

he Toledo Show is a carnal arena that is fully addicting and intoxicating — an experience that must be witnessed in order to be appreciated. Show creator, singer, choreographer, fashion designer, spoken word artist, dancer and actor Toledo Dimon, has been staging this for the past 10 years starting at Harvelles in Santa Monica. This past year, the show has been carried over into Long Beach with the opening of Harvelles in the venue once occupied by the The Cellar. At the top of the stairs leading down into the basement lounge that is Harvelles, guests are greeted by a large poster of a grinning Dimon standing between the fishnet clad legs of a dancer as she sits in a chair with her legs extended up forming a V— a fitting welcome for an underground den of “exquisite danger.” The Cats, The Toledo Show’s house band, kick off the performance with a jazzy number for the dancers who make an entrance in hot pants, fishnet stockings, white tanks and black opaque glasses, such as the ones in the poster at the top of the stairs. The dancers flirtatiously brush by male and female patrons alike as they glide between tables lifting, stretching their legs high, ballet style, and climbing onto booths. Like chiffon and lyre circus performers, some of the women climb up the chiffon fabric that is steadfastly hung from the ceiling, twisting and wrapping themselves in the cloth as they hoist themselves up into the air sensuously and gracefully. Dimon’s attire is a new take on an old school style: that of a 1940s gangster. In the opening set, he wore dark denim overalls with what appeared to be an almost 12 inch, inside-out exaggerated hem with a white undershirt, Stacy Adams wing tip shoes and a wide brimmed black hat. He topped off his air of cool with a pair of black sunglasses. Dimon calls this highly original show a Femme Fatal Cabaret. “Not burlesque,” he notes. “It’s nothing like burlesque.” And he’s correct. There’s no striptease in his show, which burlesque shows often include. A Femme Fatale, from earliest stories, describes a tragic seductress whose victims fall into an entranced state under the seductress’ spell, before meeting an untimely end. She is considered to be supernatural. Toledo Continued on page 15.

November 30 – December 13, 2012 November 30 – December 13 – 15, 2012

Toledo Dimon and the dames of the Toledo Dimon Show. Photo courtesy of the The Toledo Show

11 11


Entertainment December 1

Handel’s “Messiah” The Long Beach Camerata Singers are gearing up for their annual holiday performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” starting at 5 p.m., Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach. Four soloists, as well as The Camerata Singers Symphony Orchestra, will accompany the group. Details: longbeachcameratasingers.org Venue: Covenant Presbyterian Church Location: 607 E. 3rd St., Long Beach The WEE Trio The WEE Trio is a cadre of New Orleans’ finest musicians who perform David Bowie’s music. Brought together by guitarist Cliff Hines, the trio has been turning heads with their play. Show starts at 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Annual Blue Grass Holiday Cliff Wagner & The Old #7 will perform starting at 8 p.m., at the Grand Annex. Tickets start at $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

December 2

Tapestry Carole King Tribute With a wealth of classic songs to her credit, it was only a matter of time before someone was going to pay tribute to one of the greatest singersongwriters of our time. Tapestry will be performing the music of Carole King, an artist who has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Show starts at 4 p.m. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

December 7

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

Kofi Baker - A Tribute to Cream Kofi Baker will perform at 8 p.m. at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

December 8

Frank Unzueta Trio The Frank Unzueta Trio will perform at 8 p.m. at Alvas Showroom. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday Concert David Garfield and Steve Gadd will perform at 4 p.m. at Alvas Showroom. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

Dec. 15

Hawaiian Christmas Show Jim Kimo West will perform at 4 p.m. at Alvas Showroom. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

November 30 – December 13, 2012

Dec. 16

Joshua White Trio The Joshua White Trio will perform at 4 p.m. at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Suggested donation is $20. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

Dean Mora’s Modern Swingtet Usher in the holidays with classic Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw tunes and other favorites played by the suave Dean Mora and his Swingtet starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Annex in San Pedro. Tickets start at $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro 12 Continued on page 15.

Beer is Best Shared Between Two By Michael Koger, Contributing Writer

I recently acquired two very interesting beers,

so I called my buddy Andrew, with whom I brew beer, to share and play some cards. The beers in question are Samuel Adams’ Verloren Gose and Firestone Walker’s XV Anniversary. Both beers are very unique for completely different reasons. Gose is one of the least represented beer style categories you can possibly think of. With its history tracing back to ancient Saxony, what separates Gose beers from other styles is its defining ingredient: Salt. All Gose beers are made with salt. It’s up to the brewers to decide how much salt to use. This is only the second Gose I’ve ever had, so I don’t have much with which to compare. It proved to be an interesting and decent beer. Clocking in at 6 percent alcohol-by-volume, Verloren is not a heavy beer. It pours with decent carbonation and the beer itself is a light orange color when held up to the light. It smells sweet. The notes on the back of the bottle tell the drinker it is a wheat based beer and that it definitely tastes like a sweetened hefeweizen. The salt isn’t very noticeable, but it’s there if you really look for it. The one other Gose I had, The Bruery’s Salt of the Earth, was very salty. However, this was nice. Verloren is also made with coriander which blends nicely with the sweet, fruit-like notes. The other beer we tried was Firestone Walker’s 15th Anniversary ale, which is a blend of eight different Firestone Walker beers. According to the information sheet included in the box, it’s 76 percent barleywine, 19 percent stout and 5 percent Imperial India pale ale.

So how does it taste? Delicious. If I were a cigar smoker, this would definitely be a beer to pair with a good stogie. The barleywine and imperial stout beers give it a sweet, slightly boozy taste, but the ever-so-slight hop presence helps balance everything out. This was released this past year and has aged beautifully. What makes this beer interesting is the fact that the brewers at Firestone Walker invited area wine blenders to decide on the particular blend. In the end, I think it really helped the beer. At 12.5 percent alcohol-by-volume, it is definitely a sipper. As the beer warms up, a lot of the complexities from the barrel aging begins to shine through and showcase how smooth of a beer this is. Firestone Walker will soon be releasing their Double Double Barrel Ale and their 16th Anniversary Ales, both of which should prove to age gracefully if you choose to cellar them. While neither of these beers are new, both are unique because they represent two very different approaches to beer making. Whereas Firestone Walker’s 15th Anniversary represents new approaches to and thoughts regarding what beer can be, Samuel Adam’s Verloren Gose represents another movement in beer to bring back ancient styles of beer making. (Dogfish Head from Delaware has done this as well with several beers.) The end result is the same though: delicious beer that expands and develops the drinker’s palate.


Thinking Big on Small Business Saturday by: Andrea Serna, Contributing Arts Writer

CRAFTED at Port of Los Angeles is celebrating its first Christmas. The San Pedro craft marketplace kicked off the holiday season with “Small Business Saturday.” American Express has dedicated this day to support small businesses across the country and counter the frenzy at big-box retailers during Black Friday. The National Retail Foundation, an industry advocacy organization, states that the average American spends $700 on holiday shopping. If just $64 of this was spent on gifts made in the United States, the economic impact would equate to the creation of 200,000 American jobs. “Attendance has been good. I have had two really great days,” said jeweler and small business owner Jennifer Ward. Ward handcrafts gemstone and metal jewelry and staffs her Beetle Back Arts booth at CRAFTED. Artisans report that the management is supportive. CRAFTED recently made a decision to eliminate the $5 parking fee and now offers free parking for customers. Mr. and Mrs. Santa were on the job Saturday, granting wishes to young and old. A disc jockey was spinning Christmas tunes to keep the atmosphere festive. CRAFTED also provides a free gift-wrapping station for shoppers. Almost 100 local artisans showcase their creations at the marketplace. Artisan food makers stand side by side with designers and craft artists to create a bustling intersection of art and commerce. Furniture maker, carpenter and part-time longshoreman Sal Tamo of Against the Grain is experiencing success with his small business. All of his furniture is made of reclaimed wood from the docks here in San Pedro. Tamo takes pride in

Sunday–Thursday 10am-11pm

Friday & Saturday 10am–11:30pm

1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro

Fast Delivery!

310–732–5800 Fax: 310-732-5804

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

ACE: Arts • Culture • Entertainment

• Happy Hour •

saving trees by using the retrieved material. “Working with reclaimed wood is much more challenging than working with raw lumber,” said Tamo, who sold out his entire inventory on that weekend. “You have to have a love for it.” All the vendors expressed satisfaction with the support they have received from the management at CRAFTED. Marketing, public relations, website support and special events are all handled by the experienced staff. Many small businesses struggle with these skills while they work to launch a business. The benefit of being housed in the cooperative space within Warehouse #10 is evident. CRAFTED is open every Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. That’s 365 weekends of handmade happiness. Details: www.craftedportla.com Venue: CRAFTED at the Port of LA Location: 110 E. 22nd Street, San Pedro

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) 8331589, 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro Iron City Tavern • Happy Hour 1/2-price appetizers & drink specials: 4 to 6 p.m. Mon. to Fri. 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro; (310) 547-4766 June’s Bar • Happy Hour: Mon. to Fri., 4 to 7 p.m. $1.00 Off drinks. (310) 521-9804, 1100 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

San Pedro Brewing Co. • Happy Hour: 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri. (310) 831-5663, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Trusela’s • Happy Hour: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tues. to Sat. (310) 547-0993, 28158 S. Western Ave., 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

November 30 – December 13, 2012

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

13


San Pedro’s Original ArtWalk— Fine Dining • Live Music Special Performances • Food Trucks!

Gallery 345

Art Is A Gift Gloria D Lee and Pat Woolley exhibit mixed media and watercolor paintings, books, small works and more. 6-9 pm 1st Thursday, and by appointment. Please call 310 545 0832 or 310 374 8055 for appointments or email artsail@roadrunner. com; www.gloriadlee.com; woolleybear@verizon.net ; www. teddytraveler.com• 345 W. 7th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731

The Loft Gallery

Transitions: Carol Hungerford Solo Exhibition. Open Studios: Candice Gawne, Carol Hungerford, Sam Arno, Daniel Porras, Murial Olguin, Jan Govaerts, Anne Marie Rawlinson, & Nancy Towne Schultz. 401 S. Mesa St. • 310.831.5757 • Open 6–9pm & by appt.

Support Your Community. Shop Local!

Michael Stearns Studio

Currently showing “Sky Ladders” Assemblage works by Michael Stearns. In the spirit of Black Thursday take 50% off when you purchase a unique gift for yourself or someone you care for. Current works include paintings, papier mache and mixed media sculptures, reflecting interest in the southwestern landscape, spiritual studies and veteran issues. Open 1st Thursday Art Walk, by appointment, or by chance. 347 W. 7th St. • 562.400.0544 • Michaelstearnsstudio.com

Richard Lopez Studio

New works on display by Richard Lopez. Art classes by appointment. 372 7th St. • 562.370.7883 • Ralopezart.com

Advertise Here for As Low As

$35

302 W. 7th Street • 310. 833.1589 per Month! –Entertainment Calendar–

November 30 – December 13, 2012

(310) 519-1442

14

Fri 11/30

Choyce

9pm

Thurs 12/6

TJ Rox Harbor Groove Harbor Groove Daddyos Whiskey Flats Hindsight

7pm

First

Fri 12/7 Sat 12/8 Fri 12/14 Fri 12/21 Fri 12/28

9pm 9pm 9pm 9pm 9pm

Open Christmas Day

Jazz Jam every Wednesday 7 - 11pm

– www.godmotherssaloon.com –


Calendar from page 12.

Theater/Film December 7

White Christmas Celebrate the spirit of the season at the sparkling holiday musical, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Dec. 7 through 16. Based on the classic 1954 film starring Bing Crosby, this lavish Broadway romantic comedy is an all-singing, all-dancing evening of theater that features some of the greatest songs ever written, including “Blue Skies,” “Count My Blessings” and the famous title tune. Performance times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays and Dec. 15. Ticket prices are $42 for adults and $25 for children. Details: (310) 544-0403 Venue: Norris Center for the Performing Arts Location: 27525 Crossfield Dr., Rolling Hills Estates

December 8

—Art Calendar— December 3

December 6

Windows Into the Past San Pedro Bay Historical Society’s Windows Into the Past project unveils new window displays on the First Thursday Art Walk: “From Scandinavia to San Pedro” at Gallery Neuartig, where local Scandinavians are from page 11.

Toledo

Ned Evans & Charles Christopher Hill Noted Los Angeles abstractionists Ned Evans and Charles Christopher Hill share a potent double bill, Dec. 6, 2012 through Feb. 27, 2013, at Gallery 478 in San Pedro. The exhibition opens First Thursday, Dec. 6. An artists reception will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 8. Details: Ned Evans & Charles Christopher Hill Venue: Gallery 478 Location: 478 W. 7th St., San Pedro

December 8

performance, the Music Box Dolls at the 2nd Sat Art Walk in Long Beach. It starts at 7:15 p.m. With a repertoire that includes Polynesian dances, international-style ballroom and Latin dances at the silver level, classical and tribal belly dance, Filipino and Muslim folkdances, street salsa, hip hop and West African Dance. Tehani aims to push the boundaries of performance art while pushing audiences to think. Venue: East Village Arts District Location: Linden, Between 1st St. and Broadway

December 9

Linda Day: Swimming in Paint A selection of abstract paintings, collages, and drawings by the late Linda Adair Day will be exhibited in the Wesley G. Hampton Gallery at the University Art Museum in Cal State Long Beach. Venue: University Art Museum, Cal State Long Beach Location: 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach

Music Box Dolls Dancer Tehani Sarreal is staging an original dance

Garage and this guy asked me if he could put my voice on this track, so I did and never heard any more about it.” Fast forward to a later date. At a party, a lady asked Dimon to listen to this new music she had called acid jazz. He knew it was the same track that Dimon made at Max’ Garage. The woman knew the owners of the record company that put his voice on the track and, in fact, they were looking for Toledo. As a result of this chance meeting, he was asked if he wanted to do another track. They were doing a showcase for all their artists and told him to put together a band in one week. From there he went to an old friend who played with Chucky Weiss and Tom Waits at The Century, before it became The Viper Room. He had always asked Toledo to come on stage and do his poetry when they played there. Dimon told him about the record deal and asked him if he wanted to put together a band. “Between us we put together some cool cats,” he said. “During this time I choreographed a number called Fishnet Cigarettes for my sister and some friends. We performed it at the Viper Room. Someone there asked what we were called. I said I have no idea. So, as a joke, someone said call it The Toledo Show. There it went, up on the marquee.”

Toledo uses his keen perception of human awareness and artistic delivery to keep audiences in rapture. They are his hook. He says the stories that are told through the show come from a place of knowing and encompass parts of his life. “The women that are in the show represent pieces of life that I’ve known,” he said. “Your body’s memory is amazing. I never forget anything. I have a mad man’s memory, it twists me. This, what I do, is the playground in which we all exorcise our demons. Every single one of my musicians, my dancers, they come with something they need to put in an arena where the walls won’t come down.” The common thread running through his songs and stories is what Toledo calls, “the other side,” saying there’s hope in the middle of chaos. “If you don’t have hope in the middle of chaos then chaos is just chaos,” he said. “It’s like relationships without a resolve. When I look at my life I’d rather say, ‘I can’t believe I did that,’ instead of ‘I wish I did.’” You can catch the show at Harvelles in Long Beach on Thursday nights. Tickets are $10. There is a two drink minimum.

December 15

Nutcracker The Long Beach Ballet intends to astound audiences this December with multiple performances of The Nutcracker, Dec. 15, 16, 22 and 23, at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. The 30th anniversary production will be accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. Special guest performances and additional surprise treats the entire family will love. Tickets run from $28 to $95. Details: (877) 852-3177; www.longbeachballet. org Venue: Long Beach Performing Arts Center Location: 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

November 30 – December 13, 2012

With a 1940s style black and red Vector microphone in hand, Dimon sings in his deep, raspy voice lyrics from the song, “We Were Giants”: Legs wrapped around me like giants, hold me forever. The show seeps with sensuality and desire, mixed with a little danger. Dimon takes a drag from his cigarette before he begins telling stories about the human condition. The narratives he unfolds are punctuated by the dancers moves. Dimon and the owner of both Harvelles locations, Cevin Walker, have worked together for the past 10 years to make this show the success that it is today. Walker saw one of Dimon’s shows and decided to do what he needed to get Dimon to perform at his venue. “He hunted me down,” Dimon said. Walker succeeded in getting Dimon to perform at the Santa Monica club on Sunday nights. The two men’s partnership is one based on mutual respect. They taught each other what they both needed to know with regards to creativity and business. “I fell into the music by accident,” Dimon said. “I used to do poetry at this place called Max’s

encouraged to have their name included in the roster of first families to settle here. “Smiles of the 70s,” featuring Miss San Pedro contestants at Le Grand Salon. Members of the historical society will be on hand from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Details: www.sanpedrobayhistoricalsociety.org Venue: Gallery Neuartig Location: 366 West 7th St., San Pedro

ACE: Arts • Culture • Entertainment

Tango Desnudo Accomplished Los Angeles commercial ar t photographer, Gayle Goodrich, makes a stunning fine art statement with her latest photo essay, Tango Desnudo, Dec. 3, 2012 through Jan. 12, 2013, at Flazh Alley Art Studio in San Pedro. The photo essay combines two of my biggest passions in life: dancing the Argentine tango and photographing the female figure. The only public receptions will be on San Pedro’s 1st Thursdays Art Walk, from 7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 6, 2012 and Jan. 3, 2013, and by appointment. The show is open to adults only. Details: (310) 833-3633 Venue: Flazh!Alley Art Studio Location: 1113 S. Pacific Ave., Suite B, San Pedro

Nutcracker The San Pedro City Ballet presents its 19th annual production of Tchaikovsky’s classic The Nutcracker, Dec. 8 and 9, at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. San Pedro City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will feature company members as well as a supporting cast of 160 ranging from 4 years old to adult. Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino will also be performing. Featuring ballet, magic tricks, special effects, and stage combat, the production has become a staple of the South Bay community and entertains more than 3,000 people each year. Admission ranges from $16 to$36. Details: (310) 732-1861; www.BrownPaperTickets. com Venue: The Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro

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The Post-Sandy Global Warming Future By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

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November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area

ess than a month after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Northeast, by some measures the worst storm to hit the region since the early 19th century, the World Bank issued a new report on the kind of world that Sandy may be a harbinger of. Turn Down The Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided warns that the world is headed toward a rise of 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit ) by the end of the century and that current pledges to reduce emissions will only marginally reduce that figure. “All regions of the world would suffer— some more than others… but the report finds that the poor will suffer the most,” the report’s press release warns. “We need to hold warming below 2 degrees,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “Lack of action on climate change threatens to make the world our children inherit a completely different world than we are living in today.” Among the key findings: • Extreme heatwaves that without global warming would be expected to occur once in several hundred years, will be experienced during almost all summer months in many regions. • Increases of 6º C or more in average monthly summer temperatures would be expected in the Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East and parts of the United States. • Sea level rise by 0.5 to 1 meter by 2100 is likely, with higher levels also possible. • The most vulnerable regions are in the tropics, sub-tropics and towards the poles, where multiple impacts are likely to come together. • Agriculture, water resources, human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services are likely to be severely impacted. Unfortunately, reports such as this have become all too common with the past decade, while the gap between need and action at the highest levels has only widened. Which is why another report from a completely different angle may ultimately prove more significant. Severe weather in North America: Perils · Risks · Insurance is a report on what has already happened in North America with the past 30-plus years. The report is from Munich Re, a global giant in the reinsurance industry, which has already paid out billions in excess costs because of global warming. Seven years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Random Lengths News interviewed a climate scientist from another major reinsurance company about the connections between global warming, extreme weather and rising levels of loss. So Severe Weather was just the sort of thing we were looking for to bring our readers up to date. The 277-page report notes that, “The number of natural catastrophes per year has been rising dramatically on all continents since 1980, but the trend is steepest for North America.” In North America costs total more than $1 trillion for this period, with 30,000 lives lost, mostly due to heat waves. The report adds, “This increase is entirely attributable to weather events, as there has been a negative trend for geophysical events.” 16

The extremely powerful storm surge was Hurricane Sandy’s fiercest weapon, as water overwhelmed defenses throughout coastal New Jersey, New York City, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. File photo.

The number of loss events has nearly quintupled since 1980, compared to a worldwide average increase of 2.5 times. Two key factors were responsible for North America’s higher rate of increased risk, said Professor Peter Höppe, head of Geo Risk Research at Munich Re. “It’s the connection with the humid air from the Gulf of Mexico which increases the potential for extreme events, and then it’s the missing obstacle [an East-West mountain range] so that these air masses—these arctic air masses and sub-tropical air masses—can clash in a plain,” Höppe said. North America has every type of weatherrelated peril seen on the planet. The report contains separate sections devoted to winter storms, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, inland floods, heatwaves and droughts, and wildfires as well as sections on landslides and subsidence and heave, which frequently involve weather-related causes. “For each peril… the individual sections explain physics and characteristics, provide maps outlining threatened regions, look at outstanding historical events, present statistical analyses, and suggest risk-reducing prevention measures,” the report explains. The detailed analysis is supported by Munich Re’s database of comprehensive losses from natural catastrophes with more than 30,000 records to draw on—4,000 from North America alone, 3,800 of them weather-related. Tropical cyclones are far and away the most costly and most memorable form of extreme weather covered. With overall losses of $125 billion ($62.2 billion insured), Hurricane Katrina was the costliest single event, as well as the deadliest storm, claiming 1,322 lives. On an annual basis, tropical cyclone losses averaged $15.3 billion for the 10-year period 2002 to 2011. But Höppe is reluctant to jump quickly to connect Hurricane Sandy to global warming. “Actually, the drought this year in the U.S.… is (really) a foretaste of global warming, rather than Sandy,” he said. “We don’t derive our knowledge, our information, or our belief that global warming is already changing weather extreme patterns from single events like Sandy, but from the statistics we have,” he explained. That’s not to say there aren’t obvious connec-

or ARkStorm—would do. The losses would be staggering—total property losses around $400 billion (more than three Katrinas) with another $325 billion in losses due to business interruption, which will be felt for a period of five years. “There is no connection yet” between global warming and such a storm, Höppe says, but it’s not hard to see what it would look like. “If the Pacific Ocean warms up further, then the humidity will even be more, which could be transported to California, which could result in an intense precipitation event.” It hasn’t happened here since 1862. But Sandy’s storm surge topped Manhattan’s record set back in 1821. We have been warned. Repeatedly. But are we paying attention?

San Pedro Courtrooms Set for Closure

tions, though. “At the time, when Sandy made landfall, we had far above average sea surface temperatures there along the East Coast, which made it possible that Sandy kept its strength until it made landfall.” But there’s a lot more data about more common events, such as thunderstorms, tornados and heatwaves. “There are other weather-related perils where we see much clearer signals, which are most of all the so-called ‘convective events’, which are all the events developing out of the thunderstorms, like tornadoes, like intense precipitation events, like straight-line winds, and also hail storms,” Höppe elaborated. “There we already have detected and actually have submitted a scientific paper on these findings. This is in the review process right now… We have detected that within the last four decades we see a significant trend toward more days with conditions in the atmosphere, which allow the development of these large thunderstorm cells.” A warmer, moister atmosphere is a direct result of global warming, which in turn produces more of these cells. In addition to convective storms increasing, “The other ones are certainly heatwaves—which are a direct effect of global warming … And with heatwaves there is a connection to droughts.” This is why he feels much more confident pointing to the ongoing drought as a sign of things to come. Wildfires are also clearly increasing, although human agency in starting them is a muddling factor. As Californians, it’s impossible to ignore the most extreme weather event in the report, a projected recurrence of something like the 3-week rainstorm that flooded California in the winter of 1861-62, turning much of the Central Valley into an enormous lake. Similarly, smaller storms hit the state in 1969, 1986 and 1997, as well. The report explains it’s “the result of a meteorological phenomenon known as an atmospheric river bringing a stream of warm, moist air from the Pacific into California from the southwest within a period of several weeks.” The U.S. Geological Survey did a 2011 study of what a 1,000-year atmospheric river storm—

On Nov. 14, officials at the Los Angeles County court system announced that all courtrooms in 10 community courthouses will be closed, including two branches in San Pedro, catching San Pedro residents by surprise. The closures come at time of looming deficit of $55 million to $85 million. San Pedro’s courtrooms have been under the gun since at least 2011 during Councilwoman Janice Hahn’s tenure. At the time they thought the closures were still two to three years off. The courtroom closures set for June 30, 2013, will lead to an unknown number of layoffs including court clerks, court reporters and other staff. No judges will be affected because under state law they cannot be laid off, court spokeswoman Mary Hearn said. Though the courtrooms in the courthouses may close, administrative functions may still carry on, though decisions have not been made as to which functions will continue and whether the clerk’s office in either courthouse will remain open. Court cases, however, will be moved to other open courthouses. The closures will follow the June 30 closures of 56 courtrooms countywide and layoffs of 350 workers to close a $30 million deficit this fiscal year. Those closures affected courtrooms in Torrance, Del Aire, Long Beach and Inglewood, and more across the county.

ILWU Clerical Workers Go on Strike

On Nov. 27, clerical workers of the ILWU went on strike on Pier 400 at the Port of Los Angeles after reaching an impasse in contract negotiations that’s been dragging on for the last two years. The clerical workers linked their strike to the terminal operators and international carriers outsourcing of jobs. “We’re drawing the line against corporate greed and outsourcing that’s destroying the good-paying jobs that support working families in our community,” said Trinie Thompson, a Logistics Clerk who works at the port. “The jobs here come with excellent wages and benefits—but they’ll eventually disappear if companies keep outsourcing them to India and Taiwan.” The 800 workers who belong to ILWU Local 63’s Office Clerical Unit have been negotiating with international carriers and terminal operators since their three-year contract expired on June 30, 2010. “We’ve been meeting with the companies for more than two years, but they’re still concealing their outsourcing—even when they’ve been caught red-handed,” said 63-OCU President John Fageaux. “These employers seem to have an insatiable appetite for outsourcing,” he said, noting that the Harbor community has lost at least 51 permanent positions during the past 5 years, and that the companies have announced plans to take away another 76 in the future.


The Local Publication You Actually Read

November 30 - December 13, 2012

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November 30 - December 13, 2012

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS FILINGS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012198587 The following person is doing business as: “Life’s Grand” Kids Dance, Art, Music, 415 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA, 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owner(s): Lorena Maese, 3653 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: Oct. 1, 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.) Lorena Maese, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 4, 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 were to expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 10/18/12, 11/01/2012, 11/15/12,

11/29/12

01/10/12

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012217235 The following person is doing business as: San Pedro Spotlight, 800 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Miguel Gonzalez, 658 W. 22nd St. #4, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: Aug. 1, 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.) Carmen Moen, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Oct. 31, 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 were to expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 11/29/12, 12/13/12, 12/27/12,

01/10/12

PT-109

20 years would be grand, though feelings were mixed among the old soldiers. “Hell, it was war and (we would have) done the same to them,” cracked Starky, a plain spoken guy with a trace of actor John Wayne in his bearing. Starkey enjoyed telling how tropic heat and humidity were so unbearable the crew often went nude, but Kennedy ordered them to wear shorts in the galley where Vienna sausages were a luncheon staple. The night of Aug. 2 was moonless in Blackett Strait as the PT-109 idled on one of its three 1,500-horsepower Packard engines, barely audible over the lapping wavelets. Two men were on watch and others on the topside for fresh air. “Ship at 2 o’clock!” bellowed one sailor. “Engines ahead full!” Kennedy yelled.” But within six seconds the Amagiri knifed into the small boat, instantly killing seamen Andrew Kirksey and Harold Marney in a machine gun turret. Machinist’s Mate Gerard McMahon was sprayed with burning fuel in the engine room. Kirksey had been tormented for weeks by premonitions of death to the point of upsetting crewmates, Starky recalled. The destroyer, which had just delivered 900 fresh enemy troops and 70 tons of supplies to Kolombangara Island, steamed on and Kennedy began counting the noses of his survivors. Kolombangara was already occupied by 10,000 Japanese soldiers and one

Australian coast watcher in a hideout atop Mount Veve, the island’s volcano. Fortunately for the PT-109 crew, he spotted the fiery 2:20 a.m. crash and took a compass reading. Kennedy got his crew assembled with a floating timber and they paddled four miles to a tiny island with no food or water source. Kennedy towed the badly burned McMahon by a web belt clenched in his teeth. Starkey’s hands and arms were burned but he could kick with his feet. Kennedy swam on a few miles to Naru Island, where he found fresh water and coconuts to sustain them. They were finally rescued six days later. Coast watcher sub-Lt. Arthur R. Evans sent two Solomon Islanders in a dugout canoe to seek survivors and they made contact. The Navy presumed the crew was lost and never searched for them. The Navy had a memorial service, while Evans’ two native aides were engaged in the crew’s rescue at an extreme risk. Native collaborators were invariably tortured to death by the Japanese invaders. Naturally, the Navy and Hollywood wrote a fictitious but frantic search scene into the 1963 PT-109, movie script to cover the asses of their tailored suits and uniforms. The happy ending involved the natives paddling 35 miles to another PT boat base with a coconut shell carved with rescue instructions and signed; “11 alive, Need small boat, Kennedy.” Rescuers approaching could hear the castaways singing “Jesus Loves Me,” to keep their

spirits up. News Editor Ralph Young was enthusiastic, mostly, but took the Lord’s name in vain over the Vienna sausage anecdote and Kennedy’s prowess as an expert thief of needed boat parts. “We can’t print stories like this about the sitting president of the United States!” Young snapped gruffly while stifling giggles. There were grand moments as Starkey, the oilfield roustabout, waltzed in rented tuxedo with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy around the ballroom at President Kennedy’s Inauguration. Then came Nov. 22, 1963. I was walking down the back hallway of the Orange Coast Daily Pilot newspaper when I heard my editor, Tom Murphine, slam his phone down. “My God,” he cried out. “Kennedy’s been shot! They think it’s fatal!” “I’m going to try to get to Ray Starkey,” I said, grabbing my phone. I felt a strange chill of dread, unlike any other sensation I could recall. A subdued young telephone operator at the Signal Oil & Gas field in Huntington Beach said Starkey was on his lunch break and under the circumstances he would be kept available at the locker room. Other reporters were there. I sped up Highway 101 and swung my Austin Healey Sprite roadster into the rocky, muddy oilfield. Just as I reached for the ignition key the radio’s dirgelike music ceased. “Ladies and gentlemen...,”

the announcer began solemnly. “The president is dead.” I entered the crowded room, noisy but with a hushed quality. No radio was turned on. Starkey sat on a worn bench with grief plain on his face, dots of crude oil in his white hair. He was dazed. I recognized other reporters who badgered him with questions about serving under JFK but they were getting little response. I was the only one who’d interviewed him in person earlier. His stories spilled from my memory and I craved a typewriter. Starkey saw me and smiled wanly, a friend in a sea of strangers, yahoots pestering him for a good quote when he was still in a state of shock. Some of the newsmen had turned away as though to interview one another. “Hi, Ray,” I said. “Rough day for sure. How’re you doing?” “I just hope he doesn’t die,” he murmured miserably. “Do you know if it was a communist done it? God, I just hope The Skipper doesn’t die.” Damn. How do you tell a guy news like this? Maybe you just do, when the time comes. I may have seemed to be a kid reporter, but I had manhood on my mind. “Ray, I’m afraid it is too late for us to keep hoping that now. They just announced it on the radio as I drove in. I’m so sorry.” He raised his head once to see if he’d heard me right and I just put my hand on his shoulder. Starkey died a few years later due to cardiovascular disease.

The Local Publication You Actually Read

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012214724 The following person is doing business as: Beadwork by CGM, 1063 W.11th St., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Carmen Guevara Moen, 1063 W.11th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 Charles David Moen, 1063 W.11th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a husband and wife. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) Carmen Moen, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 29, 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 were to expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 11/01/2012, 11/15/12, 11/29/12,

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Nov. 16, 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 were to expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 11/29/12, 12/13/12, 12/27/12,

from p. 8

12/13/12

November 30 - December 13, 2012

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012230019 The following person is doing business as: Champion Data Supply, 28364 S. Western Ave Ste #2, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Brandden F. Blackwell, 1316 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: Jan. 1, 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.) Carmen Moen, Owner.

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November 30 - December 13, 2012

Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area


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