Grunion Gazette 5-24-12

VOL. 35 NO. 21 MAY 24, 2012

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Muni Band Remains In Limbo

A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY

BY JONATHAN VAN DYKE STAFF WRITER

—Gazette photo by Geronimo Quitoriano

The original Village People provided a rousing climax Sunday to the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival with a concert before a large crowd on Marina Green. For more photos of the festival and Sunday’s parade, go to www.gazettes.com.

The Long Beach Municipal Band’s 2012 schedule continues to be in flux, but most officials now believe it will have a fiveweek, 18-concert summer run.

The April 27 Grand Sousa Gala fundraising event was organized in order to help bridge a financial shortfall to keep a full summer concert lineup.

“They did not raise enough money to get to the whole 20 concerts,” said Bob Livingstone, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine contract management officer.

“We do not believe they made enough for the full 20 concerts, so we are currently trying to figure out what we can guarantee — we think 18 is going to be the number, but we are still verifying that.”

The Long Beach Municipal Band is in its 103rd year of existence. It is the oldest municipally funded, professional concert band in the United States and has performed about 57,000 concerts and 1 million pieces of music.

However, recent budget cuts in the city (Continued on Page 39A)

City Ready To Run Sea Festival

BY HARRY SALTZGAVER EXECUTIVE EDITOR

There will be different people behind the curtain this summer when Long Beach and surrounding area residents come to Sea Festival events, but the events themselves will be just what those residents have come to expect, officials say.

For the last six years, the city’s summer-long series of events celebrating the waterfront life have been controlled by the nonprofit

Summer In The City Begins, Page 15A Sea Festival Association. But that group disbanded last fall, and the city’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PR&M) has resumed responsibility for the many activities under the Sea Festival umbrella.

“We had an operators’ meeting last week,” said Jay Lopez, the

recreation supervisor in charge of Sea Festival. “It’s going to be pretty much the same basic events we had last year… We’ve got the speed boats, the Lobster Fest, the Crawfish festival, they’re all back.”

According to the official website, www.lbseafest.com, the Sea Festival will run from June 1 to Sept. 15 this year. A large beach soccer tournament is set for the first weekend in June at Alamitos (Continued on Page 39A)

—Photo courtesy John Zacha

TOGETHER AGAIN. Michelle and John Zacha find an unusual way to relax on vacation after studies at CSULB.

Congressional Front-Runners Differ EXECUTIVE EDITOR

INSIDE Y O U R GRUNION

STORIES

Three familiar names in Long Beach political circles — two Republicans and one Democrat — are the favorites in the race for the newly formed 47th Congressional District. Only two still will be running after June 5.

In fact, there are eight names on the primary ballot for the 47th District seat. But polls, fund-raising totals and name recognition all point to Gary DeLong, Steve Kuykendall and Alan Lowenthal

as the only three with a chance for victory.

DeLong, a Republican, has raised the most money, with more than $500,000 so far. He has been the Third District City Council representative for the last six years. He owns The RTP Group, a telecommunications consulting company.

His Republican opponent, Kuykendall, is the only candidate with experience in Washington, D.C. He served two years as the Congressman from the 36th

Father, Daughter Join In Graduation From CSULB

District before losing in his reelection bid. He also served two terms in the state Assembly, and was a mayor and council member at Rancho Palos Verdes. Kuykendall is a consultant.

Lowenthal, the Democrat, has the most experience as an elected official, serving continuously since being elected to the Long Beach City Council in 1992. He served six years there before being elected to the state Assembly. After the maximum six

STAFF WRITER

It’s not an easy task to complete a college degree. It takes patience, effort and the support and guidance of family members.

For father-daughter duo Michelle and John Zacha, the long process of completing their degrees was aided by their constant

(Continued on Page 38A)

MONDAY IS MEMORIAL DAY. BANKS, GOVERNMENT OFFICES ARE CLOSED, AS IS THE GAZETTE OFFICE, AND THERE IS NO MAIL DELIVERY. THERE IS TRASH PICKUP, HOWEVER.

FIND US ONLINE AT: WWW.GAZETTES.COM

BY STEPHANIE MINASIAN

COLU M N S

BY HARRY SALTZGAVER

/gazette.newspapers

support of each other. The two are celebrating their graduations this week from California State University, Long Beach.

Michelle, who was born and raised in Long Beach, began her college career at CSULB in 2006, after transferring from Long Beach City College. She (Continued on Page 36A)

A PINCH OF SALT ........................... Page 2A BUSINESS BEAT .............................. Page 34A MUSICAL NOTES ............................ Page 31A WATERFRONT AND PATIO DINING .... Page 27A PROFILES IN DINING ....................... Page 33A

/LBGazetteNews

/grunionlb

Please recycle this newspaper.

PAGE 2A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

GAZETTE COMMENTARY

Sea Festival Means White House Visit An Experience City Faces Challenge As if it needed another one, the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department has been given a new challenge for this summer.

Actually, it’s an old challenge coming back again. It’s Sea Festival.

For literally decades, the department was responsible for Sea Festival. The concept was for a large tent to cover all of the various ways our city celebrates its waterfront heritage, from power boats to sand castles.

And when there were adequate resources, the department did just fine, thank you. They worked with promoters to do the specific big stuff like ski races to Catalina and back, and used their own staff to create traditional community programs like the model boat regatta.

But those resources dwindled through the 1990s, and pretty much disappeared by the mid2000s. So a unique public/private partnership was formed in the shape of the nonprofit Sea Festival Association.

The idea was to go out and get major corporate sponsorship, along with major regional events, to grow the festival while maintaining the community component. It required some concessions from the city in order to give the association some value to “sell” both the sponsors and the promoters.

It looked like it was going to work for the first couple of years.

Promoter par excellance, Chris Pook, got some of that corporate sponsorship and attracted at least one true marque event — women’s pro volleyball. Some of the community events struggled — the sand castle contest has ebbed and flowed through several organizers, and continues to be iffy — but others such as movies on the beach exploded.

But just as the association was getting its sea legs, the economic crash of late 2008 happened.

Then the women’s volleyball tour went bankrupt. Then the city decided it needed to start getting the permit fees and other income it had been willing to barter in the past.

Long story short, the movers and shakers behind the nonprofit association threw in the towel, folded up their tent and went away.

What were the folks at City Hall to do? They couldn’t just let 80-plus years of summer expectation get washed out with the tide — residents wanted their

Sea Festival, and besides, the association had shown big splashy events were good for the city.

So they told the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department to do it.

True to the can-do attitude that long has marked that department, they said sure. The problem is, they don’t have the resources they once had (just like every other department in the city).

Still, Director George Chapjian is promising a Sea Festival that won’t miss a beat from past Sea Festivals. Most of the major events are lined up again — Dragon Boat Races, Catalina Ski Races, et. al — and many of the community events are moving forward, thanks to an ongoing relationship with beach guru and contractor Fred Khammar. In fact, movies on the beach may be expanding, just to mention one.

There are even a few sponsorships to help pay for “stuff,” although the list is heavy with city enterprise departments like the Gas and Oil Department, the airport and to some extent the port.

The department will get help from the Special Events Bureau (now in the city manager’s office, it used to be part of Parks) with the major events.

But there will be challenges, and the success of Sea Festival will depend on how the department, and city’s top management, both elected and hired, responds.

First up will be the Municipal Band, long a part of the summer and lately a part of the Sea Festival. The efforts to provide independent financing through a separate nonprofit continue to sputter (and that’s putting it kindly), and the band’s summer series will shrink again this year.

The Municipal Band’s ultimate fate undoubtedly will find its way into City Council chambers again this year during budget discussions. In the meantime, the questions of “why isn’t there a concert this week” will be aimed at the department.

That’s just one challenge with one at least semi-independent operator. More than likely, there will be others.

Long Beach residents love their summer activities, and the behind-the-scene management issues are not something they care about. When things work smoothly, that’s the way it should be.

That’s the challenge the department faces — and one we don’t envy. Time will tell whether the challenge can be met.

BY MARIANA WILLIAMS The Gershwin Award for Popular Music Prize traditionally is awarded to the country’s top composers at the White House, with the President bestowing the award after a small private concert.

Burt Bacharach and Hal David were the recipients on May 9, and because my husband, Paul Williams, is President of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), I was able to go.

The event is sponsored by the Library of Congress, which houses vast and valuable musical collections. It was the vision of The Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, to include a live concert. Burt Bacharach was in good form. Regretfully, Hal was unable to make the trip due to health concerns. His lovely wife Eunice accepted on his behalf.

What to wear, right? It’s Washington DC, it has to be a suit; not wet suit, or swim suit, like we favor in Naples. Okay, suited up, I’m ready.

On May 9, as we pass through our third checkpoint, I’m convinced there’s no party-crashing the White House these days. Forget about, “Who called a taxi?”

Or, boldly walking into a party with the bag of ice, calling out, “I got it!”

Prior to the show a few of us were ushered into a room for a much-anticipated photo with the President. The air buzzed with excitement. No cameras allowed beyond this point. Glasses clinked in toasting, arms bent in self-back-patting; but collectively we guests got less cocky with the announcement that came next.

A clipboard guy had to almost shout above the din of self-congratulating to say, “The Presi-

Paul and Mariana Williams, right with Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington and his wife, Marjory.

dent is only taking 20 pictures.

The next few minutes have to go quickly, everyone is grouped.”

The toasting of glasses stopped mid-air. “ASCAP with Sprint and Com-cast: Group 5.” Huh? Okay, the Prez is a busy guy. I get it.

Next, “The Henderson Trust and IBM: Group six,” etc. I step closer to Paul and say, “Joe Schmoe from Coca-Moe: Group seven.”

Paul says, “Mustang Sally: Group eight.”

After the crushing disappointment of nobody getting face-time alone with the leader of the free world, we collectively shrugged it off and enjoyed the elegant banquet room, crystal chandeliers and open bar.

Michelle was warm and lovely.

In our brief exchange, it seemed she liked me and regretted we were on a tight schedule. A moment later, I was offered the twohanded handshake by President Obama.

When he leaned over to say, “How are you?” I responded, “Excited!” He laughed. My turn was over. (The official picture mailed in six weeks.)

Paul was next. He smiled and said, “Mr. President, I’m also Mr. President. President of ASCAP,

and we appreciate what you’re doing for intellectual property rights.”

The President replied, “Oh, Paul. We know who you are. Hey, I bet you were elected by a wider margin than I was.” This was followed by a round of chuckles — like friends are inclined to do, while in a receiving line, surrounded by Secret Service, and cameras.

The Gershwin Award for Popular American Music was broadcast for the first time on Monday, May 21, on PBS. The show features David and Bacharach songs, sung by Stevie Wonder, Cheryl Crow, Lyle Lovette, Diana Krall, Michael Feinstein, British singer Rumer and even Michael Myers, who added comedy.

From the wings, the talented roster of performers joined Burt at the piano for the big finale, “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love.” The audience sang, clapped in rhythm, and some wiped their eyes with emotion and the poignant message that resonates even more today.

Mariana Williams lives in Naples and is author of 2011 Indie Excellence Award-winning novel, “Stars or Stripes 4th of July.”

Fascination About Readers’ Fascinations I am forever fascinated by what people become passionate — no, fixated — about.

For the last month or so, we’ve seen a series of letters about dog poop. That’s right, the number one topic in Gazetteland, particularly east Gazetteland, in canine droppings. Specifically, people are talking about the plastic bags required to pick up after dogs when they are allowed to stroll outside the confines of their own yards, and end up relieving themselves on other people’s property.

This isn’t the first time feces has dominated our letters column. People care about dogs, and people care about their lawns, and people care about how the two meet. I get that.

If you have even a passing acquaintance with this column, you know I have dogs. You probably also know I walk these dogs in my neighborhood, most often very early in the morning before I head to work.

Picking up their poop is a given for me. It’s the right thing to do, the only thing to do.

In regard to the latest controversy — where to get the plastic bag — I confess to occasionally buying something outside the city limits and reusing the resulting bag for the dirty work. But I’ve

also procured a supply of poopspecific bags, and use them with some consistency.

I have to say, though, that this is not a topic that takes up a great deal of my limited brain space. I deal with the reality of dog do-do, then move on. If I find a foreign pile in my front yard, I’m not thrilled, but picking it up along with the homegrown stuff is not a deal breaker in my mind.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have relatively meaningless things that make my blood boil, though. My latest pet peeve is the mysterious appearance of orange traffic cones and plastic lawn chairs along the side of the street, forcing me to look elsewhere for parking.

Remember that the Gazette office is smack in the middle of parking-impacted Belmont Shore. It’s so bad around here that the business association has implemented a free bus pass program for employees (thanks to the parking commission and the parking meter slush fund) — which is a fantastic idea.

But, as much as I love Long Beach Transit, riding the bus isn’t too conducive to rushing out to cover a fire or whatever. So I have to have personal transportation, which means I need parking.

Now I sympathize with the folks trying to make sure they’re able to park in front of their homes when they get home from work. My wife, Maria, gets more than a little exercised when someone decides to park in front of our North Long Beach home, especially when they leave the vehicle there for a day or three.

But the fact of the matter is, the street is public property, not a private driveway or a private parking lot. There may be a tradition, even a societal norm, to the idea that you should be able to park in front of your home, but there’s certainly no right to do so.

Residential parking in Long Beach, like in so many popular places to live, is an art form.

There are elaborate strategies and sad realities that involve walks of a block or more.

But roping off your parking space is cheating, plain and simple. It shouldn’t be allowed.

Maybe I’ll write a letter to the editor about it.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 3A

No Worries To The Editor, Even though your trashcan is city property and on public land when it’s left outside for pick up, don’t worry about my Casey’s excrement ending up in it.

His poop is too refined to mix with your trash.

Kimon Haramis Long Beach

Buy The Bags To The Editor, When we take the responsibility of caring for a dog, it is with the understanding that there are certain expenses involved which include visits to the vet, food, loving and playing. Walking our dogs is necessary for their wellbeing; the exercise is good for them and for us.

However, when walking our dogs they may eliminate along the way.

It is our responsibility to pick up after them. This requires what we call “a pooper bag.” Since we are working towards a plastic-free environment, one is able to purchase biodegradable bags at any pet store.

So the woman who goes to Signal Hill to shop for plastic bags should, in all good consciousness, purchase such bags instead of depending on more and more plastic bags. It is part of the cost of having a dog.

Marjorie Rivera Naples

Slobs Cause It To The Editor, The arguments for banning plastic and paper bags suggest we will have less trash and the cost

of goods will go down because consumers will not be paying for plastic bags in higher prices at the register.

First of all, has anyone seen lower prices in the grocery stores since the ban of plastic bags in Long Beach? Secondly, if the pro-plastic bag ban argument is valid and solid, then government has no choice and must be required to eliminate all products that end up as trash on our streets.

Should government mandate that all people taking advantage of fast-food restaurants be required to bring their own multiuse cups, silverware, plates and cloth napkins? After all, I cannot go in any direction from my home and not encounter fast-food restaurant trash.

Sounds ridiculous because it is.

It is not the maker of plastic bags or the fast-food restaurant who are at fault.

(Continued on Page 4A)

Correction In last week’s story about the 47th District Congressional race, candidate Sanford Kahn was quoted as saying, “We’ve got to start to shrink the economy,

because if we don’t do it, the markets will do it for you.” The quote should have read, “We’ve got to start to shrink the deficit by building the economy, …”

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PAGE 4A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Our Mailbox (Continued from Page 3A)

Face it, there are a lot of slobs out there who make life dirty for all of us, no matter the form of trash.

Taylor Ramsey Lakewood

Trim From Top To The Editor, Long Beach City College President Eloy Oakley made a statement on Governor Brown’s budget announcement. He stated that the revenue projections in the 2012-13 budget are not sound, and may create the need for future budget reductions.

Long Beach City College is currently sitting on an $8 million

emergency fund, but refuses to spend any of it to save classes, to keep student fees low or to save classified jobs. Their administrative salaries account for more than $4 million. They have $6 million for a Promise Pathways program, and an equally expensive Student Success program.

The solution is to trim from the top starting with the administration and these expensive and unneeded programs. Then we can start to rebuild LBCC into the kind of community college that all of Long Beach wants.

Michael Smith Long Beach Editor’s Note: Mr. Smith is one of the 55 employees recently laid off at LBCC.

Support Carmen

To The Editor, We are voting for Carmen Trutanich for DA. The Los Angeles Newspaper Group (?) has opined to do otherwise.

Mr. Trutanich worked in the gang unit of the LA District Attorney’s Office earlier in his career. He eventually became very successful in private practice before being recruited to run for Los Angeles City Attorney.

He knows how to assemble a quality team of attorneys, meet a payroll, and work within a budget. Mr. Trutanich and his city attorney team have saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars from lawsuits against the city.

Mr. Trutanich is enthusiastic and has a strong passion for the law. But for this newspaper group to say that he is pugilistic is ridiculous and a hit below the belt. In fact, just last week, the LA Times called Mr. Trutanich quiet and savvy.

Finally, Carmen Trutanich is very personable and approachable. That he enjoys and is accomplished at winning cases on behalf of the people should not be ridiculed or belittled as your newspaper group has attempted to do.

Chris, Dolores Montoya Naples

Westerly Art Show “Poetic Images,” an exhibit of student art, will be on display starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, at Westerly School, 2950 E. 29th St. The artwork has been created by students in kindergarten through fifth grade in a variety of media. Subjects include family and friends, the artists’ favorite activities, pets, nature, dreams and more. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Westerly is a nonprofit, nondenominational school serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 5A

Harbor Changes Meeting Schedule In and effort for more public participation and transparency, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously to revise its public meeting schedule.

The new schedule will have twice-monthly meetings — the first and third Mondays of each month with one meeting during the day and one meeting during the evening.

The new schedule will begin with a 5 p.m., Monday, June 4, meeting at the Port Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza.

Previously, commissioners met three times a month on Mondays, usually at 1 p.m.

“We believe in open and trans-

parent meetings,” Harbor Commission Vice President Thomas Fields said in a statement. “We think it is important for the public. We think it is important for our stakeholders to be part of our decision-making process.”

The new schedule will given a 90-day trial period, after which the commissioner will vote on whether to make it permanent.

Agendas now will be posted two Fridays before a meeting.

Any revisions will be posted on the Thursday before a meeting.

Holiday meetings will be scheduled for the following Monday.

For more information, visit www. polb.com/commission.

—Jonathan Van Dyke

Rancho To Honor Knabes For Support Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and his wife Julie will receive the inaugural Cottonwood Award at a luncheon ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 31, at Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 E. Bixby Hill Rd. The Knabes are being honored by the rancho for their leadership and support of historic, cultural and environmental preservation.

The name Cottonwood Award refers to the meaning of the site’s name, Rancho Los Alamitos or “Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods.” The cottonwood was once plentiful in this area.

The Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation, which operates the rancho, is hosting the luncheon.

Tickets are $75 and are available at www.rancholosalamitos.com.

In addition to live music, the luncheon will feature a meal based on the previous owners Fred and Florence Bixby’s original ranch recipes from the early 20th Century.

Those attending also will be

Wage Issue To Ballot As expected, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to put an initiative on the November ballot to let voters decide whether to impose a “living wage” rule on hotels with more than 100 rooms.

The initiative was forced by a petition drive from a group called the Long Beach Living Wage Coalition. The local vote on the national ballot will cost the city at least $300,000.

able to take a preview look at the refurbished rancho, which reopens, to the public on June 10.

The long-term project includes a new Rancho Center and bookstore/classroom buildings, and restored historic barns and gardens.

PAGE 6A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Second + PCH Retail Plan Waits For City

BY HARRY SALTZGAVER EXECUTIVE EDITOR

A new, all-retail alternative to redevelop the SeaPort Marina Hotel property in east Long

Beach has been submitted to the city’s Development Services Department — the first step in another long journey for property owner Ray Lin.

Meanwhile, Lyon Communities, which owns the “Pumpkin Patch” parcel on PCH across the street and south of SeaPort Marina, has withdrawn plans submit-

ted to the same department. That action took place Monday, a week after Lin submitted his plans.

Neither property is anywhere near development, officials said.

“The project is at its inception, subject to changes during conceptual site plan review,” Lin said in an email. He declined further comment until city staff had responded to the new proposal.

Lin and his sister, Amy Lin, own the property on the southeast corner of the intersection of Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway, operating under the name Taki-Sun. They have tried twice in the last decade to get approval for a mixed-use residential, retail and hotel development.

Last December, the City Council turned away the latest effort on a 5-3 vote, denying a series of conditional use permits and zoning changes that would have been required. The city has since secured a grant of nearly $1 million to start the process to review and potentially revise SEADIP (South East Area Development and Improvement Plan), the master zoning document that governs development in the area. That review is expected to take another year. But Lin’s all-retail proposal fits within the current SEADIP zoning, said Derek Burnham, city planning administrator.

“What we do now is try to identify the necessary entitlements they would need and provide some feedback,” Burnham said.

“We try to offer some guidance in things they might want to change or things we like before they make a formal submittal.”

While this proposal doesn’t appear to require conditional use permits or zoning changes, it still

“This project is at its inception, subject to changes during conceptual site plan review.”

—Ray Lin would need to get site and design approval from the Planning Commission, City Council and Coastal Commission. California Environmental Quality Act conditions will need to be met, likely including preparation of an Environmental Impact Report. Primary among those impacts likely will be traffic, which was a reason for opposition of previous plans.

The preliminary plan as submitted is a 172,000-square-foot project with that amount of first floor retail space, 107,000 square feet of second floor retail (both could include restaurants) and 28,000 square feet of office space.

A three-story parking garage also is part of the proposal.

Details of the Lyon Communities project were not available.

Mike Murchison, spokesman for the company, said the principals are reviewing their options.

Lyon officials opposed the Second+PCH approvals last year, arguing that a comprehensive development plan was needed. They offered at the time to help finance a SEADIP study, but that now appears to be moot with approval of the grant from the state Department of Conservation’s Strategic Growth Council.

Burnham declined to set a timeline for review of Lin’s latest proposal. The SEADIP review is expected to take at least a year before Planning Commission or City Council action.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 7A

City College Students Toss Caps More than 1,500 Long Beach City College graduates turned their tassels and walked across the stage into the next phase of their lives at LBCC’s commencement yesterday (Wednesday).

The ceremony awarded AA/AS degrees, along with certifications to graduates, at Veterans Stadium.

LBCC was expecting thousands of guests, students and alumni to come celebrate with graduates, college officials said.

“Commencement is my favorite day of the year, and I congratulate every one of our graduates,” said President/Superintendent

Eloy Oakley, who was attending his sixth commencement ceremony at LBCC. “I hope they take the experience and knowledge gained at Long Beach City College into their next great endeavor and into four year institutions or the work place,” Oakley said.

On May 10, LBCC honored 1,400 students who will transfer to a four-year university this fall, including University of California, Berkeley; University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Hawaii; Uni-

versity of Iowa; and California State University, Long Beach.

Author, editor and syndicated columnist Gustavo Arellano was the college’s official commencement speaker. Arellano is known for his “Ask a Mexican” syndicated column and books, and also is a community college grad.

“I’m honored to give the commencement speech at LBCC, particularly because I’m a proud product of the California community college system,” Arellano said. “Though times are tough, I know the resolve of such students to not only overcome expecta-

Lasher’s Restaurant Will Change Hands A star in the Broadway dining scene will be changing hands next month.

Ray Lasher has turned American cuisine into an art form over the last 16 years in the Craftsman bungalow renovated to become Lasher’s. Ray and wife Lynn have built the restaurant to the point where it has won recognition from Zagat, Open Table, AAA, Goyot and more.

But someone has made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, Lasher said, and the restaurant will

change ownership in late June.

Lasher said the restaurant had experienced a record 2011, and 2012 was showing strong trends, as well. But, he said, he is ready for a new challenge.

“I am not done yet,” Lasher said. “We are merely moving on to the next chapter... We have been well supported by the Long Beach community and so many great regular guests.”

Lasher credited his strong involvement with the community as a large part of his success. His fa-

mous Cranberry Glazed Meatloaf and award-winning clam chowder have been staples at charity tasting events, and no local silent auction was complete without a gift certificate from Lasher’s.

No date has been set for the closure. Until then, it will be business as usual – plus a little emphasis on saying farewell to close friends.

Lasher’s is at 3441 E. Broadway. Call 433-0153 for reservations.

—Harry Saltzgaver

tions, but blow them away, as they continue toward greatness.”

Arellano also is the editor of OC Weekly, and is the author of “Orange County: A Personal History” and “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.”

He also is a lecturer with the Chi-

cana and Chicano Studies department at California State University, Fullerton.

After commencement, graduates and their friends and family took part in a reception on the north field.

— Stephanie Minasian

PAGE 8A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Memorial Doctor Mines Mummies For Medical Clues

BY HARRY SALTZGAVER EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Dr. Greg Thomas has been in his new office at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center for barely a month.

He recently became medical director of MemorialCare’s

renowned Heart & Vascular Institute. So next Monday, he’s heading for Lima, Peru. To study mummies.

And that makes perfect sense, Thomas said. After all, he was part of the team that first discovered that Egyptians mummified

more than 3,000 years ago suffered blocked arteries — atherosclerosis — and died of heart disease at even younger ages than is common today.

“It was mummy No. 14,” Thomas said. “She was somewhere between 2,000 and 3,500

—Gazette photo by Harry Saltzgaver

NEWS FIT TO PRINT. Dr. Greg Thomas poses with a Wall Street Journal article on his work in Egypt.

years old, and she died of blockage of the arteries around the age of 40. What it really means is we don’t have to feel guilty any more about how our lifestyles might be killing us. They had it back then, too.”

After he stopped laughing, Thomas said the research truly is valuable because science appears to have missed a contributing factor to atherosclerosis, and study(Continued on Page 9A)

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 9A

Thomas (Continued from Page 8A)

ing the mummies could help discover that risk factor.

Thomas and the team of 20 began the research project, which uses C-T scans, not X-rays as some stories have reported, in 2009 with the first visit to Egypt.

The Egyptian government was cooperating with the project, and Thomas made six trips there, ultimately scanning and categorizing 52 mummies.

That research landed on the front page of the Wall Street Journal — with a picture, above the fold — as well as a series of scientific journals.

“On Jan. 28 last year, we were

on the plane, getting ready for another trip,” Thomas said. “That’s when the revolution began. We turned around and went home, and haven’t been back since.”

But the team wasn’t ready to end the project, and the chance to visit Peru surfaced. These mummies are much younger — from 1000 to 1500 A.D. — and are naturally mummified through desiccation (drying out). The different era and a different environment will further the research, Thomas said.

“When we get all these ranges and results, we can combine all the scans into a data base,” he said. “Maybe we can find out why they had blockages or didn’t have blockages. If we can find out why,

maybe we can find a way to delay it today.”

And ultimately, that’s Thomas’s passion — research to improve the treatment and prevention of heart disease. He says that’s why he took the job at Memorial after a fulltime career as a cardiologist treating patients while conducting research.

“It was an opportunity to be part of a tradition, of something where you explore how to change medicine,” Thomas said. “Dr. Myrvin Ellestad, who started the heart institute, literally invented the stress test. It was revolutionary. And Dr. Ellestad is still here and I get to work with him. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Research will continue to be a

priority, Thomas said, but he has also been tasked to work with doctors practicing at Memorial.

Under current regulations, the hospital cannot directly hire physicians, but must work with those who seek the right to work at the hospital.

“This administration hopes to engage the physicians more deeply,” Thomas said, “and I’m here to facilitate that. The emphasis is on cost-effectiveness. I want to know how to help the doctors in the hospital meet the needs more effectively… I want to create a synergy going forward.”

For more information about the Heart & Vascular Institute, go to www.memorialcare.org/LongBeach.

“Grounds To Grapes” Bluff Heights Tour “Grounds to Grapes,” a guided walking tour through the historic Bluff Heights neighborhood, begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at Temple Coffee at the corner of Temple and Broadway.

The walk is hosted by the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association. BHNA President John Thomas and long-time resident and botanist Ken Ylinhiemi will lead the tour.

The tour will end at The Wine Crush, where discounted wines and snacks will be available. Tickets are $25, or $20 for BHNA members. Visit www. bluffheightsneighborhood.org.

PAGE 10A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Milk At Milk Park

—Gazette photo by Geronimo Quitoriano

Stuart Milk of the Harvey Milk Foundation spoke Tuesday at the Harvey Milk Promenade Park groundbreaking, located on 3rd Street and the Promenade. May 22 is the anniversary of Harvey Milk’s birthday. The new park is the first in America to be named after civil rights leader Harvey Milk, and the first park in the city to be named after an LGBT person, according to Robert Garcia, right.

Memorial Honors Fallen Poly Soldier A memorial honoring a Poly High School graduate who died in Afghanistan will be dedicated at 10:15 a.m. Friday, May 25, at Poly, 1600 Atlantic Ave. U.S. Army Sergeant Israel Garcia was killed in action on July 13, 2008, in his third tour in Afghanistan while serving with the “Chosen” Company of the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Garcia received a posthumous award of the Silver Star. At the ceremony, a memorial bench will be dedicated in Garcia’s honor. Steven Kerns, who served in the 173rd and spearheaded the drive for the memorial, will speak, as will Garcia’s widow, Lesly.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 11A

Long Beach Upgraded To Silver Bike Friendly City

By Jonathan Van Dyke STAFF WRITER

Long Beach received confirmation last week in the strides it has made toward becoming one of the nation’s most bicycle-friendly cities.

The League of American Bicyclists upgraded the city to a Silver Bicycle Friendly City, citing numerous bike initiatives and lauding the city for upgrading its bicycle infrastructure.

“This is truly a citywide recognition, as our bike friendly initiatives are promoting economic development and sustainability as well as increasing ridership,” Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement. “As a result of our investment in bicycling-related infrastructure, Long Beach is becoming an even more attractive place to live, work and visit.”

During the recent League of America Bicyclists process, five other cities were upgraded from bronze to silver — there are now 39 total silver cities, 16 gold cities and two platinum cities.

“It provides recognition both nationally and locally for what we’re doing,” said Allan Craw-

ford, city bike coordinator. “It says what we’re doing is making a difference to a number of people.”

The designation was given for the city’s bike safety educational programs in elementary and middle schools, creation of bike friendly business districts and investments in bike-related infrastructure.

“It gets reviewed locally by a broad number of people,” Crawford said. “It comes back to the community for validation of what we’re doing. It’s so important to benchmark yourself against other communities. Unless you see how you stack up, it’s hard to tell your progress.”

Specifically, Crawford said he thinks the upgrade came about especially because of unique bike-friendly business plans and groups like Long Beach’s Women on Bikes.

Women on Bikes seeks to increase the number of women riders through awareness of available biking infrastructure and promoting bike safety. The bike-friendly business districts — which include Bixby Knolls, East

Village, Cambodia Town and Retro Row — offer incentives and discounts to people who ride their bikes.

According to city statistics, more than 175 businesses have signed up for the Bike Saturday business program. More than

60,000 elementary and middle school students have participated in the city’s Safe Routes to School education program. There are about 15 more miles of bicycle facilities planned through the city in the next year.

In order to get the gold, Craw-

ford said, there will need to be even more work. Most gold cities have a population that commutes to work on bikes at about 5% to 7.5% of the work force. Long Beach currently is closer to 2.5% to 3%.

Visit www.bikelongbeach.org.

PAGE 12A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 13A

Shore Workers Ride Transit Free

By Ashleigh Oldland EDITOR

For employees in Belmont Shore, there’s no longer a need to drive to and from work every day.

In an effort to lessen the number of employees driving to work and parking on Second Street or in the surrounding neighborhood this summer, the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Advisory Commission is paying for Long Beach Transit bus passes for Second Street workers. The bus passes were distributed last week and will be activated starting Friday, May 25.

The passes expire on Sept. 3.

Dede Rossi, executive director of the BSBA, said the association is working in partnership with the parking commission and Long Beach Transit to get the pilot program rolled out. Already there are about 730 employees from 68 businesses signed up to participate. More employees may sign up this summer.

Rossi added that the BSBA and parking commission would be receiving regular reports from Long Beach Transit about how the passes are being used. That data will be used to determine if the program should continue past the summer.

Bill Lorbeer, chair of the parking commission, explained that the program is designed to keep employee vehicles off the streets and make more room for customer cars. He said a transit program encouraging employees to ride the bus could be a great investment, saving money on additional parking lots.

“We have to make sure these parking meter dollars are being spent appropriately,” Lorbeer said. “That money is meant to provide more parking resources for customers. Without the cost of purchasing a parking lot, we are creating a phantom or virtual employee parking lot because we are giving people an alternate way to get to work.”

During the trial period, the commission will pay 50¢ per ride for employees who sign up to participate (the regular 30-day pass rate is 86¢ per ride), with the total amount spent capped at $15,000 per month.

Lorbeer said there are safeguards in place so that Long Beach Transit will know if the bus passes are being misused.

Employees who try to sell their passes or otherwise abuse the service may have their bus pass revoked.

“We have put a number of safe measures, control systems in place so that we can turn those passes off that are being fraudulently used,” Lorbeer said. “Each pass is numbered and each pass is tied to an employee’s name and employer. So in other words, we know it’s John Smith who works at the Grunion Gazette each time he swipes his pass and where he swiped his pass.”

Lorbeer said he will be looking at data every week from Long Beach Transit and, depending on the use of the passes, the parking commission may seek City Council approval and extend the pilot program through December or make the free ride program a permanent service for employees.

PAGE 14A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Memorial Banners Honor City Heroes

By Jonathan Van Dyke STAFF WRITER

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who served this country in the armed forces — in

all American conflicts. Each city has a group of hometown heroes who have been lost to war, and Long Beach is no different.

The 14 banners hanging at the

Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Learning Center symbolize 14 Long Beach men who called the city their home before they were killed in duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Officials hope more banners will be put up — but this time for the men and women still serving.

“What I’d like to be able to do is to allow families to acknowledge their sons, daughters, husbands and wives who are in service, and put up new banners for that,” Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske said.

The new banners would go up along Clark Avenue in between Carson Street and Spring Street.

Individuals or organizations could sponsor a banner, which would be displayed a minimum of six months before being given back to the military personnel or his or her family. A $250 sponsorship would cover the banner and hanging, and Schipske said people who could not afford the sponsorship should still call her office to work something out.

The initial Hometown Heroes Banner Project came from the Rosie the Riveters Park project with Wreaths Across America.

Now there are banners flying for Private First Class Stephen A. Castellano, Sergeant Randy D. Collins, Sergeant Anthony J. Davis, Jr., Sergeant Israel Garcia, Private Ernesto R. Guerra, Staff Sergeant Andrew W. Harvell, Major Steven Hutchison, Private First Class Lyndon A. Marcus, Jr., Specialist Roberto L. Martinez Salazar, Specialist Astor A. Sunsin-Pineda, Private First Class David T. Toomalatai, Private First Class George D. Torres, Staff Sergeant Joshua R. Whitaker and Lance Corporal Veashna Muy. “We were a military town for so many years,” Schipske said.

“I was at a high school, and what struck me was they were doing a ringing-of-the-bell where they named all alumni who had died, all the way back to World War I. That is something we need to continue to do. These wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) have been out of the public’s mind, so we need to show they have some hometown heroes that need to be acknowledged.”

For more information, call 570-6932 or visit www.lbhometownheroes.com.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 15A

SUMMER KICKOFF

100 Days Of Summer Gathers All Citywide Events

BY STEPHANIE MINASIAN STAFF WRITER

Summer is almost here, and soon everyone will be flocking to spend their time outdoors and in the sun.

There will be plenty to do this summer in Long Beach, as the city is gearing up to launch its annual “100 Days of Summer,” to bring concerts, events, movies and more to the residents of Long Beach.

The 100 Days of Summer will kick off on Friday, May 25, just in time for Memorial Day, with a concert performed by 1980s tribute band 80’Z All-Stars at 6 p.m., at Marine Stadium, at 5255 Paoli Way. “For us, summer usually starts around June 18, when school lets out,” said Jane Grobaty, who works as the community information superintendent for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. “The 80’Z All-Stars will be a lot of fun. We are also encouraging people to bring food or picnics to enjoy while there,

“We try our best to get everything out there.”

—Jane Grobaty and there will be face painting and moon bounces to make it a fun night for the kids, as well.”

To get the word out about upcoming summertime events, Parks and Rec and the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau will launch its website this week, www.100daysofsummer. org. It will provide a constantly updated list of events to participate and check out over the next 100 days.

“We will gather up all of the stuff and put it on this searchable website,” Grobaty said. “If you’re not sure what there is to do, you can search by the day for concerts, sporting events, Sea Festival … and we try our best to get everything out there.”

In addition, the website will

include happenings at the El Dorado Nature Center, historic sites, such as Rancho Los Cerritos, as well as youth programs, hiking adventures, tennis, golf and swimming.

With the website going live this week, most of the summer’s events will begin in June, as school lets out for break.

One of the most popular events

of the summer is the Movies in the Park, sponsored by Signal Hill Petroleum. The movies will move to various parks across the city, and will start at 8 p.m., or dusk, Grobaty said.

People will be able to come early to enjoy games, a moon bounce and free popcorn.

The first film scheduled for Movie in the Park is “Happy

Feet,” and will be playing at 8 p.m., at Signal Hill Park, located at 2175 Cherry Ave., in Signal Hill. People are encouraged to come early to join in the familyfriendly festivities.

Grobaty also recommends keeping a close eye on the Parks and Rec website, www.lbparks.org, as well as www.100daysofsummer. org, for continuous event updates.

PAGE 16A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 17A

SUMMER KICKOFF

Alfredo’s Beach Club Carries On Sea Festival Events

BY ASHLEIGH OLDLAND EDITOR

It’s officially summertime in Long Beach, and that means it’s also time for Alfredo Beach Club’s event lineup.

Fred Khammar, event organizer and owner of Alfredo’s Beach Club, said this year’s revamped Sea Festival classics, such as the 80th Annual Great Sand Sculpture Contest, 60th Annual Kids’ Fishing Rodeo and Moonlight Movies on the Beach, among others, are coming back better than ever.

Despite the loss of the nonprofit Sea Festival Association, Alfredo’s Beach Club is getting some assistance from the city’s Parks, Recreation & Marine Department to offset the cost of hosting a summer full of events that are a splash, literally and figuratively, for area residents. Additionally, Khammar said he is using new tactics to get the word out about events and make sure residents are enjoying what’s offered.

To start the season, Pirate Invasion Belmont Pier takes place on June 30 and July 1 on Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier; it’s a free weekend full of peg-leg and eyepatch costume contests, volunteer pirate re-enactors, arts and crafts, children’s treasure hunts, sword fighting, pirate ship attacks, a dead man’s tavern and more on the pier and nearby beach.

Returning for its eighth year, the free Movies on the Beach film festival shows a mix of family

films and cult classics after dark on Mondays and Tuesdays starting July 2. All films will be shown on Granada Beach, and there will be a concession stand. The films are shown on an inflatable movie screen with a high definition projector. Additional films may be shown at other beach locations, but those details have not been announced.

Film titles this year include “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “The Muppet Movie,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Hugo,” “Jaws” and more through Sept. 4.

Guests at Moonlight Movies on the Beach are encouraged to bring blankets or low chairs to the event and may bring their own picnic dinners or snacks.

Another highlight of the Sea Festival is the Fourth of July Party on the Pier, which will include musical performances by nine local bands, a kid zone, barbecue lunches and other food and drink for purchase and seating for the fireworks show. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will cost $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and younger.

Also taking place on the pier is the 60th Annual Kids’ Fishing Rodeo, hosted in partnership with the Southern California Tuna Club. The free event for youngsters starts at 8 a.m. on Aug. 3 and typically brings about a thousand youngsters to Belmont Pier for a day of fishing with free bait, free lunch and free fishing instruction.

Participants, who must be young-

er than age 16, need to bring their own rod and reel.

Belmont Pier also will be the site for Taste of the Coast: Sea Feast-ival. More details about the event soon will be announced, and Khammar said the clambake style event, which, like all of Alfredo Beach Club’s Sea Festival happenings, would benefit local charities such as Kids’ Connection and Partners of Parks.

Sea Festival attendees young and old will not want to miss the 80th Annual Great Sand Sculpture Contest, which takes place Aug. 11-12 on the beach at the Granada Launch Ramp. With assistance

from Long Beach Rotaract volunteers, the free event typically features more than 40 amateur and professional sand sculptures as well as vendor booths, live music and food. All sand sculptures will be available for free, public viewing during construction and after completion.

Alfredo’s Beach Club also is hosting the free Tiki Beach Festival from sunrise to sunset Aug. 18-19 at the Granada Launch Ramp. Khammar said the festival would feature hundreds of entertainers and island vendors with cultural displays, live entertainment, play areas for children, ca-

noe rides, merchandise and food.

The finale for Alfredo’s Beach Club Sea Festival lineup is The Pirate Invasion of Long Beach, which is set to take place Sept.

29-30 at Marina Greek Park in downtown Long Beach. Similar to Pirate Invasion Belmont Pier, this larger version features a pirate village, and there will be a cover charge to attend the event.

Parking at Sea Festival events is $10 for a day pass at the beach parking lots.

For more information about these community events during the Long Beach Sea Festival, visit www.alfredosbeachclub.com.

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PAGE 18A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

SUMMER KICKOFF

Long Beach Mainstays Offer Up Summer Activities

By Ashleigh Oldland EDITOR

Three of Long Beach’s cultural mainstays — the Aquarium of the Pacific, Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos — offer summer events for the whole family to enjoy.

Aquarium of the Pacific The Aquarium of the Pacific is home to more than 11,000 marine animals, and is considered one of the top aquariums in the nation.

During the summer, officials said it is a time to raise the profile of the aquarium through courses, lectures and special events.

“We really try to make the sum-

mer a fun time to come see the aquarium,” said Cecile Fisher, vice president of communication and marketing. “We have a little bit for everybody… We are really trying to make the ocean and science and marine life interesting to as many different people with as many different backgrounds and interests as possible and provide a variety of ways to experience the aquarium.”

Fisher said the biggest draw this year is the aquarium’s new June Keyes Penguin Habitat, which opened last week. Fisher said the Magellanic penguins are already bringing in crowds.

Penguin-themed events also will take place throughout the summer. The aquarium hosts weekly guest lectures, and Fisher said many of those guest lectures will deal with the topic of penguins. Lectures are free for aquarium members and $5 for the general public.

“People can come and learn about topics from urban ocean to things like climate change, coastal flooding and other topics facing our planet,” Fisher said.

For the first time ever, the Aquarium of the Pacific also is hosting a 5K Run/Walk on July 22, with a penguin theme. A pen-

guin mascot and other aquarium “characters” in costume will attend the event and cash prizes will be given to the top finishers.

Another first-time event is taking place in partnership with Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, which is playing a concert in the aquarium’s main hall on June 7. RSVP’s are required, but the concert is free.

Returning this year, Discounted Late Nights will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sundays starting Memorial Day weekend, patrons can come and enjoy the aquarium at a discounted price — $14.95 per person. Most exhibits are open, except the Lorikeet house.

Also returning are several summertime cultural festivals, including the Pacific Islander Festival set to take place June 2-3 featuring arts and cultural displays and entertainment that transform the aquarium into an island paradise.

Father’s Day and Fourth of July barbecues on the lawn also are scheduled to return this year, and the Aquarium of the Pacific is a popular place to watch Independence Day fireworks.

Visit www.aquariumofpacific. org.

Rancho Los Alamitos At Rancho Los Alamitos, an

adobe structure built between 1800 and 1834, officials are celebrating the completion of a new educational center and barns area restoration, which will open to the public on June 10.

The free grand opening party from noon to 5 p.m. on June 10 will kick off the rancho’s summer with music and dance performances, ranch house and garden tours, special demonstrations, crafts and more. Parking is free at the event at CSULB Lot 11 with free shuttle service to the rancho.

Rancho Los Alamitos is located at 6400 Bixby Hill Rd. Then, from June 13 to July 5, reservations will be required for free visits to the rancho during normal public hours from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Rancho Los Alamitos Executive Director Pamela Seager said she is excited to unveil the rancho’s new education center and its special features, such as the film “Rancho Los Alamitos: An Island In Time.” Also, she said visitors would enjoy seeing animals at the rancho again since the barn area has been closed for more than three years.

Seager added that the public (Continued on Page 18A)

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 19A

SUMMER KICKOFF Ranchos (Continued from Page 17A)

should stop by the rancho’s gift shop, which features many oneof-a-kind items made at the rancho as well as rancho cookbooks, music and more.

“The restored barnyard brings the rancho back to the character of the working ranch,” Seager said. “And the education center is stunning. Plus, our gardens are constantly changing and evolving, so there is so much to see at the rancho this summer.”

Regular programming, such as the rancho’s story time for children in the garden, also will take place on Tuesday mornings on July 10, 17, 24 and 31. For children ages 5 to 10 years old, the story time sessions take place from 10 a.m. to noon and cost $8 per child ($6 for members).

For more information about these events and to make a reservation, call 431-3541 or visit www.rancholosalamitos.com.

The rancho is located at 6400 E. Bixby Hill Rd. Rancho Los Cerritos Adobe is the name of the game when visitors come to historical Rancho Los Cerritos, which harkens back to 1844.

“Our summer programming is aimed to further our educational mission here — to explore

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the history of the site over time through interactive activities and cultural items of the period,” said Ellen Calomiris, executive director. “Get to know your own community… We are so proud of what we offer the community, and we welcome visitors at all times.”

Rancho Los Cerritos also is celebrating the opening of its new educational center and other improvements, including a restoration of the arroyo landscape and new entryway, Calomiris said. The new educational center opened on May 9.

For now, the rancho is not offering self-guided tours. Free guided tours take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Garden tours take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The rancho hosts three special summer adventure camps for grade school children; the camps typically sell out and cost $90 per week.

“Each class is themed differently and each is chock-full of activities,” Calomiris said. “Our aim is to make our programs as interactive, educational and fun as possible. There’s no reason you can’t have fun while learning.”

Another favorite event for youngsters, or the young at heart,

is the rancho’s infamous Mud Mania: A Celebration of Adobe.

The event takes place on Aug. 19.

Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children.

“Mud Mania is a muddy, wacky day,” Calomiris said. “It’s everything to do with adobe brick making — from mixing, building a wall, constructing mini homes, to learning all about architectural techniques.”

There also will be free concerts this summer: Bernie Pearl will play on June 24; Cris Barber Quintet is scheduled on July 22; and Romanza finishes the series on Aug. 26. The concerts start at 5 p.m. Participants can bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic items.

Rancho Los Cerritos also has a gift shop, located in the new education center, that features a variety of homemade items that incorporate ingredients or natural elements from the rancho.

Calomiris said the rancho is a great place to visit this summer that is appropriate for the whole family and won’t put a strain on the pocketbook. Most events are free or low-cost.

For more information about prices, schedules and normal tour hours, call 570-1755 or visit www.rancholoscerritos.org. Rancho Los Cerritos is located at 4600 Virginia Rd.

SUMMER CAMPS ARE HERE! Los Altos Family YMCA

1720 Bellflower Blvd • Long Beach CA 90815 Summer Day Camp - Jr. Lifeguards

Ages: 9-16 • Time: 1:30pm-4:00pm Start Date: June 2, 2012

General Day Camp

Ages: K-8th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

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Ages: K-8th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

Resident Camp @ YMCA Camp Oakes Ages: 8-14 See below for discription.

Start Date: July 28-August 4

Sign Up Today! Call (562) 596-3394

Fairfield Family YMCA

4949 Atlantic Ave • Long Beach CA 90815 Camp Crickets

Ages: K-5th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

All Star Sports Camp Ages: 6th-8th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

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Ages: 2nd-5th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

X-Treme Teen Camp Ages: 6th-8th grade Start Date: June 18, 2012

Resident Camp @ YMCA Camp Oakes

Campers are grouped by age and placed in cabins with their friends under the careful supervision of well-trained leaders. Activities include nature study, horseback riding, low ropes course, wall climbing, canoeing, archery, and much more. Transporation is provided from Long Beach to YMCA Camp Oakes located in Big Bear, CA Ages: 8-14 Start Date: July 21-July 28

Sign Up Today! Call (562) 423-0491

PAGE 20A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 21A

SUMMER KICKOFF

Long Beach Libraries Ask Youth To Dream Big

By Stephanie Minasian STAFF WRITER

With summer quickly approaching, the Long Beach Public Library is encouraging people of all ages to delve into the pages of books this summer with its annual summer reading program, themed “Dream Big! Read.”

When the weather starts to warm up, and the days extend longer, public libraries throughout the country take part in hosting summer reading programs for residents.

This year’s Long Beach program kicks off June 16 and runs through Aug. 11. It encourages reading for pleasure by offering incentives and prizes for every 100 minutes people spending reading independently.

“What happens is, as kids begin to read, they come into the library and we give them a prize to keep reading,” said Long Beach Public Library’s Youth Services Officer Francisco Vargas. “Research shows that if a school-age child reads one book at their grade level for fun over the summer, they retain their skills so they don’t have to review before going back to school. The more they read, the more likely they are to go up a grade level.”

For the first time, the library is offering a more interactive approach to its summer reading program by allowing both children (with parental consent) and adults the opportunity to log in online to write reviews for the books they read during the eight weeks. The website also is available in English and Spanish.

Teens and adults also can post their reviews or reading lists from the website to their Facebook pages for their friends to see.

“It’s very interactive,” Vargas added. “We also will have a mobile app for Droid and iPhones, so people can write an anonymous review on the go. It’s really going to be fun.”

The library has teamed up with Summer Night Lights (SNL), an organization that works to implement the prevention of gang violence and works to develop area youth. To help keep parks safe during the evening hours, SNL will “turn on the lights” at three at-risk parks in the city to bring fun, family-oriented activities for children and their parents.

SNL will run from 6 to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, from July 5 to Sept. 2, at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Drake Park and Admiral Kidd Park.

“The libraries will be at the parks, and will do crafts and magic shows,” Vargas said. “It all goes along with our nighttime theme, and we wanted to partner with the

Summer Night Lights program to do this.”

The library will have a table set up each night at the parks, where people can sign up for summer

reading. There will be free food and entertainment, along with city officials and police officers joining in the fun, Vargas said.

Visit www.lbpl.org.

PAGE 22A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

SUMMER KICKOFF

Music Fills Long Beach Air With Summer Concerts

BY JONATHAN VAN DYKE STAFF WRITER

Music is a family affair for much of what is offered around

Long Beach this summer.

The city will be full of daily, weekly and monthly concert series. Here are a few to get your

planning started.

Concerts In The Park The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine made a concerted effort this year to have its annual Concerts In The Park appeal to families even more than in the past, said Michelle Gingras, community recreation services superintendent.

“It’s spread specifically throughout each district,” she said. “This year, we moved toward Sunday afternoon and a family theme. We’ve cut down on the concerts, but added an hour and more family friendly activities.”

Bands will cover genres like classic rock, blues, reggae and steel drum.

At each event, there will be face painting, bounce houses, bal-

—Gazette file photo

UNPLUGGED AND ELECTRIC. The Goodfellas bring energy to the stage during last year’s Buskerfest.

loon artists and a cartoonist.

The series kicks off from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 25, at Marine Stadium — which will also act as kick off for 100 Days of Summer.

There will be a concert from 3 to 6 p.m. almost each Sunday afterward: June 24 at Whaley Park (Elm Street Band), July 8 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (Boxcar Seven), July 22 at Houghton Park (Gregg Young and the Sec(Continued on Page 23A)

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 23A

SUMMER KICKOFF Music (Continued from Page 22A)

ond Street Band), Aug. 5 at Pan American Park (Pan Jive) and Aug. 19 at Cesar Chavez Park (Chyle). The closing concert will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Aug. 30, at Stearns Park with The Emperors playing.

Summer and Music Long Beach’s Summer and Music 2012 schedule will be concentrating on the big picture this year, organizers said.

Last year’s Summer in the Parks with SAM has been nixed, but co-founder Rand Foster said he didn’t do so without knowing there will be other smaller events happening around downtown — they just won’t specifically be under the SAM banner.

“The reality, is that with all the production on the bigger shows — the amount of time and budget was hard to maintain with the smaller shows,” he said.

So, instead, organizers will be working on a fourth larger event, tentatively titled Dancin’ in the Streets — scheduled for a to-bedetermined date in July.

“Conceptually, it kind of came out of the dance parties that would impromptu take place after Buskerfest,” Foster said. “We thought that was pretty cool, so we wanted to try and create that atmosphere in an entire event on its own. We’re sorting through different possibilities for it, including live bands that bring dance energy and maybe DJs from local clubs to spotlight.”

Beyond that event, SAM fans can expect the usual suspects.

Battle of the Tribute Bands will take place June 30 — bands playing the Pixies, Tom Petty and U2 are already scheduled for that.

The Long Beach Funk Fest will return on Aug. 18 and the local unplugged music showcase, Buskerfest, will finish the SAM season on Aug. 25.

“Everything, even if the concept is the same, we want to bring fresh names and fasces (to each event),” Foster said, adding that this year there will be a number of tweaks to the different concerts in order to spur more audience participation.

For more information as it becomes available, visit www.summerandmusic.com.

Concerts in the Grove This will be the 36th year for the annual Concerts in the Grove at California State University, Long Beach. The weekly concert series places an emphasis on the local and community, including the booking of the bands, said Jane Gonzales, CSULB alumni programs coordinator.

“Our venue kind of offers a little bit more of an intimate setting,” she said. “You can bring a picnic and we have tables and chairs.”

The concert proceeds go toward the Alumni Grads Program. Average attendance at the concerts is 350 — often including residents, alumni donors and even Mayor Bob Foster, Gonzales said. There will be door prizes and people can pre-order dinners if they do not want to bring a picnic.

Doors open at 6 and the concerts start at 7:30 p.m. at the Soroptimist House, which is located at the terrace on Beach Drive.

There is free parking at parking lots 1 and 18 of CSULB. The concerts will be on the Saturdays of July 14 (Elm Street Band), July 21 (Stone Soul), Aug. 4 (King Salmon Band) and Aug. 18 (The Emperors).

Cost is $30 per person. Order tickets by calling phone num-

ber 985-7022. Visit the website www.csulb.edu/alumni/events/ concerts.

Nature Center Summer Concerts Concerts at the El Dorado Nature Center will continue this year — an extension of events that have helped raise money for the Friends of El Dorado Nature Center for years.

The gates will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concerts will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Admission will be $3 and children 12 and younger can get in free.

“It’s a really nice setting near the lakeside,” said Tara Sievers, naturalist at El Dorado Nature Center. “It’s family friendly, mellow and there will be an eclectic mix of musicians throughout the summer.”

The concerts will be July 12 (The Salty Suites — bluegrass), July 19 (The Hula Girls — hulabilly), July 26 (Kimera — Latin sounds), Aug. 9 (Sligo Rags — Celtic rock) and Aug. 16 (Corday — rock).

For more information on a number of other concerts and series taking place around the area this summer, check the Gazette calendar section each week.

PAGE 24A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

SUMMER KICKOFF

See New, Old Classic Films Outside This Summer

By KurtA. Eichsteadt

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

One of the best things about Long Beach in the summer is the outdoor screenings of movies.

This year, 11 movies will be screened at 29 parks beginning June 25 and culminating with a showing of the baseball-themed movie “Moneyball” on Aug. 31 at, where else, Blair Field. Movies in the Park screen Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The Moonlight Movies on the Beach series begins on Monday, July 2. Their series wraps up with “Jaws” on Sept. 4. They are

on a Monday, Tuesday schedule except for Wednesday, July 25.

Some of the Moonlight Movies have PG-13 or R ratings, so parents may want to consider what is appropriate for children.

All the movies are free. Unless otherwise indicated, all are rated P or PG. Listed below is the complete summer schedule.

• Monday, June 25, “Happy Feet,” Signal Hill Park, 2175 Cherry Ave. • Wednesday, June 27, “Happy Feet,” McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Ave.

• Friday, June 29, “Happy Feet,” Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave. • Monday, July 2, “Adventures of Tintin,” Recreation Park, 4900 E. Seventh St. • Monday, July 2, Moonlight Movie on the Beach. “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” Granada Beach • Tuesday, July 3, “Real Steel,” Granada Beach • (Note: No showings July 4) • Thursday, July 5, “Adventures of Tintin,” Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba • Friday, July 6, “Adventures

of Tintin,” Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave. • Monday, July 9, “Grease,” Rated PG-13, Granada Beach • Monday, July 9, “Kung Fu Panda II,” Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Blvd.

• July 10, “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” Granada Beach • Wednesday, July 11, “King Fu Panda II,” Veterans Park, 101 E. 28th St. • Friday, July 13, “Kung Fu Panda II,” Wardlow Park, 3457 Stanbridge Ave. • Monday, July 16, “Casablanca,” Rated TV PG, Granada Beach • Monday, July 16, “Spy Kids (All the Time in the World),” Somerset Park, 1500 E. Carson St. • Tuesday, July 17, “The Muppet Movie,” Granada Beach

• Wednesday, July 18, “Spy Kids (All the Time in the World),” Coolidge Park, 353 E. Neece St. • Friday, July 20, “Spy Kids (All the Time in the World),” Admiral Kidd Park 2125 Santa Fe St. • Monday, July 23, “Annie Hall,” Granada Beach • Monday, July 23, “The Muppets,” Cherry Park, 1900 E. 45th St. • Tuesday, July 24, “The Wizard of Oz,” Granada Beach • Wednesday, July 25, “The Jerk,” Rated R, Granada Beach • Wednesday, July 25, “The Muppets,” Heartwell Park, 5801 E. Parkcrest St. • Friday, July 27, “The Muppets,” Signal Hill Park, 2175 Cherry Ave. (Continued on Page 25A)

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 25A

SUMMER KICKOFF Films

• Wednesday, Aug. 15, “Cars 2,” Drake Park, 951 Maine Ave. (Continued from Page 24) • Friday, Aug. 17, “Cars 2,” • Monday, July 30, “The Whaley Park, 5620 Atherton St. Birds,” Rated TV PG, Granada • Monday, Aug. 20, “King Beach Kong,” (1933 Version), Unrated, • Monday, July 30, “The Granada Beach Smurfs,” MacArthur Park, 1321 • Monday, Aug. 20, “Puss in E. Anaheim St. Boots,” Ramona Park, 3301 E. • Tuesday, July 31, Double 65th St. Feature: “Cars 1” and “Cars 2,” • Tuesday, Aug. 21, “Hugo,” Granada Beach Granada Beach • Wednesday, Aug. 1, “The • Wednesday, Aug. 22, “Puss Smurfs,” College Estates Park, in Boots,” Seaside Park, 14th 808 Stevely Ave. Street and Chestnut Avenue • Friday, Aug. 3, “The • Friday, Aug. 24, “Puss in Smurfs,” Houghton Park, 6301 Boots,” El Dorado Park West, Myrtle Ave. 2800 Studebaker Ave. • Monday, Aug. 6, “Drive,” • Monday, Aug. 27, “Dolphin Rated R, Granada Beach Tale,” DeForest Park. 6255 De • Monday, Aug. 6, “Mars Forest Ave. Needs Moms,” Grace Park, Elm • Monday, Aug. 27, “WoodAvenue and Plymouth Street stock,” Rated R, Granada Beach • Tuesday, Aug. 7, “Puss in • Tuesday, Aug. 28, “Willy Boots,” Granada Beach Wonka and the Chocolate Fac • Wednesday, Aug. 8, “Mars tory,” (1971 version with Gene Needs Moms,” Stearns Champi- Wilder) ons Park, 4520 W. 23rd St. • Wednesday, Aug. 29, “Dol • Friday, Aug. 10, “Mars phin Tale,” Pan American Park, Needs Moms,” Silverado Park, 5157 Centralia Ave. 1545 W. 31st St. • Friday, Aug. 31, “Money • Monday, Aug. 13, “Cars 2,” ball,” Blair Field, 4700 DeukmeKing Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. jian Dr. • Monday, Aug. 13, “Easy • Monday, Sept. 3, “Pink Rider,” Rated R, Granada Beach Floyd: The Wall,” Rated R, • Tuesday, Aug. 14, “The Granada Beach Goonies,” Rated TV 14, Grana- • Tuesday, Sept. 4, “Jaws,” da Beach Rated TV 14, Granada Beach

Summer Camps Welcome Youngsters

BY KURT A. EICHSTEADT EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Summer camps ranging from daytime activities to a week on a tall ship are being offered this summer.

Summer camp aboard the three-masted American Pride is a five-day, four-night adventure that combines sailing, camping on Catalina Island and more. The program includes educational programs on subjects like marine science and biology along with instruction from historians and an archeologist. There’s also a full range of outdoor activities such as snorkeling, kayaking,

fishing and tubing. This camp is for ages 10-17. The price is $470.

However, the Gumbiner Foundation has given camp operators a grant to help children from Long Beach attend. For details, go to www.americanpride.org, There will be three cruises this summer: July 23-27, Aug. 6-10 and Aug. 13-17.

Applications now are being accepted for summer camps offered by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. Most camps are available daily from June 18 to Aug. 24. Camps include general park camps, PeeWee Camp, High Five Sports,

music, art and summer adventures at the El Dorado Nature Center and Rancho Los Cerritos.

Visit www.LBParks.org.

Summer camp featuring instruction in artistic techniques will be offered by the Art Exchange in two, two-week sessions starting July 9. Camp is for ages 7-12 and will take place at the Expo Building, 4321 Atlantic Ave. Cost is $280 per session and some scholarships are available.

Visit www.artexchangelb.org.

Musical Theatre West again will present its Youth Conservancy from July 9 through July (Continued on Page 26A)

PAGE 26A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Camps (Continued from Page 25A)

20. Students will work with professionals in the fields of acting, voice and dance. Tuition is $200 for ages 8-12 and $250 for ages 13-18. Call 856-1999, ext. 225.

International City Theatre’s Summer Youth Conservatory begins on July 2. The six-week

program offers instruction for children ages 7-15 in acting, music, dance and movement taught by industry professionals. Classes meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Monday through Thursday. The conservatory concludes with a performance at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The fee is $375. Call 495-4595, ext. 10.

Los Altos United Methodist

SUMMER KICKOFF Church has Actors Bible Camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the week of July 30. Children will learn Old Testament Bible stories while practicing different styles of acting techniques, singing, building sets, doing makeup and writing scripts. Cost is $30 per child or $55 for two siblings. Registration forms are available at the church, 5950 E. Willow St.

Long Beach’s Beaches Have Own Attractions

BY JONATHAN VAN DYKE STAFF WRITER

Most Americans have to take weeks of planning and fly halfway across the country to get to the beach. Long Beach residents only need to travel a few miles or less to enjoy the sand and water of one of California’s largest beach areas.

Including bay parks like the popular Mother’s Beach, the city has about 11 full miles of sand for recreation, said Mark Sandoval, Marine Bureau manager.

“We have a bike path along the beach that is very popular, we have five concession buildings that are handled under a contract and we have (Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier), which is popular for fishing,” he said. “We should celebrate our beaches and what they do offer.”

With more famous destinations like Huntington Beach and Manhattan Beach still fairly close, it can be easy for residents to lose track of their own backyard, officials said, but they shouldn’t.

“What we don’t have is surf, but what we do have is very calm water,” Sandoval said. “If you have a young family, that is probably what you want. For children who aren’t as good at swimming, this would be an ideal location.”

Hundreds flock to the beach on summer weekdays, and thousands make time for recreation on weekends, said Bob Maguglin, Convention & Visitors Bureau director of public relations.

The most popular activities to participate in near the water in Long Beach include beach volleyball, beach soccer and kite surfing.

“The calmer water makes our dog beach very popular and kite surfing has really increased its profile because beginners don’t

have to deal with big surf here,” Sandoval said. “We have a ton of volleyball courts. The beach does look big, but you go out there with all the volleyball, soccer and dogs, and the beach gets crowded in its own way.”

Recreational fishing fans also can find a lot to like, he added.

There are five small fishing piers in the downtown area. The Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier is very popular, he said, specifically because you do not need a fishing license to cast a line there.

“It has a very committed group that regularly goes fishing there,” he said. “Some are there for sustenance and for others it’s just a nice, peaceful sport.”

In the water, there are about 50,000 launches of motorized and larger-vessel boats each year.

There are more than 6,000 private and public boat slips. The number of vessels on the water doesn’t even include standup paddle boarding or kayakers, who also use the water, Sandoval added.

Officials admitted that Long Beach is saddled with a bit of a reputation for not being clean, but they said the city has come a long way.

“During the winter, when there is rain, there is no doubt the runoff from the river will impact our beaches,” Sandoval said. “But especially during the summer period, we’re getting very good report cards on all our beaches.

One of the things we hear is that the water doesn’t look as good, but we have a finer sand on our beaches that mixes more with the water to make it cloudier — but not dirty.”

There are several lots near different parts of the beach for public use. The lots, in general, cost $1 an hour to park in.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 27A

SUMMER KICKOFF

Gazette Dining Guide guidance on price: $ Thrifty; $$ Night Out; $$$ Splurge

American

BEACHWOOD BBQ 131 1/2 Main St., Seal Beach 210 E. Third St. 493-4500, 436-4020 Beachwood BBQ offers slow-smoked ribs, chicken, brisket, homemade sausages and pulled pork. The menu also features fish, salads and sandwiches. Large selection of craft beers. Delivery and catering menus available. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. $ BELMONT BREWING COMPANY 25 39th Place 433-3891 At Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, with heated patio dining, BBC features hand-crafted beers brewed on the premises. The menu features seafood, chicken and pasta dishes. Full bar. Open 11:30 a.m. to midnight weekdays, brunch on Saturday and Sunday. $$ BLACKBIRD CAFE 3405 Orange Ave. 490-2473 Offering a California fresh menu for breakfast and lunch. Menu includes tra-

2nd St.

Westminster

N

ON THE WATER!

ditional, homemade breakfast fare An extensive vegetarian menu along with burgers, sandwiches, soups & chili. Coffee drinks. Open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. $ BUSTER’S BEACH HOUSE 168 Marina Dr. Alamitos Bay Landing 598-9431 Open at 7 a.m. weekends, 8 a.m. during the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with beautiful ocean views from every table. Two banquet rooms. Choose from a delicious menu all day long.

Happy hour is Monday thru Saturday with draft beer starting at $1.99, well drinks and house wine $2.75. Discounted appetizer menu. $ CHUCK’S COFFEE SHOP 4120 E. Ocean Blvd.

433-9317 Near Belmont Plaza Pool, Chuck’s has been locally world famous since 1964. Open for breakfast and lunch all week, Chuck offers many combination breakfasts, lean burgers, salads and sandwiches. Home of “The Weasel.” $ CLAIRE’S AT THE MUSEUM Long Beach Museum of Art 439-2119 Bluff top, indoor and outdoor dining

with fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island and the Queen Mary.

Serving limited breakfast and full lunch weekdays, full breakfast and lunch on weekends. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat. and Sun. $ EGGS ETC. 550 Redondo Ave. 433-9588 Offering good old-fashioned country breakfasts and lunch. Daily specials. Patio dining. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. $ E.J. MALLOY’S 3411 E. Broadway, 433-3769; 4306 Atlantic Ave., 424-5000 E.J. Malloy’s is a pub with attributes of the original 1920s restaurant, along with a secluded patio surrounded by ivycovered walls. Specialties include cornfed beef, chicken and fish. Breakfast served Saturdays and Sundays. Open all

(Continued on Page 28)

PAGE 28A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012 (Continued from Page 27A) week for lunch, dinner. Full bar at the Atlantic location. $$ LASHER’S 3441 E. Broadway 433-0153 Lasher’s is in a restored California Bungalow. Dinner features home-style regional American cuisine, including

grilled steaks, fresh fish and rack of lamb. Beer, wine and cocktails, patio dining. Dinner Tues.-Sun. Sunday brunch is served 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. $$-$$$ LEGENDS 5236 E. Second St. 433-2723 The grand-daddy of sports bars has reopened with the same great menu; award-

PATIO DINING winning chili, clam chowder, Buffalo wings and ribs. Now with two levels for the ultimate in sports viewing. Catering available. $ THE LOCAL SPOT 6200-B E. PCH 498-0400 From the owners of Eggs, Etc. this restaurant features a variety of burgers,

hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps, salads and smoothies with an emphasis on healthy food. Open for lunch, dinner 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. $ McKENNA’S ON THE BAY 190 Marina Dr. 342-9411 Waterfront dining at its finest, specializing in prime steaks, seafood and an oyster bar, Dinner, lunch and brunch. Incredible views, magnificent sunsets, patio dining, full bar and banquet facilities.

Live Entertainment Wednesday-Sunday.

Dinner nightly, lunch 11-3 Monday-Friday, Saturday breakfast and lunch 10-3, Sunday brunch 10-3. $$$ PORTFOLIO COFFEEHOUSE 2300 E. Fourth St., 434-2486 BERLIN, 420 E. Fourth, 435-0600 Portfolio Coffeehouse renders culture, friendship and caffeine fixes to java junkies amidst an eclectic collection of people, vintage furnishings, an outdoor patio, and fine art. Healthy snacks, sandwiches and gourmet desserts are sure to delight your taste buds. Portfoliocoffeehouse.com. $ QUEEN MARY 1126 Queens Highway 877 313-2726 With seven unique restaurant and lounge options, historic ambience and scenic location in Long Beach Harbor, the Queen Mary is the perfect place to relax and dine this summer. www.QueenMary.com. $$ - $$$ SCHOONER OR LATER 241 Marina Dr. 430-3495 The ultimate dockside dining experience for breakfast or lunch, with great patio dining. Great food, friendly staff and exceptional ambiance. $

Californian

UTOPIA 445 E. First St. 432-6888 Located in the East Village Arts District, this European-style cafe offers a variety of salads, pasta, seafood and chicken dishes creatively prepared and served in an intimate setting. Work of local artists displayed. Open from noon to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 5-10 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday. Wine bar. www. utopiarestaurant.net. $$

Greek

ATHENS WEST 303 Main St., Seal Beach 431-6500 Are you paying too much for Greek food? Then you haven’t tried Athens West in Seal Beach where items are $10 or less. Offering Greek favorites like lamb chops, spanakopita & homemade avgolemono soup. Seafood kabobs and vegetarian favorites like falafel & humus are also on the menu. Heated patio. Greek

beer and wine served. Open 11 a.m. daily 7 days a week. Athenswest.com $ GEORGE’S GREEK DELI 135 Pine Ave.; 437-1184 5316 E. Second St.; 433-1755 Offering a variety of traditional Greek dishes, superb service, award-winning wines, Friday night slow-roasted lamb special, Saturday night belly dancing, banquet room and catering. Hours for Pine location: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun.Thurs.;10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat. Hours for Shore location: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 11 a.m. to midnight Fri. and Sat. $$

Indian

NATRAJ 5262 E. Second St. 930-0930 Natraj offers Indian specialties out of the Tandoor clay oven include chicken, shrimp, kabobs and tikka. Beer and wine are served. A feature is a lunch buffet for $8.95. Weekend brunch. Takeout and catering are offered. $

Irish

THE AULD DUBLINER 71 S. Pine Ave. 437-8300 Authentic Irish pub. Traditional Irish fare with a selection of boxty dishes, salads, steamed mussels and clams, plus grilled steaks and chops. Great selection of beer and a full bar. Lunch and dinner daily and live entertainment Tues.-Sun. www.aulddubliner.com. $$ O’MALLEY’S 140 Main St., Seal Beach 430-0631 An authentic Irish pub where locals meet to enjoy cheers and good food around the open fire. Serving everything from traditional Irish dishes to American cuisine. Open 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day. Winner of the Perfect Pint award.

Full bar and patio. $$

Italian

BUONA GENTE 5205 E. Second St. 438-8763 Located in the heart of Belmont Shore, Buona Gente features a wide selection of authentic Italian specialties, from appetizers, homemade bread to pizzas and pasta dishes. A great selection of wine is available. Don’t miss the famous tiramisu. Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. $$ MICHAEL’S OF NAPLES 5620 E. Second St. 439-7080 Contemporary Italian cuisine in a modern atmosphere. Rooftop dining available. Open seven days a week for dinner and a special lounge and wine bar Enoteca menu. Catering for large parties.

Full bar now available. Michael’s On

(Continued on Page 29A)

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 29A

PATIO DINING (Continued from Page 28A) Naples is dining at its finest. michaelsonnaples.com.$$$ RUSSO’S 5856 Naples Plaza 433-1616 Naples neighborhood family ristorante and bar serving homemade pasta dishes, steak, seafood, pizza and mouth-watering desserts. Full cocktail bar. Open seven days at 5 p.m. Patio dining available. One block from the canals in Naples. Take out or delivery. Catering and private banquet room. $$ THE PIZZA PLACE 1431 E. Broadway 432-6000 A garden cafe to sample specialties

such as lasagna, tortellinis, manicotti and Pasta Primavera. There are 26 pizzas to choose from. Beer and wine, desserts, cappuccino or espresso. Garden and indoor dining. Delivery available. Open from 11 a.m. to midnight. www.thepizzaplaxe.biz. $$

Latin Amer.

VIVA MoLAA MUSEUM CAFE 628 Alamitos Ave. 437-1689 Enjoy the museum then visit Viva MoLAA for authentic Latin American dishes at affordable prices. Elegant outdoor patio dining as well as indoor seating. Full bar service and available for special events or parties. $

Mediterranean BOUBOUFFE 5313 E. Second St. 433-7000 Features specialties from around the Mediterranean from Algeria to Morocco.

Patio dining. Open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Catering. $ OPEN SESAME MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 5201 & 5215 E. Second St. 621-1698 Specialties including appetizers, salads, pita sandwiches, vegetarian and kabob combination plates. Lunch and dinner daily. Dine in or take out. Patio seating. Beer, wine, catering. Order online at

opensesamegrill.com. $$ SABABA RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE 6527 E. PCH, Marketplace.

252-357 Mediterranean cuisine can be found in a sleek setting. Sababa Restaurant and Lounge offers a dinner menu with a uniqe Meditteranean fusian to modern American cuisine. Full bar, patio dining. $$

Seafood BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP CO. 87 Aquarium Way The Pike at Rainbow Harbor 437-2434 Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. offers shrimp specials such as “Forrest’s

Shrimp Net Catch” and “Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp.” Also serving kid’s favorites: burgers, salads, fish and ribs.

Features a full bar, patio seating and a retail market.$$ CRAB POT 215 Marina Dr. 430-0272 With a view of Alamitos Bay, Crab Pot offers fresh, fresh, fresh lobster, crabs, seafood and shellfish. “Seafeasts” for two or more are their trademark, and steak and chicken dinners also are available. There is dining on their outdoor patio and a full patio bar and fire pit. Open daily at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner. www.crabpot.com. $$ GLADSTONE’S 330 S. Pine Ave. 432-8588 Gladstone’s Long Beach is a waterfront restaurant offering views of the Queen Mary and Shoreline Harbor across the street from the Convention Center.

Featuring a variety of fresh fish and sushi, live lobster, crab and more. Outdoor seating available. Crabby Hour is from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Quarter Deck Lounge.

Private Room for special events.$$ THE ORIGINAL FISH CO. 11061 Los Alamitos Blvd.

Los Alamitos 594-4553 For the past 27 years The Original Fish Co. has been serving the freshest fish available for lunch & dinner. Great atmosphere and garden patio dining.

Fresh fish market opens at 9am daily and also offers beautifully decorated seafood platters. Catering and full bar. originalfishcompany.com. $$

Thai

STAR OF SIAM 2109 E. Broadway 439-1564 Star of Siam boasts more than 20 years of culinary delights where traditional Thai cuisine is celebrated. World class beer and extensive wine list. Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Tuesdays.

Prices start at $4.75. Patio dining. www. starofsiamonline.com. $

PAGE 30A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Shoe Drive Success Delivered Monday

By Zoe Mena After a long four-hour drive, I arrived Monday at the orphanage in Mexicali, Mexico. I see a small building and a worn-out play set.

I unload the 212 shoes donated

by friends and neighbors in Belmont Shore who read my previous columns and saw my posters announcing my shoe drive.

Raul Lozano, the founder of Love to All, a nonprofit that sup-

ports this orphanage and four others, walks me in. The kids swarm him, hugging and kissing him.

Then the kids shake my hand.

They all quickly run towards the shoes and dive in, looking for their size. They put the shoes on and smile.

I feel like together, we all have done my job in making a difference in their lives. I didn’t need a thank you for my work collecting these shoes. I just needed to see them happy. These smiles changed my whole life. They showed me that we all have so much.

Monday was a special day, not just because of the shoes. Raul

bought food from Costco -- stuff we eat all the time: chicken, potato salad, pound cake. The kids are in awe. They usually have no more than rice and beans.

After lunch, there are more surprises.

My mom and I bring out toys we bought in a store. I bought the kids things like trucks for the boys and soccer balls. For the girls, I bought hair bows and different colored clip-on hair extensions. I bought bubbles and hula hoops for the boys and the girls.

The kids followed me to the car and I slowly removed the toys.

They were so eager!

They tore the gifts from their wrappers and started hula hooping and playing with the trucks.

The girls quickly put the colorful hair extensions in their hair with the bows. They wanted to try it all on at once.

What an amazing experience!

I would not have been able to do it without the support of readers of my column who donated to my shoe drive. This drive was part of a school project that required community service. I would have done it anyway.

When I left, all the girls and boys said goodbye in Spanish.

There were the smiles on their faces that have changed me forever, made feel like I achieved something great in my life. That is really Love to All. Zoe Mena is a seventh grader at Rogers Middle School.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 31A

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Long Beach Opera Provides Another Superb Production They’ve done it again. Again.

When applied to Long Beach Opera, that phrase used to just mean that the company had done something quirky, or just plain weird. But in reference to the recent production of Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ainadamar” at the Terrace Theater, it means that LBO has once again succeeded in mounting an important work by a major contemporary composer.

First came John Adams’s “Nixon in China,” then Philip Glass’s “Akhenaten.” Now with the Golijov, LBO has a real winner, on many artistic levels.

Golijov’s score is a marvel, flavorful, evocative, hypnotic and thoroughly exciting. His music is attractive and edgy at the same time, and here it serves, along with David Henry Hwang’s libretto, to create the proper flamenco-tinged atmosphere for a compelling narrative, the story of dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca.

Murdered by Franco’s soldiers at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, the revolutionary poet is recalled by the actress Margarita Xirgu in a series of vignettes.

They are brilliantly designed and staged by Andreas Mitisek, LBO’s general and artistic director, and the Terrace Theater stage is transformed through the effective use of Frieder Weiss’ interactive videos and Dan Weingarten’s lighting.

The production stars three women who have grown into major artists before the eyes of the LBO audience. Suzan Hanson, who is front and center for the entire 90 minutes, once again dominates the stage with an undeniably authoritative presence

and a large, gleaming soprano.

Ani Maldjian is warmly sympathetic as Nuria, and her bright soprano soars above the ensembles.

And mezzo Peabody Southwell, who has graduated from bit parts to starring roles, not only physically resembles Lorca but sings his music with heart-rending expression and compelling beauty.

Here’s a name to remember: Nicholas Shelton. In his few moments onstage as a Falangist guard, the bass managed to make a striking impression; that is some terrific voice.

The amplification of both voices and instruments was distracting at times, but didn’t detract from the overall quality of the performance. For once, Mitisek did not conduct; those duties were assumed by Steven R. Os-

good. Benjamin Makino trained the wonderful women’s chorus, and Nannette Brodie did the choreography.

Finally, I usually don’t care for pre-performance speeches, but Mitisek’s are the best. They are funny and intelligent, and they invariably conclude with the cleverest fundraising pitch you will ever hear.

There is one more performance of “Ainadamar,” at 8 p.m. May 26. Call 432-5934 or click on www.LBOpera.org.

PAGE 32A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Featured Artist Plays With Pop Culture

BY JULIAN BERMUDEZ ARTS WRITER

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the latest exhibit now on view at Phone Booth Gallery this holiday weekend.

Continuing her penchant for poetic and pithy spinoffs on popular culture and myths, Russian artist Lora Zombie’s latest body of work titled “Whales. Love.

Procrastination.” features familiar characters within unfamiliar territories. On view through June 12, the exhibit explores Zombie’s ever-evolving style of visual storytelling through paintings and drawings on paper.

“It’s the visual equivalent to the ballads of a traveling bard, had that bard had come of age reading Marvel Comics and tagging city walls,” states Phone Booth Gallery’s press release.

Super heroines such as Batgirl, Catwoman, Supergirl and Wonder Woman are rendered in classic “pin-up” style, belying their traditional archetype.

Both Superman and Batman are completely emasculated as Zombie depicts the “Man of Steel” sitting idly by as a city is destroyed, while “The Dark Knight” is shown old and wrinkled.

Taking beloved mythological characters and turning them into their more adult versions isn’t something new – we can thank Camille Rose Garcia for that.

However, Zombie avoids the overtly cute and impishly sweet.

Her works are feminine without screaming “Girl Power.”

There are no wide-eyed, super kawaii, shojo-style characters that just make you want to hurl your lunch.

“Because Zombie’s paintings and drawings often melt into pools of color or erupt into speckles of pigment, her storytelling feels ephemeral and whimsical,” adds the press release. “She is offering glimpses into dreamscapes that could dissolve at any moment.”

Indeed, by using a softer color palette along with more fluid lines, the artist creates ersatz versions of characters whose standard roles are pushed outside their/our comfort zone.

“Leaving the space of the dreamscape is what Zombie avoids; she procrastinates (returning) to any more grounded reality by delving into this web of subconscious influences and immersing herself in the visual languages she loves,” concludes the press release.

Sadly, reinforcing the dreamlike aspect of the artworks, therefore making the viewer responsible for what they see, only strengthens the very stereotypes Zombie seems determined to dispel. It shouldn’t matter if what we’re seeing is all a dream.

If Zombie chooses to challenge the canon, then she should do so without any reservation or procrastination.

Zombie’s narrative is both compelling and inviting. With any luck, the artist’s continued evolution will result in newly reimagined characters void of tradition and permission, therefore affirming her as a true iconoclast.

Phone Booth Gallery is at 2533 E. Broadway. Open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call 415-8822 or visit the gallery’s website at www.phoneboothgallery.com.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 33A

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Finbars Offers Great New York Taste

BY LARRY HILL

RESTAURANT WRITER

Finbars Italian Kitchen, 620 Pacific Coast Highway, 4304303.

• Hours: Open daily from 11 to 10.

• Location: Finbars is located in Seal Beach in the Bay City Center. There is plenty of onsite parking.

• Food/Drinks: Finbars menu has expanded over the years. The original pasta dishes and Left Coast Specialties, which were so good when Finbars opened some 12 years ago, are still to be found.

Added to these items are steaks, seafood specials like Bluenose sea bass and herb-crusted salmon; as well as chicken dishes like Parmigiana and Picatta.

Appetizers include baked stuffed mushrooms, calamari, prosciutto and mozzarella and sausage and peppers. Salads include Finbars Chopped, an antipasto salad, BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, Cobb, Caesar and Mediterranean.

Pasta dishes are many and varied. Offerings include Capellini Pomodoro, Fettuccine Quattro Formaggi, Penne with Grilled Sausage, Peppers and Onions, Beef Ravioli, Lobster Ravioli with Spicy Shrimp, Linguine Frutti di Mare, Fiery Shrimp Fettuccine, Pad Thai Linguine, Jambalaya Fettuccine and Chicken Tequila Fusilli.

Specialties include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, HerbCrusted Atlantic Salmon, Bluenose Sea Bass Picatta, Shrimp Scampi and Eggplant Parmigiana. Pizzas include BBQ Chicken, Vegetarian, Shrimp Pesto, Goat Cheese, and Mushroom and Pepperoni.

There are lunch specials and sandwiches.

• Atmosphere: The dining room is spacious with a casual vibe. Large parties can be accommodated easily.

• The Taste: We stopped for a midweek respite from the craziness of term’s end. There are many items that I’ve sampled over the years on Finbars menu.

I keep trying something new, but I’d just as soon have my favorite Two-In-A-Bowl Fettuccine with a meatball. Finbars makes a great sauce (Sunday gravy) that is slightly sweet, bright red and decidedly not overheated.

We started with Provolone Griglia. It’s described as skillet-grilled provolone with fireroasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes with toast and marinara sauce. What they left out was Daaaayum Good. So rich, so gooey, so tasty (like a cheese pizza) so addictive it could have been a lure for Dante.

Jennifer opted for Fiery Chicken Fettuccine. Sautéed chicken is tossed with spicy tomato sauce laced with cayenne and Viet chili pepper. The menu states that the dish is very hot, spicy. I thought it was spicy, but not uncomfortably so; Jennifer thought it was kind of tame. If you like spicy, spicy food, then ask for extra heat. If not, then be careful. The dish is spicy, but not bitter. I quite liked my sample. Jennifer enjoyed it after she added a few more chilies.

I opted for a special: walnut-

—Gazette photo by Doreen Gunness

FIFTEEN YEARS STRONG. Finbars Italian Kitchen has been serving the taste of New York City for years.

crusted salmon. The dish was beautifully plated with grilled vegetables of all colors from thin sliced red bell pepper to yellow squash and bright green broccoli florets on one side of the walnutcrusted salmon, and penne topped with that wonderful Sunday gravy for which Finbars is known on the other side.

The salmon was grilled to a perfect juicy tender and served hot from the grill. The walnut crust is different, adding an unmistakable tangy earthiness of the nut. Salmon is a strong fish; it is not like a delicate sole or halibut. Salmon can take strong flavors like dill and survive. Walnuts can be quite strong themselves, yet they in no way overpower the salmon. The flavors work well, surprisingly so.

Finbars is approaching 15 years in Seal Beach. I’ve had many dinners with friends there over the years and always enjoyed myself.

Finbars is an authentic taste of NYC all the way out here.

• Price: Lunch or dinner for two is $15 to $30.

PAGE 34A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

T-Mobile Closed T-Mobile, which has more than

33.7 million mobile communication customers, has closed its

HEALTH & BEAUTY storefront in Belmont Shore.

Until last week, the store was located at 4725 E. Second St. Now, the nearest T-Mobile location for Belmont Shore customers is at 4545 E. PCH (near the Traffic Circle).

Soul Soup Mimi’s Cafe is donating a portion of its soup to-go sales to the Food Donation Connection, a national network that connects restaurants with local charities and local hunger relief programs.

There’s a Mimi’s Cafe located at 6670 E. PCH in Long Beach, and that restaurant is participating in the franchise’s effort to donate one quarter for every quart of soup to-go sold at Mimi’s restaurants. Soup to-go selections include roasted tomato basil, corn chowder, French onion and more.

“At Mimi’s Cafe, we believe in giving back to the communities we serve,” Mark Mears, Mimi’s president and chief concept officer, said in a release. “With millions of Americans at risk of hunger, we want to ensure we do our part to help.”

Call the Long Beach restaurant at 596-0831.

COBA Seeks Answers The Council of Business Associations is asking business owners to participate in the first citywide business survey designed to highlight common issues business owners have experienced when working with city departments.

“This is not a witch hunt or smear campaign,” said COBA Chair Blair Cohn, who also serves as the executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association. “We want to work with the city to fix issues that districts and individual business are having and make sure the city is as business friendly as it can be.”

COBA’s goal is to get at least 1,000 survey responses from business owners before the results are compiled and shared with various city departments.

To take the survey, go to https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/cobasurvey.

Airfare Steal For the third consecutive quarter, Long Beach Airport has recorded the lowest average airfare in California and the second lowest in the continental United

States, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The average round-trip domestic airfare at LGB was $229 during the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to the national average of $368 during the same period.

LGB had the third largest decrease in the country in average airfares from the third quarter to the fourth quarter, 2%, which also was the largest decrease in the state of California. The average fare at U.S. airports increased 2.1% in the same time period.

On a year-to-year basis, LGB experienced a 2% drop in the price of airfares from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011, while the average airfare price rose 10% nationally.

The study also looked at airfares over the long term, and concluded that the average airfare at LGB decreased 23.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to the same quarter in 2000, while the national average increased 8.3%.

The study was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 35A

PAGE 36A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Graduation (Continued from Page 1A)

started out as a civil engineering major, but decided that a future job sitting behind a desk was not exactly what she envisioned for herself.

“Getting my degree has been a long process,” said Michelle, who also works on campus at the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, on top of being a tutor for children. “When I transferred, I was a civil engineer major, but about a third of the way into the

program, I decided it wasn’t for me. So, I changed my major to history and kind of had to start all over again. But it’s come to an end.”

Her original plan was to work for a single-subject teaching credential, but with school districts drastically cutting back, Michelle decided to enter the special education credential program.

“I’ve worked with kids with special needs previously, and I decided to go in that direction,” she said. “I’ve met some really great kids, and it is just a really fulfilling feeling, and I am really excited about it. It’s a process,

and I’ve finally found what I really want to do.”

After Michelle’s father, John, lost his longtime position at Verizon in September 2010, he decided it was time to hit the books, rather than be discouraged.

He switched gears, and decided to major in criminal justice, after he spent some time studying at Cerritos College to become a paralegal.

“I intended to get my paralegal certificate as a backup plan, in case I were to lose my job at Verizon,” John said. “While I was studying this, I was called into jury duty where two judges on

the same day told me to look into criminal justice as a career.”

John previously earned his associate’s degree from West Los Angeles College in the mid1980s and transferred to CSULB as a radio/television production major, and officially transferred to CSULB from Cerritos College in 2007 for his second go-around.

While Michelle and John’s schedules on campus rarely matched up, the two would occasionally bump into each other, which was always a nice surprise, Michelle said. Despite their busy schedules, they always made time at the start of each semester to buy their books together.

“I thought it was cool being at the same college as my daughter,” John said. “You know, her mother and I went our separate ways, and this was one way of keep her moving in the right direction… I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

While the two didn’t spend a whole lot of time together on campus, Michelle was always there to help tutor her father in algebra.

“When I was going to Cerritos College and had to get the math requirements to transfer, she tutored me in algebra,” he added.

“Being able to talk through the problems with her, I got a better understanding of algebra.”

Michelle said that helping him receive high marks in his math classes was a great feeling.

“I’m really, really proud of him,” she added. You know, it’s hard to come back to school when you are older. He has done a great job, and I think this week is going to be a blast.”

CSULB is hosting nine graduation ceremonies that began Wednesday, then continue today (Thursday) and Friday to hand out more than 9,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Officials are estimating that nearly 60,000 friends and families will be in attendance during this week.

All ceremonies will be hosted in the campus’s Central Quadrangle. Free parking is available for commencement guests in Lots 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 18 at the north end of the campus as well as Parking Structures I, II or III. Courtesy shuttles will be available to transport guests to the Central Quad area.

For the specific ceremony times and dates for each college, visit the official commencement page at www.csulb.edu/projects/ commencement.

PAGE 38A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012

Congress (Continued from Page 1A)

years in the Assembly, Lowenthal won a seat in the state Senate in 2004, and was reelected in 2008.

Lowenthal is a retired professor from California State University, Long Beach.

In addition to being seasoned politicians, all three of the frontrunners say they differ from their parties by being interested in a bipartisan approach to government.

“Take the deficit, for example,” DeLong said. “I believe the solution should be 50-50 between cuts and revenue increases. That’s negotiable, of course, but that’s where I’d start. Now, raising revenue does not equate to raising

taxes. I think we need to increase the economy…

“We need a bipartisan agreement. And to do that, we need to not be afraid to be the first to compromise.”

Kuykendall offered a harder line on the economy, saying that the current administration is “crushing the entrepreneurial spirit” with regulations. He said he opposes the comprehensive health care program because it is too expensive, but he also said there was room for compromise on the ways to fix social security, Medicare and cutting military spending.

“This administration has done a tremendous amount of harm to the economy,” Kuykendall said.

GARY DELONG

“We have to realize that government is not always the answer…

You shouldn’t give up on an issue just because it’s partisan. You don’t remove yourself from the debate, and that’s what happens.

You don’t sign a bunch of pledges that are going to back you into a corner. I have a stack of pledges two inches thick on my desk, and I’m not signing one of them.”

Both DeLong and Kuykendall have attacked Lowenthal as being part of a nonfunctional state government paralyzed by partisanship. But Lowenthal argues he has overcome that partisanship on a number of issues, and managed to get things done.

“I get beaten up here (in Sacramento) for trying to do bipartisan things,” Lowenthal said. “I helped set up the bipartisan caucus. I drafted the legislation that ultimately was used as the model for the initiative for the nonpartisan redistricting commission.

“I stand up for policy, not party.

I’ve gotten Republicans to support a number of my bills, and I’m doing it right now with high speed rail. I’m all about getting things done.”

Lowenthal has championed environmental causes and educational issues during his career at the state level, and unabashedly accepts the liberal label. He notes that his efforts have created

STEVE KUYKENDALL

jobs — he played a major role in putting funding together for the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project — but also says that the best way to deal with both the federal deficit and the economy is to return to Clinton-era economic policies.

Kuykendall and DeLong both claim to be moderates socially — both are pro choice — and conservatives fiscally. Both also claim to be closer to the center than Lowenthal.

Still, party affiliation is important in the election. While 59% of the 47th District is in Los Angeles County (most of Long Beach, as well as Signal Hill), 41% is in the more Republican-leaning Orange County.

“Although it’s still a Democratic district — 42% to 30-some percent — Orange County is a factor,” Lowenthal said. “It meets the criteria for a competitive district we set for the redistricting commission, and I think that’s a good thing… The thing about this open primary is that traditionally, Democrats have a lower turnout rate in the primary. And little has been said, there has been little education, that those decline to specify (independents) can vote in the primary. That’s sort of disfranchising them.”

Under the state’s new open primary system, the top two votegetters move on to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. If Democrats stay away

ALAN LOWENTHAL

in droves, it is conceivable the two Republicans could face each other, much as in the 44th Congressional District, where Democratic Congresswomen Laura Richardson and Janice Hahn are the two dominant candidates likely to move on.

DeLong and Kuykendall also are jostling for the independent voters — and DeLong said he may be attractive to many Democrats, as well.

“I’ve had endorsements from both sides of the aisle, particularly on the city front,” DeLong said. “Democrats have held fundraisers for me. It’s clear that as of today I have more community support than any of my opponents… Conservative Democrats look at the political spectrum and realize they are closer to me than they are to Alan.”

Kuykendall, who lags behind both Lowenthal and DeLong in fundraising, said the open primary benefits him.

“I’ve run six campaigns and won all but one, all in districts very similar to this one,” he said.

“In both the Congressional seat and the Assembly seat, I was the only Republican to hold those seats. I’m able to garner votes across the spectrum, because now is the time for hard decisions, and I’m experienced in making hard decisions.”

Voters will make the decision on the first person out of the race on Tuesday, June 5.

May 24, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 39A

Muni Band (Continued from Page 1A)

have put the onus of continuing the band onto the public. This year, it will take about $323,293 to have a five-week summer season.

So far, the Tidelands Fund has given $65,000, the Gas and Oil Department has given $50,000 and the Environmental Services Bureau has given $50,000. The Port of Long Beach has committed to match $50,000 worth of public donations. Assuming that all those things happen, the public would need to come up with about $108,293 to save the season.

Each concert costs about $16,000, so a shortened season — even by two concerts — could help slim down that $108,000 needed for 20. The Tuesday and Wednesday of Fourth of July week likely would be the two concerts taken off the schedule.

Right now, according to the department’s website, the concerts are scheduled to begin July 5 at Marine Stadium, with the final concert being Aug. 3 at El Dorado Park. During the five weeks, there would be performances at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday through Friday — Marine Stadium, Los Cerritos Parks and El Dorado Park West are listed as locations.

“I don’t anticipate any sort of problem meeting that schedule this year, that should be in our grasp,” said Larry Curtis, con-

ductor of the Long Beach Municipal Band.

Moving forward, Curtis said he is hopeful that the public begins to understand the reality of the municipal band performances — and the need for their help.

“This is the first time we have been able to really have the audience understand that they are in control of what we do — it will be their money that we are using more and more,” he said.

Curtis noted that the schedule used to be 10 weeks, and has since decreased. There are 40 members in the band — all contract employees paid through the city. When the time is right during each concert, some will walk off the stage and allow for an 18-piece jazz ensemble — a measure that saves money and mixes things up, Curtis said. Financial constraints also have limited the places the band plays — keeping it in the parks with big crowds.

“I think this band has been more than just slightly instrumental in making Long Beach have a community feel to it,” Curtis said. “Every city around us has parks, but what do they do with them? In order to make it feel like a community, those people need to get together. With 10,000 people coming to these concerts, they’re talking to each other and having a wonderful time — they wouldn’t all necessarily be in those parks if there weren’t the concerts. Without that, the parks are just lawns to mow.”

MAISENBACH, William D., 1927-2012

Sea Festival (Continued from Page 1A)

Beach to kick things off, Lopez said, but most of the major events will wait for July and August.

In addition to the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department oversight, many of the major events will be coordinated through the Special Events Bureau, which is in the city manager’s office. Bureau Manager David Ashman and his crew are responsible for issuing event permits, overseeing compliance and collecting the city’s share of the money.

George Chapjian, PR&M director, said his department will be challenged with the departure of the nonprofit association, but that he expects a good summer.

“The Sea Festival Association did a great job of providing the marketing, administrative support and facilitation of the Sea Festival events, which allowed city staff to concentrate on the logistics and operations of the various events,” Chapjian said.

“With that said, our team has tru-

LINDSAY, Jimmy David, 1952-2012

William D. Maisenbach, 84, of Buena Park, passed away May 6. He was born in Iowa and was an aerospace engineer. He is survived by his wife, Barbara. Interment is at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Jimmy David Lindsay, 59, of Fullerton, passed away May 8. He was born in Kansas and worked as a floral designer. He is survived by his friend, Joseph Catini.

Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

MAZZELLA, Salvatore, 1924-2012

Bonnie Lee Bryant, 57, of Long Beach, passed away April 24. She was born in Long Beach and worked as a hospital gift shop clerk. She is survived by her son, Christopher. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Salvatore Mazzella, 87, of Long Beach, passed away May 5. He was born in Italy and worked as data center facility manager. He is survived by his son, Ronald. Interment is at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

KYLE, John Campbell III, 1943-2012

John Campbell Kyle III, 68, of Long Beach, passed away May 7. He was born in Long Beach and worked as a janitor in the Veterans Administration Hospital. He is survived by his sister, Charlene Benzine. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

MORENO, Martin, 1964-2012

Martin Moreno, 47, of Fountain Valley, passed away May 2. He was born in Reedley and worked as a human resource director. He is survived by his wife, Anna Hecht. There was a service at Bethany Lutheran Church in Long Beach. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

RADTKE, Jared Adam, 1987-2012

Jared Adam Radtke, 24, of Troy Mich., passed away May 1. He was born in Michigan and worked as a filmmaker. He is survived by his mother, Cheryl.

Interment is at Cadillac Memorial Gardens East in Township, Mich. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

BRYANT, Bonnie Lee, 1954-2012

MILLER, Brenda, 1949-2012

Brenda Miller, 63, of Long Beach, passed away May 8. She was born in Compton and worked as a paralegal. She is survived by her husband, LeRoy. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

CORMAN, Delores, 1931-2012

Delores Corman, 80, of Long Beach, passed away May 13. She was born in Long Beach and is survived by her son, Charles. Interment is at Angeles Abbey Memorial Park in Compton. The family was assisted

by McKenzie Mortuary.

PEARLMAN, Bernice, 1933-2012

ly stepped up to the plate and we are confident that with the knowledge imparted to us by the Sea Festival Association, all of the hard work the Sea Fest organization put in to branding the Sea Fest name will continue to thrive and grow under the leadership of city staff.”

The first truly big event on the calendar is the Catalina Island Ski Race on July 21. Long known as one of the premiere open-ocean water ski events in the world, more than 70 teams are expected to make the 52-mile round trip, some taking less than an hour to complete the race.

The popular Dragon Boat Festival takes over Marine Stadium the next weekend, with more than 60 teams vying for titles in the dragon-headed giant canoes. The event, hosted by the International Cultural Exchange Association, will have plenty of on-shore entertainment as well as the on-thewater competition.

Downtown, crawfish are on the menu that same weekend, with the Cajun-flavored festival taking over Rainbow Lagoon.

SKELTON, Herbie, 1964-2012

Herbie Skelton, 47, of Sylmar, passed away April 24. He was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is survived by his sister, Vernell Stevens. Interment is at Cruz Bay Cemetery, St. John, Virgin Islands. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Today’s Obituaries

LONG, Charley Jr., 1973-2012

Andrews, Clara K. Bryant, Bonnie L. Corman, Delores Hawkins, Gary Huot, Ruby Kyle, John C. III Lindsay, Jimmy D. Long, Charley Jr. Lung, Lily Maisenbach, William D.

THERMOS, Irene, 1921-2012

To submit material, call: Kurt Eichsteadt at 562-209-2094, e-mail to obits@gazettes.com, go online to

Charley Long Jr., 38, of Whittier, passed away May 11. He was born in New Mexico and worked as a mechanic. Interment is on Long Family Land in Coolidge, New Mexico. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Irene Thermos, 90, of San Pedro, passed away May 8. She was born in Portland, Ore., and worked as beautician. She is survived by her friend, Michelle.

Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

NEIGHBORS, Howard, 1922-2012

Howard Neighbors, 89, of Long Beach, passed away May 3. He was born in Michigan and worked as a warehouse factory worker. He is survived by his friend, Danita Singleton. Interment is at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Bernice Pearlman, 78, of La Habra, passed away May 11. She was born in New Jersey and is survived by her husband, Samuel. Interment is at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin, N.J. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

There will be a celebration of life for Faye L. Willard, owner of the Café Bistro from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the Bull Bar, 3316 E. Seventh St.

HAWKINS, Gary, 1955-2012

WILLIAMS, Michael Joseph, 1955-2012

Gary Hawkins, 57, of Bellflower, passed away May 11. He was born in Mexia, Tex, and worked as pipefitter in a shipyard. He is survived by his sister, Michelle Cole. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

On the first weekend in August, Marine Stadium gives up the rowboats in favor of speedboats for the Lucas Oil Long Beach Sprint Nationals. A range of national championships will be on the line when several classes of speedboats face off in circle races at the stadium.

Polynesia is the destination for the Tiki Beach Festival on Aug. 18 and 19, and the Lobster Festival returns to Alamitos Beach and Marina Green on Sept. 7 and 8. In between, there will be plenty of other family-oriented events on and around the beach (see story, Page 17A).

“It basically is going to be me and one other staff member making sure everything goes off the way it should,” Lopez said.

“When all is said and done, we should have 55 or 60 events. We expect that there will be some bumps in the road this first year, but we’re ready to handle them.”

For more information and a full calendar of events, go to www.lbseafest.com or keep checking the Gazette and www.gazettes.com through the summer.

WILLARD, Faye L., 1921-2012

Michael Joseph Williams, 57, of Long Beach, passed away March 10. He was born in Hyannis, Mass., and worked in commercial construction. He is survived by his wife, Patricia. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

Mazzella, Salvatore Miller, Brenda Moreno, Martin Neighbors, Howard Pearlman, Bernice Radtke, Jared Adam Skelton, Herbie Thermos, Irene Willard, Faye L. Williams, Michael J.

www.gazettes.com or fax to 562-434-8826

HUOT, Ruby, 1924-2012

Ruby Huot, 88,of Long Beach, passed away May 6.

She was born in Georgia and worked as a caregiver.

She is survived by her son, Paul. Interment is at Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

ANDREWS, Clara Kimball, 1914-2012

Clara Kimball Andrews, 97, of Long Beach, passed away May 15. She was born in Hattiesburg, Miss., and is survived by her daughter, Gayle Clock.

Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

LUNG, Lily, 1921-2012

Lily Lung, 90, of Seal Beach, passed away May 5.

She was born in Fresno and worked as a restaurant hostess. She is survived by her nephew Dennis Westervelt. Interment is at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

PAGE 40A | GRUNION GAZETTE | May 24, 2012