Bike Lanes Upset Local Residents p. 2 Project Fatherhood: Dad’s Role Redefined p. 2 Pine Leaf Boys Headlines the LB Bayou Festival p.11 q
Chef Dustin Trani Rocks Wine Dinner p. 12
Government Entities, Environmentalists Sue to Block SCIG Litigants Challenge Dubious Approval Process—Echoing China Shipping Lawsuit By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Cuban photographer José A. Figueroa. Photo by Ray Carofano. Above, Figueroa’s “Olga, Havana, 1967,” from the Exile series.
Figueroa on Figueroa/ to p. 16
Cities Sue/ to p. 5
June 14 - 27, 2013
Figueroa Street has drawn world renowned Cuban photographer, José A. Figueroa to Los Angeles. Curious about the street which shares his name, the artist set out to explore the 30 miles of Los Angeles beginning in San Pedro and ending in Eagle Rock. Cuban photo documentarian José A. Figueroa is known for his work presenting everyday life in postrevolutionary Cuba. His work demonstrates the “transitional generation” of Cubans whose customs and styles paralleled western styles and customs. In his 50-year career he has captured every stage of the country’s development. In the 60s and 70s he worked as a photojournalist for Cuba International Magazine, Cuba’s version of Life magazine. As opposed to his mentor Alberto Korda, who shot the famous “Che” photo known around the world, Figueroa spent much of his career photographing the private lives of Cubans. The result is a fascinating documentation of street life in Cuba. His photography is in collections and museums around the world.
The Local Publication You Actually Read
By Andrea Serna, Arts and Culture Columnist
For the first time in its history, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has gone to court to block a proposed development project—the Southern California International Gateway [SCIG], an off-dock railyard for BNSF railway, which the Los Angeles City Council approved on May 8. The AQMD is well-known for its principled, but non-confrontational, collegial approach—a practical necessity, given that its responsibilities to meet federal clean air standards far exceed the legal powers it has to fulfill its duties. It has never before even testified against a proposed project at a final approval hearing, as it did on May 8. But the Port of Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles’ intransigence, seem to have left the AQMD without any other options. Hence the lawsuit. The Natural Resource Defense Counsel also filed suit to force the port to redo the project’s final environmental impact report. The NRDC is also representing the Coalition for Clean Air and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice. The City of Long Beach and Long Beach Unified School District have filed suit as well. “Our school district’s primary goal is to provide a safe learning environment,” said LBUSD Superintendent Christopher J. Steinhauser in a story posted to the district’s website. “We cannot support a project that would pose any health risk to our students and staff.” “The EIR masks the true impacts of the project on students, schools and staff,” the story went on to say. “California has developed special standards for evaluating emissions impacts on students, but the Port refused to apply those standards.” The district went on to point out that its
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