The regenerative power of seaweed p. 2 The real crime is what’s perfectly legal p. 10 Following Mike Sager: The path of the unusual storyteller p. 11
What’s old is cool again
p. 13
‘I Felt Hate More Than Anything’
How an active duty airman tried to start a civil war This story is part of a collaboration between ProPublica, Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program and FRONTLINE that includes the documentary American Insurrection, which aired on PBS.
Tracking Paul Flores —
Like a Good Neighbor, San Pedro Minds Its Own Business Crime and Justice Edition
Primary suspect in the Kristin Smart disappearance 25 years ago, Paul Ruben Flores, during arrest on April 13. File photo
COVID-19 Deaths in the US as of May 11, 2021: 596,265 • Calif.: 62,322 • LA County: 24,026 Total Vaccinations in Calif.: 32,669,323 (46% fully vaccinated) For the latest stats: randomlengthsnews.com
May 13 - 26, 2021
[See Paul Flores, p. 6]
We usually consider the term Crime and Punishment like the novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. However, in light of the recent conviction and federal charges in the murder case of George Floyd and the insurrection of Jan. 6 the question has emerged as to “What exactly is justice in America?” You will find in the stories here examples of some of these crimes but the idea of justice remains elusive. We’re calling this week’s publication the “Crime and Justice” edition to shine a light on various kinds of crime happening in and around our community, our city, our state and our world. But the focus is on justice and how justice is attained. With so many people connected by social media, policy disagreements are marked by buzzwords and outrage. They are driven by a partisan or self-interested agenda, rather than the facts. —The Editors
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor From the famous to the infamous, San Pedro has always been a place people come to blend in and disappear — writers, artists, gangsters, fraudsters, accused war criminals and apparently, accused murderers. Paul Flores didn’t exactly have the luxury of anonymity when he escaped to San Pedro trying to flee the cloud of suspicion over the disappearance of Kristin Smart 25 years ago. Flores arrived to find the telephone poles hung with wanted posters that featured side-by-side photos of him and Smart and a $75,000 reward for information about Smart’s disappearance or Flores’ involvement. Jason Herring saw the posters and recognized Flores as a nearby
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
It was 2:20 p.m. on June 6, 2020, and Steven Carrillo, a 32-year-old Air Force sergeant who belonged to the anti-government Boogaloo Bois movement, was on the run in the tiny mountain town of Ben Lomond, Calif. With deputy sheriffs closing in, Carrillo texted his brother, Evan, asking him to tell his children he loved them and instructing him to give $50,000 to his fiancée. “I love you bro,” Carrillo signed off. Thinking the text message was a suicide note from a brother with a history of mental health troubles, Evan Carrillo quickly texted back: “Think about the ones you love.” In fact, Steven Carrillo had a different objective, a goal he had written about on Facebook, discussed with other Boogaloo Bois and even scrawled out in his own blood as he hid from police that day. He wanted to incite a second Civil War in the United States by killing police officers he viewed as enforcers of a corrupt and tyrannical political order — officers he described as “domestic enemies” of the Constitution he professed to revere. [See Hate More, p. 15]
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Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
The Regenerative Power of Seaweed
Experts discuss aquaculture in four-part AltaSea Series By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
The tending of underwater plants for human uses does not need to be destructive — in fact, it can be just the opposite. On May 6, a panel of environmental experts discussed regenerative aquaculture in the first of a series of four webinar discussions on the topic by AltaSea at the Port of Long Beach. Regeneration improves ecosystems, typically done by using seaweeds. These seaweeds are grown as part of an aquaculture system but support the whole system. “When you have lots of parts in the system that are being fed by what you’re doing, then the whole thing becomes more resilient to climate change, to any kind of small or large disaster” said Dr. Janet E. Kübler, who works in the biology department at California State University Northridge.
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Dr. Janet Kübler is a marine biologist with decades of experience working with seaweeds who was one of AltaSea’s speakers. File photo
Dr. Charles Yarish, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, holds seaweed next to a power plant plant in Bridgeport, Conn. Photo courtesy of UConn Today
Just as the land has agriculture, the ocean has the seaweed industry. More than 99% of the industry is dominated by Asian countries, said Dr. Charles Yarish, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut. However, seaweed’s many uses have caught the attention of western countries within the past decade. These include food, feed, fertilizers, medicine, cosmetics, textile, paper, leather and biofuels. While other species are struggling because of climate change, seaweed is doing fine, Kübler said. “I have spent decades studying how seaweeds respond to climate change, how they’re affected by climate change,” Kübler said. “The answer is: not that much. Except seaweeds generally thrive in a wide range of conditions and they can adjust their physiology to changes in their environment around them. Many seaweed species are actually pretty good at compensating for things that people do in coastal waters.”
For example, if people put nutrients into coastal waters, the seaweeds will use them to grow. When carbon dioxide is put into the water, the seaweeds benefit from it. “In most parts of the world right now, seaweed abundance is increasing,” Kübler said. “Seaweeds are doing better under these conditions.” There are exceptions, such as in places where the upper thermal limit has forced seaweeds out. And in some parts of California, diseases from other species have prevented kelp from returning to their natural habitat. But in general, seaweeds provide a solution to a current ecological problem — providing more food in a less ecologically demanding way. Yarish said that seaweed is very nutritious, and some are high in vitamin C, while others have more protein than steak on a weight basis. “In the next year or two years, you’re going to see more of the plant-based products that are [See Seaweed, p. 4]
St. Mary Medical Center Names Relaxation Room After 40-year ICU Nurse Who Survived COVID-19
Merlin Pambuan, RN, sits in a new massage chair in St. Mary Medical Center’s Relaxation Room with her nursing colleagues Lauren Peisner, RN, left, and Lani Garcia, RN. Photo courtesy St. Mary Medical Center
Merlin Pambuan has been an ICU nurse at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center for 40 years, treating and caring for some of the sickest and most challenging patients. In April 2020, Merlin tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently hospitalized at SMMC, where her condition deteriorated rapidly. Over the span of six months, with the support of her husband, Daniel, and daughter, Shantell, Merlin fought for her life and overcame what seemed like an impossible journey back to health. On May 6, The SMMC Leadership Team honored Merlin by naming the hospital’s new Relaxation Room after her, serving as a reminder of the resilience, courage and unwavering faith that she displayed along the way. Thanks to a generous donation from The Boeing Company and Kahuna Chair, the Relaxation Room will be furnished with new massage chairs and other comforting amenities.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective May 13 - 26, 2021
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[Seaweed, from p. 2]
Regenerative Seaweed
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
coming to market that are going to include seaweed,” Yarish said. Seaweed can also help reduce carbon dioxide, as they incorporate it into their biomass. Yarish has grown seaweed in the East River in New York City, including kelp. Along the river’s path to the Atlantic Ocean, there was a nitrogen gradient that caused major problems, because there were too many nutrients. In addition, ocean acidification was also a problem, and fish and shellfish were dying. “We developed a solution: grow seaweeds, grow shellfish, grow them together, and you are using organisms that are extracting nutrients from the water,” Yarish said. “We call this nutrient bio-extraction.” The experiment was held for a full year. The seaweeds saw tremendous growth, and the nutrients were reduced, removing both nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Not only that, the nitrogen and carbon can be recycled, and used on land. “This was such a simple system, it caught the attention of the U.S. EPA,” Yarish said. “They gave us a shoutout about sea farming … saying this may be a valuable tool for coastal managers.” In addition to absorbing excess nutrients, seaweeds make compounds that they put back into the ecosystem, Kübler said. These compounds feed microscopic animals in the water, contributing to the food web. “They give back to the ecosystem, and that’s regeneration,” Kübler said. Finian Makepeace, co-founder of environmental group Kiss the Ground, argued that humanity needs to move out of the mindset of conserving what is left of the environment, and instead move into the mindset of regeneration. “At the very core of it is a fundamental
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question of how we’re viewing what humans are going to contribute to in the coming years,” Makepeace said. “Are we moving from a force that is degenerating our land, and our oceans, or are we going to be a force that’s regenerating it?” Makepeace said that when people simply blame environmental problems on climate change without diving deeper into them, they miss out on what humans can do as a contribution for good. Every year, 32 million acres of land undergoes desertification, meaning it becomes so destroyed it can no longer be farmed. Makepeace said there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but that carbon is the solution to building back a functioning soil ecosystem. He argued that similar solutions can be used for aquaculture — such as planting seaweeds to bring back keystone organisms that may have left certain areas. “Humans have the wherewithal to think about what we are doing to practically help this
ecosystem come back to its highest functioning state,” Makepeace said. The reason why the regenerative aquaculture industry has not had more success is because there is still a lot of caution on doing it correctly. “This kind of conversation that we’re having about what is good for the ecosystem or not good for the ecosystem is being considered at many levels of government,” Kübler said. Much of the worry comes from the way fish farming used to be done, even though such methods are rarely used today. Fish were overfed, kept in shallow water, and spread diseases to other fish. “In current practices, we’ve learned a lot of the ills of the wild west mentality of aquaculture, where you really degraded the environment,” Yarish said. While coastal regulators were not as careful in the past, they have changed their standards. “The most successful operations in fish aquaculture are the ones that are the cleanest,” Yarish said.
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Bystander Intervention Trainings
In response to the rise in Anti-Asian American and Pacfic Islander, or AAPI, and xenophobic harassment, Hollaback! has partnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice to host a series of free bystander intervention trainings, in addition to conflict de-escalation training throughout the month of May. Details: https://www.ihollaback.org/ bystanderintervention
No-Cost Help to LA County Residents Facing COVID-19 Financial Hardships
The County of Los Angeles Financial Navigators program is providing LA residents with free assistance to help them deal with the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trained Financial Navigators provide assistance by telephone to help LA County residents with many common financial issues, including: maximizing income; managing debt; locating food and housing resources; and finding special services or resources. The county was one of 31 city and county governments selected by the CFE Fund, a national nonprofit organization, to receive funding, training, and technical assistance to launch the new service which will help the residents of LA County at no cost. LA County residents can access the LA County Financial Navigators program by completing a short online request form at dcba.lacounty. gov/financial-navigators. The call center is also available to provide assistance in completing the form at 800-593-8222. The Financial Navigators program is available to anyone living in Los Angeles County. It can provide services in languages other than English. Financial Navigators are not long-term counselors and cannot provide direct financial assistance such as cash or loans. Details: dcba.lacounty.gov or follow the Center for Financial Empowerment on Twitter: @LACountyCFE.
CalFresh Awareness Month to Fight Food Insecurity
The Department of Public Social Services or DPSS has launched its annual CalFresh Awareness Month campaign to publicize the CalFresh Nutrition Program and acknowledge community partners throughout the month of May for helping to raise public awareness yearround. Join DPSS Director Antonia Jiménez in the CalFresh Virtual Town Hall to promote the benefits of CalFresh and answer community questions. The event will be live streamed via DPSS’ Facebook account at @LACoDPSS. Time: 9 a.m. May 11 Details: www.facebook.com/LACoDPSS/webinar
Long Beach Gives to Child Migrants
The City of Long Beach has just wrapped up its successful toy and book drive in support of the children being temporarily housed at the city’s humanitarian shelter. The community came together donating an amazing 30,000 toys and books for the children. The city announced May 11, a new community campaign to bring letters of encouragement to the children as they await reunification or placement with a sponsor. Now through May 22, the community can drop off encouraging letters for the children at various locations throughout the city. U.S. Health and Human Services staff will provide these letters directly to the children and also display them in the shelter so the children can read positive messages from the community throughout their stay. For the letter-writing campaign, the letters should be one-sided 8.5 x 11 inches in size, in English or Spanish and contain appropriate pictures and drawings if able. If placed in an envelope leave unsealed. Letters can be dropped off at the following locations: The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) will accept letters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, at the following LBPL To-Go [See Announcements, p. 3]
Life After Mother
Making Painful Decisions Easier By Lyn Jensen, Columnist “People your parents’ age, they seem to think the longer they put off making endof-life decisions, the longer they’re going to live,” a lawyer once told me. My mother, a great procrastinator, put off making end-of-life decisions until she was no longer capable of doing so — meaning the decisions were made for her. I can’t say I blame her; such decisions may require painful questions and painful answers. Putting off painful decisions is simple until it’s not. The time to address what may happen — to you and your family and property — is before you’re facing a life-threatening experience, from COVID-19, dementia, cancer, or anything else. Complicating the process are an array of legal and medical documents with confusing names. Some fulfill similar purposes but with slight variations. Decisions must navigate “Power of Attorney for Health Care” or “General Durable Power of Attorney” or “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care” or “Power of Attorney (Disability).” Add “Do Not Resuscitate” or “Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment” or “Living Will” or “Instructions for Health Care.” It’s understandable why someone may be reluctant to address so many very personal issues. A “Power of Attorney” (POA) by whatever title legally authorizes another person to manage your financial affairs (including your property) or your healthcare should you become unable to do so. A POA for healthcare provides for another
The writer with her family. Courtesy of Lyn Jensen
to make decisions regarding your healthcare and only your healthcare, for situations that may range from dementia to being on a ventilator. A different POA designates another to make decisions regarding only your finances and property. Both carry force of law and are for your protection. In California an Advance Healthcare
Directive (aka Advance Health Care Directive) combines two important legal documents involving end-oflife decisions. The first part contains a power of attorney for healthcare. The second part, “Instructions for Health Care” (title may vary slightly) is where you state your wishes for end-of-life care. It’s similar to a “Living Will.” My father only signed a financial POA when facing the final weeks of his life. Had he done so earlier I may have been able to stop some women from plundering his accounts and property. By the time I was legally authorized to take action it was too late. I don’t even want to contemplate what might have happened had I not persuaded my mother to sign a healthcare POA, how much additional misery would have haunted her final weeks. She never did sign a financial POA. That made managing her finances a bigger headache, both before and after her death — and more than a year later I’m still hacking through the tangled thicket her financial affairs made.
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area [Announcements, from p. 4] locations: Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway Bay Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Ave. Bret Harte, 1595 W. Willow St. Los Altos, 5614 Britton Dr. Mark Twain, 1401 E. Anaheim St. Michelle Obama, 5870 Atlantic Ave. Letters can also be dropped at the following area hotels from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily: Golden Sails Hotel, 6285 Pacific Coast Hwy. Hilton Long Beach, 701 W. Ocean Blvd. Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport, 2640 N. Lakewood Blvd. Long Beach Airport Marriott, 4700 Airport Plaza Dr. Westin Long Beach, 333 E. Ocean Blvd.
Mental Health Supportive Services
The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is launching the Mental Health Matters campaign, during Mental Health Awareness Month this May, to raise awareness and bring supportive services to lessen the stigma associated with reaching out for help. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health estimates that 1 in 5 adults have developed a mental health condition since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. COVID-19 has exacerbated conditions for people already living with a mental health diagnosis and for those who may not have had a diagnosis. Now more than ever, awareness about mental health and treatment options along with access is needed. Details: www.longbeach.gov/health/individual/ mental-health
Real People, Real News, Really Effective May 13 - 26, 2021
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[Paul Flores, from p. 1]
Plan to Improve LA County Justice
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on May 4 unanimously approved Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s motion to create a plan for strengthening investments in the county’s justice system. The motion will ensure that the public defender’s office has the budgeted resources and staffing capacity to sustainably address its case backlog as a result of COVID-19 and provide legal representation for low-income residents, who rely heavily on indigent defense services. In January 2021, the Board of Supervisors voted to receive a data assessment from the county’s public defender on proposed reforms to support the county’s commitment to alternatives to incarceration and address the challenges with meeting client caseloads due to the pandemic. This is the first of a series of justice reform policies Supervisor Mitchell will be putting forward leading up to a Juneteenth freedom and justice day of action. The motion instructs the CEO to work with the public defender and director of personnel to develop a plan for meeting the critical needs of the public defender’s 2021-2022 fiscal year budget requests which includes the constitutional mandate to provide indigent defendants with quality legal representation in criminal cases. Details: http://file.lacounty.gov/empoweringindigent-defense-services
Tracking Paul Flores neighbor. Concerned, he kept his distance. “I mean the guy is two doors down,” Herring said, “so [the flyer] really doesn’t want you to welcome someone to the neighborhood, right? Who knows what’s going on in his head.” Prompted by that uncertainty, Herring responded to the email address on the poster. In reply, he was told to stay aware and keep a lookout for anything unusual. Herring never got to know Flores, deciding he’d rather mind his own business than play detective in a potential murder investigation. Being friendly with Flores struck him as problematic. “Maybe he is a nice guy, you could become biased, so I just maintained a disconnected [dis-
pearance and campus police noted he was sporting a black eye and cuts on his knee. Flores reportedly told investigators he received the injuries while playing basketball but admitted he lied when confronted with his friends’ recollections that he had those injuries when he arrived to play. About a month after Smart’s disappearance, detectives searched Flores’ dorm room with two cadaver dogs. Two dogs led police to a corner of Flores’s mattress indicating a dead body had been there. Authorities said at the time they didn’t know if Smart died there or if she was placed there for an undetermined period of time. This was enough to get a warrant to search
Californians to Receive Largest State Tax Rebate in History
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom May 10, previewed his $100 billion California Comeback Plan — the biggest economic recovery package in California’s history — starting with nearly $12 billion in direct cash payments to Californians hit hardest by the pandemic. Chief among the new proposals is a major expansion of the Golden State Stimulus, providing additional direct payments to middle-class families that make up to $75,000; two-thirds of Californians will benefit from $600 direct payments. Qualified families with dependents, including undocumented families, will also now be eligible for an additional $500. Under Gov. Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, the state would also offer the largest renter assistance package of any state in America, with billions of dollars to help low-income Californians pay back 100% of their back-rent, their rent for the months to come and overdue water and utility bills. Details: www.cert1.mail-west.com/economicrecovery-package
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San Pedro Man Sentenced to 11 Years
A San Pedro man was sentenced May 5, to 132 months in federal prison for being the gunman in a violent, takeover-style robbery of a Gardena credit union, where an employee helped with the planning and execution of the heist. Toyrieon Sessions, 30, a.k.a. “Phat” and “PhatStax,” was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. During a four-day trial in June 2019, a jury found Sessions guilty of three felonies in relation to the robbery of the Northrop Grumman Federal Credit Union or NGFCU on April 21, 2017: conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The robbery also involved two conspirators who previously have been convicted for their roles in the robbery: Daronnie Thompkins, 32, of the Gramercy Park neighborhood, who recruited Sessions to be the gunman and knew the credit union’s layout; and Iris Lester, 28, of Inglewood, a NGFCU employee who was Thompkins’ girlfriend and who assisted with the robbery.
Mugshots of Paul Flores, 44, and his father Ruben Flores, 80, following their arrest on April 13. File photo
tance],” Herring said. Nonetheless, Herring and Flores occasionally crossed paths. “He’d say hello. He was always pleasant,” said Herring. “He was never a crazy, never a bad kind of seeming person. Just kind of quiet. He would walk his dogs in the trails behind the houses here. That’s it.” When Cal Poly University student Kristin Smart disappeared in 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff considered Paul Ruben Flores merely “an avenue of investigation.” In a story about the case, the Five Cities Times Press Recorder published what looked like a high school yearbook photo of Flores during his senior year of high school — a fresh faced, bright-eyed teen with a bright future ahead of him. This was a complete contrast to the drunken, misogynistic creature with a reputation of preying on women he was portrayed as by those who encountered him in the years that followed. A team of sheriff’s investigators searched Flores’ rural Arroyo Grande home. Flores initially cooperated with campus police during the early stages of the investigation. He was also questioned by investigators at the county’s district attorney’s office. During the second interview, Flores walked out before investigators from the district attorney’s office finished questioning him. People who attended Arroyo Grande High with Flores remembered him as a friendly student, and one girl who said she knew him only casually mentioned that he always greeted her by name. Those same students doubted Flores had anything to do with Smart’s disappearance. One girl noted the physical differences between them — that Smart was 6 feet-1 inch tall and weighed 145 pounds while Flores was 5 feet-10 inches with a slight build. But Flores was apparently witnessed showering at 5 a.m. on the morning of Smart’s disap-
Flores’ Arroyo Grande home. Investigators were looking for evidence that would allow them to arrest Flores, perhaps Kristin’s dorm key or bloodstained clothing. Instead, the items they recovered included a police baton, three copies of the San Luis Obispo Telegram Tribune containing articles about Kristin’s disappearance and a receipt for Flores’ dormitory room. In October 1996, Flores was called before a grand jury to answer questions regarding Kristin Smart. He remained as tight-lipped as he’d been since walking out on an interview with sheriff’s department investigators. When the Smart family filed a $40 million wrongful death suit in November 1997, Flores invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. The suit was not allowed to move forward until Smart was declared legally dead in 2001. But without a body or enough evidence to directly connect Flores to Smart’s disappearance and presumed murder, investigators ultimately turned to psychics. The psychics didn’t seem to agree on the location of Smart’s body at the time, but they all agreed that Smart was sexually assaulted by a young man on the night of her disappearance and was killed. Although he had not been charged with a crime, Flores has been living the life of a fugitive, unceasingly trailed by news clippings of Kristin Smart’s disappearance from the Smart family’s supporters. He tried to join the Navy. It said, “No, thanks.” He moved to Irvine and found work at a video store, a restaurant and a fast food joint. He was let go every time when the dark cloud of Smart’s disappearance emerged around him. In 2006, Paul Flores’ mother, Susan, filed a lawsuit against the Smart family, but that only created an opportunity for the authorities to get a warrant to dig up the backyard of her Arroyo Grande home. If the Smart family and their sup-
porters weren’t able to find peace, they made sure Flores didn’t have peace, either. An international online community numbering in the tens of thousands has continued hashing and rehashing the details of the Kristin Smart case and keeping tabs on Flores, from his collection of DUI convictions to his latest living quarters in Southern California. One of them, an amateur sleuth with a podcast called In Our Backyard, recently breathed new life into the case by retracing events and interviewing retired reporters, detectives and witnesses, which eventually led to new search warrants. Finally, on April 21, almost 25 years after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was charged with her murder and his father, Ruben Flores, was charged as an accessory. Paul was denied bail and had to await trial in a San Luis Obispo jail while his father was released on reduced bail from $250,000 to $50,000. Kristin Smart’s parents sued the elder Flores accusing him of intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that he moved Smart’s body from beneath his deck last year to try to cover up her 1996 killing. James Murphy, attorney for Stan and Denise Smart, filed the lawsuit within hours of Ruben Flores’ release from San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s custody. Perhaps, in a twist of fate, Flores charges and potential conviction could lie in three sexual assault cases involving him in which charge were never brought. Last month the Los Angeles Times detailed a case 14 years ago in which police in Redondo Beach were called to a hospital where a woman had come after waking up in a stranger’s bed, naked and with no memory of what had happened. She believed she had been raped. “An examination confirmed she’d had sex with a man. Police uploaded his DNA profile to a law enforcement database and, a few years later, it matched to a name: Paul Ruben Flores,” the report stated. The story went on to document Flores’ struggles with alcohol and awkward if not aggressive interactions with women. Flores is being taken down by a narrative formed 25 years ago about how and why Kristin Smart was killed.
San Pedro Reaction
When Flores’ house was raided last year, Herring said it seemed as if everyone in the neighborhood read up on it more and was expecting the other shoe to drop. “We just assumed they finally have gotten enough evidence to press charges because of last time,” Herring said, likely referring to the Feb. 5, 2020 search that was executed on his San Pedro home. Detectives had also served search warrants on the homes of Flores’ father, mother and sister. They returned to Flores’ home two months later with another warrant. During that search, they found physical evidence “related to the murder of Kristin Smart,” the sheriff said, without elaborating. “They raided the house, inspected his house, his cars and they held him overnight, then he was back,” said Herring “So all of us in the neighborhood were kind of like, ‘Well, okay. They don’t have enough yet, but when they do, they’ll probably come get him.’ Sure enough, when [they came the next time], we were like, ‘Oh I guess they got it.” When the authorities came back to arrest Flores, there was no shock, said Herring “You knew the guy was accused, but without further evidence you know the person’s innocent until proven guilty. You know it was a long time ago. Who knows what really happened?” he said. [See Flores, p. 6]
[Flores, from p. 6]
Flores
“You don’t have the right to imprison a person over innuendo, but when they came and started doing a deeper investigation, you knew there was some trail of evidence they were following.” Herring doesn’t think there will be any relief until there is a verdict in the case and justice is properly served. Herring believes Flores’ dogs were taken in by one of the neighbors because they were just left in the house. “No one was taking care of them,” Herring said. “Last week, someone broke into [Flores’]
house. The police came again, we were curious if it was another raid.” It turned out the police were responding to a report of a break in. “I guess [I] saw on the news his [house] was empty so it became a target,” said Herring. “[The police] were here for about a half an hour and left.” Paul and Ruben Flores entered not guilty pleas on behalf of their clients during an arraignment hearing last month. Both defendants waived their right to a speedy preliminary hearing. A pre-preliminary hearing was set for May 17 at 1:30 p.m. and a preliminary hearing date was tentatively set for July 6. Arturo Garcia-Ayala contributed to this story.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective May 13 - 26, 2021
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Buscaino Playing Games with Social Justice Down Payment The Community grants charade is a campaign ploy By James Preston Allen, Publisher
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
To anyone who is naïve or just not paying attention, the recent Joe Buscaino Community Grants initiative that was launched recently would not seem like an obvious campaign ploy charading as a community engagement. What is getting lost in his rather self-serving ploy in branding it with his own name is that this $3 million grant comes directly from the $150 million “defund the police” budget realignment approved by LA City Council last year in the wake of the protests against police abuse. The original idea was to address underlying social and economic injustice issues that cause crime and to invest in non-police solutions, like responding to mental health crises or domestic abuse calls, a responsibility of which the police themselves would just as soon shed themselves. Clearly, Joe’s community grants don’t address much of this. And the $3 million isn’t even the lion’s share of the $12.5 million proportioned to the 15th Council District. Now I’m not saying that there isn’t a need amongst the numerous nonprofits vying for their share of this largess from the city’s police budget, but the idea of making it a social media popularity contest does really annoy me. If there was any real justice in the city’s $10.53 billion budget, (two-thirds of which, $6.68 billion, goes to General Fund revenues) a significant portion — probably double the current $12.5 million — would be spent annually for all the viable charities and community programs in each council district annually. You might also ask what’s up with the rest of the budget? There’s some $3.85 billion, which goes into a few hundred special purpose funds. You can see more of the LA Controller’s dashboard at lacontroller.org/financial-reports. The special funds are yet another matter that should be addressed and/or reallocated. Clearly there is a growing need to deter crime in the Harbor Division, as there has been an upswing in the number of shootings and homicides in the past few months involving young men of color. The hotspots appear to be located in the low-income areas of San Pedro, Harbor City and Wilmington, with no known connection between them that the Los Angeles Police Department will admit. And yet there is no clear evidence that the rise in violent crime is connected in any way whatsoever to the size of the LAPD budget. Some would even argue that if we relieved the police from enforcement on homeless, mentally
ill and addicted populations that we would get more crimes solved and possibly fewer officer involved shootings. See the current crime stats for your area here www.lapdonline.org/ crime_mapping_and_compstat. All of this discussion of what the intent of the transfer of money was for has become moot in that it ended up in Buscaino’s community grants pocket and is now conveniently ignored by the majority of the charities competing to curry votes. This, while the soon-departing councilman merrily goes about capturing voters’ email addresses to potentially be used for his mayoral campaign. That clearly would seem like an ethics violation — using public monies to create a database of emails for a political campaign? This gives a kind of Trumpian flavor to a seemingly innocent giveaway. So I’d just like to engage all of these charities, community programs and civic organizations at this point in a different challenge. What if all of this money, $12.5 million annually, had to be spent on programs that addressed social injustice issues? What if you actually had to come up with community based solutions to reimagine the LAPD budget that took some burden off of the police and then cured some part of the systemic injustices of our city? Just what would your nonprofit do for that allotment? Clearly some of our most successful nonprofits do this now, but are often stretched to their limits by budgets and facilities. They spend precious resources holding fundraisers to bolster their finances and often many hours of volunteer time chasing large donors. The answer to this question deserves a town hall meeting, not a social media footrace to be first with the most “stakeholder” followers voting. We don’t need a community grants charade and a campaign ploy. What is needed is a sustainable source of funding for our most engaged nonprofits who are actually doing some heroic work in our communities. Turning this into a competition is demeaning and trivializing in a very deceitful way. And my last complaint about the Buscaino competition is that he never once consulted with any of the seven neighborhood councils in his district for any advice on what priorities they might have for these public monies. It’s all too obvious that if it were left to him, the $150 million would never have been transferred out of the LAPD budget in the first place as he was one of two votes on the city council opposing it. Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
May 13 - 26, 2021
Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya
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“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XLII : No. 10
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.
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An Open Letter to LA City and County Officials
By Timothy Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer Watts Labor Community Action Committee This summary is written for the benefit of elected officials, journalists, reporters and anyone who cares about the future of a community under siege and searching for help. I have taken the initiative as a long-time resident of Watts to defend its interest in a local development scheme that would undermine the future of Watts and the full potential of its people to harness economic development strategies that lead to self-sufficiency. The problem revolves around a major development in Watts scheduled to be built on cherished public space. The project involves three major landmarks; the federally registered historic Train Station, the Cultural Crescent Parkland and the world famous Watts Towers. Although successive administrations have promised a passive parkland, the city council unilaterally decided to relinquish the project to the County of Los Angeles without any public engagement. We have sought answers on how a site of such important cultural and historic magnitude could be sold without full public disclosure and engagement. Neither Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Joe Buscaino, nor [former] Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the City Planning Department, or any of their representatives have answered this question. In a direct conver-
Columnists/Reporters Melina Paris Staff Reporter Hunter Chase Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva Contributors Lyn Jensen, Ari LeVaux, Greggory Moore, Timothy Watkins Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker
sation with Thomas Safran about the possibility of selling the project back to the community, he first told me he was open to the idea; however, immediately afterward, he decided to forge ahead without further discussion. What I am recommending as a solution is that the mayor direct a small portion of the $88 million taken from the police budget to pay the $3 million currently invested by the developer in the property to recapture it for ownership and management by a new nonprofit Watts Historic Land Trust, set up with help from the Neighborhood Land Trust and The Trust for Public Land. Watts is deep in the throes of gentrification: proposed affordable housing that provides majority moderate-income units (over 70%) are not meant for the current residents. In a community that is home to one of the most critical domestic uprisings in American history and to the worldfamous Watts Towers, it is unconscionable that publicly elected officials would approve the sale of historically and culturally relevant public land without any public discourse, town hall, Zoom meeting, or any other form of suitable community engagement — all during a pandemic that severely restricts many ordinary forms of public engagement. [See Destiny, p. 9]
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RANDOMLetters Treat Trump Like Noriega
“Listen, let’s call vaccine hesitancy what it really is: willful stupidity.” — Jimmy Kimmel A recent NPR/PBS/Marist survey found that only 6% of Democratic men are declining to be vaccinated against COVID-19, whereas a whopping 49% of Republican men are refusing to be vaccinated. What’s up with these Republican snowflakes? Chuck Norris should kick y’all in the teeth for being such a bunch of bozos! That is if the GOP’s current party leaders — Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl — have any teeth left at this point, since Kamala Harris’ left jab and Joe Biden’s right cross have left these lunatic losers looking totally toothless as of late. Speaking of late, how much longer is it going to take for recalcitrant Republicans to get a clue about that racist Russophile Donald Trump’s so-called “Kung Flu” that was supposed to fade away, according to Don the con, “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” Of course what actually disappeared were the lives of 580,000
innocent Americans, in addition to deranged diabolical dimwit Donald Trump disappearing from the White House in defeat and disgrace, thanks to over 81 million patriotic American voters collectively reclaiming their democracy by firing that fascist fool in landslide fashion. Jake Pickering Arcata, Calif.
An Open Letter to Buscaino’s Office on His Grants
I went over all of the grants over the weekend and I am trying to understand why there is an organization from Long Beach applying in Wilmington? And why were the organizations allowed to apply for every community when we can only vote for one. That doesn’t seem fair. Some of these organizations who applied for Harbor City I have never heard of and have never seen them do any work in Harbor City. If you can only vote for one organization? And there’s $3 million allocated out of the $12 million. Five communities capped at $100,000 does not equal $3 million. So how many organizations is your office actually giving money
[Destiny, from p. 8]
Watts’ Destiny
Why this project hurts Watts:
• It takes away acreage of open green space in a community that already has among the lowest per capita green space in the city.
• According to the City Health Atlas, life expectancy rates in Watts are among the lowest in thecity. • Infant mortality rates are among the highest in the city and county.
• Watts already has a density rate higher than most other parts of Los Angeles.
forgotten that there already is a train that services that area. Newsom said we are going to hold contractors and consultants accountable to explain how taxpayers dollars are spent. We already know that answer, as the H.S. Authority has significant flaws in the rail authority
contract oversight. It failed in the beginning to complete many critical planning tasks before moving forward with the construction. The rail Authority failed to acquire sufficient land for building upon; therefore many lawsuits and regulations to overcome. Bottom line is that Califor-
nia taxpayers did not vote for the departure of a High Speed train to no-where. The H.S. rail is not high speed, it is over-budget, no connections to L.A. and S.F. and no one from those areas will be riding it. John Winkler San Pedro
High Speed Rail Con Job To Taxpayers
When Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he was not going to abandon the High Speed Rail, and continue to build-out the Merced to Bakersfield route, he must have
• More housing only advances the exploitation of renters in perpetuity.
• The absence of California Environmental Quality Act reporting requirements exposes the community to additional health consequences without its knowledge. • Losing healthy green space in an already impacted neighborhood further decreases positive health consequences.
What can be done by the city to make it right: • Buy land back from the developer and fund design and implementation of public redevelopment for the entire Cultural Crescent from 103rd Street to Wilmington Avenue. • Designate additional area icons for ownership by a community-controlled nonprofit heritage trust. • Provide funding for CEQA analysis. • Allow the community to plan its own destiny through standard community engagement methods. • Provide a master plan for Watts that enhances the visitor’s experience to the Watts Towers and improves cultural tourism possibilities along with new economic development initiatives. • Provide protected class status for longtime underserved Black residents.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
In conclusion, amidst our elected leaders embracing and hailing this moment in history as an awakening for social and racial justice, a historically and structurally disenfranchised community should have the opportunity to determine its own destiny, regardless of the legality or procedural legitimacy of recent decisions. The marginalization of the community’s voice in its own future is the real issue. One cannot credibly claim solidarity with the movement, while at the same time permitting structural culpability and supporting the kinds of decisions that prevent the Watts community from controlling its own destiny. As the nation grapples with how to stop yet another innocent youngster from being shot in the back, we simply say stop pulling the trigger. This is no different. It can be reversed.
to or already allocated money to? I have to be completely honest, this whole process does not seem fair or transparent. Were the organizations told that they could have applied in all the communities in CD15? I read City Lights’ proposal and it says in the boundaries of CD15 not only Harbor City. Their proposal should have also been included in all of them like the “Do Good Family” who received a million dollars from the ELLEN Show. How is this fair to the organizations within our district that ACTUALLY care about our community? Not just looking for an opportunity. Lastly, it’s pretty sad that the money from LAPD is supposed to be invested into disadvantaged communities of color which BLM and other advocates fought for and your report does not include exactly where this money came from. I had to dig and look for that information. Danielle Sandoval President of theHarbor City Neighborhood Council
May 13 - 26, 2021
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May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
lmost 3 million people were victims of serious violent crime in 1994. But seven years later, that number had been cut in half, and it’s been less than that ever since, even as the U.S. population has grown by 70 million. The burglary rate in 2019 was one-third of what it was in 1994. Yet, that’s not how most Americans see things, according to John Gramlich, a senior writer/editor at Pew Research Center. And the magnitude of crime is just one of many ways we fail to understand it properly. “In 20 of 24 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993, at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before,” Gramlich wrote last November. The misperception that crime continues running rampant is a key component of Trumpism, Gramlich noted: “Trump vowed to end ‘American carnage’ in his inaugural address in 2017. This [time], he ran for reelection on a platform of ‘law and order.’” Of course, serious violent crime actually increased under Donald Trump, though still far below 1990s highs. Misperceptions about crime — how much there is, even what it is, who does it, who’s victimized — have been central to Trump’s politics, and remain central to the GOP today, with its laser focus on the virtually non-existent crime of voter fraud. At the same time, Democrats have been taking steps to fight two examples of crimes not commonly perceived as such — wage theft (targeting low-income workers most frequently) and high-income tax evasion — both white collar crimes that Republicans have helped to enable. While violent crime and property crime dominate most public discussions, criminologists commonly recognize at least three other major categories: white-collar crime, organized crime, and “moral,” consensual or victimless crime. The common fixation on violent and property crime presents a distorted picture. But even in this regard, police aren’t terribly effective. “Most violent and property crimes in the U.S. are not reported to police, and most of the crimes that are reported are not solved,” Gramlich reported. Across the years he considered — 1995 to 2015 — police “solved” 18% to 25% of violent crimes, and 5% to 8% of property crimes. But conviction rates (even with plea deals) are even lower.
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“Crime” as rationale for social division
To help understand where we are, Dr. Julilly Kohler-Hausmann’s book, Getting Tough: Welfare and Imprisonment in 1970s America shows how mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, and the roll-back of the welfare state were intertwined phenomena, which helped create today’s sharpened political divide, fueled in part by a narrowed focus on violent and property crime. “Advancing tough policies helped absolve government of responsibility for marginalized people’s well-being and accountability to their voices,” she wrote. The divide between “worthy” and “unworthy” citizens is perhaps best captured in the realm of consensual, victimless, or so-called “moral crimes,” like drug or alcohol use, gambling, prostitution, etc. For example, Blacks and whites use drugs in similar proportions, but Blacks are far more often arrested, charged, tried and imprisoned. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, “Nearly 80% of people in federal prison and almost 60% of people in state prison for drug offenses are Black or Latino.” While just over 10% of people over 12 were victims of a property crime in 2019, 11.7% of them used an illegal drug in the previous month in 2018, according to the National Institutes on Drug
The Real Crime Is What’s Perfectly Legal By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
“As through this world I travel, I meet lots of funny men. Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen.”
—Woody Guthrie, Pretty Boy Floyd The Outlaw
Abuse (lifetime use was 49.2%). Even ignoring multiple uses, this makes drug use alone 12 times more common than all property crimes, however minor. When such commonplace acts are criminalized, selective criminalization is inevitable. The fact that it’s racially selective reflects broader systemic racism — which is the broader focus of the Black Lives Matter movement. “I do believe that the social organizing, particularly the Movement for Black Lives, has profoundly unsettled the assumptions that masqueraded for so long as ‘commonsense’: that policing and prisons are the inevitable response to social harm,” Kohler-Hausmann told Random Lengths News. “While there were always voices challenging the exponential growth in the penal system, calls for defunding the police and prisons are now being heard and debated even in Congress and mainstream media outlets. This is remarkable historically and a testament to power of recent organizing and mobilization.”
for, but not sent to jail, or even fined for. A bill introduced in the California Assembly by Lorena Gonzalez (AB 1003) would bring the number of states to three — but it has yet to pass. After the EPI study was published, Amy Traub, an associate director at Demos, a progressive think tank, wrote a report comparing the scope and impact of wage theft with that of shoplifting in the retail industry. The losses due to minimum wage theft and shoplifting are virtually identical, she noted: $15 billion vs. $14.7 billion. But the
Dark side of white collar crime
Wage theft is just one example of corporate white collar crime. The online book, Social Problems: Continuity and Change, published by the University of Minnesota Libraries, provides a broader overview: The toll of white-collar crime, both financial and violent, is difficult to estimate, but by all accounts it exceeds the economic loss and death and injury from all street crime combined. These figures compare to an economic loss of less than $20 billion from property crime and a death toll of about 17,000 from homicide.
Such comparisons are rarely made in discussions of crime, in large part because of the agenda-shaping processes described in Getting Tough. But it actually vastly understates the case. Consider just one unsafe product: cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day.” None of those deaths are considered a homicide, of course. But they are just as dead, anyway. And there are so many more of them. And tobacco companies have been knowingly pushing them despite evidence of their deadly impact from as early as 1938. As for economic costs, the CDC places them as “more than $300 billion a year,” in medical costs and lost The case of wage theft productivity. What’s more, state Such calls also raise the basic governments are only spending question of what qualifies as a a small fraction of what they crime, and why. In 2019, there should to prevent these deaths were 122,641 incidents of domestic and losses. violence, compared to 192,610 Democrats are trying to incidents of stranger violence, do something about another according to the National Crime significant form of white collar Victimization Survey. Yet, for most Note: Estimates included 95% confidence intervals. Burglary is the unlawful or crime: tax evasion. Since 2010, of American history, domestic forcible entry or attempted entry of places, including a permanent residence, Congressional Republicans have violence wasn’t even regarded as other residence (e.g., a hotel room or vacation residence), or other structure slashed the Internal Revenue a crime, unless it reached the level (e.g., a garage or shed) where there was a completed or attempted theft. Esti- Service’s budget, reducing its of homicide, and parents hitting mates of 2006 should not be compared to other years and are excluded from number of auditors below 10,000 children is commonly seen as this figure. for the first time since 1953, “discipline,” not “violence,” so that when our economy was one seventh its current size. The number of audits incident figure is surely too low (children under penalties are wildly disproportionate. While shoplifting can land you in prison, dropped 42% from 2010 to 2017, and even 12 are not included). Property crimes are far more common than “The greatest civil federal penalty for wage theft basic functions — like pursuing people who violent crimes — there were three times as many is repaying the amount in stolen wages and an don’t file returns — have plummeted. It’s now estimated that the tax gap — the serious property crimes from 2015 to 2019, equal amount in liquidated damages,” the report according to the NCVS. But what qualifies as stated. “Even for repeat or willful violations, the amount owed, but not paid — will be anywhere from $7 to $10 trillion over the next 10 years. serious? Or even a crime? A 2017 study by the maximum penalty is $1,100.” The amounts spent on crime deterrence are “Right now, the wealthiest one percent are Economic Policy Institute, based on data from 2013 to 2015, found that employers stole an similarly lopsided. “Even though wage theft is responsible for roughly 70 percent of the ‘tax estimated $15 billion through one form of wage more prevalent than shoplifting and can have gap’ — the difference between taxes owed theft alone: paying less than the legal minimum catastrophic consequences for working people, and taxes paid. It’s time every American pay wage. The number of victims was about 4.5 their families, and communities, we devote far their fair share.” Rep. Ro Khanna said in a million — roughly equal to the number of victims fewer resources to combatting it than to surveilling Feb. 17 press statement. He was announcing of all serious crimes in the NCVS for that year. and punishing people suspected of shoplifting,” the Stop CHEATERS Act that he said would “raise an estimated $1.2 trillion in revenue That works out to roughly $3,300 per victim, Taub said. As for the broader implications, she said, over 10 years, by investing $100 billion into well above the threshold for felony theft in every state. (It runs from $200 in New Jersey to $2,500 “One powerful example of structural racism in the IRS over the next decade.” That would still leave an enormous tax in Texas and Wisconsin. It’s $1,500 or less in 46 our economy is the difference between how our states.) So going by money alone, this would society treats the crimes committed by powerful gap, but it would reverse a decade of GOP corporations against working people — especially complicity in helping wealthy tax cheats almost double the number of serious crimes. There’s just one thing. Wage theft isn’t even Black and brown workers who are more likely break the law. What’s really needed, though, considered a crime, outside of two states — to have wages stolen — and how we treat much is a much more expansive understanding of Colorado and Minnesota — that made it a crime smaller infractions like shoplifting, where people crime, focused on proactive protection from harm — whatever form it takes. in 2019. It’s a tort — something you can be sued of color are more likely to be racially profiled.
Off the Bookshelf
Following Mike Sager:
The Path of the Unusual Storyteller
R
By James Preston Allen, Publisher
and, you become, as a journalist, well acquainted with writing about people who are no longer with us.” Sager recounted the initial assignment that led to his writing his first profile of Carlos Castaneda, the Mexican American author of The Teachings of Don Juan. Castaneda wrote a series of books describing his training in shamanism, particularly with a group whose lineage descended from the Toltecs. Sager explained that he got assigned the Castaneda story because Castaneda’s adopted son went to the Los Angeles Times and published a little story. This was during a period of time Sager was freelancing for Rolling Stone, GQ and Esquire magazines at any given time where he was earning $6 or $7 a word for a feature story. Sager explains that the editors at these magazines weren’t “silk-stocking folks.” “And so by a series of circumstances that are too long to go into, I was working at GQ in the mid 1990s and the second-in-command guy left and went to Esquire and it caused all these dominoes to fall — one of which was me getting shit-canned for no reason by the powers that be,” Sager said. “I started from nothing, but at some point I was making kind of like what a small town internist would probably make for doing these stories, which is like amazing,” Sager said. Sager explained that he moved to LA, to California City, to San Diego, and got shit-canned (fired) and was in need of work. His old Rolling Stone editor, Bob Love, said, “We’d like you to do a 30,000 word story … investigative thing on this story,” Love just hands him, this was still the early days of the internet, an emailed clip, something that so often happens with many stories Sager explained. “And so I agreed to do this massive story for like 30 grand and I had a wife and a small kid and a new house and I just did a bunch of landscaping, and I just got fired...” Sager would have just continued on if I didn’t just remember what I wanted to know from him. “Yeah, but what about the writing process?” I asked him. As a fellow writer, I was curious because it’s evident that there was a significant amount of [See Storyteller, p. 12]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
ecently, I interviewed journalist/author Mike Sager, discussing his writing process. Sager had published two books in quick succession in September 2020 and February 2021. The first book was Shaman: The Mysterious Life and Impeccable Death of Carlos Castaneda and the other, Hunting Marlon Brando: A True Story. Sager and I go back some years. The last time we met was at a conference for the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies about a decade ago in San Francisco. Sager got his start at Creative Loafing, a monthly alt-weekly serving the Atlanta metropolitan area covering local news, politics, arts, entertainment, food, music and events. His temperament and sensibility as a writer has been tuned in that direction ever since, despite the hallow halls of journalism he found his way into. Sager is a best-selling author and award-winning reporter, he is a former Washington Post staff writer and contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine. He has written for Esquire for more than 30 years, and he is the author and editor of more than a dozen books, including anthologies, novels, biographies and textbooks in 2010. He won the national magazine award for profile writing and many of his stories have inspired films and documentaries. He is now the editor and publisher of his own publishing house, Sager Group, LLC, in which many titles such as Shaman and Hunting Marlon Brando are now available. Back when we had talked at the altweekly conference in 2012, I read a 6,000-word profile of television personality Brooke Burke he had published in Esquire magazine under the headline, “The Secret Life of a Beautiful Woman.” The writing was such that it caused me to scratch my head and say to myself, “My, this writer certainly has a curious appetite for strange stories.” The hardest part about writing is sitting down and just doing it. I’m reminded that even John Steinbeck, the famous novelist, struggled with writing and you can see it in a lot of things. Some of his novels were just brilliant and well-crafted and some of his other stuff is difficult. You can see him struggling with it and then documenting the struggle in some ways. It was in this space I wanted to engage Sager about Shaman and then continue it on with the rather oddly funny Marlon Brando book. For me, the thing that sort of connected Sager’s two recent books was the fact that in both instances, he never actually got to interview the subjects of the books. For the first 20 years of his career, Sager said he basically wrote about dead people. “Everyone I ever wrote about was dead,” he said. “One of my most famous stories, ‘The Devil and John Holmes’ [the famous porn star] became Boogie Nights and Wonderland movies. You know, he was dead when I started
May 13 - 26, 2021
Illustration by Brenda Lopez
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T
Garlic Chives:
hey look like scallions, but my farmer friend, Nancy, calls them “Chinese chives.” She would know, being from northern China, which, it turns out, is the ancestral homeland of this plant. Its Latin By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist name translates to “root garlic, but it’s more commonly known as “garlic chive.” A native He who bears chives on his breath, is safe from being kissed to death. to the Siberian steppes of northern China and — Marcus Valerius Martialis, Epigrams 80 A.D. Mongolia, Allium tuberoseum now grows throughout the temperate zones of the world. It is easy to start from seed, and spreads by root clumping. Nancy cuts as close to those clumps as she can, for 1 tablespoon butter maximum white part. 1 tablespoon olive oil The bunches of chives 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil Nancy sells at the farmers 1 bunch (100 grams) garlic chives, minced, with white and green parts kept separate market are about 14-inches 2 eggs, beaten long. Green and flat at the tips, 1 tablespoon soy sauce they widen and whiten toward the roots like young onions. Heat the fats on high in a lightweight omelet pan. When sputtering, add the minced chive I deploy the white and green whites. Spread them around in the oil evenly. Add four tablespoons of chopped greens to parts at different junctures, as the beaten egg. For extra fanciness lay a few whole chive leaves in the pan, in some kind you would a leek or scallion, of pattern among the chopped bits. After about a minute of sizzling, add the eggs, slowly and they perform like stallions, pouring them in a circular motion over the pan. Tilt the pan around for even coverage. Keep filling my food with a sweet, shaking the pan to keep the omelet moving lest it stick. green, pungent flavor that From here the exact cook time will depend upon how hot your burner is, how thin your pan seems to encompass everything is, and how well you like your eggs cooked. For me, after about 2 minutes the omelet is ready good about onions, garlic, for flipping. It’s all in the knees, not the wrist — just bend your knees and you will catch it. leeks, ramps, shallots and all Or use a spatula to fold the omelet in half. Or chopsticks to roll it, Chinese style. Or grind it the other edible members of around the pan with a fork and call it good. Collect the eggs on a plate and douse with soy sauce. Serve with coffee. the Allium (garlic) genus. Nancy uses the white parts to make scallion omelets and the green parts to make ginger/ [Storyteller, from p. 11] pork/chive dumplings. She also found them. Somebody must have just told me separates the in-between white about them and I was like talking and people and green parts for another research done about Carlos Castaneda before I knew probably talked to the LA Times guy, egg dish that I didn’t entirely Garlic chives, or Allium tuneroseum have a sweet, garlicky flavor, and Sager even started. That sense was even but somehow I found them and that was my understand, other than she and can be used in a variety of dishes, including pork dumplings, rice and more evident in the Brando book. But what technique of journalism. ramen. Photo by Ari LeVaux her husband enjoy it as a lateI wanted to know was, what was Sager’s “It was like, I’ve never been that person night snack. actual process in terms of research and then who writes a bunch of questions before I get I love ginger pork dumplings, especially improve every bite. locating subjects to interview who would not there. I just like, go there and then I like to shut when somebody else makes them. I will surely Nancy told me how to make her omelet, necessarily be the obvious suspects? up. And I look around or I just love to follow get around to using Nancy’s chives in my own and I have tried to follow her way faithfully. Sager finally comes dumplings at some point, but in the meantime The language barrier is such that I may never back around and says, “I like I have been taking my chive greens elsewhere. know for sure what she does, and that’s fine. to teach. When I teach kids It’s not hard to find places to use them. Meanwhile, I’ve added some things that I ... Whenever I teach, I try to Sweeter and milder than the white part, know she doesn’t use, like butter. I also use the curse as much as possible they still pack a lot of garlicky flavor. I dust chopped raw green parts, by beating them into and use a bunch of esoteric them on linguine, rice, clam chowder or the raw eggs. They get just a hint of heat, and ways of speaking because toast, simmer them into ramen, substitute stay bright green. And those in-between white they’re bored and they don’t them for basil in caprese, scatter them upon and green parts that Nancy uses for late night listen.” scallops and skordalia (potato garlic sauce), eggs, I don’t separate them out. I just chop my “So I have this thing,” and munch behind a mouthful of just about Sager said. “I call it the chives in half, and call it good. ‘Toilet Bowl Theory of anything savory. Those garlic chive greens Journalism,’ which I think beautifully explains what I do. I kind of jump into the bowl and, I guess I flush and jump in because there’s no one helping me, or maybe the flush is symbolically the Journalist and author, Mike Sager. File photo magazine. But I jump into somebody like I don’t know what to do. It’s like the bowl, I swirl around and then eventually if you’re a waiter or a server at a restaurant. You I go down into where Nemo is, you know, swimming with the fishes. He’s ... underwater train with another server and you learn your job, but when you’re a reporter, it’s like they in the world I’m trying to get to. I’ve never just send you out there. And, you know, you use been that guy who’s a big internet person. your wiles and I somehow had an affinity for I do a shit ton of background research and this sort of anthropology. I have an affinity for reading, but usually my work starts with being with others in a non-judgmental sort of someone or I track someone down. And then way.” it’s always a version of one person telling another person and then telling another If you want to see the interview in its entirety, person. I honestly cannot remember how I visit the main page of www.randomlengthsnews.com, found the followers [of Carlos Castaneda]. the video is reflected there from our Youtube channel. I honestly just cannot remember how I Terelle Jerricks contributed to this story. 12
The Allium Stallion
Chive Nest Eggs
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Storyteller
PINK FLOYD Dark Side of the Moon BOB MARLEY Legend AMY WINEHOUSE Back To Black SUBLIME Sublime ETTA JAMES At Last THE MISFITS Static Age FLEETWOOD MAC Rumors GORILLAZ Plastic Beach WU TANG CLAN Enter the Wu Tang AL GREEN Greatest Hits AUGUSTUS PABLO King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown EGYPTIAN LOVER On the Nile X Los Angeles B.B. KING Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr. B.B. BILLIE HOLIDAY Solitude
pen
ully O
Now F
12 to 5 Tues-Sun. 447 W. 6th St., San Pedro 424-264-5335
Real People, Real News, Really Effective May 13 - 26, 2021
13
MAY 13 - 26 • 2021 MUSIC
May 23
Ellas, A Livestream Concert Suemy Gonzalez, Nelly Cortez and Melinda Salcido illuminate the stage with their contemporary mariachi sound. Their impeccable vocals, violin, guitar and guitarron infuse rock, pop and gypsy jazz with romantic ranchero. Time: 7 p.m. May 14 Cost: $15 Details: www.grandvision.secure. force.com/ticket/Ellas
ChekhovOS an experimental game Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and drawing from recordings of Chekhov’s letters and dreams, this interactive online theater experience accesses the operating system behind both Chekhov’s computer and the world in which his characters live, searching for happiness. Time: 5 p.m. May 23 Cost: Free Details: https://cap.ucla.edu/landing/support_capucla/
May 14
May 22
Torrance Cultural Arts Presents Louie Cruz Beltran Blending Afro Cuban rhythms with jazz, Latin jazz, pop and R&B influences, Louie Cruz Beltran is an entertainer at heart — an entertainer who is also a superbly skilled conguero, timbalero and vocalist. Time: 7 p.m. May 22 Cost: $32 to $70 Details: www./itkt.choicecrm.net/ TOCA/LouieCruzBeltran#/events
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Front Porch Concerts, Bluff Park Enjoy a live vocal concert featuring Quartet 2, led by associate conductor, Tammi Alderman. Time: 4:30 p.m. May 22 Details: www.ci.ovationtix.com/ front-porch-concerts
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THEATER May 15
Dorothea Join the debut of Dorothea filmed at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. Find the digital program for the performance, an interview with Ted Hearne all about this project and more. Time: 7 p.m. May 15 Cost: Free Details: https://online.cap.ucla. edu/dorothea
May 21
Antigone A play by Sophocles, this political thriller remains relevant in our modern times as it challenges one to think of answers to questions about the position of the individual within society, the empowerment of women, loyalty, faith and love. Closed captioning provided.
BIG NICK’S PIZZA
Tradition, variety and fast delivery or takeout—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and our amazing selection of signature pizzas. We are taking all safety precautions to protect our diners and staff. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on new developments. Call for fast delivery or to place a pick up order. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.Sun. Big Nicks’ Pizza, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-732-5800, www.bignickspizza.com
BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA
Family owned and operated since 1965, Buono’s is famous for award-winning brick oven baked pizza. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and hand-selected fresh ingredients. Now limited dine-in and patio service, takeout and delivery. Hours: Sun.Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Buono’s Pizzeria, 222 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-547-0655, www.buonospizza.com
Time: 7 to 9 p.m. May 21, 3 p.m. May 30 Cost: Free Details: stellartickets.com
ARTS
May 13 Insights 2021 The CSULB School of Art presents the annual student exhibition, INSIGHTS 2021 produced in collaboration with Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum. This online exhibition continues to celebrate exceptional works produced by students. INSIGHTS 2021 will be accessible on the exhibition hosting platform Kunstmatrix via the link with select works being featured on the INSIGHTS Instagram account @ soa_insights. Time: May 13 Details: http://bit.ly/SoA_Insights2021
May 13
MoLAA Reopens to Members MoLAA will open HERland: Women Artists in the MoLAA Collection onsite. The exhibition features 43 women artists from across 15 countries. From May to September HERland Chapter 1 will show the first two of four axes in the exhibition — surrealism and representation. From October to December, HERland Chapter 2 will exhibit boundaries and distortion. The entire exhibition launched online in February 2021. Details: https://molaa.org/herland
CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL
Conrad’s reflects the cuisine of Oaxaca with a focus fresh on local, seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now Conrad’s features Peruvian dishes, as well as an inventive Mexican vegetarian and vegan menu. Dine in, dine al fresco or order online for curbside pick up and delivery. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. S. Conrad’s Mexican Grill, 376. W. 6th St., San Pedro 424-264-5452, www.conradsmexicangrill.com
HAPPY DINER #1
The Happy Diner #1 in Downtown San Pedro isn’t your average diner. The selections range from Italian- and Mexicaninfluenced entrées to American Continental. Happy Diner chefs are always creating something new—take your pick of grilled salmon over pasta or tilapia and vegetables prepared any way you like. Dine in or al fresco or call for takeout. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thurs.Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #1, 617 S. Centre St., San Pedro, 310-241-0917, www.happydinersp.com
May 14
Art Expressions, Color My World with Hope San Pedro Mental Health Clinic presents how art can impact and improve mental health, a conversation with artists Levi Ponce, muralist, Ricky Hernandez and Mario Dred. Time: 1 to 3:30 p.m. May 14 Details: www.eventbrite.com/ color-my-world-with-hope Art For Lunch, MoLAA Hosted by the Museum of Latin American Art Docent Guild, the conversation will open a discussion in depth about different topics in the arts: trends, artworks from the collection, Latin American and Latinx Arts. Time: 12 p.m. May 14 Cost: Free Details: zoom.us/webinar/register/art-for-lunch
FOOD
May 23
First Annual Long Beach Taco Fest There may be no other place on earth, outside of Mexico, with more varieties of tacos than Southern California. The Long Beach Taco Festival will be bringing local restaurants and amazing taco trucks to provide you with a rich and diverse taco loving experience along with live music and entertainment. All COVID-19 restrictions will apply. Attendeesmust show proof of vaccination or show a negative test result within 72 hours of the event. Time: 12 to 6 p.m. May 23 Cost: $20 and up Details: www.kahlo.ticketspice. com/long-beach-taco-festival Venue: Scottish Rite Events Center, 855 Elm Ave, Long Beach
May 27
Challenges In Culinary History, Virtual Lecture Join food expert and author Richard Foss as he explores how the food taboos, diet and table rituals of a society tell us a huge amount about cultures. A historian who has spent time in the garden, market and kitchen explains the challenges and rewards of examining the way our ancestors farmed, foraged, cooked and dined. Time: 7 to 8 p.m. May 27 Details: Online registration is required, https://bit.ly/39IuT7h
LITERATURE May 20
Master Architects of Southern California 1920-40: Paul R. Williams Join author Stephen Gee discusses his new book, Paul R. Williams (Master Architects of Southern California 1920-1940), written with Marc Appleton and Bret Parsons. Overcoming deep-seated racism and prejudice in early and mid20th century Los Angeles, Paul Revere Williams, orphan son of an African American fruit-andvegetable merchant, became one of the most famous architects in America, designing mansions for movie stars, world class hotels, the theme building at LAX, and homes in the San Fernando Valley. After you register you will receive the program link. Time: 7 p.m. May 20 Details: www.lapl.zoom.us/meeting/register/masterarchitects
COMMUNITY May 15
AGCC Collage-Hybrid Book Workshop Join artist Linda Ravenswood in this collage hybrid workshop.
HAPPY DINER #2
Built on the success of Happy Diner #1, Happy Diner #2 offers American favorites like omelets and burgers, fresh salads, plus pasta and Mexican dishes are served. Order online for delivery or call for pickup. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #2, 1931 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-935-2933, www.happydinersp.com
HAPPY DELI
The Happy Deli is a small place with a big menu. Food is made-to-order using the freshest ingredients. Breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches include a small coffee. For lunch or dinner select from fresh salads, wraps, buffalo wings, cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and dogs. Order online or call for takeout or delivery. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 am. to 8 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Deli, 530 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 424-364-0319, www.happydelisp.com
Workshop attendees will attempt to make (at least) one folio — a collection of pages folded from an oversize piece of paper, work on a chosen theme and create collages from found items, paper objects, drawings, leaves and poems. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sign up to receive the Zoom link prior to the event. Time: 1 to 3 p.m. May 15 on Zoom Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ family-art-workshop-may/registration
May 16 Aquarium-on-the-Beach Starting at 10 a.m. each Saturday in May, learn about tidepools, whales and grunion, then hatch your own baby grunion.The program lasts for approximately 45 minutes. Reservations recommended; masks are required. Time: Sessions begin at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Details: https://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/events-news.asp Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Summer Classes CMA’s summer classes will be onsite at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and will be held outdoors. All students are required to wear a mask. The aquarium will be following City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks COVID-19 safety guidelines. Summer Classes: Galloping Snails Session 1, Grades 1 to 2 - June 29 to 30 Session 2 - July 1 to 2 Crab Shells Session 1, Grades 3 to 4 - July 6 to 7, Session 2 - July 8 to 9 Ichthyology Session 1, Grades 5 to 6 - July 13 to 14, Session 2 July 15 to 16 Coastal Field Research Session 1, Grades 7 to 9 - July 20 to 21. Session 2 - July 22 to 23 Details: https://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/events-news.asp
SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY
A micro brewery and American grill, SPBC features handcrafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, BBQ, sandwiches, salads and burgers. Order your growlers, house drafts and cocktails to go (with food purchase)! Open daily 12 to 8 p.m. for indoor or al fresco dining, takeout and delivery through Grubhub, Postmates and Doordash. San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-831-5663, www.sanpedrobrewing.com
WEST COAST PHILLY’S
Welcome to West Coast Philly’s Cheesesteak and Hoagies where authentic Philly cheesesteaks meet the waterfront in San Pedro. Along with serving the classic cheesesteak, West Coast Philly’s puts its unique twist on its cheesesteaks and hoagies. Also on the menu are subs, burgers, wings and salads. Happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m., Mon.-Thurs. Indoor dining or order online or call for pickup. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. West Coast Philly’s, 1902 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, 424-264-5322, www.westcoastphillys.com
Support Independent Restaurants • Dining Guide online: www.randomlengthsnews.com/dining-guide [See Calendar, page 16]
[Hate More, from p. 1]
Hate More Than Anything
Steven Carrillo is charged with murdering a Santa Cruz County deputy sheriff and a security officer guarding Oakland’s federal courthouse. Photo by FRONTLINE. Right, photo from court documents show Carrillo carrying an assault rifle near where he was arrested. Photo credit United States District Court for the Northern District of California
munications with Carrillo and each other. In nearly two hours of interviews conducted in Spanish and English, as well as in a letter dictated to his fiancée from Santa Rita Jail east of Oakland, Carrillo talked about the evolution of his antigovernment ideology. While he would not discuss any of the criminal charges against him, Carrillo spoke at length about his continuing allegiance to the Boogaloo Bois and patiently explained how the movement’s “revolutionary thought” could offer a rationale for attacks against law enforcement officers who he or any other Boogaloo Boi thinks are violating the Constitution. “I pledged to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” he said. Not once did Carrillo express pity or remorse over the deaths of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, the deputy sheriff, whose wife was pregnant with their second child, or David Patrick Underwood, the security officer at the Oakland federal building, who made a habit of donating to local baseball youth organizations.
Becoming a Boog
May 13 - 26, 2021
Born in Los Angeles in 1988, Carrillo had an early childhood marked by episodes of domestic violence. According to family members, his father, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who worked as a tree trimmer, repeatedly assaulted his mother, who was from Burbank, Calif. Given up by his parents as a toddler, Carrillo and Evan, his older brother, were taken in
ministration, meanwhile, is increasing funding for the prevention of attacks by militias, white supremacists and other anti-government groups, the New York Times reported recently. “These groups want to be instigators, the frontline of the Civil War that is going to happen in this country,” said John Bennett, who was the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Francisco Division at the time of Carrillo’s arrest. “The scary thing,” he added, “is a lot of people in these groups that we’re seeing now are your neighbors.” An examination of Carrillo’s life and his path to radicalization, based on extensive interviews with him, his family, his friends and his fiancée, along with a review of hundreds of pages of court records, previously undisclosed text messages and internal militia documents, revealed startling new details about the threat posed by the Boogaloo Bois. Experts in extremist militia groups have long regarded the Boogaloo Bois as having no real hierarchy or leadership structure. But in piecing together Carrillo’s activities and militia contacts, law enforcement officials were stunned to discover the extent of coordination, planning and communications within the group. Not only was Carrillo in regular contact with a wide range of prominent Boogaloo Boi figures around the country, records and interviews show, but two months before his arrest Carrillo had joined up with a heavily armed, highly organized and extremely secretive Boogaloo militia group in California that called itself the “Grizzly Scouts.” “This group was different,” Jim Hart, the sheriff of Santa Cruz County, where Ben Lomond is located, said in an interview. “There was a definite chain of command and a line of leadership within this group.” In a federal indictment unsealed this past April, prosecutors said Carrillo and four members of the Grizzly Scouts, including its leader, “discussed tactics involving killing of police officers and other law enforcement.” The indictment also alleges that the same four Grizzly Scouts tried to thwart a criminal investigation into their activities by destroying evidence of their com-
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Now, as he texted with his brother and watched deputies assemble so close to him that he could hear their conversations, Carrillo sent an urgent appeal to his fellow Boogaloo Bois. “Kit up and get here,” he wrote in a WhatsApp message that prosecutors say he sent to members of a heavily armed Boogaloo militia faction he had recently joined. The police, he texted, were after him. “Take them out when they [are] coming in,” the text read, according to court documents. Minutes later, prosecutors allege, Carrillo ambushed three deputy sheriffs, opening fire with a silenced automatic rifle and hurling a homemade pipe bomb from a concealed position on a steep embankment some 40 feet from the deputies. One deputy was shot dead, and a second was badly wounded by bomb shrapnel to his face and neck. When two California Highway Patrol officers arrived, Carrillo opened fire on them, too, police say, wounding one. “The police are the guard dogs, ready to attack whenever the owner says, ‘Hey, sic ’em boy,’” Carrillo said in an interview, the first time he has spoken publicly since he was charged with murdering both the deputy sheriff in Ben Lomond and, a week earlier, a federal protective security officer at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland. When Carrillo was finally subdued on June 6, cellphone footage captured him shouting at deputies as they led him away, “This is what I came to fight — I’m sick of these goddamn police.” For Carrillo, that final frenzied expression of rage marked the culmination of a long slide into extremism, a journey that had begun a decade earlier with his embrace of the Tea Party movement, libertarianism and Second Amendment gun rights, before evolving into an ever-deepening involvement with paramilitary elements of the Boogaloo Bois. The militant group is known for the distinctive Hawaiian shirts its members wear at protests, often while brandishing AR15s and agitating for the “Boog” — the group’s shorthand for Civil War. Carrillo’s arrest was also an omen of something larger and even more ominous: the rise of a violent insurrection movement across America led by increasingly extreme and aggressive militias that seek out opportunities to confront and even attack the government. Examples of this broader insurrection abound, from October’s foiled plot to abduct Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the leading role militia groups such as the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers played in the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. While militias have long been active in the United States, groups tracking extremist violence have reported notable increases in paramilitary activity over the past year, and the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence have all issued stark warnings in recent months about an elevated threat of violence from domestic extremist groups. ProPublica, FRONTLINE and Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program also uncovered new evidence that some military service members have embraced extremist ideology. The news organizations identified 15 active-duty members of the Air Force who, like Carrillo, openly promoted Boogaloo memes and messages on Facebook. On April 9, the Pentagon announced new measures to combat extremism inside the military. President Joe Biden’s ad-
by other members of their family, and at age 5 he was sent with his brother to a tiny rural village in Jalisco, Mexico, where they lived on their grandparents’ farm. A couple of years later, the Carrillo boys returned to California to live with their father, eventually settling in Ben Lomond, a remote two-stoplight town in the Santa Cruz Mountains. After graduating from San Lorenzo Valley High School, Carrillo said he joined the Air Force in 2009, the same year he married his childhood sweetheart. In an interview, Carrillo’s father denied the family’s allegations of domestic violence, but otherwise declined to comment. Carrillo’s mother would not speak on the record for this article. According to Carrillo, his ideas about politics and the role of government began to take shape in the Air Force. “Before, I was confined to a little bubble,” he said in an interview, referring to his upbringing in Ben Lomond, population 7,000. Once he joined the Air Force and met others from around the world, “talking to people changed my whole views,” he said. He followed a well-worn path that began with a fierce attachment to gun rights, which in turn led him to libertarianism, and then an enthusiastic embrace of the Tea Party movement. By 2012, Carrillo was a registered Republican who supported Gary Johnson, the presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, and Ron Paul. He attended Second Amendment rallies and advocated for expanded gun rights on a Facebook page set up for a group of self-described Christian “patriots.” In 2015, while stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, Carrillo was in a car accident that left him hospitalized with a concussion and head lacerations. Family and friends said the crash affected his mental health. “He wasn’t himself,” Evan Carrillo said in an interview. “He was usually very talkative, very social. I was the quiet one. And now it was like talking to a wall.” At the time, Carrillo was a security forces officer in the Air Force. According to his siblings, his mental health issues were serious enough that the Air Force took Carrillo’s gun away for several months. (The Air Force said it could not immediately locate the records it needed to comment about this incident.) He became even more withdrawn, family members said, after his wife committed suicide in 2018 shortly after he confessed to cheating on her yet again. He spoke of wanting to kill himself and started living out of a van, leaving it to his in-laws to look after his two young children. “He was just in complete disconnect of how people should live and who he was,” said his sister, Ruby. And yet months after his wife’s suicide, Air Force records show, Carrillo was serving as an apprentice in Phoenix Raven, an elite Air Force security unit that is dispatched to protect aircraft and air crews in global hotspots. At the time, Carrillo was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, but his apprenticeship with the Ravens also gave him special training in combat techniques, explosives and advanced firearms proficiency at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst near Trenton, New Jersey. According to the Air Force, Carrillo completed the 24-day Phoenix Raven qualification course in New Jersey in late 2018, then returned to Travis Air Force Base to become “fully mission qualified as a Raven.” From July to November of 2019, Carrillo served as a Phoenix Raven Team Leader in Kuwait and other countries in the region, the Air Force said. [See War, p. 19] 15
In the Los Angeles Harbor Area CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Donald R. Hammond 222 W. 6th St., Suite 400 San Pedro, CA 90731 (323) 529-3660 donhammondlaw.com
Matthew M. Horeczko & Associates 767 W. 9th St. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 548-3966 matt-law.com
Pranin Rodney
302 W. 5th St., Suite 100 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 830-0671
Eduardo Guzman Law Offices 333 W. 6th St., Suite 200 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 732-1000
Law Office of Barbara Craig
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
414 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 935-3171
Michael Flanagan Law Offices 461 W. 6th St., Suite 200 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 519-1012
IMMIGRATION LAW Merrilee Snell Law Office
479 W. 6th St., Suite 103 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 514-3300 sanpedroimmigrationlaw.com
May 13 - 26, 2021
MARITIME/ PERSONAL INJURY LAW
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Robert W. Nizich Law Offices
839 S. Beacon St., Suite 332 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 832-3500 nizichlaw.com
Thomas Pierry Law Offices
302 W. 5th St., Suite 304 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 834-2691 pierrymcadams.com
Bradford Document Examinations
395 W. 6th St., Suite 206 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 514-1601 pierrymcadams.com
David Utley
350 W. 5th St., Suite105 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 831-0872 davidutleylaw.com
Douglas Spoors Law Offices 479 W. 6th St., Suite 206 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 547-5800
Law Offices of Preston Easley APC 2500 Via Cabrillo-Marina Suite 106 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 832-5315 prestoneasley.com
PROBATE/TRUSTS Los Angeles Probate Lawyers
333 S. Grand Ave. San Pedro, CA 90731 (562) 265-1218 los-angeles-probate-lawyers.com
Peter Larkin Law Offices 805 S. Gaffey St. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 833-5344
Phillip McCarthy Law Offices 638 W. 9th St. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 831-2379 philipmccarthyatlaw.com
Vulin J. Anthony
624 W. 9th St., Suite 201 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 548-0746
Lopez L. Luisito
2031 S. Cabrillo Ave. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 831-1815
Paul Rorie Law Office 1701 Palacios Dr. San Pedro, CA 90732 (310) 831-8673
Law Office of Raymond Green
815 S. Averill Ave. San Pedro, CA 90732 (310) 784-8867 raymondgreenlawoffice.com
Lane Law Group, Inc.
28924 S. Western Ave. Suite 206 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 (310) 521-5300 lanelawgroup.com
Dina B. Dreizler
1428 W. 7th St. San Pedro, CA 90732 (310) 832-4413
BUSINESS LAW John J. Resich Jr. Corporation 840 W. 9th St. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 832-2618
Law Office of Marvin I. Schlackman 29515 Bernice Dr. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 (310) 547-0049 business-lawyer.com
Trutanich & Associates 1840 S. Gaffey St., Suite 105 San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 833-4631
Lane & McGowan, LLP
445 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 221-0480 constructionlawyerlosangeles. com
Longshore Workers: Know Your Rights Unfortunately, many workers do not know the requirements under the law or their rights under the Longshore Act. For this reason, many do not seek the advice of an attorney until the employer or its insurance company refuses to provide medical benefits or compensation. This is why it is important to consult with an attorney shortly after your accident so that you do not miss any important deadlines or otherwise prejudice your rights. If you are hurt on the job on the waterfront, you should: 1. Notify your employer immediately and ask for a Form LS-1 (doctor’s slip), which authorizes treatment by a doctor of your choice. 2. Select your own doctor for treatment as soon as possible. Remember, you are allowed only one free choice doctor under the Longshore Act, so it is important to obtain a doctor that you know and trust or on the recommendation of someone who knows or trusts the doctor. Obviously, if the “company” doctor later sides with the company and states that you are not disabled or do not need further medical treatment, this will prejudice your rights. 3. Give written notice of your injury within 30 days to your employer on a form LS-201. Any reputable attorney who specializes in practice under the Longshore Act should be knowledgeable of these type of Forms. 4. File a written claim for compensation within one year after injury if full compensation and medical care have not been provided. You should not wait until the last minute to consult an attorney to file your claim or lawsuit. As stated above, important rights may be lost if you do not file within the applicable deadline or time limitations.
P I E R R Y & M cA D A M S ,
LLP
302 W. 5th Street, Suite 304 • San Pedro • (310) 834-2691 Email: tpierry@pierrymcadams.com • www.pierrymcadams.com
CLASSIFIED ADS & DBA FILINGS What is your home worth? Call now for a free home evaluation — Deville 714697-0833 or email: deville nunes@yahoo.com.
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JOBS RLN SEEKING SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR Responsibilities include: • Advertising sales— print and digital • Developing and maintaining social media Requirements: • 2-plus years of advertising or marketing experience
• Reliable transportation Send resumé to james@ randomlengthsnews.com or drop by the office at 1300 S. Pacific Ave. in San Pedro. Random Lengths News is looking for an experienced paper delivery driver for a route in Long Beach. Call 310-519-1016 for info.
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AUTOS
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PETS PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA
310-519-1442
310-719-8884
(310) 833-8977
Specializing in small businesses CPA quality service at very reasonable rates
www.donmarshallcpa.com
PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.
17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 4/15/21, 4/29/21, 5/13/21, 5/27/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021078313 The following person is doing business as: (1) Kurt’s Concrete, 1918 W 169th Street, Gardena, CA 90247, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Kurt Giles, 1918 W 169th Street, Gardena, CA 90247. This Busi-
ness is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2009. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Kurt Giles, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 04/02/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the state-
[continued on p. 18]
“Sandwiched”— it’s a matter of taste.
04/15/21, 04/29/21, 05/13/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021058278 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. WE GOT THIS, 2. GIANINE P. RIZZI, 1075 W. 11TH ST., San Pedro, CA 90731County of LOS ANGELES, Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number: LLC/ AI No 202005510392 Registered owner(s): WE GOT THIS PRODUCTIONS LLC, 1075 W. 11TH ST., SAN PEDRO, CA 90731; State of Incorporation: CA This business is conducted by a limited.liability company. The registrant(s) started doing business on 02/2020. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant
For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com
ACROSS
1 Bowling locale 6 Fixes typos 11 Supporter 14 Grasp 15 When to see la luna 16 “Where’s the ___?” 17 It’s got a point to it 19 “Much ___ About Nothing” 20 Oratorio part 21 Sis’s counterpart 22 Frequently 24 “Owner of a Lonely Heart” rock band 25 Astronaut Jemison 26 Not qualified 28 Island country north of New Zealand 33 Singer LaMontagne 34 35mm camera choice 35 “The Parent ___” 36 “Downton ___” 39 “Harper Valley ___” (1968 hit) 40 “Byeeee” 41 “___ all a favor ...” 42 1.5-volt battery size 43 Actor Barinholtz 44 His Secret Service code name is “Celtic” 49 Skulk about 50 “Uh-uh”
51 “Feels great!” 53 Part of PSL 55 “Oh, nasty!” 56 “Tickle Me” doll 57 Brooding music genre 58 Tequila brand since 1886 whose name means “Old Town” 62 Tiny bite 63 First name in cosmetics 64 Let go 65 6-point football scores 66 Beloved ones 67 Paintball mementos
DOWN
1 Chemistry test 2 “The Elements” satirist Tom 3 Be a go-between 4 Cornell who founded Cornell University 5 “Uh-huh” 6 Pharmaceutical for rheumatoid arthritis 7 Martial arts facility 8 It may be crushed 9 Active chemical in cannabis 10 Light, as fireworks 11 Reason to pull over 12 Helper 13 Bar sign light 18 1994 Siouxsie and the Banshees single
23 Highest number on a billiard ball 25 ___ Thai (martial art) 26 John Wooden’s team 27 Neither go-with 29 Roll call response 30 “From hell’s heart, ___ at thee” (“Moby-Dick” quote) 31 Director Duplass 32 Bitter drink 36 Modifying wd. 37 Bleachers sound 38 Places to be let on 39 Central or Hyde, e.g. 40 Twist out of shape 42 “The Living Daylights” singers 43 “Famous Potatoes” state 45 Looked slyly 46 English, in Spanish 47 White of “Family Matters” 48 “Roger ___” (1960s cult cartoon hero) 52 They’re raised by mechanics 53 Time to give up? 54 Included with 55 Lyft competitor 56 County Kerry’s isle 59 Manipulate 60 Pilot’s calculation 61 Group for ex-GIs
May 13 - 26, 2021
PLEASE HELP!
The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter 957 N. Gaffey St.,San Pedro • 888-452-7381, x 143
Filing & Publishing
who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). WE GOT THIS PRODUCTIONS LLC, S/ RYAN S. BLANEY, Secretary. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 03/09/2021. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section
Don Marshall CPA, Inc.
DBAs $ 140
(310) 781-2823
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021050433 The following person is doing business as:(1) George’s Barber Shop & Beauty Salon, 725 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Gabriela Casique, 725 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Gabriela Casique, Managing owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 02/26/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/01/21,
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REAL ESTATE SERVICES
17
DBA & LEGAL FILINGS [from p. 17] ment pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/29/21, 05/13/21, 05/27/21, 06/10/21
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021058278 The following person is doing business as:(1) We Got This,Gianine P. Rizzi, 1075 11th Street, San Pedro 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: We Got This Productions LLC, 1075 11th Street, San Pedro 90731. This Business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 02/2020. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Ryan S. Blaney, secretary. This statement was filed
with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 03/09/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 04/29/21, 05/13/21, 05/27/21, 06/10/21
NOTICE REVISED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY PROJECT Notice is hereby given that the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department has pre-
DBAs $140
310-519-1442
DBAs must be renewed every five years
May 13 - 26, 2021
NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, Bids for the following Work: ON-CALL RECYCLING OF ASPHALT, CONCRETE MATERIALS AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES at PORT OF LONG BEACH LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S3122 Bid Deadline:
NIB -1 Contract Documents. Contract Documents may be downloaded, at no cost, from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal website. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the Port of Long Beach PB System website in order to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued. For the link to the Port of Long Beach PB System and for information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at www.polb. c om / busines s / busines s opportunities.
Prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Bids shall be submitted electronically via the Port of Long Beach PlanetBids (PB) System prior to 2:00 p.m.
Bid Opening:
Electronic Bid (eBid) results shall be viewable online in the PB System immediately after the Bid Deadline.
Contract Documents Available:
Download Contract Documents from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal: www.polb.com/sbe Click on the POLB Vendor Portal 1. Register and Log In 2. Click “Bid Opportunities” 3. Double-click on respective bid Project Title 4. Click on DocumentAttachments tab 5. Double-Click on Title of Electronic Attachment 6. Click “Download Now” 7. Repeat for each attachment For assistance in downloading these documents please contact Port of Long Beach Plans and Specs Desk at 562-283-7353.
Pre-Bid Meeting:
None.
Project Contact Person:
Sunny Zia, Sunny.Zia@polb.com
Please refer to the Port of Long Beach PB System for the most current information.
Filing & Publishing
18
pared a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Southern California International Gateway Project (SCIG Project). The SCIG Project is a proposal by BNSF Railway to build and operate a new, state of the art intermodal railyard facility located within four miles of the San Pedro Bay ports in a largely industrial area east of the Wilmington community of the City of Los Angeles, with portions in the cities of Carson and Long Beach. The SCIG Project was evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in a Final EIR certified in 2013. The Revised Draft EIR provides disclosure of additional detailed information on two air quality impacts, as required by a writ of mandate filed on May 23, 2018. The Revised Draft EIR is available for a 45-day public review and comment period starting on May 19, 2021, and ending on July 9, 2021. The public notice and document is available for public review on the Port of Los Angeles website at: https://www. portoflosangeles.org/environment/environmental_documents. Comments on the Revised Draft EIR must be submitted in writing and postmarked by no later than July 9, 2021 to: Christopher Cannon, Director of Environmental Management, Port of Los Angeles, 425 South Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro CA 90731 or via e-mail to ceqacomments@ portla.org. Comments sent via email should include ``SCIG Project`` in the email’s subject line and a valid mailing address within the email. A virtual public hearing on the Revised Draft EIR will be held on June 15, 2021 at 5:00pm by joining the Zoom Meeting Webinar link posted in the public notice. For additional information, please contact Lisa Ochsner at the Port of Los Angeles at (310) 7323412. CD-15
Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/ VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at www.polb.com/business/ permits. NIB -2 Pre-Bid Questions. All questions, including requests for interpretation or correction, or comments regarding the Contract Documents, must be submitted no later than June 8, 2021, at 5 p.m. Questions received after the pre-Bid question deadline will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted electronically through the PB System. Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted. Ques-
tions submitted to City staff will not be addressed and Bidder will be directed to the PB System. NIB -3 Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Visit. There will not be a pre-bid meeting or site visit for this project. The City makes no guarantee that existing construction and site conditions matches construction depicted on record reference documents. It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to identify existing conditions. NIB -4 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: : furnishing all materials, power, construction equipment with qualified operators, laborers, tools, transportation and supervision necessary to provide, operate, and maintain a crusher operation for a period of two (2) years and recycle (crush) miscellaneous broken asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, and reinforced concrete into Crushed Miscellaneous Base (CMB); crushing and sizing of rock and concrete for 2-inch rock; maintaining Best Management Practices (BMPs) checklist for dust control and storm water run-off; maintaining the Rubble Site as required in the Specifications; and perform other related work, including supervision, within the Harbor District as required by the Long Beach Harbor Department and as described in the Technical Specifications. NIB -5 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Contractor shall achieve Affidavit of Final Completion of the Project within two (2) years as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8.2 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES SET FORTH IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ENGINEER’S APPROVAL OF AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COMPLETION, WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS. NIB -6 Contractor’s License. The Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “A”, California Contractor’s License to construct this project. NIB -7 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 30% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract. The amount of any such
“Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City on the Schedule of Bid Items. The bid price of any materials or equipment rental costs from vendors who are solely furnishing materials or rental equipment and are not performing Work as a licensed subcontractor on this project shall also be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. NIB -8 The Port has established a Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program to encourage small business participation on construction contracts. Although an SBE/ VSBE participation goal was not assigned to this contract, the Port strongly encourages all bidders to include such participation whenever possible, by utilizing small and very small business subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers. The Port also strongly encourages SBE/VSBE firms to respond to this solicitation as prime contractors. The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 283-7598 or sbeprogram@polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE Program requirements at www.polb.com/sbe. NIB -9 Prevailing Wage Requirements per Department of Industrial Relations. This Project is a public work Contract as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www. dir.c a .gov/dlsr/ D Pr eWageDetermination.htm and on file at the City, available upon request. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices. This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pur-
[War, from p. 15]
Starting a War
In an interview, Carrillo said he was introduced to the political ideology of the Boogaloo Bois through friends in the Air Force and on the Internet. The 15 activeduty airmen identified by the news organizations as openly promoting Boogaloo content on Facebook worked at bases around the world, including eight who, like Carrillo, served in the Air Force security branch. When asked about these active-duty airmen, the Air Force said in a statement that personnel who participate in extremist groups are in “direct violation” of Defense Department regulations. “Supporting extremist ideology, especially that which calls for violence or the deprivation of civil liberties of certain members of society, violates the oath every service member takes to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” the Air Force statement said. On April 9, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Pentagon to take a series of immediate steps to counter extremism in the military. It is unclear precisely when Carrillo began associating with the Boogaloo Bois, but according to a sworn statement
from an FBI agent he was in direct contact with prominent figures in the group by December 2019. The next month, prosecutors allege, he bought a $15 device that converts AR15 semiautomatic rifles into fully automatic machine guns, making the purchase through a website that advertised to Boogaloo Facebook groups and promised to donate some of its profits to the family of Duncan Lemp, who became a Boogaloo martyr after he was killed in a police raid. Carrillo also began incorporating popular militia memes and imagery into his Facebook posts, and was in touch online with a growing circle of Boogaloo Bois. “A lot of people in the movement knew who Steve was,” Mike Dunn, the leader of a Boogaloo faction in Virginia that calls itself the Last Sons of Liberty, said in an interview. Carrillo’s girlfriend, Silvia Amaya, said she noticed a distinct shift in Carrillo’s behavior at around this time. He struggled with insomnia and was increasingly “shut off in his own world,” she said in an interview. He talked frequently about how “a war would start soon,” echoing the core belief of Boogaloo followers. Read more of this story at: www. randomlengthsnews.com
LEGAL FILINGS NIB -12
Not Used.
NIB -17 Iran Contracting Act of 2010. In accordance with Public Contract Code sections 2200-2208, every person who submits a bid or proposal for entering into or renewing contracts with the City for goods or services estimated at $1,000,000 or more are required to complete, sign, and submit the “Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit.” Issued at Long Beach, California, this 10th day of May, 2021. Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: For project updates after Bid Opening, please contact plans.specs@polb.com.
Chanelle Trenea Brimmer became the first daughter born to Calvin and Charlotte Brimmer on Aug. 14, 1984, in Los Angeles. Born with honeygolden skin and sandy blondish-brown highlighted curls, Chanelle soon became affectionately known to her nieces, nephews and cousins as Nell-Nell, or Pumpkin, a nickname affectionately bestowed upon her by her mom. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at a very early age and her relationship with God blossomed throughout her life. Chanelle’s formal education began at Little Angels Retreat pre-school and continued through Towne Elementary, Curtiss Middle School and King Drew Medical and Science High School. She excelled in her studies. In her community, she participated in various activities at neighborhood parks and was a dedicated Girl Scout, holding the position of vice president. Chanelle was 18 when she was crowned 2002 Miss Teen Carson. The Carson Scholarship Pageant was a competition around the time of the city’s founding in 1968 which allowed young women of Carson to demonstrate their civic pride. Chanelle attended UCLA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Years later, she furthered her education by pursuing a master’s degree in conflict resolution, negotiations and peace building at Cal State Dominguez Hills University. During her collegiate endeavors, Chanelle’s appreciation of cultures and diversity led her to travel abroad to Europe, visiting Austria, Italy and Germany — the first in her family to do so. After college, Chanelle worked for Human Potential Consultants, where she ultimately managed 14 employment placement and training contracts, including the Army and Marine Corps, Solano State Prison, Corona Institute for Women, and SPA 6 Community Base Coalition Project. She later became the director of career services at InterCoast Training Institute in Carson, where she helped graduates secure employment. She achieved an employment placement rate of 93%, which included
individuals with criminal backgrounds and other socioeconomic disadvantages. As a human resources expert, she has interviewed over a thousand applicants, trained a few hundred more and placed many more into their careers. Chanelle was a powerful motivational speaker and trainer. She served passionately and artistically in all areas of her employment. Known for her enthusiasm, contagious energy and passionate delivery, Chanelle Brimmer had the ability to captivate an audience. She was absolutely an inspiration. Creatively designed, Chanelle was a lover of music, art and painting. Her creative juices flowed naturally, inspiring her to publish two books, two workbooks and two books of poetry. Her books were utilized as textbooks by students attending Southwest, Westwood, ITT, and in prisons across California. Her two best sellers, The Employment Code = You and The Interview Door for Convicted Felons: He’s No Criminal … He’s a Professional promote her longtime passion of helping others in servitude to God’s promise of eternal life. Chanelle loved life and lived each moment to the fullest. She will forever be a chosen child of God. He shined His light through her bright smile and uplifting spirit. On April 11, 2021, it was ordained by God that her work here on Earth was done, although she was called home to be with the Lord, her light will remain with every person she met and the many lives that she impacted. Chanelle is survived by her devoted parents, Calvin and Charlotte Brimmer; her siblings: Darnell, Justin (Misha) and Brittany; her grandparents Samuel Shaffer, Tyrone and Theresa Dowdell; her aunts Ida Justin, Cheryl Shaffer, Sheronda Dowdell; her uncles Ivory Brimmer Jr., Charles Brimmer (Andrea), and Samuel Shaffer; nieces: Kennedy, Jordyn, IvyMichelle, Madison; nephews: Karson, Jay-Michael, Karter; first cousins: Mark, Tasha, Lisa, Lawrence, Cory, Kim, Chevis, Chantel, Randy, Jayden, Jordan; Godparents: Ricky Ector and Derain Horton. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Ivory Sr., Bellena Brimmer and Aunt Herma Lee Brimmer.
May 13 - 26, 2021
NIB -14 C o n d i t i o n a l Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind
NIB -16 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code.
Aug. 14, 1984 to April 11, 2021
NIB -11 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after City’s issuance of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City.
Contractors and Subcontractors must furnish electronic Certified Payroll Records (CPRs) to the Labor Commissioner’s Office, and in addition, hardcopies or electronic copies shall be furnished to the Port of Long Beach.
NIB -15 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds and other acceptable Bid Security shall be guaranteed and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first.
Daughter of Carson Civic Leader Laid to Rest
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
NIB -10 Project Labor Agreement. This project is not covered by a PLA.
NIB -13 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City.
suant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 (with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)). No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5.
the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder.
Chanell Trenea Brimmer
19
20
May 13 - 26, 2021
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant