Saigu and Reconciliation Faith Leaders Remember ‘92 Riots in Solidarity While Calling Out Anti-Asian Hate By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
[See Saigu, p. 5]
June 7 primary election results p. 6 Residents try to stop street takeovers by car clubs p. 2 Phantom of the Burlesque: One woman discovers herself and her calling p. 9
Mayor Eric Garcetti, activist Najee Ali, and John Hope Bryant, founder of nonprofit Operation HOPE at a Saigu commemoration event on April 29 at FLorence and Normandie. Photo courtesy of Najee Ali
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
On June 19, Juneteenth 400 and the Korean Friendship Bell Preservation Committee will be partnering on this year’s Juneteenth celebration at Cabrillo Beach. Random Lengths News interviewed San Pedro resident and community activist, Najee Ali and Rev. Hyepin Im of FACE-LA about reconciliation and healing from the 1992 civil unrest, known as Saigu, in the wake of the current iteration of anti-Asian hate across the country. The Korean American community’s recollection of Saigu is comparable to their collective memory of the Japanese occupation of Korea, the division of the country into north and south, and the murderous shooting spree by Robert Aaron Long across three spas and massage parlors in metropolitan Atlanta. “I have to say the uprising or LA riots is a very important backdrop and is what motivates me to do the work that I do,” Rev. Hyepin Im explained. Rev. Hyepin Im will be one of the keynote speakers at the bell ringing ceremony hosted by the Korean Friendship Bell Committee on June 19. Im has been engaged in the work of building community, relationships, and communities since the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Im is the executive director of the Korean Churches for Community Development, which in recent years has changed its name to FACE-LA. As the organization’s name and mission suggest, she leans deeply into her identity as a Christian and her desire for the church to be a light in the world. Im observed that when and if there’s any media coverage about Christians, it’s usually negative. “I really want to equip and empower churches that are already doing great work but re-
County Announces Veteran Homeless Shelter at Best Western Hotel in San Pedro By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
though it is purchasing the building with county funds. Odendahl said the organization is required to utilize it for the county’s intended purposes. Hahn said that Volunteers of America has a great track record with working with homeless veterans. “The County will have a contract with VOA so that we can provide oversight and make sure this is a great project that helps the veterans who will live there and works hand in hand with the San Pedro community,” Hahn said via email. The hotel has 60 rooms, and most will be occupied by one person, Hahn said. However, she said that service providers who have worked with veterans have seen success with “buddy programs,” pairing two people in a room, and they will likely try the same thing here. There most likely will not be any female veterans allowed to apply for the program, as Volunteers of America
said it will only allow men. Hahn said there will not be any time limit to how long each veteran can stay at the shelter. In addition, it will offer services to the residents. “It will take time, but we are going to do everything we can to help them turn their lives around,” Hahn said. “For some people that will mean mental healthcare, for others it will mean helping them get a job.” Hahn said they don’t have an exact count of how many staff Volunteers of America will have onsite, but will potentially have licensed clinicians, case managers, mental health specialists, custodial staff, administrative staff and a site manager. In addition, the organization may partner with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health for mental health ser[See Best Western, p. 8] 1
June 9 - 22, 2022
The County of Los Angeles and Volunteers of America are in the process of purchasing the Best Western Hotel on Gaffey Street, with the intention of turning it into temporary housing for homeless veterans. It will be purchased using funds from Project Homekey 2, a program that houses homeless people in hotels. It will have 60 rooms, and the county and Volunteers of America are paying $22,224,000 for it. “That is the cost of purchasing the property, renovations needed to make the building suitable for interim housing, and additional funding to operate the site,” said Liz Odendahl, communications director for Supervisor Janice Hahn, in an email. “These costs are in line with costs for similar projects around the state.” Volunteers of America will own the property, even
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area 2022 SPAA Harbor Wide All-Grades Student Art Competition
The deadline for the end of school and this contest is fast approaching. San Pedro Art Association or SPAA will accept all entries down to the wire, and is asking for your submissions as soon as possible. This competition is free for the children. SPAA needs help to get the word out and is looking for even more participants than last year. The entry deadline is June 17. Just take a photo of your art, print and fill out the entry form and entry label, take a quick picture of both and send all three to spaa@sanpedroart.org. Details: www.sanpedroart.org/2022_SPAA_STUDENT_RULES; In Spanish: www.sanpedroart.org/2022_SPAA_ STUDENT_RULES_SP
Masking Requirement Extended for Mass Transit and Indoor Public Transportation Hubs Due to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases, positivity rates and outbreaks, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will extend the masking requirement in all public transit and indoor public transportation hubs within the city. On April 28, the seven-day case rate was 72.8 per 100,000 people. Currently, the seven-day case rate is 230 per 100,000. Details: www.longbeach.gov/press-releases/cityextends-masking-requirement
State Adopts Aggressive Water Conservation Measures
The State Water Resources Control Board adopted emergency water conservation regulations on May 25 in response to the governor’s March executive order: www.gov.ca.gov/March-2022Drought-EO.pdf The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously May 25, to implement a statewide ban on watering of non-functional turf in the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors, as well as regulations requiring local agencies to implement water use restrictions amid the possibility that water supplies may be up to 20% lower due to extreme weather. Details: www.saveourwater.com and drought. ca.gov.
Grant Applications Open for ActivateLB Cultural Programs
June 9 - 22, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
The application period is now open for the City of Long Beach’s recently announced ActivateLB Grants Program. This program, funded by the Long Beach Recovery Act, will provide funding for large citywide cultural events, along with neighborhood event seed grants and business activation grants. The application period for Cultural Special Events Grants is open now and will remain open until funds have been exhausted. Eligible organizations may apply for the grants, administered through the city manager’s office, at longbeach.gov/ActivateLB Additionally, through the ActivateLB Grants. Details: longbeach.gov/ActivateLB; https://tinyurl.com/grant-programs
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Three Long Beach Public Libraries Pilot New Hours
Long Beach Public Library is piloting new operating hours at three branches — Bay Shore Library, Bach Library and Billie Jean King Main Library — to better address community needs expressed by residents through a summer 2021 survey. The piloted shift will affect the Tuesday and Thursday operating hours for the three locations and will include added morning hours, opening earlier at 10 a.m. instead of noon, and closing earlier, with Billie Jean King Main Library closing at 7 p.m. and Bach and Bay Shore at 5 p.m. Library hours at all other locations will remain the same. After the pilot concludes on Sept. 30, the library will evaluate its success during the fall to determine if the change will become permanent. Details: www.longbeach.gov/globalassets/ city-manager/media-library/documents
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
SP Residents Try to Stop Street Takeovers By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter
Some San Pedro residents are trying to slow down their neighbors — or at the very least, stop people from driving recklessly in their neighborhoods. At the May 16 meeting of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, the board voted 10-0 to ask that the city place a center median on Paseo Del Mar, in front of Joan Milke Flores Park. The reason for this is to prevent cars from doing street racing and donuts. In addition, the council also asked for a crosswalk to make it easier for pedestrians to walk into the park. Japhet Hom, captain of the Los Angeles Police Department South Traffic Division, said that what his division sees is not really street racing, but street takeovers. “Takeovers consist of guys that will block off an intersection or a stretch of highway and do their burnouts and donuts, and people film it,” Hom said. “That’s what we typically get, we don’t get the traditional street racing, like what it used to be, where two cars go down the street and race each other.” Noel Gould, a board member of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, lives nearby and has witnessed vehicles taking over the street multiple times. Most recently, it was a truck club. “Not only were they stopping traffic right next to Joan Milke Flores Park, and spinning monstrous donuts, but then all of the cars were parked in one of the lanes of traffic as well,” Gould said. “There was a family with a young child and a dog trying to cross, and they just didn’t know how to handle it.” James Campeau, a neighborhood activist, brought the idea of a crosswalk in front of Joan Milke Flores Park to the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s planning and land use committee. “It really needs some kind of lined cross-
Noel Gould, board member of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, stands in front of Paseo Del Mar, where cars often do donuts. Photo by Fabiola Esqueda
walk,” Campeau said. “A stop sign would be great. But people walking from Pt. Fermin Park, they walk along the sidewalk over to Wilder’s addition … a lot of times they’re jaywalking.” Campeau pointed out that it’s a destination place and a walking area, and said he wants to link the parks in the area: Angels Gate, Joan Milke Flores, Wilder’s Addition Park and Pt. Fermin. “When you go westbound, you’re going along Paseo Del Mar, and then you go up kind of this hill,” Campeau said. “It’s kind of blind as you come over. Well, some of these guys are road racing there, and they can’t see if people are jaywalking in Joan Milke Flores Park.” Paseo Del Mar is a very wide street, and the purpose of a center median would be to make it
narrower on both sides, that way donuts are no longer possible. “This whole sort of donut doing business, it’s something, at least in this area, that’s developed over the last few years,” Gould said. “It wasn’t really so much of a problem before that.” Gould said that this is popular wherever the road is wide. Lots of skid marks are visible on Paseo Del Mar, and at other such roads, like Pacific Avenue, or at the Gaffey overlook. At Paseo Del Mar, it happens fairly regularly, Gould said, often on Sunday afternoons. “We were going for the Paseo motion because that’s a super popular spot,” Gould said. Gould said the raised median would be about the height of the curb. Inside it, there would be
agency, CalGEM, has been complicit in allowing big oil to reap enormous profits. Environmental justice is possible and we call for the phasing out of oil drilling and call on them to shut Warren down.” Stand LA Coalition leader, Rev. Louis Chase, said, “We need drill sites closed throughout LA. No amount of regulation will stop them. Warren has shown blatant disregard for the health of Wilmington residents, working hand-in-hand with the state agency. This is a systemic problem. It is the oil companies’ pattern of negligence and the only thing that matters is money. There are no restrictions on big oil finding its way around or through regulations. Stand LA calls on the city to shut this facility down and prevent drilling where we live.” Twenty-five-year Wilmington resident, Dulce Altamirano, addressed the crowd in Spanish, exclaiming that “Warren does not respect our health and life. We suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases. I want a normal life for my children and relatives. The company is only thinking about filling their pockets with money
and cares nothing about us.” Young people, the most severely impacted victims of the toxic fumes and particulates, were represented by a 20-year-old college student who grew up in Wilmington, Nizgui Gomez. “As kids, we grew up smelling the refineries’ fumes not knowing what it was doing to our health. The real health impacts have been asthma, birth defects and cancer. There are laws in place but still there is no justice. They think they are above the law, illegally drilling since 2018. Too many of the so-called political leaders backed Warren.” The crowd chanted back, “Warren stop drilling you are killing us.” “I nod my head in disbelief. Why we need to do this again. This is injustice. The system is broken. Big oil is lying about everything. We need immediate action,” said Rep. Barragán. “The oil industry is not above the law. They will not take advantage of my constituents in Wilmington. If it’s a fight they want, they’ve got one. We will not stand silent and let them prioritize profits over the health, safety and quality of life of our community.”
[See Streets, p. 4]
Community Demands Shutdown of Warren Inc. By Mark Friedman, Reporter
Residents and allies from across Los Angeles joined a press conference and protest on June 1 in Wilmington to demand the City of Los Angeles take action against oil operator Warren Resources (Warren Inc.), which has a pattern of illegal oil drilling activities that have harmed community health and safety. The action was sponsored by Communities for a Better Environment, Standing Together Against Neighborhood Drilling and U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragán who joined them to expose Warren Inc.’s violation of local permitting regulations occurring since 2018. This includes failing to conduct comprehensive environmental reviews and misrepresenting information in at least 19 permit applications to the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency, California’s Geologic Energy Management Division. Residents approached CBE in 2006 to take a stand against neighborhood oil drilling. CBE attorney Allison Hahm said of Warren Inc., “They are dodging environmental guidelines, using outdated permits and since 2015 has fast-tracked new oil well development. The state
Communities Prevail in Struggle Against 710 Fwy. Widening By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
grocery shop without cars. ” “Expanding the purview of the project” is important, Ortega said. “People have been talking about green space, talking about the lack of urban tree canopy in the area,” and “alleviating traffic by improving our public transit, adding more bike lanes, improving pedestrian bridges
along the corridor.” In addition to the new project vision and objectives, Hahn’s motion called for staff to create an investment plan, with short- and mid- and long-term initiatives, with at least three initiatives to request funding in 2022, as informed by the Task Force.
The intent is that “It’s going to improve quality of life, and not just mitigate,” Ortega said. “The previous iteration of the project was trying to mitigate, but not actually improve.” With Hahn’s motion approved, Lyou said, “Now, for the first time, we have a reason to be genuinely hopeful that we will get there.”
Real People, Real News, Really Effective June 9 - 22, 2022
On May 26, the decades-long battle against widening the 710 freeway ended in victory as the Metro Board of Directors voted unanimously to support a proposal by Supervisor Janice Hahn to end the widening effort and reorient the $750 million in local sales taxes already dedicated to the project toward more just and equitable alternatives. “Widening this freeway and wiping out neighborhoods is not the pathway forward, and neither is the status quo,” Hahn said. “We may be closing out an old chapter, but today we’re going to write a new chapter. We have an opportunity to use the funding we already have set aside for this project on smarter ways to improve air quality, reduce congestion, improve mobility, and address safety concerns for everyone living and traveling along this corridor.” Hahn’s motion directs staff to return to the board in June “with new project vision and objectives, after final consultation with the 710 Task Force,” according to her summary. Random Lengths News spoke with task force members for their reactions and ideas moving forward. “The decision to stop the proposed expansion of the 710 freeway marks an important and symbolic turning point in California’s approach to transportation and mobility,” said Commissioner Joe Lyou, California Transportation Commission, president of Coalition for Clean Air and 710 Task Force member. “From an environmental justice and transportation equity standpoint, there are a lot of problematic freeways in California. The 710 freeway certainly ranks among the worst,” he said. “Everybody knows it but until now, little has happened to fix it.” “Though it took way too long to get a commitment to prioritize health and well-being, our community embraces this decision as a victory,” said Laura Cortez, co-director, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, another 710 Task Force member. “However, the 710 as it is now causes significant harm daily, and community members along the 710 will continue to work so community voices are prioritized, and we don’t replicate the harms of the previous process.” “There are already so many ideas being generated for how we can use this funding going forward,” Hahn said. “When I met with Bell Councilmember Ali Saleh, he brought up the idea of a regional transit initiative in SELA that better connects these cities. And Bell Councilmember Ana Maria Quintana told me her residents deserve to have a new Florence Avenue interchange that allows them to walk, bike, and drive safely across the bridge. Many of our SELA city council members have also brought up the need for air filtration in our schools, more sound walls, and better access to the LA River. Our ports are also working towards becoming fully zero emissions, so we need to invest in a zero-emissions truck program.” “I would like to see restorative justice for residents who live adjacent to the freeway,” Solis said. “Residents who live close to the freeway should be offered air purifiers, air conditioners, retrofitting to keep out sound and trees to mitigate the pollution. Additionally, schools should be retrofitted as well. Of course there should be free health clinics that treat residents for the health problems caused by the freeway.” Bikes are important too, Solis said. “There should be a bike lane over the 5 freeway. This would let residents go south of the 5 easier. I also think that e-bikes should be given to residents who may not be fit enough to ride a regular bike. Additionally, e-bikes could allow residents to
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[Streets from p. 2]
Streets
June 9 - 22, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
plants native to southern California. “Not only would it be a median, but it would be an attractive-looking median,” Gould said. The council sent the motion to several city agencies, including the Department of Transportation, or DOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Council District 15 office. However, Gould has no idea how soon the city will respond. “Watching the city work is like, I don’t know, watching molasses move in the arctic,” Gould said. Campeau expressed frustrations with DOT. “I have an idea for intersections,” Campeau said. “But we always have to deal with DOT. And every word out of their mouth is no, until someone gets killed, and then they do something, sometimes.” Gould said that these vehicular activities are dangerous not just to the people involved, but to bystanders as well. “They’re doing that right there at Paseo Del Mar, with a cliff, with a 115-foot drop,” Gould said. “What if one of them lost control and went over the cliff?” However, Gould doesn’t believe that the median will be enough. “That’s like a band-aid on an arm that’s been chopped off,” Gould said. “It happens all over the place.” Gould argued that the only way to really stop the takeovers would be for the police to get there early and give tickets to the drivers, and impound their cars. Hom said sometimes his division is not able to get there in time, so sometimes patrol officers
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will have to deal with it. “I only have four guys doing it, basically, in all of south LA,” Hom said. His department is preoccupied with other things as well, mainly investigating traffic collisions. “That’s our primary goal, to free up patrol, so they don’t have to do it,” Hom said. “So, patrol can handle patrol related things, dealing with the gangs and the shootings.” Hom said that the organizers use social media to announce when their next events will happen. Hom and the division are aware of the posts. “We try to follow them on social media to see where the meet spots are,” Hom said. “That’s how they communicate with each other. LA is so big, it’s hard to sit at a spot and try to figure out where it’s going to be.” Once they find out where the takeover will take place, the police try to disrupt or prevent it. “A lot of these street takeovers, they’re very large,” Hom said. “We get a lot of cars sometimes, and it can easily overwhelm our two or three units. So, we try to get sufficient units to disrupt it. And then if we see violations, we try to make those enforcement stops and basically pick them off one or two at a time.” Hom said that part of the problem is his division does not have enough personnel, and it is struggling to hire people. The officers that work for Hom will issue citations to the vehicle owners, and they have been trained to look for modifications to engines and exhaust systems, to give out more specific citations. “If they observe the violation for anything related to burnout or takeover for exhibition of speed, then those cars get to be impounded as well,” Hom said. “And then eventually, we’ll get a judicial seizure warrant, and seize that car for 30 days.”
[Saigu, from p. 1]
Saigu
ally take them to the next level, where their good works are visible and recognizable and people value their contribution,” Im explained. “I also want to increase their impact. I got that model from First AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church.” Indeed, that journey has continued. The number of people Im counts as mentors could fill whole books of who’s who of prominent African Americans, with Rev. Mark Whitlock near the top of that list. Whitlock even toasted at her wedding. Despite her affinity to and close relationship with Whitlock, she admitted that for a long time she didn’t feel safe talking about the relationship between the Korean store owner and the Black customer in the LA riots story. “I felt unsafe because I valued that relationship and I wanted to bring peace,” Im explained. “It felt like having a boyfriend whom your parents didn’t approve of, with the boyfriend the Korean community and the parents, the Black community. And not having the confidence that if I were to raise my concerns, that it would lead to a stronger and better relationship.”
write an op-ed entitled, Asian Lives Matter. And for me as a Korean American who felt our experience continued to be erased …”, Im said, trailing off. “Then Mark [Whitlock] said he didn’t want to be guilty of doing to Asians what white people have done to the Black community.” “So, when Mark [Whitlock] coined the term, “Asian Lives Matter,” there was a part of me that felt I was being seen and the pain was being released because I saw that he got it.” At the same time, Im imagined the backlash and thought to call him to make sure that’s what he wanted to do. “And so I did and asked him, ‘Mark, are you sure you want to title it that?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’”
Anti-Asian Hate and the Turning Point
Activist Najee Ali, Rev. Hyepin Im of Faith and Community Empowerment Los Angeles [FACE-LA], and Shinese Harlins-Kilgore, the sister of Latasha Harlins, who was killed by a convenience store clerk in 1992. Photo courtesy of Najee Ali
[See Reconciliation, p.13]
June 9 - 22, 2022
He was the one who called the LA Sentinel to have it published. They retitled it Black Church and Asian Lives Matter ... Whitlock even got it published on the front page of The Christian Recorder, the oldest existing periodical published by African-Americans in the United States — a publication that pre-dates the Civil War. “This newspaper goes to every AME Church in the world,” Im said. “He didn’t say it in some dark corner with some bunch of Asians. I’m so grateful for him.” Im recounted another instance in which her friends and allies showed up in solidarity. Dr. Williams-Skinner, CEO and co-founder of Skinner Leadership Institute, spearheaded a twominute Asian and Black Solidarity public service announcement video posted to YouTube. A collection of Black and Asian American clergy published a joint op-ed on behalf of Dr. Ketanji Brown Jackson for her nomination and confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, and worked together on COVID-19 and voter suppression efforts. Then Ali connected Im to Shinise HarlinsKilgore, a cousin of Latasha Harlins. Ali said he thought it important that we not only acknowledge what happened 30 years ago, which was the largest civil unrest in the history of our country with over a billion dollars in property damage, and more than 60 lives lost but that we also don’t repeat the mistakes of the past so that the younger generation can see what we learned. “At the end of the day, no matter how much trauma any community faces, you can’t take that trauma out on another group of Angelenos,” Ali
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In the years since the fires have been extinguished, parts of the city have been rebuilt and otherwise redeveloped for better or worse. The ‘92 riots following the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers charged in the arrest and beating of motorist Rodney King a year prior. The civil unrest that ensued afterward had sprung up in several areas in the Los Angeles metropolitan area as thousands of people rioted over six days. Two weeks after the video of the Rodney King beating was released, a Black teenager Latasha Harlins was killed by a convenience store clerk, Soon Ja Du. The 51-year-old store-clerk received a 10year suspended sentence for manslaughter and five years probation. Often when Black Angelenos recount this history, Korean American store owners are cast as the villains alongside Chief Daryl Gates of the LAPD and the institutional racism that continued to discriminate against Black people acquiring home and business loans. Im explained that because she valued her relationship with leaders such as Whitlock she had to sit in an uncomfortable space whenever the discussion about Korean store owners and their devastation and loss came up. “They would have this very hard look on their face, which is inconsistent with what they normally would respond when someone says their livelihood, their life was devastated,” Im explained. “If I thought they were bad people, I would have just blown them off as just bad people. But I knew otherwise and that’s what caused the confusion.” Im explained that because she aspired to continue in relationships with her friends, a dissonance she says caused her a lot of pain, she held back. But then the Golden Spa Massacre in Atlanta happened. “And Mark called me and asked, ‘How can I help?’” Im said. Other key members of nationally recognized Black clergy who have done work in Los Angeles also called, including Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, and others. To make a long story short, those phone calls led to a very small gathering, a gathering she intentionally kept small to make sure that trust was there. “Out of that discussion, Mark volunteered to
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Election Day The second election during the pandemic in which everyone got a ballot but few showed up By James Preston Allen, Publisher
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
It’s Election Day three hours before the polls close and 17,475 voters out of 133,978 have cast their ballots in Council District 15, that’s barely over 13% who have voted. There’s still time for people to vote on their way home. And yet in elections gone by that number of voters has actually been the total number. This means that a city council candidate can and often has been elected with just 10,000 or 11,000 votes, not even 10% of the electorate. It’s kind of depressing when I come to think about it in those terms. And it’s probably not much different in most of the rest of Los Angeles City. This is kind of curious, as this is the second election during the pandemic in which every registered voter got a ballot mailed to them. And on top of that there has been a veritable fortune spent in this election cycle on direct mail campaigns. I have a pile of it sitting on my desk – a testament to political consultants believing that this and bombarding you with annoying TV and social media ads actually works. However, if no more than a tenth of the electorate actually votes I would say there’s something missing in the equation. It would seem that the fate of our civic republic is increasingly determined by a minority of voters and doesn’t represent the will of the people. And yet people still complain about city hall not representing them. I asked my postal clerk if she had mailed in her ballot and she answered that she doesn’t trust mail-in ballots. I had a phone call early this morning from a fifth generation Latino man who had just opened his ballot and said, “Who are these people? I’ve never heard of any of them.” I wonder if he’s actually been receiving his mail? I mean it couldn’t be much easier to vote with early voting, mail-in ballots and drop boxes plus the traditional polling locations. Does any of this really matter or have too many people swallowed the “Big Lie” Kool aid being distributed by Don the Con? Or does apathy reign and distraction conquer? The political psychology of the city is just a bit too much to fathom at times. Tens of thousands will show up to demonstrate; the city can explode with riots with thousands dissatisfied and yet getting a majority of people to go to the polls seems to be insurmountable.
A candidate could probably get elected in some areas if he could just get the homeless to vote, but where would they mail the ballots? And then there’s the guy at the coffee shop who told me, “I don’t vote out of religious reasons.” What religion has prohibitions about voting? All I can say is that everybody has excuses except for those who don’t. What’s yours? Clearly there’s a disconnect. A month after Councilman Joe (Buckets) Buscaino expanded his “no camping” territories to include the block that my office is on and after he chased out the last of the homeless from Gulch Road four blocks away I discovered that some of these folks had taken up digs in the vacant buildings across the street. See, we’re not camping on the sidewalks anymore. Now of course the developers for these threequarters of a city block who have gotten approval for a three-story development with fewer than 10% low income units, aren’t local and don’t seem to care. In fact I’ve heard they’re trying to flip the project before it gets built. And the homeless non-campers have piled up their extras on the sidewalk where the city won’t notice to pick it up for weeks. I don’t even feel angry about it, as this is just the kind of unintended consequence of a bad policy and the indifference of the city bureaucracy that has brought this to a crisis point. I walk down to corner and notice the “no camping” ordinance signs attached to the street lamps and I wonder, ‘is this just too stupid?’ What we need are No Buscaino signs!
The Day After
The morning after an election always feels like a hangover to me. All of the built up anxiety, posturing and posing culminates in the campaign headquarters when the polls close and the candidates and supporters gather in expectation as if it were a wedding or a wake. And then you wake up to the results — bring me some coffee. Still it appears that the minority has spoken – about 15%. The billionaire Rick Caruso is going into the runoff with Rep. Karen Bass, the LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva couldn’t muster a majority, Gov. Gavin Newsom wins again with nearly 60% majority and the CD15 is heading for a surprising runoff. The contest in the 15th district couldn’t be more curious as the establishment candidate Tim McOsker, who had a million dollar war chest and
the longest list of endorsements failed to capture more than 39%. His insurgent opponent Danielle Sandoval running on a shoe string and a fist full of endorsement: ours and the Los Angeles Times included, has 29.7%. Businessman Anthony Santich didn’t break through with only 19.11% but the surprise is that the Sunrise Movement candidate Bryant Odega did better than we projected with 12.79%. He’s someone to watch. All of this is only to explain that McOsker and Sandoval will be in the November runoff and that this was accomplished with just 10.65%
June 7 Primary Election Results
The following are the election results as of 11 a.m. June 8. There are a few races that are close enough that it could change the outcome before the vote is certified. Governor GAVIN NEWSOM (D)
462,997 59.67%
Lt. Governor ELENI KOUNALAKIS (D)
395,470 52.63%
Secretary of State SHIRLEY N. WEBER (D)
June 9 - 22, 2022
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Random Lengths News is a publication of
Beacon Light Press, LLC
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach.
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com Internship Program Director Zamná Àvila
United States Senator ALEX PADILLA (D)
439,372 57.67%
UNITED STATES SENATOR - Short Term (Unexpired term ending Jan. 3, 2023) ALEX PADILLA (D) 456,419 60.78% UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 36th District TED W. LIEU (D) 58,166
63.55%
461,780 61.57%
Controller LANHEE CHEN (R) MALIA M. COHEN (D)
42nd District ROBERT GARCIA (D) JOHN BRISCOE (R)
20,776 13,328
44.66% 28.65%
248,928 33.15% 152,690 20.33%
44th District NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN (D) 29,045
65.21%
Treasurer FIONA MA (D)
451,077 60.36%
Attorney General ROB BONTA (D)
MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY 65th District MIKE ANTHONY GIPSON (D) 15,490
71.14%
442,648 57.98%
Insurance Commissioner RICARDO LARA (D) MARC LEVINE (D)
66th District AL MURATSUCHI (D) 34,300
58.92%
282,467 38.25% 134,312 18.19%
Board of Equalization TONY VAZQUEZ (D)
69th District JOSH LOWENTHAL (D) AL AUSTIN II (D)
14,890 8,827
405,964 62.68%
Columnists/Reporters Publisher/Executive Editor Melina Paris Assistant Editor/Arts James Preston Allen Community News james@randomlengthsnews.com Hunter Chase Reporter Assoc. Publisher/Production Fabiola Esqueda Carson Reporter Coordinator Anealia Kortkamp Reporter Suzanne Matsumiya Vera Magana Dining Reporter
“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. XLIII : No. 12
of the eligible voters casting a vote. All of this is to simply explain that only 14,269 voters out of 133,978 have decided who might be the next council rep for CD15. These are not the final certified numbers and there may be mail-in ballots to count but it is with all precincts reported. Sadly, that so few are engaged enough to actually cast a ballot is a reflection of the state of our civic democracy. Conversely, it also shows what a small group of engaged citizens can do if they have something to fight for.
Photographers Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Harry Bugarin, Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva Contributors Mark Friedman, Lyn Jensen, Ari LeVaux, Greggory Moore
44.52% 26.39%
[See Results, p. 7]
Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker
Address correspondence regarding news items and tips to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email: editor@randomlengthsnews.com.
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Send Letters to the Editor to james@randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed with address and phone number (for verification purposes) and be about 250 words.
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rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com. Annual subscription is $40 for 27 issues. Back issues are available for $3/copy while supplies last. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2022 Beacon Light Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
[Results, from p. 6]
Results
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TONY K. THURMOND (N) 325,377 46.33% GEORGE YANG (N) 78,705 11.21% ASSESSOR JEFFREY PRANG (N) SANDY SUN (N)
312,353 45.78% 165,540 24.26%
SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA (N) ROBERT LUNA (N)
258,808 34.38% 184,640 24.53%
Judge Superior Court Office No. 3 SHERILYN PEACE GARNETT (N) 403,024 62.22% Office No. 60 ABBY BARON (N) ANNA SLOTKY REITANO (N)
193,006 29.73% 159,985 24.64%
Office No. 67 ELIZABETH LASHLEY-HAYNES (N) 232,079 35.51% FERNANDA MARIA BARRETO (N) 230,286 35.24%
LONG BEACH Auditor LAURA L. DOUD (N)
21,227
61.77%
LONG BEACH Prosecutor DOUG HAUBERT (N)
20,346
58.82%
LONG BEACH Mayor REX RICHARDSON (N) SUZIE PRICE (N)
15,412 14,265
41.90% 38.78%
LONG BEACH City Council, 1st District MARY L. ZENDEJAS (N) 1,328 MARIELA SALGADO (N) 745
49.98% 28.04%
LONG BEACH City Council, 3rd District KRISTINA DUGGAN (N) 1,544 NIMA J. NOVIN (N) 1,295
22.89% 19.20%
LONG BEACH City Council, 5th District MEGAN KERR (N) 3,301 IAN PATTON (N) 2,254
47.88% 32.70%
LONG BEACH City Council, 7th District ROBERTO URANGA (N) 1,895
62.46%
LONG BEACH City Council, 9th District JONI RICKS-ODDIE (N) 832 GINNY GONZALES (N) 503
44.37% 26.83% 20.74% 19.81%
Office No. 70 HOLLY L. HANCOCK (N) RENEE YOLANDE CHANG (N)
276,504 41.99% 223,888 34.00%
Office No. 90 MELISSA LYONS (N) LESLIE GUTIERREZ (N)
LOS ANGELES City Attorney MARINA TORRES (N) FAISAL M. GILL (N)
57,693 55,101
221,970 33.99% 196,324 30.06%
No. 116 DAVID B. GELFOUND (N)
LOS ANGELES Controller KENNETH MEJIA (N) PAUL KORETZ (N)
101,246 37.17% 67,364 24.73%
430,870 67.87%
LOS ANGELES Mayor RICK J. CARUSO (N) KAREN RUTH BASS (N)
133,059 42.14% 116,688 36.95%
No. 118 MELISSA HAMMOND (N) 193,858 29.76% CAROLYN “JIYOUNG” PARK (N) 128,441 19.72% No. 151 PATRICK HARE (N) KAREN A. BRAKO (N)
224,637 35.11% 170,505 26.65%
No. 156 CAROL ELSWICK (N)
438,049 69.34%
LONG BEACH City Attorney DAWN MCINTOSH (N)
19,317
56.48%
LOS ANGELES City Council, 15th District TIM MCOSKER (N) 5,485 38.36% DANIELLE SANDOVAL (N) 4,247 29.71% LOS ANGELES CITY SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION - MEASURE BB COMPETITIVE BID PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL CONTRACT BIDDERS. CHARTER AMENDMENT BB. Shall the City Charter be amended to allow the City, on a competitive bid contract, to award a bid preference to a bidder located in the City of Los Angeles? YES 177,010 64.90%
A Republic, If You Can Keep It
I thank Paul Rosenberg for the immensely clarifying and cohesive writing, explanations, and commentary in RLn, May 26 - June 8, “A Republic, If You Can Keep It.” History and objective reality of contemporary life documented in simply fact-based journalistic reporting drive the conclusion, “It’s not Trump who belongs on trial, … it’s the whole of it.” Though the whole of it listed is incomplete for one item you might agree. We could be okay if our Democratic Republic were truly a representative democracy including the Senate. We witness the will of the whole of us US voters contradicted and disrespected by the Senate where Red states representing a bare minimum of the total US population and economic contribution exert their exaggerated and inflated voting power. We Californians get two votes and so does Alabama. Worse, the Constitution that was designed for Amendments could only be amended through including those very same ridiculously removed-from-contemporary-reality states so we might be able to correct the errors that likely resulted from the aftermath of Civil War with attempts to bring the country together and the simple reality that we weren’t as evolved civilly or socially at the time. What, you mean women and
African descendants were not considered equal back then?! Duh. Strange though, the “well regulated militia,” seems pretty clear as a requirement for the right to bear arms. Also, importantly, in your “And without drastic action now,” we need to define the “drastic action now,” even if beginning with try(ing) to win every seat possible everywhere, Water and School boards, etc. I thank Indivisible and all who Get Out The Vote and I repeat to myself every day that I’m glad I live in California and that about 20 other states constantly fight with California through our attorneys general and states’ rights against federal action when needed, as with Bush/Cheney and with the previous executive administration. Richard Havenick San Pedro
NRA = National Russian Association
The National Rifle Association is a completely corrupt, treasonous criminal organization solely servile to its Russian paymaster Vladimir Putin. And thanks to the NRA’s political and financial entanglement with the dying Republican Party, we the people will be taking down these two birds with one shot. Don’t forget to vote in this year’s general election! Election Day is November 8, 2022. Mark
it on your calendar. No excuses. Do it. Vote! Then complain about Democrats all you want — after the GOP greedy old perverts who worship Putin are put out of power for good. It’s time for those hate-filled, hare-brained hillbillies and rightwing racist rednecks to take their NRA membership cards and shove them where the sun don’t shine! And those fascist freaks can probably fit a firearm or two while they’re up there. [See Letters, p. 15]
Community Alert March For Our Lives
In response to the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, March for Our Lives is mobilizing marches nationwide on June 11 to demand action-such as the package of laws just passed in New York State. The nearest, in Long Beach, starts at noon in Harvey Milk Park. Marchers will meet at Harvey Milk Park at noon, then walk a mile loop down 3rd street to the George Deukmejian Courthouse, then up W. Broadway to Promenade, and return to Harvey Milk Park. Free 2-hour parking is available at the parking structure next to the park. Time: 12 to 2 p.m., June 11 Location: Harvey Milk Park, 185 E. 3rd St., Long Beach Details: https:// marchforourlives.com/
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
At campaign headquarters on election day, city council candidate for the 15th district, Danielle Sandoval, center, with her supporters looking at the election results on their phones. Photo by Fabiola Esqueda
RANDOMLetters
Read these online exclusives and more at:
RandomLengthsNews.com
California Moves To Major Fossil Fuel Divestment Fighting Back Vs. Gun Violence
Juneteenth From Somber Remembrance to Jubilant Celebration
June 9 - 22, 2022
Clean Air Action Plan Update Marks Progress, But Roadmap, Timetables Still Missing
7
[Best Western, from p. 1]
Best Western
June 9 - 22, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
vices. The organization is also considering bringing in instructors to teach courses and job training. The case managers will have a ratio of one to 20. Volunteers of America will use Housing and Urban Development — Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing to find permanent housing for the residents. Vouchers for these programs include long–term case management, clinical and supportive services, and permanent housing assistance for chronically homeless veterans. The hotel will also have security that will be onsite at all times. This security will be paid for using state funding and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, Odendahl said. Once the state awards the money, Volunteers of America will have one year to occupy the property, and will receive a bonus if it does it within eight months. According to a fact sheet from Hahn’s office, the organization plans to have it done by Dec. 25, 2023. “VOA will need to refurbish the rooms to address some safety and durability concerns,” Odendahl said. “They will also need to address safety concerns presented by the balconies and will cover the pool. There will be some ADA upgrades needed as well.” Project Homekey 2, which was announced back in September 2021, originally included $2.75 billion in funds. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in March 2022 that the program would be expanding with $181 million for 13 new projects. The original Project Homekey started at the beginning of the pandemic, with the intention of housing homeless people who had nowhere else to shelter in place.
8
By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor
L
spending the first 45 minutes of the class crying. DeVille asked her why she hated a particular thing about herself. When Lavinia’s answer highlighted what other people say, her teacher responded, “what do you say?” It was a turning point. Lavinia credits that class with gaining much more confidence and reestablishing her love of the stage and theater. The first course questions were, what is one of your greatest strengths followed by what is one of your greatest weaknesses? The answers to both, Lavinia said, have always been her intelligence. It was both a strength and a weakness. The youngest in her class by about six months, she started school early. She also has severe ADHD. She explained her mind is constantly analyzing everything and she’s able to put things together very quickly. “It was seen as a great thing by adults but it wasn’t so great with classmates,” she recalled. “I never really felt comfortable with the idea of being intelligent. We talked about why that was an issue for me and of course that was one of the things that made me break down and cry … what she just said to me it (was) life changing, a revelation. It helped me to see things … to see myself through a different lens.”
A Name
Lavinia adopted the name of her paternal first and second great grandmothers. “It’s unique and I was going for a classic feel to (my stage) name,” she said. Lavinia made her burlesque debut at Vixen DeVille’s 15th anniversary in 2020, an online event. A portion of the event proceeds was directed towards the “Vixens Unleashed” scholarship program. The scholarship fund provides “life-changing training for women in need all over the world.” The training has helped people work through issues including depression, eating disorders, recovery after major life changes and healing after physical or emotional abuse. Lavinia has much to share about grief, technology and the arts. She
tells stories through her performances, including those which are either fire-related or burlesque. Her creativity and wit, coupled with her artistry, offer a mixture of acts from serious and empowering to light-hearted and silly. It’s evident that this is fun for her. “I like telling stories and that’s usually how I tailor my acts,” Lavinia said. “The act isn’t just me stripping but (it’s) also listening to the words. Everything works together to tell that story.” Burlesque helped Lavinia work through her grief from her father’s death from COVID-19 on Dec. 22, 2020. “It was super difficult,” she said. “I was really upset. My dissertation is for me; I don’t want to say it’s for him but he was so excited to find out they were going to have a doctor in the family.” Lavinia’s father was supposed to take part in a recognition ceremony, placing her doctoral hood over her head signifying her success in completing her graduate program. The last time she spoke to her dad was Nov. 6 of that year — the day she successfully defended her dissertation proposal. She recalled he was very excited and in good health. But when she called back on Thanksgiving her mother told her that he was sick. “Dad had an underlying condition, auto-immune encephalitis, a very rare auto-immune disorder. He was going to the hospital for infusions once a month to keep that under control. I think that’s where he picked up COVID.” Burlesque was something Lavinia said she never saw herself doing. But, from the very first class, experiencing the incredible boost to her confidence, she said, she got addicted to it and needed it in her life, even though she didn’t know how to pay for it. While preparing to submit her proposal for
[See Phantom, p. 11]
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
avinia Vale, (also known as Chrissy Mackey) moved to California from her hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the early 2000s to be an actress. The classically trained opera singer (spinto soprano) who specializes in fire eating and breathing, glass walking and all-around variety performer had her share of film roles and other jobs working background in films and a few TV shows, such as the Wanda Sykes and The Bernie Mac shows. She finds power and empowerment in performing pieces from jazz to power ballads to symphonic metal to actual arias. This was an unexpected road for the burlesque performer, who is also in the process of writing her dissertation. Her degree field is industrial and organizational psychology with a focus on training and learning. She uses games to train people in soft skills for business purposes. It’s ironic, because the art of burlesque contains a playful quality — the tease. Lavinia said she doesn’t perform traditional burlesque. In her case, she brings humor to her act, which is traditional to burlesque. Originating in 1860s Britain, burlesque was a humorous art, caricaturing serious literary, dramatic or musical works. Eventually, it evolved in America with emphasis on the “exotic elements” that were more subtle in British performances. This is where Lavinia’s act differs. The storyline is the focus in her performances, rather than the striptease, though that’s present too. Lavinia pulls it all together to reveal a strong, capable woman. What follows is a story of a woman finding herself when she least expected it. Growing up in a “fairly strict” Christian home, she said she wasn’t familiar with burlesque. But her husband had seen it. He told her about it and she asked him to take her to a show. “I remember watching the show and then speaking to a couple of the performers [and] just being impressed,” Lavinia said. The performers struck her as empowered, carefree, confident and comfortable in their own skin. She noted they “almost seemed like wizards.” Lavinia recalled thinking she could never perform like that, as her self esteem, then, was really low. The entertainers firmly told her “No. Anybody can do this. You just need to find some classes and learn the art.” In 2019, Lavinia began taking burlesque classes. After three different classes, the style of teaching just wasn’t “sinking with her.” In fact, she felt worse. A friend encouraged her to check out one more class, by private instructor Vixen DeVille. Lavinia enrolled in the “Permission to Play” course. The course gave her permission to let go. She recalled
June 9 - 22, 2022
Lavinia Vale, a burlesque performer. Graphic by Brenda Lpez, photos by Arturo Garcia-Ayala
9
M
June 9 - 22, 2022
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
orels have no psychoactive properties but are definitely magical. The caps have a brainly look that might make you feel like you’re hallucinating, but these whacky, whimsical mushrooms are for real and can cause real-life magic to happen. This is especially true if you are hunting them, but preparing morels can be an adventure too. Morels are widely considered the finest tasting mushroom on the planet. Their meaty flavor and fleshy texture allow them to mix well with fat and wine, and lend a soulful fungal aroma to soups. Morels grow and are hunted on every continent except Antarctica, and are named in most languages. They could spring up anywhere, as long as the soil temperatures and moisture levels are right, but they prefer creek beds, disturbed ecosystems and the back yards of morel pickers. They appear in clusters so that if you find one, don’t move until you’ve scanned the whole area. Most of the morels picked, including the ones for sale at fancy markets are known as phoneicoid morels, named after the phoenix. For reasons barely understood, these morels proliferate in the burned mountain forests of the west. When you go after them, you quickly look and smell like a burned forest yourself. Finding morels is half art, half science and half persistence. It’s an ecological puzzle you solve by noting the elevation, slope angle, the direction it faces and surrounding plant species, if any remain. Pine cones can look like morels and get your hopes up. That’s why they call it mushroom hunting, rather than picking. Last week when I went hunting I did not wear my morel goggles. In retrospect, the burn I chose was at too high an elevation, so the soil wasn’t warm enough. Back in town I bought a nice basket of morels at the farmers market. Then I went to Diamond Jim’s Casino, which houses a small but well-appointed liquor store that carries the correct type of sherry for morel cooking. Morels need sherry as much as they need butter. But not so-called “cooking sherry,” which tastes more like salt water. We need drinking sherry for morel cookery, but not the good stuff. High-end sherry does not offer any advantage over a $7 bottle of Fairbanks. But alas, on that day, Diamond Jim’s was out of stock. As I stood crestfallen in Diamond Jim’s, a friend called my name. Being a great hunter of elk, morels and other wild things, I knew he would understand my plight. So I
10
Morel Superiority:
In Praise of the Fungal Phoenix By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist
report that the bartender was correct. Here’s a recipe for a dish I first ate by a campfire one rainy June night, when I was camping with a bunch of pickers. There is a certain smell that’s only available around a fire, in the middle of a burned forest, in front of a pan of simmering morels simmer in deep butter. It’s the smell of the wild, and a whiff of the future in the middle of desolation. An ashy reminder that destruction can pave the way for new growth. It blends a decadent morel saute with wild rice, and the untamed flavor of sage. It’s the wild earthiness that you are hunting for when you eat wild mushrooms.
Wild Things
Cooked morels served with wild rice, above. Left, morels in the wild. Photos by Ari LeVaux
explained to him and the room in general, why I needed that Fairbanks. They just wanted to know where I had found them. Reflexively I spat out a false location because they deserved to be lied to. Anybody foolish enough to ask a morel hunter where he found them, so they say, is foolish enough to believe the reply. “I prefer vermouth,” offered the bartender. My head swiveled. “For morels?” I asked. She nodded. “Great!” Do you have any vermouth? “No.” Fortunately, dry vermouth is easier to hunt down than Fairbanks. I found a bottle at the supermarket across the street. And I’m happy to
Fish Day is Friday
Crazy Fish Opens its Second Location in San Pedro By Vera Magana, Dining and Cuisine Reporter
On May 20, restaurateur Joseph Tomasello opened his second Crazy Fish Express location in downtown San Pedro, with a grand opening. As the name Crazy Fish Express suggests, this location is geared toward a more a takeout experience rather than the casual sit-down restaurant like the one on Western Avenue. Crazy Fish tacos are prepared with taco slaw, cherry tomatoes, chives and the specially made crazy sauce. Sushi, grilled, battered or blackened, seafood lovers are able to have their pick across a variety of fish, from talapia to Atlantic salmon. Crazy Fish also provides catering services. Crazy Fish Express occupies the former space of Nima Karimi’s Sebastian’s Mediterranean Cuisine. For those who are not familiar, Crazy Fish specializes in comfort seafood cuisine with sustainably sourced seafood. Buying seafood that has been raised sustainably generally means the fish was sourced in a way that it didn’t cause damage or have any impact on its surrounding marine
This hearty, earthy recipe is good served with meat, but that’s hardly necessary. Ultimately, it’s a showcase for morels. If you have to buy them and they’re really expensive you can make up the difference with regular button mushrooms, or other wild mushrooms like oyster or porcini. For a sumptuous, saucy alternative, skip the wild rice and almonds, and add a cup of heavy cream instead. Serves 8 2 cups wild rice 1/2 pound fresh morels (or morels cut with other mushrooms), sliced in half from tip to stem 1 medium sized onion, chopped 8 tablespoons butter I cup cheap, dry sherry or dry vermouth (failing those, dry white wine) 1 cup chicken stock 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried sage (or a tablespoon fresh) 1 tablespoon soy sauce Juice and zest of a quarter lemon 1 cup slivered or sliced almonds 1 large bunch of parsley A handful of chives or ramps Add the rice and six cups of water to a pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook on medium until the water is gone and the rice is soft and splitting open, about 50 minutes. If it’s still kind of hard and crunchy, add another cup of water and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Turn it off and let it sit with the lid on. While the rice cooks, melt the butter in a pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions, and layer the morels on top. After about five minutes, as the onions start to cook down, give it a stir. When the onions turn translucent and the pan starts to dry out, about 10 minutes, add half of the sherry (or vermouth), as well as the stock, nutmeg, black pepper, salt, sage, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest. Simmer for about 20 minutes on medium. Add the other half cup of vermouth, and simmer for 10 more minutes with the lid on. While it simmers, trim and chop the parsley and chives.
Joseph Tomasello, owner of Crazy Fish Express. Photo by Chris Villanueva
environment. Crazy Fish has two other locations in Redondo Beach and Seal Beach. Tomasello closed the Pacific Coast Highway location. Crazy Fish Express Details: https://www.crazyfish.com/ Location: 309 W. 7th St., San Pedro
When most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, add the rice and stir it around. Add the almonds and give it another stir. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and chives, and serve.
[Phantom, from p. 9]
Phantom Burlesque
her dissertation, Lavinia had to take most of 2019 off from her burlesque classes. When the pandemic and lockdown hit, in 2020, she had to completely rewrite her dissertation because it was based on an in-person study, which couldn’t be done. Instead, she used that time to focus on burlesque — as a distraction from her dissertation. She finished her classes and performed a virtual debut in November 2020 — one week later, she successfully defended her proposal. Her debut video was titled, 5 Stages of Grief. Two weeks later, a fundraising show for mental health awareness was scheduled. Lavinia desperately wanted to be involved in it, even though she had no idea what to do. Eventually, she created an act encompassing the five stages of grief, featuring photos of her dad from all eras of his life. The video became one of her friends and fellow burlesque artist’s most favorite videos. She was cast in the mental health charity fundraiser. A portion of the show’s proceeds went to Nami OC, a mental health nonprofit providing free mental health services. “It’s a good conversation starter when people are going through grief,” Lavinia said. “(It) doesn’t have to be because of the death of a loved one. Any kind of grief is going to follow a similar pattern. Some people won’t experience all five stages. Some get stuck in one stage for a long time, and that’s okay. That was what the video was meant to show.” Lavinia notes on her website burlesque has been able to reach and help more people than
BIG NICK’S PIZZA
BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA
CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL
Conrad’s reflects the cuisine of Oaxaca with a focus fresh on local, seasonal ingredients for break-
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
SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY
Time: 8 to 11 p.m., July 15 Cost: $10 to $40 Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/everydaysuperheroes-fundraiser-for-ukraine-tickets Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Details: lavinia@mslaviniavale.com and https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCCE625FH8c
Lavinia Vale, singer and burlesque performer.
ever before, despite pandemic restrictions. In fact, some of her peers utilized 5 Stages of Grief during the “thick of COVID” before vaccines were available. Lavinia has performed at TRIP in Santa Monica and Harvelle’s in Long Beach, including recently in May, when she performed her Handmaid’s Tale act. She may take that act to the Slavik Burlesque Festival June 18, in Warsaw, Poland, which ironically, is one day before Lavinia’s dad was born. She said everything in this has centered around her father. Singing for more than 30 years, Lavinia plans on performing burlesque for as long as she can. Her future plans include producing burlesque/cabaret, corporate entertainment,
fast, 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 Mexican-influenced 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, 310241-0917, www.happydinersp.com
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
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
PINA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Pina’s Mexican Restaurant serves traditonal Mexican food from Michoacan for breakfast through dinner, and is known for specialty enchiladas, burritos, tacos and mariscos served in a comfortable, casual dining atmosphere. Pina’s now has a full bar and outside dining, so come on by for a real margarita! Party trays for any occasion. Hours: Sun. Wed. 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Thurs. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pina’s Mexican Restaurant, 1430 W. 25th St., San Pedro, 310-547-4621, www.pinasmexicanrestaurant.com
A micro brewery and American grill, S P B C 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.. 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
June 9 - 22, 2022
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 dinein 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
very happy about that.” Lavinia Vale produces and performs in Everyday Superheroes — Fundraiser for Ukraine. For one night only, members of the burlesque and cabaret community come together to entertain you and call attention to the tragedy in Ukraine.
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
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
variety specials, music and comedy. She can do this remotely from wherever she lives, Lavinia and her husband are moving to Oregon, where her husband wants to homestead. Lavinia noted she has a great number of contacts here, she’s available and is looking forward to continuing to produce shows. “Not only is burlesque fun but it’s satisfying to get on the stage and perform,” Lavinia said. “(People) just pouring out their soul about how that act personally touched them and say, ‘You’re so empowering.’ I love hearing that because I’m a storyteller at heart. (If) my story impacted your life in a very positive way, I’m
11
MUSIC June 11
West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio This group features Andrea Centazzo on percussion and electronics, Ellen Burr on flutes and electronics and Jeff Schwartz on double bass. It will play music from Centazzo’s career, including music Centazzo wrote for film scores. Time: 8 p.m., June 11 Cost: $15 Details: https://tinyurl.com/WCCJazzTrio Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Barefoot Movement Enjoy a night of live bluegrass music with The Barefoot Movement. Time: 8 p.m., June 11 Cost: $23 and up Details: https://tinyurl.com/Barefoot-Grand Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
June 17
Mr. Crowley Ozzy Osbourne Tribute This tribute to the music of Ozzy Osbourne includes his solo music, as well as his time with Black Sabbath. Time: 8 p.m., June 17 Cost: $27 Details: https://tinyurl.com/MrCrowley-Alvas Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
THEATER June 9
Intimate Apparel Lynn Nottage’s play, Intimate Apparel, is based on her great-grandmother’s experiences as a talented African American seamstress working in New York City in 1905. In this play, Ester has dreams of a future that she plans to create with money she earns making intimate apparel for wealthy matrons and ladies of the night. Time: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, through June 18 Cost: $14 to $24 Details: 562-494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant
June 11
The Motherf**ker with the Hat This play is about a freshfrom-prison former addict who is trying to stay sober, but is not helped by his untrustworthy sponsor and his cheating girlfriend. It looks at relationships, addiction and flawed people, and takes place in New York’s Puerto Rican community. Time: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 11 through July 9 Cost: $14 to $24 Details: 562-494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
June 9 - 22, 2022
June 15
12
Dancing Through the Decades Dance Tech debuts its youth company Port de Ballet in their Spring 2022 recital of ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and baby tumbling. Time: 2 and 6 p.m. June 15 Cost: Free Details: https://grandvision. org/event/dance-tech-presentsdancing-through-the-decades/ Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Time: 8 p.m. June 14, 21 Cost: $10 Details: 310- 426-8205; www.longbeach-harvelles-com. seatengine.com/events Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach, 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach
June 23
Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare By The Sea Love sizzles between Beatrice and Benedick — two opposites that undoubtedly attract. William Shakespeare’s rom-com plays out with witty barbs, hysterical bantering, and sigh-worthy proclamations of love. All seating is on a first-come-first-served basis. Time: 8 p.m., June 23 to June 25 Cost: Free Details: www.shakespearebythesea.org Venue: Point Fermin Park, 807 W. Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro
ARTS June 9
DREAM TEAM DREAM TEAM centers the complex experience of migration through artistic praxis. As a multidisciplinary creator and as a Central American, Crack Rodriguez is interested in investigating and interpreting the cultural, religious, spiritual, social, economic and political codes that delineate and characterize particular aspects of the system. This is a co-presentation with LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions). Time: Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., through June 26 Cost: $10 to $15 Details: 562-437-1689; molaa.org Venue: Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
June 11
Museum Architecture Tour Discover the museum’s new expansion on this exclusive tour with Kim McCarron, AIA, LEED AP and Associate at Pfeiffer — A Perkins Eastman Studio. The tour also highlights the recent conservation of a 1975 Millard Sheets mosaic saved from the wrecking ball by a preservation project led by the museum, completed by RLA Conservation, and supported by Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach. Time: 10 to 11 a.m., June 11 Cost: Free Details: www.architecture.lbhomeliving.com/event/architecture-tour Venue: Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum of Cal State Long Beach, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach Second Saturday Family Day Join a day of activities themed around arts integrated STEAM education modes. Learn about strategies that artists and scientists used to collaboratively investigate our world. Guides from the Cal State University Long Beach Science Learning Center, Pfeiffer — A Perkins Eastman Studio, and experienced artists will guide visitors in exciting multidisciplinary explorations at the intersection of art and science. Time: 10 to 2 p.m., June 11 Cost: Free Details: www.csulb.edu/carolyncampagna-kleefeld-contemporary-art-museum Venue: Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach Chrysaline: Artworks on Transformation Inspired by the pandemic, artist Jose Angel Castro has created pieces that demonstrate change during a time of uncertainty. Time: 6 to 9 p.m., June 11, opening reception Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Chrysaline Venue: Loiter Galleries, 425 Promenade North, Long Beach
COMMUNITY June 11
FILM
June 16
Nosferatu The Laptop Ensemble of CSULB’s Bob Cole Conservatory will perform a live soundtrack, providing mystique to accompany this classic 1922 German Expressionist film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by F. W. Murnau. Time: 7 to 9 p.m. June 16 Cost: Free Details: www.csulb.edu/carolyncampagna-kleefeld-contemporary-art-museum Venue: Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach
Ongoing
The Persistence of the Body MOLAA is pleased to present this group exhibition where different categories of the human body are examined as a concept, through the dialogue amongst prominent artists who transform our way of seeing and thinking about the body — from an individual and a collective point of view, and as a social body. Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays to Sundays Cost: $10 to $15 Details: 562-437-1689; www.molaa.org/2022-persistence-of-the-body Venue: 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach Blues-Birds at soundpedro2022 This new exhibit at Angels Gate Cultural Center features the work of Steven Speciale and his Loyola High School students. The exhibit consists of fabric birds that pay homage to Black artists while also acknowledging cultural appropriation and Black erasure. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays to Saturdays Cost: Free Details: https://www.soundpedro. org/gallery-show-2022 Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro Sotto Voce: Lowering the Volume Working primarily from the organizational grid and employing a geometric austerity and deceptive plainness reminiscent of Max Cole and Agnes Martin, artist Yong Sin works in collage, painting, and mixed media. Sin’s handmade patterned artworks recall hundreds of years of tradition in textile design and the therapeutic traditions of repetition, meditation and mantra. Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and by appointment, through June 27 Cost: Free Details: 310-732-2150 or 310600-4873 Venue: TransVagrant and Gallery 478, 478 W. 7th St., San Pedro
June 9
Know Justice, Know Peace See an exhibition of 1960s California “Counter Culture” photos tak-
en by Jim Coke. Images include The Doors performing at LA’s first rock festival in July 1967. The Jim Morrison photos are among Jim Coke’s most recognized photos. The exhibit will be on view until July 23. Time: 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Cost: Free Details: 562-570-3500 Venue: Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. 4th St., Long Beach Mural Art in Focus The J. Paul Getty Museum presents two new exhibitions, The Lost Murals of Renaissance Rome and Judy Baca: Hitting the Wall. The exhibitions highlight the long history of mural art across the globe, from Renaissance Rome to downtown Los Angeles. Time: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., through Sept. 4 Cost: Free Details: 310-440-7300; www.getty.edu/visit Venue: The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles
FOOD
June 18
2nd Annual Long Beach Taco Festival There’s no better way to kick off summer than a Taco Festival. Local restaurants and taco trucks will provide you with a rich and diverse taco loving experience along with live music and entertainment. Time: 12 to 6 p.m., June 18 Cost: $15 and up, 12 and under free Details: www.tinyurl.com/taco Venue: Scottish Rite Cathedral, 855 Elm Ave., Long Beach
DANCE June 17
Louise Reichlin & Dancers Join a soulful, imaginative dance that empowers audience members, to expand our shared understanding of life. All six dances were reimagined from the critically acclaimed Urban and Tribal Dances (Batida, Wedding, Alone, War, Remembrance, Together), Brandenburg from Tap Dance Widows Club, and Reboot Reboot. Time: 7 p.m. June 17 and 2 p.m. June 18, 19 Cost: $25
Details: 213-458-3066; https://2-years.eventbrite.com
https://LAChoreographersAndDancers.org/News Venue: The Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City
COMEDY June 14
Underground Stand-Up Comedy And Burlesque The most exclusive speakeasy Long Beach has to offer. Each week see top headliners and the industry’s top comedians and burlesque performers. Find the stairs leading you underground the streets of Long Beach to this classic speakeasy and Long Beach’s best-kept secret.
Children’s Art Workshops in the Garden Angels Gate Cultural Center and Feed & Be Fed are partnering on this outdoor Art Workshop series for children, ages 5-12. Join Angels Gate artist-teacher, Julie Borkin, leads the class in creating art inspired by the outdoors. Supplies will be provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. All workshops will take place outdoors in The Church Garden. COVID-19 safety protocols will be enforced on-site. Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., June 11 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ childrens-art-workshops-in-thegarden Venue: The Church Garden, 429 W. 6th St., San Pedro Guided Nature Walk Hike the reserve taking Fire Station Trail to the beautiful promontory at Eagle’s Nest. Enjoy ocean views while walking through recently restored wildlife habitat. Level: strenuous. Time: 9 a.m., June 11 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.org/calendar-guided-nature-walks/ Venue: Portuguese Bend Reserve, Burrell and Crenshaw Lane, Rancho Palos Verdes
June 12
Tom Glavich – Exploring Euphorbia Tom Glavich, a long time grower and propagator of succulent plants, will be talking about the similarities and differences of the euphorbia species, which grow on every continent except Antarctica. Tom’s presentation will include a look at mutant forms and demonstrate how to cultivate and propagate euphorbias. Time: 1 p.m., June 12 Cost: Free with park admission, $5 to $15 Details: southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula
June 16
Big City Hillbillies This is part of a summer concert series at El Dorado Nature Center. The band will play outdoors in a lake-side setting. Guests should bring their own chairs. Time: 7 to 8 p.m., June 16 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/El-Dorado-BCH, or 562-570-1745 Venue: El Dorado Nature Center, 7550 E. Spring St., Long Beach Grunion Runs 2022 Attend a special grunion run, with arts and crafts and additional fun grunion activities. Join on the beach at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Grunion events include: entry to the aquarium, timed tickets to a grunion short film, hatching experience and a staff lead observation of grunion. Time: 9 p.m., June 16 Cost: $7 Details: www.cma/grunion-run Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro
June 18
Docent Guided Public Walk Join a tour of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center museum, its na-
tive plant garden and walk along the bluff top at the Vicente Bluff Reserve. Enjoy an easy stroll led by a docent through the museum and the garden to learn about natural and cultural history of the area. Time: 10 a.m., June 18 Cost: Free Details: www.losserenos.org; 310-544-5260 Venue: Point Vicente Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes Outdoor Volunteer Day Get outdoors and make a difference by helping to remove invasive grasses to enable rare coastal sage scrub habitat to thrive as a home of local native plants and wildlife. Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., June 18 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.volunteerhub.com/ Venue: White Point Nature Preserve, 1600 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro San Pedro Pride San Pedro Pride will feature Arcoiris, the first-ever LGBTQ+ Mariachi Band, Rebecca Lynn & The Magical Planet, DJ Rich Girl, Jewels of Long Beach And Her Gal For A Drag Extravaganza. Enjoy children’s crafts, food trucks and more. Also, The Grand Annex (at 434 W 6th St.,) will be open as a “Chill Out Zone” from 2 to 7 p.m. with pride-themed short films and a karaoke sing-along at 5:30 p.m. Time: 1 to 9 p.m., June 18 Cost: Free Details: https://grandvision.org/ event/san-pedro-pride/ Location: 425 W. 5th St, San Pedro
June 19
Father’s Day, Blooms, Brats and Beer Celebrate Father’s Day in the Garden with beer and brats available for purchase as well as other food and beverage in the Dorothy and Allen Lay Staghorn Fern Collection by the Living Wall. Play yard games set up so you can challenge pops to a bean bag toss and make new memories surrounded by the garden’s beauty. Time: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., June 19 Cost: $5 to $15 Details: 424-452-0920; w w w. b l a c k b a u d h o s t i n g . c o m / blackbaudhosting.com Venue: South Coast Botanic Gardens, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd. Palos Verdes Peninsula
June 20
CA State Parks Pass Presentation Interpreters will explain the program, which allows people to get free passes from the California State Library to visit state parks. Time: 10 to 11 a.m., June 20 Cost: Free Details: https://www.pvld.org/ parkspass; 310-377-9584 extension 601 Venue: Peninsula Center Library community room, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates
June 23
Historical Society of Long Beach Webinar Series Join a free webinar presented and moderated by Black Student Union elders and hosted by the Historical Society of Long BeachWebinar #3: Resistance, Resilience, Reimagination: Student activism leads to the Black Student Union and ethnic studies. Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 23 Cost: Free Details: Register, www.us02web. zoom.us/webinar/register/resistance-resilience-reimagination
[Reconciliation, from p. 5]
Reconciliation
said. “I encouraged Hyepin to reach out directly to the Harlins family. And that I’d already spoken to them and laid the groundwork because the Harlins family has always wanted peace and unity.”
April 29 and the Reconciliation
The Power of Forgiveness
act of forgiving is more than just an expression of grace toward the person or persons who wronged you. It’s an effective way for people touched by tragedy to speed up the healing process. This message rang true for Im. “It felt like it was an assignment from God and that’s what gave me the pressure/courage to reach out to Shinise,” Im said. The only question was, how to express her empathy for the loss that Shinise and her family had suffered and doing so in such a way that they feel they received healing without erasing the hurt Korean Americans had experienced. While Korean store owners had been killed during robberies of their stores in the years leading up to the civil unrest in 1992, those killings weren’t deemed as racially motivated. During the riots, Koreatown was specifically targeted and 25 Korean store owners were killed. Im noted that the Rodney King beating video and the store owner shooting of Latasha Harlins’ video were shown day in and day out leading up to the verdict. She wonders if the media had also shown footage of store owners who were also killed if there would have been a different outcome. “Mark Whitlock said he worked at a 7-Eleven and he quit after two weeks because he realized how dangerous it was,” Im recalled. “It’s the second most dangerous job next to being a taxi driver.” Im says that in some ways they were pawns in this game to the powers that be who pit us against one another — manipulated by media narratives. She used the hit Netflix series The Squid Game as an analogy. In this series, hundreds of cashstrapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. If you win, you get a cash prize. But if you lose, it could cost your life. By the end of the series, after nearly everyone has killed each other off, two lifelong friends remain and they are at each other’s throats. Both are in dire straits and in desperate need of the grand prize money. It’s only at the very end when one of the finalists is about to grab the prize money that it dawns on him that the prize money is going to come at the cost of his sacrificing his humanity and the life of his friend. In this moment of awakening, he turns to his friend and says, “we don’t have to do this. Let’s go home.” The once losing friend takes advantage of the moment and sacrifices his friend. If they had chosen not to sacrifice each other, they could both have taken the prize money home. “I think it’s a great analogy to our communities where we’re just killing each other off for a prize at the cost of our own humanity and integrity,” Im said. “If we could connect, awakened to this reality and switch up the rules, the outcome will be so much better than if we choose to stay in the game that’s been set up to pit us against one another.”
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Im and Harlins-Kilgore have stayed in touch. After the April 29 display of unity and reconciliation, Im said Harlins-Kilgore had sent her a thank you text and called the day’s events a major breakthrough, expressing massive love and respect. Harlins-Kilgore, who owns a floral business, expressed a desire to become a homeowner and find a storefront for her floral business. Im connected her to business incubator training, including one with a Korean church that’s been working with a cohort of South LA residents. Another is called New Economics for Women. It seems like all that pain is coming to a point where there’s healing. One other piece is Latasha Harlins’ family. Im recounts seeking advice around the 30th anniversary of Saigu. “I just want to do better and ask the question, ‘How can we do better?” Im said. She sought the advice of her friends amongst Black clergy leaders. One of them mentioned that it would take something like what Charleston’s historic Emanuel AME Church did: they forgave the shooter Dylann Roof both publicly and in their hearts. The message Im received back was that the
Left, Latasha Harlins, who was killed by convenience store clerk Soon Ja Du, right, in 1992. File photo
Real People, Real News, Really Effective
Ali said that once that was set in motion, it was just a matter of inviting Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Karen Bass, and Operation Hope founder, John Hope Bryant, who sponsored the unity events Ali organized. “We were determined to lay out a blueprint for reconciliation and unity,” Ali said. “We wanted to show that we can move forward together so that what happened 30 years ago will hopefully never happen again.” The ball started rolling when friend and ally Im called Ali as they began preparing for the commemoration of Saigu and asked him to be a part of it. Ali immediately agreed. Ali said he wanted to ensure that the event he organized was on April 29 at the intersection of Florence and Normandie. He wanted to take ownership of it and put on an event that the whole city would not only talk about but be proud of the show of unity between Blacks and Koreans and answer in the affirmative to Rodney King’s plea 30 years ago, “Yes, we can all get along.” The longtime activist explained that Operation Hope led a bus tour filled with a diverse multicultural group of leaders to show the progress South LA has made with new businesses that have opened up three years post-civil unrest. The culmination of it all was the press conference at Normandie and Florence with the family members of Rodney King, Latasha Harlins, as well as Korean American leaders with our political leaders. Ali said everyone left that press conference with renewed hope for each other that they can do better ... must do better and will do better. Ali said when he learned of the overture made by the Korean Friendship Bell Committee, it made him smile. The veteran community organizer said he thinks such concrete gestures aren’t just symbolic but are a sign of the effort that goes with ensuring that there’s a healthy relationship, understanding and tolerance between cultures and people.
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No: 2022099827 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: PEERLESS AV, 1580 W. MANHALO PLACE, RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CA 90220 County of LOS ANGELES. Mailing Address: 2300 WHITE OAK, CIRCLE, AURORA, IL 60502 Registered owner(s): PEERLESS INDUSTRIES, INC, 2300, WHITE OAK CIRCLE, AURORA, IL 60502; State of Incorporation: DE. This business is conducted by a Corporation. The registrant(s) started doing business on 03/2022.I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant 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)). PEERLESS INDUSTRIES, INC S/ DAVID WISNIEWSKI, CFO This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 05/05/2022. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business
name statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. 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: 05/26/22, 06/10/22, 06/24/22, 07/08/22
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No:2022080201 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. VINYASA MOVEMENT 2. PIINXIT STUDIO, 303 S PACIFIC AVE #101, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731, County
of LOS ANGELES Registered owner(s): PILAR ELIZABETH VALDEZ, 303 S PACIFIC AVE, #101, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant 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)). S/ Pilar Elizabeth Valdez, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 13, 2022. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision
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(a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. 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
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RLNews is looking for freelance food and music writers who are knowledgeable about San Pedro and Long Beach area restaurants, culture and music scenes. Experienced writers preferred, but will consider aspiring bloggers. We are looking for writers who have a curiosity for a wide range of cuisines or music in the greater LA / Long Beach Harbor Area. Committment to writing to deadline is a must. Having a strong social media following and bi-lingual skills is a plus. Submit inquiries and any links to your writing to editor@ randomlengthsnews.com or call 310-519-1442 weekdays.
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JOB OPPS
ACROSS
1. “Call of Duty: Black ___” 4. “The Ten Commandments” figure 9. Irritate 14. On a pension, briefly 15. Blazing 16. Risky GPS suggestion 17. Tried a little tender... loin 18. One-liner expert 19. Word in the name of many dental offices 20. Cereal featuring a wide receiver on the box? 23. “___ Scared Stupid” (1991 film) 24. 86.4 trillion nanoseconds 25. Run up a bill 28. “Spotlight” actor Schreiber 29. “Confessions” R&B singer 32. The ___ (mysterious “Top Gear” driver) 33. Film composer Morricone 35. Acid in proteins 36. Cereal featuring a Grammywinning singer-songwriter on the box? 41. Per ___ (salary phrase) 42. “Turning Red” studio 43. Off-duty 44. Turn down an offer 46. White who voiced Muriel on “Courage the Cowardly Dog” 50. Brett’s role on “Ted Lasso” 51. Put two and two together
52. Monkey for whom a blood factor is named 54. Cereal featuring a “Muppets Take Manhattan” and “Man of La Mancha” actor on the box? 58. Soft palate dangler 60. Rolled chip brand with “Fuego” and “Nitro” varieties 61. One in Orleans 62. Pesto ingredient 63. Take out 64. Shortz employer, for short 65. To the point that 66. Coat or shirt, maybe 67. Slide into your ___
DOWN
1. Treatment for sore gums 2. Czar known as “The Great” 3. “Tristram Shandy” author (and 23-Across anagram) 4. Thanksgiving parade sponsor 5. “Carmina Burana” showstopper 6. ___ Valley (Thousand Oaks neighbor) 7. “Domino Masters” host Stonestreet 8. Form a splinter group 9. Like annoying telemarketers 10. “I relate,” online 11. Foolishly impractical 12. Website address 13. Benz tag? 21. Income 22. Monopoly game piece 26. Subtle (or not-so-subtle) gesture
27. Vanity centers 30. Bit of a beverage 31. Like most IPAs 32. Like Yogi, compared to other bears 34. ___ pla (fish sauce) 35. “How to Get Away with Murder” actress ___ Naomi King 36. Clear-skies forecast 37. Proto-___-European (early language) 38. Barely 39. “In the Heights” creator ___-Manuel Miranda 40. Drive out, in a way 44. Storm of the Fantastic Four 45. Beer brand from Holland 47. It’s heard twice in “Have you heard?” 48. Well-suited name (and a notable National Spelling Bee final word shout-spelled by the winner) 49. Ledger column 51. T-shirt size 53. Putdown for Bob and Doug McKenzie 55. Et ___ (and others) 56. Model/actress Delevingne 57. About a B-minus, if I’m being generous 58. “Sit, ___, sit. Good dog” (“Family Ties” vanity card) 59. Moving vehicle
LEGALS & DBAs [from p. 14] another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 05/26/22, 06/10/22, 06/24/22, 07/08/22
Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No.: 22LBCP00199 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Jeremy Matthew Fiamengo for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Jeremy Matthew Fiamengo to Jeremy Matthew Estrada The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 7/5/2022, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: S26, Room: 3500 The address of the court
is 275 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA 90601 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Daily Journal Random Lengths News Date: May 31, 2022 Michael P. Vicencia Judge of the Superior Court 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28/22 DJ-3593581#
Order to Show Cause For Change of Name Case No.: 22LBCP00178 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: John Manuel Nunez for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: John Manuel Nunez to Juan Manuel Nunez The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not
be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 7/8/2022, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: S27, Room: 3500 The address of the court is 275 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA 90601 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Daily Journal Random Lengths News Date: May 16, 2022 Mark C. Kim Judge of the Superior Court 5/27, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28/22 DJ3593581#
DBAs $ 155
Filing & Publishing
310-519-1442 Remember to renew your DBA every 5 years
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Trying to Buy Mayoral Seat Through Cheap Shots
I was reading your latest edition this morning and particularly your editorial and we’re completely aligned! Caruso is obviously attempting to buy the office by utilizing his wealth and power by purchasing and creating dirty political ads which includes taking incredibly (racist) empty cheap shots at [Karen] Bass. (He and his political goals are very transparent because the Republican Party desperately needs a Trump alternative and the LA Mayor’s office is a logical national springboard.) I’m convinced of Caruso’s political agenda and hopefully Bass has the strength and resources to wage a competitive and far reaching grassroots fall campaign. And I fully believe she
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