RLn 11-11-21

Page 1

Call the Feds! Dominguez Channel Odor Could Be an Evacuation Level Event if Due to Underground Fault By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor

POLA Passes $10 Clean Truck Fee p. 3 Tito Jackson Casts His Spell on the New Blues Fest p. 11

By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter On Oct. 27, Councilman Joe Buscaino submitted three motions asking the Los Angeles City Council to ban homeless people from sitting, sleeping or lying down at 161 locations in council district 15. The council has not yet acted on them. This came only a week after the council’s Oct. 20 decision to ban homeless people from sleeping at 54 sites in the city, 11 of which were in CD15. In a press release on Oct. 27, Buscaino claimed that his office has housed most of the people in CD15 who live in large encampments by offering them transitional housing. This appears to be at odds with what Gabriela Medina, district director for Buscaino, said at the Nov. 2 meeting of the CD15 Working Group on Homelessness. She said that as of the January 2020 homeless

count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there were 2,257 homeless people in CD15. Of those people, 1,219 lived on the street, while the rest lived in their vehicles. “Of those people experiencing street homelessness, 343 are housed in interim sites, 147 have been permanently housed, bringing us to 490,” Medina said. “So through our collective efforts, we have housed 40% of the people experiencing street homelessness as of the count of January 2020.” Nevertheless, Buscaino used his claimed success as a reason for banning the sites. “It is now my intention to ensure that these areas remain clean and safe, and are not repopulated by new encampments,” Buscaino wrote. “This is why I am introducing these new locations where street living will

not be allowed.” Kenneth Mejia, candidate for LA city controller in the 2022 election, tweeted on Nov. 2 that the city council voted to reallocate $2 million from the “Additional Homeless Services” fund for the printing and installing of the anti-camping signs. Medina said she did not have a budget for how much it would cost to install signs at 161 locations in CD15. Chris Venn, one of the founders of San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice, vehemently disagreed with this strategy for handling homelessness. “This is hurting people,” Venn said. “This approach of coming into unhoused communities, criminalizing people, disconnecting them from resources, is a part of

November 11 - 24, 2021

Tito Jackson at the New Blues Fest in LB

SP Residents Respond to Buscaino’s Attempt to Ban Homeless from 161 Sites in CD15

It’s Plus Ça Change for Wes Anderson and The French Dispatch p. 14

[See Feds, p. 6]

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

Four speakers at a press conference called by the Coalition for a Safe Environment on the hydrogen sulfide leak in Carson. From left to right: Councilwoman-elect for Carson 4th District Arleen Rojas, Carson Mayor Pro tem Jim Dear, the Coalition’s director Jesse Marquez, and Dr. Jill Johnston, an exposure scientist and epidemiologist at USC. Photo by Harry Bugarin

CARSON — On Nov. 3, the Coalition for a Safe Environment called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take over the investigation of the odor emanating from the Dominguez Channel. After a month with no answers or solutions to the odor, the Wilmington-based environmental justice organization conducted its own investigation before calling for the takeover. CFASE’s message simple: We could be in some deep doo doo if the authorities don’t this seriously. The intense rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide still hovers over the City of Carson, despite recent rains that should have cleared it out. In a released statement, the Coalition expressed incredulity that after four weeks of testing the South Coast Air Quality Management District has not been able to find the source of the hydrogen sulfide gas in the Dominguez Channel. The South Coast AQMD, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Public Works have been studying the issues, but have released little information. At the Nov. 3 press conference, the Coalition presented three proposed areas of study regarding hydrogen sulfide sources including the debris from the recent warehouse fire, neighboring oil refineries such as Marathon, Valero, and Phillip 66, and the underground fault shift caused by the Carson earthquake. “It is true hydrogen sulfide was found in the Dominguez Channel but it is near impossible for Hydrogen Sul-

1

[See Encampments, p. 5]


Community Announcements:

Harbor Area Community Assistance Center

A new community assistance site at the Wilmington Senior Citizen Center is open to better help local residents who have been impacted by the odor that continues to come from the Dominguez Channel. Public Works staff are there daily from to help get those affected reimbursements for air filters or for relocation during this crisis as well as provide help to those who can’t front the cost for these items. Time: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily Details: Wilmington Senior Citizen Center, 1371 Eubank Ave., Wilmington

California Secures Assistance for Businesses Impacted by Southern California Oil Spill

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom Oct. 27, announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA has approved federal disaster assistance for businesses located in the region of the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach. The SBA administrator has declared Orange County a disaster area, which makes available disaster assistance in the form of low interest loans. The declaration includes Orange County and the adjacent counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance. sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information.

Fall Public Hearings For Draft Map Options

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

At the Oct. 28 Special Meeting, the Los Angeles County CRC chose four map draft options to receive further public input and discussion. The public is encouraged to submit input on these map draft options and how they would like them to be changed, or not. These Fall Public Hearings begin in November 2021 and are important to solicit community and public input regarding the CRC Redistricting Plan options under consideration. To attend or participate virtually go to: https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/82726060927 To listen only, call 669-900-9128, enter: 82726060927# To view via web on YouTube go to: https:// www.youtube.com/LACountyRedistricting/ To submit written comments on draft map options at any time, go to:https://publiccomment. redistricting.lacounty.gov/ To review agenda and submitted materials go to: https://redistricting.lacounty.gov/ virtual-meetings/ Upcoming Public Hearing Dates: Public Hearing No. 2 , 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 Public Hearing No. 3, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 Public Hearing No. 4, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7

2

Get CASH For Earthquake Retrofits

Los Angeles is earthquake country. In fact, you may have felt a jolt recently. That is why California may pay you to retrofit your home. Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) is a grant program that provides eligible California homeowners up to $3,000 toward a residential seismic retrofit. The purpose is to help homeowners lessen the potential for damage to their houses during an earthquake by “bracing” the crawl space, when necessary, and “bolting” the foundation to the house’s frame. EBB has helped thousands of California homeowners complete retrofits. During the 2021 program, EBB is offering an additional supplemental grant to help low-income homeowners pay for a seismic retrofit. Details: https://www.earthquakebracebolt. com/How-Our-Program-Works

City of Long Beach Election Day, New City Holiday

A new City of Long Beach holiday is now observed for Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. The Election Day holiday was created to provide city employees the time to exercise their right to vote if they wish. The holiday is the first Tuesday of every November, after the first of [See Announcements, p. 5]

Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years

More Housing but Few Parking Spaces 91 units Under Construction on 9th Street Between Pacific and Mesa By Hunter Chase, Community News Reporter

A 91-unit apartment building in San Pedro consisting entirely of affordable housing is under construction. The building is at 456-462 West 9th Street, on the back of the 8th Street Lofts. It is being built through the collaboration of two nonprofits, Linc Housing and National CORE. It is replacing a public parking lot, which had 102 spaces. The building will have 49 spaces for residents and 52 public parking spaces. Of the affordable housing, representatives from Linc Housing said 18 units will be reserved for households that make 30% of the average income for the area [$23,703]. The median area income for San Pedro is $79,012, according to Point2homes.com. 27 units are for households making 40% of the average income [$31,604], four apartments will go to households with 45% area income, and 14 units will be for households with 50% of the area income. The spokespersons said that as of Oct. 21, the developers have undergrounded all utilities, and expect to finish grading the sites within a week, after which they will pour the foundation of the building and begin working on the two-level parking garage, then the framing of the building. The building will be six stories, and no taller than 75 feet. It began construction in April 2021. It will have a branch of the Harbor Community Health Center on its ground floor. The City of Los Angeles donated the use of the land, and Linc and National CORE have a ground lease agreement with the city, the Linc reps added. The agreement requires the site be used for affordable housing for 99 years. The 49 parking spaces for residents were not required of the developers due to Senate bill 35, which addresses the lack of affordable housing. However, the 52 public spaces were mandatory to replace the public lot, which will open when the building is finished. In addition, there will be 10 spaces for the Harbor Community Health Center. The original 102 space parking lot was at 462 W. 9th Street and closed in December 2020, representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation said. The project was approved 8-0 by the City Planning Commission on Jan. 10, 2019. Prior to this, Alexander Hall, who was the president of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council at the time, sent two letters to the commission saying that the council approves of the project, but had a few concerns. One was a request that the hearing be delayed for 30 days. He did not get that extra time. Hall wrote that new housing is needed across the socioeconomic board, and that developments like 456 West can benefit both the community and businesses. He added that it is important to make sure that the community is not harmed by new developments. “This is a significant reduction in public parking and may impact the surrounding businesses and residents,” Hall wrote. “42-45 parking spaces seems to be too few for residents. We suggest that in order to discourage residents from

Rendering of the proposed project at 456-462 West 9th St. in San Pedro. Rendering courtesy of Linc Housing

using the public parking in lieu of the residential parking, that the public parking should be limited to 2 to 4 hours.” Karen Pascoe, owner of an adjacent property, said that she is not opposed to the project, but when she spoke to the planning commission at its Jan. 10, 2019 meeting she said it is too condensed. “Every day that parking lot is completely full,” Pascoe said. “And every day the street is completely full, and I don’t think that they have really provided sufficient parking. I do think that

some kind of traffic study or environmental impact report on that area should be done.” Enrique Ibarra, assistant manager of the O’Reilly Auto Parts on 842 South Pacific Ave., which is adjacent to the property, spoke to Random Lengths in November 2021. He said that the closing of the parking lot has impacted business in a negative way, as it is harder for customers to find parking. The project is expected to be finished in early 2023, representatives from Linc Housing said.

Activists Protest Off-Shore Drilling in Long Beach

Climate activist and organizer Miles Aiello led more than a dozen demonstrators in a protest of off-shore drilling in Long Beach on Nov. 6 outside the Long Beach City Hall. The protest is the latest demonstration calling for the end of off-shore drilling since the Oct. 1 spill of 30,000 gallons of oil that leaked from a pipeline connecting an oil drilling platform just off the Orange County coast with the Port of Long Beach. Though the cause of the spill is still under investigation, Coast Guard officials believe it was caused by a freighter dragging its anchor over the pipeline, cutting into it.

The spill led numerous local public officials, including Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, to call for an end to offshore oil drilling off the Southern California coast. O’Donnell has a bill that’s been languishing in the assembly for the past nine months that would get the state to start setting aside money again to pay for the eventual abandonment of Long Beach oil wells. He believes his bill will get new life. “I think the topic will receive a lot more attention next year because we had an oil spill,” O’Donnell reportedly said last month. Photo by Raphael Richardson


POLA Passes $10 Clean Truck Fee Coalition for Clean Air calls it “woefully insufficient” By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

On Nov. 4, the Port of LA, belatedly, became the first port in the world to implement a container fee to incentivize a transition to zero-emission trucks. It is scheduled to go into effect in April 2022. European ports, such as Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, have long been served by electric trains, and a state-wide container fee was first passed by the legislature — and then vetoed — more than a dozen years ago. But even with these caveats — and the low $10 fee, which Chris Chavez of the Coalition for Clean Air called “woefully insufficient” — it was still a significant step forward, in part because of how activist pressure has influenced the port, as well as because of what could come next. This was suggested in multiple individual public comments along with a letter from members of the Trade, Health, and Environment (THE) Impact Project coalition — including Earthjustice, San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC, Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma, and East Yards Communities for Environmental Justice, among others. The letter stressed the opportunity to create strategically targeted programs, tap newlyavailable loans to front-load investments, and noted that the Port of San Diego now has a more ambitious clean trucks plan: 100% zero-emission by 2030, with an interim target of 40% by 2026. It urged POLA “to develop a comprehensive longterm plan that will finally bring communities a step forward to the zero-emission future and the

Port of Los Angeles clean trucks. File photo.

clean air they deserve.” In presenting the plan to the board, Director of Environmental Management Chris Cannon highlighted some of the significant points that emerged from the recently-held stakeholder outreach meetings. First, “We heard that low NOx trucks should have a limited exemption,” Cannon said. “The majority wanted zero emissions trucks to be the focus of funding.” In addition, “We heard that ports should do everything in their power to ensure the truck fleets properly classify drivers and that no funds be given to trucking companies that treated drivers improperly,” he said. “And then we heard that the $10 rate was too low.” This last point was clearly heard — but not acted on. But the others were.

In the new tariff language, the fee was set to $10 for “containers with an outside length of 20 feet or less” and $20 for those longer. Exemptions for low NOx trucks were limited to those registered by the end of 2022, with the exemption ending at the end of 2027, and the rate “shall be paid by the cargo owner, or its authorized Agent, which shall not include Drayage Truck Operators.” [Emphasis added.]

Calls to do more

Calls to do more ranged from increasing the fees, to both widening the overall effort and developing strategic initiatives to accelerate change. Eli Lipmen with Move LA asked the

commissioners to “think back more than a decade to 2008, when [state] Senator [Alan] Lowenthal — now Congressmember — introduced SB 974; it was passed in the legislature, it would have had a $30 container fee and generated $350 million per year,” but was vetoed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (the so-called “green Republican”). “We really need to make up for this lost revenue and the lost decade by immediately accelerating this plan. So we would support a much higher TEU fee,” Lipmen said. Looking beyond trucks, NRDC attorney Heather Kryczka called for “putting a fee on all cargo entering the port and using it for cleaner technologies,” and Mandeera Wijetunga, representing Pacific Environment, posed the question of what the port was doing to “phase out fossil fuel ships,” noting they’re the largest source of port pollution, and that others are taking action. “Last month a coalition of the world’s largest retail companies including Amazon, Unilever, and Ikea committed to only using zero carbon ocean shipping by 2040,” he said. “This means these private corporations now have more ambitious plans than the Port of Los Angeles and the state of California or the U.S. federal government.” Local industry called for doing more as well. Jack Symington represented the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, which convenes a regional partnership of 30-plus private and public sector entities devoted to advancing LA-region zero-emission transportation. “Together this partnership in consultation with the ports of LA, Long Beach set a target for 40% of all drayage trucks serving the ports to be zero emission by 2028,” he said. “While it is an aspirational target, it is imperative that we achieve the interim target [See Fee, p. 5]

Real People, Real News, Really Effective November 11 - 24, 2021

3


4

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant


[Encampments, from p. 1]

Encampments

“We have used police against the homeless for 50 years,” Casares wrote. “Politicians will try helping the homeless with actual services for 2 years, and then say ’Well, time to use police again.’ Another reason why we need to stop electing police officers and police friendly politicians to office.” San Pedro resident Felicia Gray said that she approves of Buscaino’s motions if they will move encampments. She moved to San Pedro in February 2021, but she says she will probably leave when her lease is up in May 2022, principally because of the area’s homelessness

A resident of a homeless encampment in San Pedro from several years ago. File photo

dresses is too slow and bureaucratic. “This is why I have introduced a ballot measure to have one city-wide easy-to-understand rule that emphasizes housing followed by enforcement,” Buscaino wrote. San Pedro resident Steve Casares said that anti-homeless groups have supported anti-camping laws, not realizing they would apply to everyone, not just homeless people. “Making this precedent, even if it is limited to specific areas, is still dangerous,” Casares wrote. He argued that law enforcement should not be used to address social issues like homelessness, drug use and mental illness. Buscaino is a former officer of the Los Angeles Police Department.

and crime. “I pay a lot of money to live here,” Gray wrote. “They are allowed to set up tents, strewn with trash and who knows what, to take over the streets. It takes away from the attractiveness of the place.” San Pedro resident James Dusenberry called Buscaino’s motions “disgraceful.” “He should be working to find 161 locations to house people rather than trying to ban people’s existence in his district,” Dusenberry wrote. “He’s trying to keep them out of sight and out of mind rather than help these men, women, and children who are our family and need our help desperately.”

[Fee, from p. 3]

Truck Fee

on our way to 100% zero emission by 2035.”

Low-NOx question confronted

[Announcements, from p. 2]

the month, or the first Tuesday in November following the first Monday regardless of the election cycle. Details: www.longbeach.gov/press-releases/election-day-schedule

Apply for Scholarships at Compton College Through Feb. 28

The application period for Compton Colleges 2021-2022 scholarship program is now open and students are encouraged to submit their scholarship applications through Feb. 28, 2022. The online application is available at www. compton.edu. On the homepage, students must first log into MyCompton and then select “Scholarship Application.” Scholarships do not need to be paid back and are awarded based on specific qualifications, talents, or merit often without regard to financial need. Scholarships are available to students across all academic disciplines and 24 categories. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better and at least six graded units of Compton College coursework are required for all scholarships. Contact the financial aid office at 310-900-1600, ext. 2935 or email financialaid@compton.edu. Details: http://www.compton.edu/district/foundation/scholarships.aspx.

Vaccines Available for Kids 5-11

The Long Beach Health Department offers the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 years old. Long Beach’s adult population is nearly 82% vaccinated. And with everyone in Long Beach, age five-and-older soon able to receive the vaccine, that means 93% of our entire city’s total population will be able to receive this vaccine. The vaccine given to those 5 to 11 will be a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine than what is given to those 12 and older. The vaccine for children 5 to 11 will also be a two-dose course with 21 days between first and second doses. Those ages 5 to 11 can receive a vaccine at the following city-run vaccine sites: • Houghton Park (6301 N. Myrtle Ave.) from 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays • LBCC Pacific Coast Campus (Orange Ave. at PCH) from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays • LBCC Veterans Stadium (5000 E. Lew Davis St.) from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays • Cabrillo High School (2001 Santa Fe Ave. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays Everyone under the age of 18 will need parental consent in order to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The consent form is available online here, www.longbeach.gov/vaccine-consent-minor-form Appointments are strongly encouraged. Visit myturn.ca.gov or call 562-570-4636 to make an appointment.

First to Five

The executive office of the LA County Board of Supervisors has released a short documentary memorializing the first all-women Board of Supervisors since the board’s inception in 1852. The November 2020 election of Holly J. Mitchell to represent the Second Supervisorial District marked a significant turning point in the make-up of the board. Details: www.youtube.com/watch/first-to-five

Carson Marks Veteran’s Day With a Celebration

The City of Carson will join the entire nation in paying tribute to America’s war veterans as the city hosts its annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 11. The celebration will take place at Veterans Park. The event is free and open to the public. This year’s special guest and keynote speaker is retired LTC John R. Williams, who served as a U.S. Army Regiment Deputy Commander in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cost: Free Details: Recreation and Human Services Division, 310-847-3570 Venue: Veterans Park, 22400 Moneta Ave. Carson

November 11 - 24, 2021

But the decision leaves much to be decided, including several issues THE Impact Project addressed. These include: A focus on funding and building charging stations for zero-emissions trucks, the aforementioned use of future fees to leverage loans to front-load project funding, and the strategic use of funding “for more catalytic projects that could work with well capitalized and responsible companies to deploy hundreds of zero emissions trucks through a franchise system” — a version of a fleet-based approach mentioned by others as well. In support of this last point, they wrote, “As commissioner Middleton noted at a prior meeting, the port trucking system is broken, but the Port has significant authority in deciding how to spend the money it generates.” This ties into one final point: while everyone agreed that port truckers should not bear the truck fee, there was persistent confusion regarding the ability to ensure this outcome. “There is no way for us to directly have an influence” on the contracts involved, Cannon said in response to questioning. But several commentators in effect argued otherwise, that POLA had the power to exclude law-breaking companies. So the question of justice for port drivers endures as a critical concern.

Harbor Area

There were opposing views arguing for lowNOx trucks in the short-term, couched in terms of both cost and public health, but, as THE Impact Project noted in its letter, “Methane gas trucks emit significant levels of ultrafine particles and ammonia, contributing toxic health-harming pollution to port-adjacent communities,” a problem that’s more severe in the real world than certification standards indicate, according to a recent Air Resources Board study, and which worsens as vehicles age. “A near-term influx of gas trucks and associated infrastructure in the harbor area would present new health threats and risks for residents, while simultaneously being an unsound investment that will lead to stranded assets,” they concluded. When it came down to decision-making, the latter point about stranded assets — reinforcing the port staff’s position — prevailed. “Our feeling is our investment should be limited to zero emission trucks. It avoids replacing trucks twice,” Cannon said in his presentation, and Commissioner Diane Middleton emphatically agreed. “I am persuaded by the obsolescence question,” she said. The board voted unanimously to approve.

Outstanding issues loom

Community Announcements:

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

the reason why we’re seeing six unhoused people a day die. So, I do not see this as a solution, that Buscaino is marketing this as if we do not have a problem.” Venn criticized Buscaino for downplaying the amount of homeless people in CD15. “This does not feel like a solution, it feels like eradication,” Venn said. “It feels like banishment. His pointing to unhoused communities in San Pedro is making San Pedro look like a poster child in terms of a solution to homelessness.” Venn said he has worked in a number of encampments in CD15. “I don’t see criminals,” Venn said. “I see a system that’s criminalizing poor people.” At the Nov. 2 meeting of the CD15 Working Group on Homelessness, Laurie Jacobs, community activist and former vice president of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, asked some questions about the enforcement of the new laws. “With some of the bills that Councilmember Buscaino is putting through, concerns I have is if you have somebody who absolutely refuses services for whatever reason, or they don’t like the idea of going to the shelter that’s been offered to them, what will happen?” Jacobs asked. “Will they be jailed? Will they be fined? What’s the plan?” The question flustered Medina. “I don’t want to answer that question because I know that the conversation of arrest was a very contentious one during council,” Medina said. “And right now that you put me on the spot, I think I’m getting nervous and I can’t remember what the answer is.” Medina said that the street strategy report has specific instructions but did not specify what those were. However, she later said in an email the document she was referring to was ordinance number 187127, which replaces section 41.18 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, or LAMC, which is about the enforcement of anti-camping. According to that ordinance, anyone who willfully refuses to comply will be subject to penalties set forth in LAMC 11.00, which states: “Every violation of this Code is punishable as a misdemeanor unless provision is otherwise made, and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period of not more than six months, or by both a fine and imprisonment.” The city council has seven steps it is supposed to take before it can put up anti-camping signs. Those steps include engagement, which means workers from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA, speak with homeless people and offer them temporary housing. The steps also include a clean-up, which involves city workers, including police, forcing homeless people to throw away most of their stuff. After all homeless people are removed, the city puts up signs saying that they are banned from sleeping within a certain distance. The 11 locations the city council has already approved in CD15 are near homeless shelters, and homeless people cannot sleep within 1,000 feet of them. The 161 locations that Buscaino wants the city council to ban are schools, parks, day care centers and libraries, as well as a drainage channel and freeway ramp. If Buscaino is successful, homeless people will not be able to sleep within 500 feet of these places. “We understand that 161 resolutions [are] going to take some time,” Medina said. “However, we want to make sure that all of our locations

were properly submitted. And then now … we’re putting them in order of priority for LAHSA to go out start doing the outreach for all of those.” Medina said that most of the 161 sites do not have homeless encampments, and that this is an attempt to prevent them from gathering there. She said the city council could potentially take action on the signs there within 30 days. “But because we have so many, I would assume maybe the team can address 10 to 20 locations a month,” Medina said. In the Oct. 27 press release, Buscaino said the complex process of choosing individual ad-

5


$50 Million for Zero-Emission Truck Program

LOS ANGELES — The Metro Board of Directors Oct. 28, unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Whittier Councilman Fernando Dutra to set aside $50 million to fund a program to replace dirty diesel trucks using the 710 freeway with clean, zero-emissions trucks. The motion approved by the Metro Board of Directors sets aside $50 million of Measure R funding as “seed funding” for a 710 South Clean Truck Program. The program will be developed in collaboration with communities along the 710, Metro’s goods movement partners, labor, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and agencies including the South Coast Air Quality Management District or AQMD to accelerate the transition away from cancer-causing diesel trucks to clean zero-emissions trucks and charging infrastructure. Hahn and Dutra aim to position Metro’s 710 South Clean Truck Program to make sure it is eligible for new funding from both the state and the federal government with the possible passage of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill. Metro Board member Fernando Dutra said this historic investment is an important first step and down payment for the health and workforce needs of Gateway Cities residents. He noted it is particularly significant given the move to the ports 24/7 operations and the growth in goods movement in this region.

Newsom Appoints Former AGCC Director of Visual Arts to CAAM

Isabelle Lutterodt

exhibition coordinator. She earned a master of arts degree in art museums and gallery studies from the University of Leicester and a master of fine arts degree in photography and media from the California Institute of the Arts.

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

LOS ANGELES — Isabelle Lutterodt, 46, of Los Angeles, has been appointed deputy director for development and chief curator at the California African American Museum. Lutterodt has been art center director III at the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs since 2015. She was director of visual arts at Angels Gate Cultural Center from 2010 to 2015. She held several positions at the University of San Diego, University Art Gallery from 2007 to 2012, including exhibition manager and

November 11 - 24, 2021

POLB Transportation Planning Director Appointed

6

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners Nov. 8, promoted Theresa Dau-Ngo to lead the Transportation Planning Division at the nation’s second-busiest seaport. Dau-Ngo started at the Port of Long Beach in 2013 as manager of transportation development and was named acting director of the Transportation Planning Division in March 2021. The director of Transportation Planning is responsible for guiding analysis of regional, [See News Briefs, p. 7]

[Feds, from p. 1]

Time to Call in the Feds? fide to have been created there and in the large quantities still being released every day,” said CFASE director Jesse Marquez. “It would take tons and tons of decaying organic matter in one location in a confined area, over a period of time, with little to no oxygen to create hydrogen sulfide.” The likely culprit would be the neighboring refineries, except they have so far denied being the source of the persistent hydrogen sulfide leak. Marquez noted that if the refineries are indeed not the culprit behind the hydrogen sulfide leak, the last possibility, the underground fault shift, could mean the region has a far more significant problem on its hands. The County of Los Angeles has reported the hydrogen sulfide detected in the air fluctuates but remains at levels that are not expected to pose long-term health problems and does not pose an imminent danger to people who have reported experiencing the odor in areas of Carson, West Carson, and portions of Gardena, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Wilmington, Long Beach, and neighboring unincorporated communities. Dr. Jill Johnston, an exposure scientist and epidemiologist of the Keck School of Medicine at USC, was present at the press conference. She has studied the odor of hydrogen sulfide in nearby communities and said that the odor isn’t merely a public nuisance but it’s also a toxic chemical that can impact people living nearby and breathing it in. “The chemical can negatively affect mental health and mental well-being,” Johnston said. “These odors can cause headaches, nausea, and eye and nose irritation. These odors can cause acute and chronic health problems, including high blood pressure and hypertension.” City council candidate Isa Pulido was also present. He took a water sample and had it tested and found there were high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. Councilwoman-elect for Carson 4th District Arleen Rojas agreed with the call for an independent investigation of the odor, while Mayor Pro tem Jim Dear blasted the current administration of the city calling it a crisis of leadership. “We’re trying to get in the meeting with the EPA and the county of Los Angeles,” Dear said. “The city was lax, the city was late and the city is the cause of not having action soon enough.” Dear called Rojas’ election as being a catalyst for change. “This disaster should become a catalyst for change after the channel has been cleaned up for the benefit of the ecosystem’s wildlife,” Dear said. In an interview with Random Lengths, Marquez elaborated on why it could be a bigger problem if the hydrogen sulfide source was found to be the underground fault. Marquez explained that if the odor is due to the underground fault, the U.S. Geological Survey would have to step into the picture with the Southern California Earthquake Center to acknowledge that it could be the cause. Multiple agencies would have to sign on to this emergency declaration if it is their conclusion that source of the hydrogen sulfide emissions is the earthquake fault. Then a panel of experts would need to be called to determine next steps. One of the first next steps in a scenario if the emissions continued daily weekly, monthly, without decreasing, would be the evacuation of residents out of the area. That would be one

Dominguez Channel, where the odor from hydrogen sulfide has been emanating for more than a month.

worst-case scenario. During the press conference, Marquez alluded to the fact that there are operating oil wells and abandoned oil wells that number in the 5,000-plus category throughout the Los Angeles Harbor Area. Specifically for Carson and Wilmington, there may be a couple thousand abandoned oil wells. Marquez noted that in the past, there were no strict requirements on how to plug an oil well. They could have plugged it with anything. They would have to inspect every single one of them for emissions. And those that are emitting, they will probably have to re-bore and re-seal. But to even do that would still cause some major releases. But this is only conjecture because the work simply has not been done and the city, county, and regional authorities have not made this issue enough of a priority, Marquez explained. A multi-agency response team, consisting of Los Angeles County’s departments in Public Works, Public Health, Fire Health HazMat, and South Coast AQMD, regularly reassesses the situation and community mitigation recommendations. That team is working around the clock to monitor and eliminate the odors from the channel and bring much-needed relief to affected communities. The pungent odor event has persisted for nearly four consecutive weeks; however, air quality monitoring by South Coast AQMD and County Fire Health HazMat indicates a downward trend in detectable hydrogen sulfide levels, both within the channel and in surrounding communities. More information on current air monitoring efforts can be found on the South Coast AQMD webpage. Residents may call the County Helpline at 2-1-1 for more information about the incident, assistance options, and reimbursement programs. Online forms are available at: LA County Emergency Response (lacounty. gov). There are also community information centers at the Carson Community Center at 801. E. Carson St., in Carson, from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., daily, and at the Wilmington Senior Center, 1371 Eubank Ave., in Wilmington, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Nov. 3, has proclaimed a local emergency to enable additional resources under state disaster legislation to respond to

the Dominguez Channel Odor Incident. The persistent issue began with reports of foul odors in the area on Oct. 4. Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks contributed to this story.

Carson 2021 Special Election Results

Retired LAPD Officer Wins 4th District Seat, Former Steve Bradford Aide Becomes City Clerk Myla Rahman has been elected Carson’s fifth city clerk with a little over 29% of the vote and former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Arleen Rojas is the new representative for Carson’s fourth district with 34% of the vote. Rojas is a 31-year veteran with the LAPD and a lifelong resident of Carson. She was appointed to the Economic Development Commission this past February. In 2019, Rojas was presented with a proclamation recognizing the Equal Pay Act, observing the national pay act of 1963. Rojas is the first Filipina to join the LAPD. She was one of 84 women to go through the police academy. Rojas was endorsed by Mayor Pro tem Jim Dear. Myla Rahman has been the district chief of staff for the California state legislature for the past eight years. Before that she was the district director for state Senator Steven Bradford. She was a senior account executive at Cerrell Associates, a public relations firm specializing in campaigns and issues management, land use and planning and media relations. Rahman is a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills.

City of Carson special municipal election city clerk (unexpired term ending Dec. 20, 2022) Candidate(s) Votes Myla Rahman (N) 2,133 Monette “Maria” Gavino (N) 1,822 Vera Robles DeWitt (N) 1,600 Falea’Ana Arieta Meni (N) 946 Jeffry H. Caballero (N) 800

Percent 29.22% 24.96% 21.91% 12.96% 10.96%

City of Carson special municipal election member of the city council, 4th district (unexpired term ending Dec. 20, 2022) Candidate(s) Votes Arleen Rojas (N) 660 Freddie Gomez (N) 525 Michael “Mike” Mitoma (N) 261 Sharma Henderson (N) 241 Isaias “Isa” Jesus Pulido (N) 234

Percent 34.36% 27.33% 13.59% 12.55% 12.18%


Life After Mother —

Telemarketing Preys on Seniors By Lyn Jensen, Columnist

My mother, who died last year, is still alive on countless telemarketing lists, whether from robocalls or human salespersons. It’s bad enough I get calls for “Madeline” (or my father, “Dale,” who died earlier, and whose name remains on accounts, too). Some junk accounts mangle my mother’s name into “Modelo” or “Modello” or “Modelho.” I explained there’s no such person here and request “please remove this number from your call list,” but I soon get another one. Other calls come for “John(ny),” and to make a long story short, no “John(ny)” has been near my home’s phone for the entire 21st century. I say, “No John(ny) here, please remove us from your call list,” but the barrage just keeps on coming. Some robocalls pitch dubious Medicare options or claim a healthcare professional has recommended me for a medical alert system or say, “Thank you for choosing” a hotel chain I never chose. Others seek to panic me about a non-existent charge on my Amazon account or

[News Briefs, from p. 6]

state and national transportation policies, regulation and legislation; developing immediate and long-term transportation priorities; and assisting with managing port-related traffic in support of supply chain optimization efforts. Prior to joining the port, Dau-Ngo was a supervising planner with Los Angeles-based Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. from 2000 to 2013. Earlier in her career, Dau-Ngo worked as a transportation planner with Wilbur Smith Associates Inc., San Francisco, and Meyer, Mohaddes Associates Inc., Seal Beach.

extend my auto warranty. (One of those has been giving me “final notice” for two years.) Dealing with this flood of nuisance calls is one more battle my mother left me to fight alone. Whether I don’t answer the call, or answer the phone and ask to be removed from the list, or go through the hassle of placing my home phone number on a do-not call registry, the junk-call horse is out of the barn. I suspect some calls can’t be controlled by a do-not-call list. One example is ghoulish real estate predators who want to talk to my mother about her property in probate. The caller obviously doesn’t understand if a person’s property is in probate, that’s a fairly clear indication the person’s dead. I’m supposed to do business with someone so clueless — or crooked? Then there are more obvious crooks, including calls that pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service or some such authority, threatening to make you pay up — it’s easy to see how a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s could fall for such a set-up. My mother, her mind clouded by dementia, spent hours on the phone with callers who claimed they wanted to perform maintenance inside her computer. I’d try to explain such calls were from identity thieves, trying to scam her by getting information in her computer, and she should just hang up. “I don’t have anything on my computer!”

she’d bellow. She was a victim of identity theft, though — some racket counterfeited her driver’s license, and she had no idea how they targeted her. The crime may have started with a look inside her computer, showing her to be an easy mark. Obviously, a patient with Alzheimer’s or

dementia can’t be expected to understand such calls — and could sign up for six “extended auto warranties” in one day or hand whole bank accounts to fraudsters. Relatives and caregivers have enough challenges without hassling junk calls.

Ports Accelerate Zero-Emissions Truck Efforts

Real People, Real News, Really Effective November 11 - 24, 2021

PORTS OF LA and LB — Effective April 1, 2022, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will begin collecting Clean Truck Fund or CTF Rates to help speed the transition to zero-emissions trucks serving both port complexes. The action was unanimously approved Nov. 4 and Nov. 8 by the Los Angeles and Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, respectively. Revenues will exclusively fund zero-emissions trucks and associated infrastructure to further the port’s goal of eliminating emissions from all trucks calling at the port by 2035. The approved CTF Rate of $10 per twenty-foot equivalent unit or TEU hauled by non-exempt trucks was jointly set by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in March 2020. Additionally, to get a head start on funding the deployment of zero emissions trucks, POLA will soon seek proposals from local drayage companies partnering with truck manufacturers to deploy 10 zero-emissions short-haul drayage trucks that call at marine terminals and operate within a short distance (e.g., trucks operating in an approximate 25-miles radius) of the ports. A competitive process will be used to select one team for a $3 million grant toward the grantee’s truck and infrastructure costs. The Port of Long Beach reported the Clean Truck Fund rate is expected to generate $90 million in the first year, or $45 million per port. As part of the Nov. 8 action, the board approved an initial funding prioritization for both lownitrogen oxides and zero-emissions trucks, with at least 10% of the funds to be provided to zeroemissions trucks.

7


It’s a Public Health Crisis Not a Crime Scene, Joe Buscaino is back to square one — attempting to chase people off the public domain By James Preston Allen, Publisher

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

South Beacon Street in San Pedro overlooking the Port of Los Angeles is certainly not anything like Skid Row, but you wouldn’t know it by the actions of Councilman Joe Buscaino. His latest campaign move was amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 to make it illegal to camp on a sidewalk. Additionally, he added 161 addresses in CD15 to which to particularly apply this restriction — the highest number anywhere in the city. A group of them are on or near Beacon Street. He’s treating them like they’re a crime scene. This street has the storied history of being the site of where the battle over tiny homes first emerged a decade ago, and even earlier was known as one of the toughest streets on the entire West Coast, but that’s another story. The year before Joe announced his candidacy to become the mayor of Los Angeles, there were as many as 50 tents along the park and street that now overlook the supply chain congestion at the Port of Los Angeles. There’s a kind of hypocrisy at play when you look out from this parkway onto the billions of dollars in trade stuck at anchor and then notice the destitute conditions on this street. I often wonder about the correlation between the two and wonder if there’s a nexus between global trade and poverty on the streets of LA. On the week he traveled up to the Venice boardwalk to point out the homeless problem there (and announce his run for mayor) there suddenly was a mass exodus of unsheltered people from the street across from the grand U.S. Post Office. Suddenly after years of benign neglect with the homeless sheltering in the shadow of the federal building and with the subsidy for Project Room Key the denizens of the street actually had shelter, if only temporarily. That program ended last month and it’s uncertain how many of these people found permanent accommodations. Some few have now filtered back. Gabriela Medina, Buscaino’s district deputy, reports that, 40% of those experiencing street homelessness in CD15 have found interim and permanent housing over the past year. The truth is that in all of CD15, there’s somewhere around 2,257 souls experiencing homelessness — only a quarter of this number are in San Pedro. That’s like .01% of our

8

population and doesn’t even come close to the tragic numbers in other parts of the city. Yet team Buscaino boasts a 40% success rate while ignoring the other 60%, never considering what will happen next after the pandemic. And now he’s pimping the no camping ordinance. This is like a “back to the future” moment where Buscaino after following Mayor Eric Garcetti around for nine years, comes up with an idea that sounds strangely like his first idea: Let’s chase the homeless off the public right of way. Hey, it’s only going to cost a couple million to post signs. We all know how much the poor like to read signs. If he’s that concerned about the public right of way, might I suggest fixing the buckled sidewalks and the crumbling curbs along this stretch and then getting the developers who bought the historic YMCA building (once used to house the mentally ill) to actually renovate the place. If they aren’t going to do that, we could house the vast majority of San Pedro’s homeless people right there, right now. It’s a useless enterprise chasing homeless encampments. Even the Los Angeles Police Department’s leadership admits that they can’t arrest their way out of this crisis. Nor are they particularly trained to do the social work that comes with it. And even if we could use law enforcement to “clear the streets,” we don’t have the jails to place people in for the crime of being poor. What we do have in Los Angeles County is the largest mental health facility in the nation, it’s called the Metropolitan Jail, run by the LA County Sheriff’s department. Even Sheriff Alex Villanueva will tell you his department shouldn’t be in charge of the insane. Even though some percentage of our homeless suffer mental illness, putting them in jail for whatever infractions they incur, LAMC 41.18 enforcement will ultimately be more expensive than treating them, or the addicted, the sick, the abused and others. This is a public health crisis — not a crime scene. (The three biggest mental health centers in America are LA County, Cook County, Ill. Chicago and New York City’s Rikers Island jail.) Los Angeles’ anti-encampment law is now in place and the city council recently voted 11-2 to spend $2 million to manufacture and post signs

“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XLII : No. 23

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.

to notify unsheltered individuals that an area is off limits to them to sleep or otherwise occupy as stated in the newly updated section of the Municipal Code. Two city council members, Mike Bonin and Nithya Raman, were the only dissenting votes. They should get the Profile in Courage award. I doubt that this expanded ordinance will survive judicial review. What has been hidden from the citizens of LA these past years is that the city council has been spending more tax dollars on sanitation sweeps than they do on offering the unsheltered either trash cans or bathrooms. This, while many people complain about the trash. And what hardly gets noticed is that in a very few locations safe campsites and the tiny homes are the cost effective success for beginning to address this crisis. Sure, you can have a long-term goal of build-

ing 20,000 permanent supportive housing units or probably double that in a decade but it’ll take that long to get them built. What happens in the meantime? When you analyze the projects either being built or in planning, the city isn’t even maintaining its own standard of requiring 15% of new construction to be “affordable.” And with housing prices escalating every year, it’s a typical Catch-22 scenario and Buscaino isn’t up to figuring it out. If he somehow were to get elected mayor of Los Angeles, the city would spend the following four years chasing homeless people off every street corner and sidewalk in the city and never curing the root causes that are endemic to LA housing. And that my friends would be a crime worse than the cure.

Why I’m Running for City Council By Bryant Odega In LA’s 15th Council District, a 2003 graduate of Banning High School — a guy who was captain of the swim team — lives in one of the encampments of homeless people in the LA Harbor region. On June 29, 2021, he shared his story at a press conference hosted by Street Watch LA. “We’re people too,” the man said. “We’re just homeless just trying to find our way back into homes.” Of course, these days many people share this predicament. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there are 2,257 people experiencing homelessness in District 15. Across the city there are more than 41,000

Columnists/Reporters Publisher/Executive Editor Melina Paris Assistant Editor/Arts James Preston Allen Staff Reporter james@randomlengthsnews.com Hunter Chase Fabiola Esqueda Carson Reporter Assoc. Publisher/Production Vera Magana Dining & Cuisine Writer Coordinator Photographers Suzanne Matsumiya Harry Bugarin, Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Terelle Jerricks Chris Villanueva editor@randomlengthsnews.com Contributors Mark Friedman, Lyn Jensen, Ari Senior Editor LeVaux, Greggory Moore, Bryant Paul Rosenberg Odega paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com Cartoonists Internship Program Director Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Zamná Àvila Matt Wuerker

people experiencing homelessness. Black people account for one-third of them — although we are only 9% of LA’s total population. This crisis has become the humanitarian crisis of LA. As the second largest city in the U.S. with a GDP larger than Sweden’s, LA has the resources and the responsibility to address this issue with the urgency, compassion, and scale required. Instead, council members like Joe Buscaino defend the use of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, an anti-camping law which went into effect Sept. 3, to outlaw and essentially criminalize homelessness. Buscaino goes even further by arguing that this “new

Design/Production Suzanne Matsumiya, Brenda Lopez Advertising Sales Chris Rudd Chris@RandomLengthsNews.com Devon Goldberg Devon.Goldberg@RandomLengths News.com Fabiola Esqueda Cindy Portillo

GNI Fellow Editorial Intern

Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 Fax: (310) 832-1000 www.randomlengthsnews.com 1300 S. Pacific Avenue San Pedro, CA 90731

[See Odega, p. 9] 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. 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. For advertising inquiries or to submit advertising copy, email: 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 2021 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.


RANDOMLetters Infrastructure Plan

President Biden’s plan for infrastructure will expand federal government control and inefficiencies. If you just look at California State inefficiencies, you can see that California is a failure at large projects. The most recent projects have turned into boondoggles at the expense of the taxpayers. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Eastern span replacement) went from a $250 million to $6.5 billion overrun. It was 6 years behind schedule and five times over budget. The maintenance for the bridge cost $100 million from 2016-2017. The High-Speed Rail or bullet train has broken dozens of its promises and is 10 years behind schedule and $4.6 billion in overrun in 2018. It’s been 13 years since voters narrowly approved a $9.95 billion in bond seed money. The HSR system has shrunk to a 171 miles link between Bakersfield

to Merced. At the same time, the Rail Authority continues to downplay the problems, as change-orders and eminent domain continue to raise the cost of a project that is not financially feasible. Former President Donald Trump said the HSR was a disaster and pulled funding for project. President Joe Biden is in favor of the HSR and wants to spend good money on bad. Gov. Gavin Newsom who has a pitiful performance as a Governor, continues to keep the HSR project alive with a shrunken 171mile link between Bakersfield and Merced. So why is Gov. Newsom continuing to raise money for a boondoggle project in which money can be spent more effectively on issues that are more important to California population? Gov. Newsom would rather have a HSR when there is already a train that serves the same purpose. Where are the

[Odega, from p. 8]

Odega

Open Letter to LAPD on Proud Boys at Pt. Fermin Park

who are coordinating follow-up inquiries to the illegal assembly that was allowed to happen at our park. We want to know why the police allowed an illegal assembly of known violent and insurrectionist people at our park. It is either suspicious, (knowing the political tendencies/right wing gang affiliation of some law enforcement in Los Angeles) or an inept or systemic mistake (you did not know they did not have a permit?) or both ... We are trying to sort that out. We feel that there is political leniency in Los Angeles with rightwing, violent groups, while progressive and multiracial groups have always been hounded, thwarted, and, through the years, jailed and murdered by U.S. law enforcement and the political establishment.

This is U.S. History 101. The tough irony for us is that we PAY for that treatment through our own taxes! Additionally, and lastly, like I stated when I spoke at the first zoom meeting after the unlawful assembly at Pt. Fermin was allowed by law enforcement ... Police have a tough, stressful and scary job. We have a violent, uncooperative, unhinged society in many ways, full of ills, trauma and suffering. And you all are on the frontlines of that. I see and acknowledge that. I also stated in that call that it is precisely the perspectives of the progressive left, our policy ideas and our analysis and solutions to much of society’s ills and dangers that we believe would make

society — and therefore you allSAFER. Yet, as I stated before, it is U.S. History, repeating itself at our beloved Point Fermin Park last month, that our very institutions coddle and appease fascism and violence, and rather see us propeace, pro-equality, Americans as the enemy. The problems that people and the planet are facing today are way too urgent to allow America to keep screwing around with reality. I suggest you all turn your guns AROUND, stand with US — for once, and see how we can make a functioning society with liberty and justice for all. Finally. Rachel Bruhnke Member, San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice

Thank you for including me on the list of folks interested in the Pt. Fermin incident. Has a follow up meeting been planned? I would like to know. There are at least three San Pedro community groups

November 11 - 24, 2021

Bryant Odega is a climate justice organizer with Sunrise Movement-LA, renter, working-class Angeleno, educator, son of immigrants, and candidate for Los Angeles City Council in District 15. Follow Bryant on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn more about Bryant at OdegaforLA.com.

now in effect, these sweeps are expected to happen even more frequently. The problem with these sweeps is that you can not “sweep” human beings away. Unhoused Angelenos are like every other resident of Los Angeles: children, veterans, someone’s mother, brother, etc. The moral crisis of homelessness is not something that can be “swept” away either. It is certainly not something we should be punishing people for when the affordability of the rental housing market is beyond the control of individual residents. One out of three uses of force by LAPD involves an unhoused Angeleno. When Black and Latino communities are overrepresented in the homeless population, using police violence as a response to this crisis only further deepens the racial and economic injustice in our society. On Oct. 20, the LA City Council approved of 54 locations to ban homeless encampments. The cost of making the signs for these locations is about $2 million. $2 million, not for homeless services, not for permanent housing, but for anticamping signs. Buscaino called to ban unhoused residents from 161 new locations, all in District 15. Putting up signs does not solve homelessness. Putting public resources to criminalize and further stigmatize unhoused residents is putting public resources away from real solutions like creating and building permanent housing. Buscaino had 10 years to act. Over those years rent has gone up, affordable housing became scarce, and economic opportunities for the many have become hard to find. Calls by city leadership to criminalize and stigmatize people who are trying to get by and find their way back to housing miss the mark for what these times call for. The issue of homelessness is a systematic problem, but by punishing the most vulnerable for sleeping on the streets, 41.18 encapsulates the failed leadership of one of the most powerful cities in the country. To fix this problem, we must put homelessness above politics and invest in resources and solutions that center people.

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

process is slow, unnecessarily bureaucratic, and monopolizes valuable resources” and instead is pushing for a more punitive measure than 41.18. The new measure would be representative of Joe Buscaino’s failure to address homelessness. The cost of housing in Los Angeles has skyrocketed over the past couple of years leaving fewer and fewer low-cost housing options available. According to a report in 2019, the average cost of rent in the city was $2,527, an increase of 65% over the past decade, much higher than the national average. For those who can’t find a home in the housing market, finding one in public housing is also a challenge. The City of Los Angeles only has 6,500 public units available, with over 45,000 people on the waiting list. To put it into perspective, New York City owns nearly 170,000 public housing units. A study conducted by the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy found that nearly 73% of households spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Nearly half are severely rent-burdened, meaning households like mine spend more than 50% of our incomes to pay the rent. These factors all contribute to the homelessness crisis we see today. Another challenge to solving the homelessness crisis is the lack of political capacity from our city’s leaders to act urgently and accordingly. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed city budget includes $800 million to tackle homelessness, with a portion going to the Los Angeles Police Department and the carrying out of encampment sweeps, and increases LAPD’s budget to $1.7 billion, the largest ever, despite calls from community residents to reallocate funds from police into community programs and services, after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 reignited a reckoning on the racial injustices in America, especially in the policing system. Even worse, the allocation of those housing funds going towards patrolling and so-called sweeps represent a disconnect city leaders have with this moral issue. Joe Buscaino has been pushing for CARE+, also known as sweeps, as a model for managing sanitation and homeless encampments in the City of LA. In a coordinated effort, unhoused Angelenos are forced to relocate and remove all of their belongings. With 41.18

Governor’s priorities when it comes to the homelessness, school shutdowns, increase in crime, and destructive wildfires and global warming? The Governor is straddling a fence when he unlawfully changed the project to Bakersfield to Merced. The thing working against the Governor is geography, low population density, competition from electric cars and planes that are more efficient, convenient, faster, and relatively cheap by world standards. California voters were sold a bill of goods back in 2008 as the H.S.R. is an expensive, outdated solution, looking for a problem. John Winkler San Pedro

9


AQMD Replaces Failed CapAnd-Trade Refinery Rule “Far from Perfect,” but a “Step in the Right Direction,” Activists Say By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

Six years after it stunned its staff by rejecting a plan to slash oil refinery and related industrial nitrogen oxide emissions in favor of a last-minute industry substitute, the South Coast Air Quality Management District board unanimously approved a replacement. The new plan (known as Rule 1109.1) puts an end to the failed indirect regulation of the “cap and trade” RECLAIM system, established in 1993, which allowed facilities to avoid pollutionreducing improvements by buying underpriced “pollution credits.” But the plan still allows facilities to choose implementation methods, with five different timetable options available for the nine refineries and seven plants in related industries to which it applies. It’s projected to meet federal clean air standards in 2023, as well as 2031, with total cuts of almost 8 tons per day, almost half by the end of 2023. It’s expected to cost $2.3 billion (less than one cent per gallon in gas prices), with $2.6 billion worth of health benefits, while adding 213 jobs per year. While the new plan drew support from all sides, industry support was decidedly more enthusiastic. Legal and community environmental justice advocates called it “far from perfect,” “long overdue,” and “a step in the right direction,” but with “far too much flexibility” that’s “going to require a lot of follow-up,” while industry representatives gave it

10

full-throated praise, calling it “a strong rule,” “most stringent,” and “meticulously crafted.” The 2015 decision reflected a shift in political control of the board, from Democrats to Republicans, but was supported by LA Councilmember Joe Buscaino — nominally a Democrat, but frequently allied with the industry he was appointed to regulate. RECLAIM’s capand-trade system was supposed to promote the most cost-effective way to meet pollution-control goals. But it was so badly broken it required a major overhaul, with sharply reduced target levels of nitrogen oxide pollution. The industry substitute dramatically rolled back the reductions, undermining the rule’s whole purpose. AQMD staff warned the board it would be sued, which it quickly was, and environmentalists prevailed at trial in November 2017. By that time, partisan control of the board had shifted again, and Buscaino voted with the other Democrats in a 7-6 March 2017 decision to end RECLAIM entirely, and return to direct regulation of polluting factories — no more trading of credits — “as soon as practicable.” Almost five years later, that decision has finally born fruit. Alicia Rivera, Wilmington organizer with Communities for a Better Environment began the public comments with a bit of a history les-

Alicia Rivera, director of Communities for a Better Environment, near a refinery in Wilmington, circa 2016. Photo by Terelle Jerricks

son. “Most of you are new, in the board, and maybe are unaware that in 2015 this could have started, reducing nitrogen oxide. But instead the refineries showed up last minute, and thanks to Boardmember Buscaino, shamefully they were able to get what they wanted,” she said. Buscaino and Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson were responsible for pushing the refineries substitute plan onto the agenda. Nelson (who’s no longer on the board) formally introduced it and Buscaino seconded it. This is the second major rule approved by AQMD this year after years of delay, and Buscaino played a role in delaying the first one as well. On May 7, it adopted the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule (ISR), requiring warehouses greater than 100,000 square feet to directly reduce nitrogen oxide and diesel particulate matter emissions, or

mitigate exposure in nearby communities. Industry opposed that rule and is now fighting it in court. Buscaino voted for it this time, after years of being a leading opponent—as noted by the Los Angeles Times in April 2018, for example. But his vote was uncertain till the end, according to activists involved. The week before the vote, Buscaino was one of “The Fossil Fuel Four” on the AQMD board targeted by California Environmental Voters (aka “EnviroVoters”) with a new website and ad campaign highlighting how four board members — three Republicans, representing Republican-leaning areas in Orange and San Bernardino counties, plus Buscaino, appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to represent heavily Democratic LA — have favored corporate polluters who’ve contributed to their campaigns. Buscaino’s contributors include California Independent Petroleum Association, E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation, American Chemistry Council, California Resources Corporation, and Pacific Coast Energy Company. The result was “a trend and a pattern of inaction,” EnviroVoters organizer Resa Barillas told Random Lengths News.“We’re finding that what’s most dangerous about bad appointments like Buscaino is that they don’t necessarily have to actively do anything to do a lot of damage. In fact, they cause the most damage by doing absolutely nothing. Which is part of the problem with Buscaino,” she said. “This refinery rule should have passed a long time ago.” So should an ISR for the ports, similar to the Warehouse ISR passed in May. “But instead, because the person who is representing this area isn’t actively taking the [See Fossil Fuel, p. 16]


T

because artists don’t get the notoriety that pop and R&B artists get. It all started with the blues and I’m pretty sure if these artists did the blues, we could get some new audiences. … Just a song, like some … on my album, All In The Family Blues, Love One Another, or Under Your Spell. Those have blues tones in them. “That’s one of my main motivations because I love the music and … to present it to my fan base is a good thing. Blues isn’t always [the] sad music that people claim it to be. All blues isn’t sad.” Jackson co-wrote many of the songs on Under Your Spell with his partner Michael Jackson, who just happens to have the same name as his brother. Jackson also did some of the songs’ solos and says he’s very pleased with the outcome. “It puts me in a happy mood,” he said. “It’s more uplifting than down and I can’t wait to get out and perform these songs.” The New Blues Festival VIII, the only year-ending blues festival in Southern California, will happen at Shoreline Aquatic Park, Nov. 13. “This is the eighth New Blues Festival, the sixth in Long Beach, and the first time the New Blues Festival will be held in the prime entertainment destination of Shoreline Aquatic Park,” festival promoter and curator, Bill Grisolia said. The City of Long Beach approached The New Blues Festival team about moving the event to this destination park. “We are thrilled!” Grisolia said via email. “It is outrageously beautiful ... with views of the Queen Mary and the fantastic boat traffic including Long Beach Transit and the Catalina Express.” The ever-enthusiastic host of the New Blues Festival described the coveted location. “The tip of the peninsula is located directly across from the famous Parker’s lighthouse restaurant at Shoreline Village. And on the other side of the peninsula, is Rainbow Harbor including all the fantastic pleasurecraft, restaurants and the jewel of Rainbow Harbor, which is the Aquarium of the Pacific. We couldn’t be more thrilled.” Grisolia added that fans will see the New Blues Festival in less than a year after it chooses another day in collaboration with the city. This was the third date the city provided after the first two were changed because of COVID-19 and rescheduling. “We are so happy to provide the residents of Southern California with a great blues festival to launch the holiday season!” Grisolia said.

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

he headliner of the Long Beach New Blues Festival is ... Tito Jackson? At age 68, with his professional musical career at 57 years and counting and an inductee into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame since 1997, most of his fans have never thought of him as a bluesman. But this story tells us that he has been a loving practitioner of the genre for decades. “I always said my next album, for sure, is going to be a blues album,” Jackson said in a recent interview with Random Lengths News. “My performances always had deep blues roots in it. I’m a lover of blues. My father always played it and we had blues in our show prior to Motown. We did about four or five blues songs as The Jackson 5 and my mom loved blues more than anyone. So I started trying to make a solo career with the blues in about 2000-2001. This is just a continuation of my journey.” Jackson wants to introduce blues music, which he noted is responsible for many of the music genres we have today, to a wider, younger audience. “The blues need a hand up,” Jackson said. “[For] more of the popular artists, it wouldn’t hurt to do a blues song or two on their albums. It would be a great thing and push the blues up

Mr. Jackson

Tito Jackson, professional musician of 57 years and former member of the Jackson 5. FIle photo, graphic by Brenda López

November 11 - 24, 2021

[See New Blues, p. 14]

Tito Jackson will be playing his brand of “modern electric blues” and soul featured on his recent album, Under Your Spell. In July, Jackson released the single Love One Another featuring his brother Marlon, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush and Stevie Wonder. The Love One Another music video features the cameos of his mother Katherine and his sister Janet. The album Under Your Spell released in August is Jackson’s second solo studio album. Remarkably, Jackson said, the album came together because of COVID-19. “I was able to get in touch with people and they weren’t busy,” Jackson said.

11


I

would have been OK with it if they were stealing our squash to feed their families, but it wasn’t the case. One of the thieves had a buttercup squash and the other what looked like a sunshine, both of the $4 size. With no time to hide the squash as we drove up, they scurried away sheepishly while we checked the cash box, which was empty, at which point they turned tails and ran. We strolled after them in leisurely pursuit, comparing notes on what had just went down in front of our eyes in broad daylight. My son, who nodded to the thieves as they walked by with the little squashes we did not yet know were stolen, knows who they are and where they live. At first I thought the kid with the long underwear under his shorts had a little sunshine squash, which kind of broke my heart as it’s my favorite kind. About halfway to their house we found broken pieces of red kuri squash on the sidewalk. I was relieved it wasn’t a sunshine after all. At that point we returned home to prepare for other matters. Like a fine pumpkin pie, revenge is excellent served cold. It was about that time that I received an email with an attached photo of a very sad

Squashed By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist

it moist and soft. The squash flies completely under radar: the kids loved it, but could not guess the secret ingredient. When I do eat breakfast, I typically prefer savory, as I would rather add hot sauce than sweet syrup. My savory breakfast squash is fried in bacon grease. Everything, including seeds, skin and egg fritters with squash. If you don’t do bacon, follow along with your favorite oil. We can’t squash every beef in life, but at least we can squash our breakfast. On most days, that’s enough.

Above squash fritters and right, squash toast. It’s what’s for breakfast. Photos by Ari LeVaux

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

pancake. “I am so bored with breakfast!” my friend wrote, interspersed with words I can’t print. “What should I do?” I am not usually a breakfast eater, but some people are just gonna eat some breakfast, and I have to respect that. I got to work perfecting two squash-based breakfast recipes, one sweet and one savory. I practiced the sweet recipe on my kids, who enjoy foods with syrup. I practiced the savory version on myself, but in the afternoon, when it isn’t really breakfast anymore. The sweet breakfast is almost too easy. I scoop a few spoonfuls of soft, cooked squash into a little bowl and mash it until it’s completely smooth. Then I add it to my favorite french toast recipe. The squash adds a thick, rich orange coating to the french toast, keeping

12

Squash for Breakfast 1 winter squash. I like sunshine or kabocha squash. Cut the squash in half along the axis of your choice, and place the halves cut sides down on a baking pan, seeds and all, and bake at 350º F for about 40 minutes, until soft enough to push in from the outside. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Then scrape out the seeds and strings in the middle and set aside. Scrape the skin clean of squash flesh. Put the flesh in bowl and mash until smooth. Set aside the skin.

Squash Toast For two slices 1 egg splash of cream splash of vanilla 1 tablespoon roasted, mashed squash pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt 2 slices bread 1/2 tablespoon butter Beat together the wet ingredients until smoothly mixed. Dredge the bread. If the bread is extra hard and crusty soak it for up to an hour. Saute the slices in butter, like you do with French toast.

Squash Fritters 1 to 4 slices of bacon, depending on how fatty it is. Enough to add about two tablespoons of oil to the pan squash seeds, somewhat cleaned but not meticulously spit-shined squash skin 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons roasted, mashed squash 1 tablespoon bread crumbs 1 tablespoon grated hard cheese like romano 1 clove garlic, grated pinches of salt and pepper More oil as necessary Fry the bacon until nicely browned. Remove the bacon and fry the seeds, spreading them out so no two are touching. Find room in the grease for some pieces of cleaned squash skin and set them down with exterior sides in the grease. Turn the heat down to low/medium and slowly fry the seeds and skin, turning when browned on one side. Whilst the seeds and skins bubble in the oil, beat the eggs with the squash, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Remove the browned seeds and skins. If the pan is close to dry, add more oil. Turn the heat to above medium. When the oil starts to sizzle at the slightest provocation, pour 1/4 cup or so of the batter at a time into the oil, in dollops far enough apart from one another that they won’t touch. There should be enough oil in the pan that the dollops float atop a thin layer. After about ten minutes, flip them. When the other sides are brown, remove them from the pan and drain them on paper towels. Serve with hot sauce.


DINING News

Passing of an Era:

Walker’s Café Closes

Walker’s Café closed its doors for the last time last month. The restaurant is owned by Richard Brummett, the son of Bessie Mae Petersen, the original owner of Walker’s Café. Brummett took over the restaurant in 1996 after his mother died, allowing a series of general managers to operate the unofficial landmark while he continued to live in Yuba, Calif. Motorcycle enthusiasts have been coming to Walker’s Café pretty much since it first opened in 1944. The café was off the beaten path, with no through traffic, because years before Paseo del Mar had taken a dive off the cliff into the Pacific.

Bessie and Ray Walker owned Walker’s Café. Bessie Logan was born and raised in central Oklahoma and moved to San Pedro when she was 22 years old. In past interviews with Random Lengths, she claimed to have waitressed in every restaurant or coffee shop in the Beacon Street area of the San Pedro Waterfront. Bessie was the waitress, Ray the cook. The Walker’s warmth,

Tradition, variety and fast delivery or takeout—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and our amazing selection of signature pizzas. We are taking all safety precautions to protect our diners and staff. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on new developments. Call for fast delivery or to place a pick up order. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.Sun. Big Nicks’ Pizza, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-732-5800, www.bignickspizza.com

BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA

Shop Local for the Holidays

Random Lengths’ Holiday Advertising Package will take you through the Holiday Season:

Lighthouse Café is Now Open ... Again

1. NOV. 11

The Lighthouse Café is finally open after closing after a brief reopening this past August, following months of renovations. The café had changed hands while retaining most of its menu and staff. The Point Fermin area café reopened on Nov. 6. Cindy and Jason Fogle, the new owners, have a long-time connection with San Pedro. Jason Fogle was born in San Pedro and his father worked at a San Pedro hospital for 30 years. The Fogles made a same-day offer and soon after they became owners of the new Lighthouse Café. Then they shut it down to do a full renovation. The building is 100 years old. Renovations ranged from exposing an original brick wall that adds to the ambience to installing new plumbing and wiring. They also put in a garage door on the side of the café, letting in light and fresh air. The Fogles plan to add new dishes, such as a Monday football night special. They also are recruiting more cooks who are bringing new ideas. The Fogles are pleased with the response the new Lighthouse Café has been met with. “The reception has been great, the neighborhood’s been great [and] the regulars have been wonderful,” Cindy Fogle said.

Dining Guide / Retro Retail

2. NOV. 24

Black Friday Sales / Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade Edition

3. DEC. 9

Shop Local

4. DEC. 16 — SPECIAL EDITION Last-Minute Shopping Ideas

5. DEC. 22

New Year’s Eve Celebrations Post-Holiday Clearance Sales

6. JAN. 6, 2022

Health & Fitness Edition

Ready to call it a Wrap for the Holidays?

Call 310.519.1442

RLNSales@randomlengthsnews.com

— Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL

Conrad’s reflects the cuisine of Oaxaca with a focus fresh on local, seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now Conrad’s features Peruvian dishes, as well as an inventive Mexican vegetarian and vegan menu. Dine in, dine al fresco or order online for curbside pick up and delivery. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. S. Conrad’s Mexican Grill, 376. W. 6th St., San Pedro 424-264-5452, www.conradsmexicangrill.com

HAPPY DINER #1

Built on the success of Happy Diner #1, Happy Diner #2 offers American favorites like omelets and burgers, fresh salads, plus pasta and Mexican dishes are served. Order online for delivery or call for pickup. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #2, 1931 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 310-935-2933, www.happydinersp.com

HAPPY DELI

The Happy Deli is a small place with a big menu. Food is made-to-order using the freshest ingredients. Breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches include a small coffee. For lunch or dinner select from fresh salads, wraps, buffalo wings, cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and dogs. Order online or call for takeout or delivery. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 am. to 8 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Deli, 530 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, 424-364-0319, www.happydelisp.com

SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY

A micro brewery and American grill, SPBC features handcrafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, BBQ, sandwiches, salads and burgers. Order your growlers, house drafts and cocktails to go (with food purchase)! Open daily 12 to 8 p.m. for indoor or al fresco dining, takeout and delivery through Grubhub, Postmates and Doordash. San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-831-5663, www.sanpedrobrewing.com

WEST COAST PHILLY’S

Welcome to West Coast Philly’s Cheesesteak and Hoagies where authentic Philly cheesesteaks meet the waterfront in San Pedro. Along with serving the classic cheesesteak, West Coast Philly’s puts its unique twist on its cheesesteaks and hoagies. Also on the menu are subs, burgers, wings and salads. Happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m., Mon.-Thurs. Indoor dining or order online or call for pickup. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. West Coast Philly’s, 1902 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, 424-264-5322, www.westcoastphillys.com

Support Independent Restaurants • Dining Guide online: www.randomlengthsnews.com/dining-guide [See Calendar, page 16]

November 11 - 24, 2021

The Happy Diner #1 in Downtown San Pedro isn’t your average diner. The selections range from Italian- and Mexicaninfluenced entrées to American Continental. Happy Diner chefs are always creating something new—take your pick of grilled salmon over pasta or tilapia and vegetables prepared any way you like. Dine in or al fresco or call for takeout. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thurs.Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #1, 617 S. Centre St., San Pedro, 310-241-0917, www.happydinersp.com

HAPPY DINER #2

Family owned and operated since 1965, Buono’s is famous for award-winning brick oven baked pizza. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and hand-selected fresh ingredients. Now limited dine-in and patio service, takeout and delivery. Hours: Sun.Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Buono’s Pizzeria, 222 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-547-0655, www.buonospizza.com

BUY 5, GET ONE FREE!

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

BIG NICK’S PIZZA

friendliness and good food was soon discovered by locals. The café has been seen in movies such as Whatever Happened to the Black Dahlia? and Chinatown. As a side note, the iconic Walker’s Café store sign featuring two mermaids has gone missing. It’s not clear if Mr. Brummett or a Walker’s Café enthusiast took it home as a keepsake.

13


It’s Plus Ça Change for Wes Anderson and The French Dispatch By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist

It’s all a matter of taste, of course, but for some of us once upon a time Wes Anderson was on one of the greatest directorial hot streaks of all time. Beginning with his second feature, Rushmore, every one of the six films Anderson released between 1998 and 2012 ranged from great to transcendent. To be sure, they all followed the same formula — endearingly quirky humor, stylistically deadpan acting, and signature art direction, all wrapped up in a metafictional bow — but rather than seeming old hat, each new opus was a minor miracle. How could such a familiar, unvarying style produce fresh work yet again?

But the bloom came off the rose with 2014‘s The Grand Budapest Hotel. It sure looked good, and the more-than-capable cast sounded just like the casts of Wes Anderson past, and the style of humor was the same. But Anderson had used this metafictional framing device — the novel — to cleverer effect in The Royal Tenenbaums. And what happened to the laughs? And most importantly, where were the feels that Anderson managed to deliver in all his films despite their aloof façades? Things were even more disheartening with 2018‘s Isle of Dogs, whose claymation was a pleasure to behold but [See Dispatch, p. 14]

[New Blues, from p. 8]

The New Blues Festival

Tribute to BB King

The guitar player and singer said he started the albums’ B.B. King track, Rock Me Baby, a tribute to the blues legend, prior to COVID. Jackson said both B.B. King’s daughter, Claudette, and George Benson participated in the project. Benson’s guitar playing, always unmistakable, is a sound to savor. From about 2017 to 2019, Jackson was the frontman for the B.B. King Blues Band. The outfit headed to Reno to do a casino show and traveled through Scottsdale, Arizona. Their stage manager was friends with Benson. Jackson and Benson also worked together in Las Vegas. “We hoped to work together again someday,” Jackson said. “That rarely happens but thanks to Rob [manager] on our way to Reno, he told George we were

Best Contemporary album and for Best Grass Roots for Love One Another. To record, the musicians sent tracks back and forth and had many telephone conversations and Facetime sessions. This is Jackson’s sophomore album. He had planned to do a blues album for his debut, Tito Time (2016), but he said after reviewing his fan base at the time, he decided it would be better to go more toward the music he was accustomed to doing with his brothers.

Festival Lineup

An eclectic lineup will set the stage for a memorable New Blues fest at a landmark location. Artists include: Sugar Ray Rayford; LA blues guitar great, Laurie Morvan; Bill Grisolia & the New Blues Festival All-Stars; New Orleans transplant and blues guitarist, Lester Lands; multi-genre guitarist-vocalist, Jennifer Corday; Eclectic blues-rock trio, The

Scene from The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s new film.

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

Jennifer Corday will perform at the Long Beach New Blues Festival on Nov. 13. File photo

14

coming through. George invited us to his place for lunch on the way to Reno. We told him about our project and trying to do a tribute song to B.B. He volunteered without any hesitation and we went into the studio, he played his part and we had a song, [Rock Me Baby]. “Joe Bonamassa’s was the last song [Under Your Spell] that we added to that record. We listened to it and thought it would be nice to have something about what’s going on in today’s world with the situation America went through [on] Jan. 6 and even before that.” Jackson noted the album is being considered for a Grammy nomination for

Disciplez; She Wears Black featuring Long Beach’s very own blues diva, Shy But Flyy; Tex-Mex Blues from Redd House; musician/ surfboard shaper/SoCal surf legend, Dano Forte; and blues harp player TJ Norton. This year’s Master of Ceremonies: Southern California blues deejay legend, Ann The Raven, formerly of KPCC-FM. New Blues Festival Time: 9 a.m. Cost: $50 and up Details: www.newbluesfestival.com and www. titojackson.com Venue: Shoreline Aquatic Park, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

SUPPORT FREE SPEECH PUBLIC RADIO!

For more than 60 years KPFK-90.7 FM has been bringing progressive, informative, non-commercial free-speech public radio to Southern California and the world! We are listener supported! Without you, we wouldn't exist.

Please show your support for KPFK today by pledging online at www.kpfk.org or calling (818) 985-KPFK Thanks for listening and thanks for your support!


Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/inconversation Venue: Collage A Place for Art and Culture, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

MUSIC Nov. 13

New Blues Festival The festival features two stages of entertainment with artists Tito Jackson, Lester Lands, Redd House, She Wears Black Corday and many others. This is a family friendly event with a vendor village, food vendors and a bar. Time: Nov. 13 Cost: $50 and up Details: www.newbluesfestival. com Venue: Shoreline Aquatic Park, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach Laurence Juber Juber is a Grammy-winning guitar player at the front lines of the fingerstyle genre — he’s known internationally for his collaborations with music legend Paul McCartney and as a lead guitarist for Wings. There will be a pre-concert wine tasting from 7 to 7:45 p.m. with sommelier Mona Harrington. Time: 8 p.m. Nov. 13 Cost: $28 and up Details: https://tinyurl.com/laurence-juber-grand Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Nov. 14

Martha Redbone Singer-songwriter and Independent Music Award winner Martha Redbone draws on her Native and African American heritage to deliver a powerful blend of Appalachian roots and blues. She’s been recognized at the Native American Music Awards and featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. She performs at the Annex with her trio. Time: 8 p.m. Nov. 14 Cost: $28 and up Details: www.grandvision.secure. force.com/ticket/martha-redbone Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Nov. 21

Nov. 13

Long Beach Symphony Opening Night Eckart Preu is conductor of this show, which features Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade for Orchestra, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Time: 8 p.m. Nov. 13 Cost: $32 and up Details: 562-436-3203 ext. 1; info@longbeachsymphony.org Venue: 249 E. Ocean Blvd., Suite 200, Long Beach

ART

Nov. 11 2021 Annual Community Art Show Each fall, the Palos Verdes Library District holds its annual community art show, inviting local artists, professional and amateurs alike, to participate. This year, it is hosting the show at the Peninsula Center Library. Featuring almost 100 artists from around the Peninsula and the larger Los Angeles community, the shows include artists of all backgrounds and experience levels. Pieces include many media forms such as photography, painting, collage and sculpture. Time: Now through Dec. 31 Cost: Free Details: www.pvld.org/artinourlibrary/exhibit Venue: Peninsula Center Library, 701 Silver Spur Rd., Rolling Hills Estates

Nov. 20

A Practical Guide to Parlour Games & Magic Curated by Jason Jenn & Vojislav Radovanović. Featuring work by Phoebe Barnum, Brad Davis, Adrienne Devine, Doug Hammett, Orit Harpaz, Jason Jenn, Ashley Kruythoff, Lena Moross, Giovanni Ortega, Vojislav Radovanović, Nancy Kay Turner, and Sean Yang. Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 20 Cost: Free Details: www.theloftatlizs.com Venue: The Loft at Liz’s, | 453 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles

FILM

Nov. 12

FOOD

Nov. 17

Holiday Class: Thanksgiving Leftovers Three Way Wondering what to do with all that leftover turkey? Look no further. Chef Scott will show three ways to use up that leftover turkey —Turkey and Chickpea Soup: https:// www.heb.com/.../turkey-andchickpea.../1404199948681; Ultimate Leftover Cheesy Turkey and Smoked Brisket Nachos: https:// www.heb.com/.../ultimate-leftover.../1404199949077; Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey and Basil Frittatini’s — recipe coming soon. Time: 4 to 5 p.m. Nov. 17 Cost: Free Details: www.facebook.com/ events/s/holiday-class-thanksgiving-leftovers Venue: Online

Nov. 26

Miracle at the Ordinarie Miracle will return to The Ordinarie. Miracle Pop Up Cocktail Bar is a complete immersive Christmas cocktail experience that will transform The Ordinarie into an overthe-top Kitschy Christmas wonderland. Miracle at The Ordinarie starts Nov. 26 and will continue until Dec. 30. Time: Tues. to Sun. 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Details: /www.theordinarie.com/ miracle Venue: The Ordinarie, 210 The Promenade N. Long Beach

LITERATURE Nov. 13

In conversation with Made in California author George Geary. Geary is a historian, author, and TV personality who has written a book about the history of foods invented in California. At this afternoon event he will explore why California has such an enduring creative streak, engage in a conversation with culinary historian Richard Foss and will sign books. Time: 2 p.m. Nov. 13 Cost: Free

COMMUNITY Nov. 13

White Point Nature Walk Celebrate Veterans Day walking through restored coastal sage scrub habitat and stop at a former gun emplacement to learn about the military history of the area. Don’t miss the Nature Education Center with activities for the whole family. Walk level is easy to moderate. Time: 9 a.m. Nov. 13 Cost: Free Details: 310-541-7613; www.pvplc.org/event/nature-walknov2021 Venue: White Point Nature Preserve, 1600 W. Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro Open Conversations with Parks Recreation & Marine and VIP Records The Arts Council Long Beach will host Open Conversations with Brent Dennis, director of Parks, Recreation and Marine and VIP Records. Open Conversations will take place during the LB Artwalk. Time: Noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 13 Cost: Free Details: www.artslb.org Venue: East Village Arts Park, 150 Elm Ave., Long Beach

Nov. 24

Chicano Moratorium Aftermath: Four Creative Forces On Aug. 29, 1970, demonstrators marched through East Los Angeles in a peaceful protest against the Vietnam War. Although it ended in conflict and death, it galvanized many who participated, sparking their careers in the arts and community activism. Meet four creative forces in a discussion on how the Chicano Moratorium impacted their life’s work. Panelists include Willie Herrón, muralist and performance artist, Jesse Velo, musician and civil rights analyst/investigator, Margarita Cuarón, artist and social activist María Eléna Yepes, educator, writer and community activist. Moderated by Esperanza Sanchez, associate curator at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. Time: 7 p.m. Nov. 24 Cost: Free Details: https://us06web.zoom. us/.../reg.../,WN_9JYKxR6VTv

OSxwTJhTltKA Venue: Zoom

A screenshot from the trailer from Wes Anderson’s new film The French Dispatch.

heart to anchor a film but hoping his magazine conceit would keep us from noticing. There’s a lot of cinematic prestidigitation to take your eye off the ball. In addition to b&w and tableaux, along with his usual bag of tricks Anderson employs animation (a short sequence is lovely, an extended one becomes tedious), split-screen, and multiple aspect rations; places subtitles in a variety of screen locations and font sizes; outdoes his previous best efforts with miniatures (which is saying something); and achieves so much with sets and set dressing both in camera and digitally that there ought to be a Special Achievement award for The French Dispatch at next year’s Oscars. Anderson also seems to be going for a special award along the lines of “Cast With Most Recognizable Names/ Faces.” In addition to over a dozen Wes Anderson veterans, we’ve got maybe 10 additional actors you’ll recognize (e.g., Elisabeth Moss, Benicio Del Toro, Saoirse Ronan). Frustratingly, some seem present only to pad the stats. We love seeing Christoph Waltz, for example, but why bother employing such a brilliant talent if all you’re going to have him do is sit at a table for less than a minute with nary a word? There’s a galaxy of star power in The French Dispatch and a shiny surface worthy of anything in the great auteur’s oeuvre. And to be fair, Anderson and his co-writers display an apropos-for-a-film-about-first-order-journalism joie de mots. But it all amounts to style over substance — a once unfair charge levied against Wes Anderson films that now even some of his biggest fans cannot defend against. 15 November 11 - 24, 2021

Movie on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz Join a family film on the rooftop of Peninsula Center Library featuring MGM’s The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Bring your blankets and comfy chairs. PVLD will have a limited number of chairs available. The Peninsula Friends of the Library will be providing snacks. Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 12 Cost: Free Details: 310-377-9584 Venue: Peninsula Center Library, Rooftop,701 Silver Spur Rd., Rolling Hills Estates

Nov. 13

The Velvet Underground This film creates a new sound that changes the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most revered bands. The Velvet Underground explores the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll. Proof of vax or negative test within 72 hours required to attend screenings. Time: 11 a.m., to 1 p.m. Nov. 13, 14 Cost: $9 to $10 Details: www.arttheatre.easyware-ticketing.com/velvet-underground Venue: The Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach

Django Festival All-Stars Django’s unmistakable cool and jumpin’ ole de vivre have made him an icon for an unlikely range of luminaries from Carlos Santana to Jimi Hendrix, who named his big band of gypsies in tribute, and Willie Nelson, who adopted his influence in country-swing. The Django Festival All-Stars swing like crazy and will break your heart with a ballad. Many are from the Lorraine region of France where music and family reign supreme, and where the art of music is taught from one generation to the other. Time: 7 p.m. Nov. 21 Cost: $30 to $40 Details: www.torrancearts.org/ show/django-festival-all-stars Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance

THEATER

The French Dispatch

otherwise served as a reminder of how inferior a film this was to Fantastic Mr. Fox. Alas, The French Dispatch continues Anderson’s current streak of presenting us with gorgeous, technically dazzling work that reminds us how much better his work used to be. Initially, The French Dispatch gives false hope. Opening with the establishment of the film’s metafictional framing device (the final edition of a mid-20th-century Kansas newspaper’s Sunday insert focusing on fine writing about the French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé), after a brief obituary of the Dispatch’s editor-in-chief (Bill Murray), The French Dispatch sets up its primary action with a travelogue, taking us on a drolly breathtaking tour of Ennui while introducing new techniques into the Anderson canon (black-and-white, tableaux) to great effect. We’re off to a perfect start. Unfortunately, we never really go anywhere. Each of the three unrelated vignettes that comprise the bulk of the film — the history of a major fresco by an incarcerated painter, a record of a failed student revolution, and an account of a particularly eventful night in the life of the world’s foremost police chief — has its aesthetic moments and a couple of yuks, but in the end we don’t care about any of the many, many characters we meet. Moreover, because nothing connects the dots beyond the fact that all the tales take place in Ennui and were once told by The Dispatch, it feels as if Anderson threw these stories together knowing full well that none has enough

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

Long Beach Camerata Singers: Peace Project 5 Reconciliation Dr. James Bass has designed a concert that will explore themes of diversity and inclusion. The theme of Peace Project 5 will be “Reconciliation.” In addition to featuring the premiere of Testimony composed by Richard Danielpour, the rest of the repertoire and narrative will directly consider themes of equity, acceptance, racial justice and healing. Time: 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 Cost: $40 to $65 Details: www.longbeachcameratasingers.org/event/peace-project-5 Venue: Jordan Theatre, 6500 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach

Nov. 21

Tongva Stories Reimagined Tina Calderon is a Tongva culture bearer and storyteller, Jessica Gudiel is a visual artist who is inspired by traditional shadow puppetry. The two collaborated to create a magical experience as Tina told a creation story and Jessica animated it. Their collaboration will be shown and discussed, Jessica’s artwork will be on display, and Tina will tell more Tongva stories and sing new songs in her ancient language. Come for an afternoon of ancient traditions brought to life. Time: 2 p.m. Nov. 21 Cost: $15 Details: www.eventbrite/tongvastories Venue: Collage, A Place for Art and Culture, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

[Dispatch, from p. 14]


LABOR Notes

Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy Workers Set Date for SoCal Strike By Mark Friedman, Contributor

Facing stalled negotiations and low-ball contract offers, six UFCW Local Unions in Southern California issued a 10-day notice of strike to Kaiser Permanente. The notice informed Kaiser of the members’ intention to engage in a strike and job actions including picketing and hand billing by pharmacy employees at all Kaiser Permanente locations in the Southern California region. Nearly 150 Southern California medical facilities and 2,500 pharmacy employees, from San Diego to Kern County, could be impacted. They join thousands of professional and technical KP employees across the country organizing for a potential strike if contract negotiations continue to stall. Just this past Saturday thousands of Kaiser employees rallied and marched in Pasadena calling on Kaiser to “come to its senses.” Pharmacy employees, who are members of six UFCW locals in the SoCal region, are holding strike preparation assemblies this week including picket captain and member meetings to discuss plans for a potential strike. UFCW locals are members of the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, a coalition of 21 labor organizations with over 50,000 Kaiser Permanente employees. On Oct. 20, 96% of UFCW Kaiser Permanente employees in Southern California authorized a strike. “Kaiser has called us heroes and now they are wanting to give us contract offers that are ridiculous. In this economy that we are in today, getting a 1% increase per year for the next three years is unsustainable –in California or anywhere else Kaiser employees live and work,” says Teresa Almora-Sorosjinda, a Pharmacy Assistant at Kaiser Permanente-Antelope Valley.

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

Protest by Employees of McDonald’s and Fast Food Chains

16

Fast-food workers at stores throughout California plan to leave work on Nov. 9 and demonstrate in front of McDonald’s locations in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento. The protest is an effort to expand legal liability beyond individual franchisees to their corporate franchisors and protest health and safety conditions in the workplace. The protests are aimed at pressuring state legislators to support proposed assembly bill 257. The bill would hold fast-food corporations accountable to ensure their franchisees comply with a variety of employment and public health and safety orders, including those related to unfair business practices and employment discrimination. The bill would make violations of labor laws by franchisees equally enforceable against the franchisor. There are approximately 76,000 franchise establishments in California with a total of 728,900 jobs.

Taxi Drivers Win Some Relief from Crushing Medallion Debt After 46 days of picketing and a 15-day hunger strike, members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance won some relief from the vast debts incurred when the inflated val-

ue of their city-issued medallions crashed in recent years. Under a three-way agreement among the NYTWA, the de Blasio administration, and the city’s largest medallion lender, drivers — who owe, on average, $550,000 each — will see their debt written down to $170,000 and amortized so that monthly payments don’t exceed $1,122. Most important, the city will guarantee each of these rescue loans in the event of default. New York City taxi drivers entered their second week of hunger-striking outside City Hall to demand that Mayor Bill de Blasio grant debt relief for thousands of drivers impacted by the taxi medallion price crash. Many drivers purchased taxi medallions, the permits required to drive a taxi, for upwards of $1 million. By the end of the week, an agreement was made. After the incursion of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft, as well as more recent plummeting demand for taxis due to the pandemic, they are now only worth about $100,000. Faced with massive debt and financial ruin, at least nine drivers have died by suicide. So, the medallion, for decades, has been worth between $130,000 to $200,000. The medallion system is the licensing by which cabs are allowed to pick up passengers from across the five boroughs. And this was created in the early 20th century. Taxi driver Augustine Tang and hungerstriker said he knew a driver who committed suicide. He told Democracy Now! that he is striking for medallion owners who “went into financial ruin” and saw that “there was no way out.”

Zohran Mamdani, a New York State assembly member who joined drivers in the hunger strike, said, “It’s important for us as legislators to bring to light what it is that people are suffering from out of view of those in the political elite.”

Puerto Rican Electrical Workers Fight Privatization of Island’s Grid

The people and workers of Puerto Rico are suffering the consequences of the privatization of the electricity system, which was handed over to a new company, LUMA Energy, a subsidiary of Houston-based Quanta Services and Canadian firm ATCO. UTIER — the Puerto Rico Electric and Irrigation Industry Workers Union — has been fighting for months against the disastrous contract that the Puerto Rican government signed with LUMA to operate the grid for 15 years. Privatization has dismembered the electrical system’s workforce in a transparent attempt to break up the union. LUMA was not required to hire employees of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority — the public company whose assets were privatized. Nor did LUMA comply with the existing collective agreements between PREPA and its unions. Instead, LUMA offered reduced benefits and job protections, so many skilled workers did not apply… leaving less trained and skilled workers and management to try and run the operation.

Protest Against the Planned Closing of Trinity Elementary

Parents, children, students and teachers at Trinity Elementary in South Central Los Angeles vehemently rejected the possible closure of the campus in a protest on Oct. 28. Protesters said they have already collected more than 3,000 signatures supporting their effort. Los Angeles Unified School District Central Local District superintendent Frances Báez an-

nounced the forthcoming closing on June 24. About 230 students will be affected. “I have come to the difficult, but the necessary conclusion that continuing to operate [Trinity] at current enrollment levels will not allow us to provide the quality services, supports, and resources that our students and staff deserve.” “It is a lie because in five years we have only had five fewer students,” teachers retorted. Despite the fact that 98% of the families at Trinity Elementary are mostly Spanish-speaking, the little information they have received has been only in English. “There is no benefit in separating students from teachers who supported them during distance learning and are now supporting them in their return to in-person learning,” Cecily-Myart Cruz, president of the Union of Teachers of Los Angeles, told La Opinion. The LAUSD school district plans to turn over the building to a charter school, which is not required to admit any of the students currently attending Trinity.

Amazon Organizers Deliver Union Cards in NYC for Election

Led by Chris Smalls, who was fired by Amazon in New York City for efforts to protect coworkers from the pandemic, Amazon warehouse workers filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election. It’s the second time this year Amazon workers have attempted to form the company’s first-ever U.S. union. The Bessemer, Ala. organizing effort fell short due to company harassment of workers, and illegal interventions. “That’s it,” Smalls said. “Yeah, we did it. It’s officially done. Notice to employees will be sent out in a matter of a week. Everybody in their facilities will be notified that the petition has been filed.” Smalls was met by cheers after filing the petition with the NLRB.

[Fossil Fuel, from p. 10]

Fossil Fuel

lead on these issues that directly affect his constituency, we’re not seeing these actions moving as quickly as we need them to.” Even “with the Warehouse ISR, he was on the fence,” Barillas said. “He knew we couldn’t count on him,” despite years of pressure from activists and community members suffering from asthma and other health impacts. In the end, “It seemed that the only reason he jumped on board with it was because it was something that [now retired] Chairman [William] Burke was championing, and he wanted to go out with a bang.” Themes of delay and inadequacy cropped up repeatedly in public comments at the AQMD board meeting. Barillas herself called the rule “severely overdue,” but she was hardly alone. “This is long overdue for the overburdened communities where the refineries are close by,” said Ana Gonzalez, representing the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. She went on to call it “a step in the right direction,” but warned “We need to do more to make sure we get to zero emissions because zero emissions equals zero health impacts.” “While this rule is far from perfect, it does represent the most significant step towards fulfilling this agency’s commitment to sunset the failed nitrogen oxide RECLAIM program,” said Earthjustice attorney Oscar Espino-Padron. “It’s time to adopt this long overdue rule.” “Both the problem and the solution have been well known for years,” said Catherine Ronan, representing the Sierra Club. “The RE-

CLAIM cap and trade program adopted in 1993 was deemed a failure years ago, but it has yet to be replaced by strong direct regulation,” she said. “This is an urgent problem that requires prompt action. Delay and kicking down the road has only made matters worse.” Julia May, senior scientist with Communities for a Better Environment, had something more precise and pointed to add. “I’m sorry to have to remind AQMD that CBE published a paper in 1999 warning the RECLAIM program would fail,” she said. “And since then our members in Wilmington and surrounding areas have been subject to the harsh pollution all this time.” In fact, that paper analyzed two AQMD pollution trading programs as model examples, illustrating fundamental flaws in the real world use of such programs: the Mobile Source Credits (aka “car scrapping” program) and RECLAIM. Each had been in place for more than five years, and promised benefits had not resulted in either: Pollution trading in Los Angeles has led to concentrated toxic air emission hot-spots that have shackled low-income and minority communities with the region’s air pollution. Pollution reductions have been far less than those promised by trading proponents. Furthermore, pollution trading has virtually eliminated public participation in the environmental decision-making process. RECLAIM had a specific problem with ‘phantom reductions’ that existed only on paper, because “emissions reduction credits were initially allocated in an amount significantly in-

flated above actual emissions.” As a result the paper reported, “In the first three years of the RECLAIM program, actual industrial nitrogen oxide emissions have declined by at most three percent, while allowable emissions have been reduced on paper by about thirty percent.” This problem persisted throughout the life of the RECLAIM program. That was 22 years ago. But the plug wasn’t pulled until just last week. “Like the state greenhouse gas program, these pay-to-pollute systems are set up to be cheap, and have resulted in refineries not investing in cleanup,” May said in her comment. In light of all that, “We support adoption,” she said, “but we have a strong warning today, due to the weakening measures and alternative compliance plans, and exemptions” — the very things in the plan that industry representative Michael Carroll, a lawyer representing the Western States Petroleum Association, praised as “meticulously crafted.” “It’s going to require a lot of follow-up,” May warned. “We don’t want to wait another 10 years to find out we’ve failed again.” To avoid that, “We’re asking the board, and urging the board and staff to do regular staff reports and to talk about this in your subcommittees, publicly. That’s going to be essential to get the reductions.” The need for follow-up was not only echoed by other activists, it was brought up by board members as well, and a requirement for a quarterly progress report was added an amendment before adoption of the rule — a hopeful sign of a more transparent future, perhaps.


CLASSIFIED ADS & DBA FILINGS JOB OPPS

tary Discounts available. Call: 1-877-649-5043 (AAN CAN)

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.

Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE Months! 1-877-6730511. Hours MXon-Thu, Sun : 9:30 am to 8:00 pm Fri : 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (all times Eastern) (AAN CAN)

HOME & GARDEN 20 Ft. tall Queen palm tree, 36 inch box. Perfect for landscaping — $225. Also various sizes of Peruvian spiral San Pedro cactus. Call 310-5617811 B AT H & S H O W E R U P DATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Mili-

(AAN CAN)

SAVE UP TO 80% ON YOUR MEDICATION. Eliquis, Xarelto, Viagra, Cialis and more. Licensed and Certified. Lowest Price Guaranteed. Call 855-750-1612 and get free shipping on your first order. (Open M-F) (AAN CAN)

Attorney Assisted Law

(310) 781-2823

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021205703 The following person is doing business as: (1) LIFETIMES HEALTH SOLUTIONS, (2) LIFETIMES, 1441 W Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Sharon L McGann, 1441 W Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731.

DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS. Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s, too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response Maximum Tax Donation – Call 877-266-0681 (AAN CAN)

MISC.

ADULT PULL-UP DIAPERS Xlarge case of 60 $30 VINYL EXAM GLOVES powder-free, small size box of 100 $20

310-719-8884

Don Marshall CPA, Inc. Don Marshall, MBA, CPA

$109.99/mo! 1-888-519-0171 (AAN CAN)

SAVE MONEY ON EXPENSIVE AUTO REPAIRS! Our vehicle service program can save you up to 60% off dealer prices and provides you excellent coverage! Call for a free quote: 866-915-2263 (Mon-Fri :9am-4pm PST) HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/ mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147 (AAN CAN) Cable Price Increase Again? Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-693-0625 (AAN CAN)

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and

distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN)

PERSONALS Well-to-do businesswoman seeking good man, 60 to 70.

310-809-0105 PETS

PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.

PLEASE HELP!

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.

1-888-887-3816

The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter 957 N. Gaffey St.,San Pedro • 888-452-7381, x 143

[continued on p. 19]

PETS

PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay If you think oxygen therapy means or neuter for our community. slowing down, it’s time for a 310-991-0012. welcome breath of fresh air. MKT-P0253

ACROSS

1 CD-___ (outdated discs) 5 Abbr. that’s to scale? 8 Pituitary, e.g. 13 Loads 14 Ranch addition? 15 Decide, in court 17 Partial shadow 19 Turkey’s capital 20 ___ polloi (general population) 21 Outdoor section for cars 23 “Blazing Saddles” actress Madeline 25 ___ Pollos Hermanos (“Breaking Bad” restaurant) 26 The “M” of “MIB” 27 Fencing sword 29 “___ the Seas with Oysters” (Hugo Award-winning short story by Avram Davidson) 32 Some pet chickens 33 Telephone numbers, account IDs, etc. 36 Fiery crime 37 When doubled, that vacuum thing from the Teletubbies 38 Photo-sharing app, for short 42 Snapple offering 45 Gets older 48 Averse (to) 49 A head 50 Put a dent in 51 Airline whose website offers

a Japan Explorer Pass 52 “The ___ Duckling” 54 Film with elaborate costumes, often 58 Medicare ID, once 61 Overjoyed 62 Kind of soup, or what the five theme answers demonstrate 64 Medium-sized tube-shaped pasta 65 Sweater neck shape 66 Bitterly regrets 67 Richman of “The New Gidget” and “A Very Brady Christmas” 68 “Gangnam Style” musician 69 Big volcano in Sicily

DOWN

1 Turtle with the red mask, to fans 2 Imitation spread 3 Nicknames 4 “Simpsons” character Disco ___ 5 Site of the Cedar Revolution 6 “It’s freaking freezing!” 7 Lounge in the hot tub 8 Continental breakfast offering, maybe 9 Sources of inspiration? 10 ___-Seltzer 11 Descriptor in many Google Maps searches 12 ___ Green, aka Squirrel Girl 16 Indian flatbreads 18 Speed limit letters

22 “Count me in!” 24 “___ Fables” 27 Anti-pollution agcy. 28 Part of 18-Down 30 Chilled, like blood in an eerie situation 31 Greeting at a luau 32 “The Messiah” composer 34 First digit of all Delaware ZIP codes 35 Fifty-fifty, e.g. 39 Refuses to budge 40 Investigator, informally 41 “Delectable!” 43 2019 remake directed by Guy Ritchie 44 Tennessee Tuxedo’s walrus pal 45 Energized, with “up” 46 Language where a crossword puzzle is “tÛimhseachan crois-fhacal” 47 Printers’ mistakes 51 “Nip/Tuck” actress Richardson 53 Moo goo ___ pan 55 ___-Tass (Russian news agency) 56 Invitation letters 57 Tarzan’s cohorts 59 Envisioned 60 Curiosity creator 63 Capri crowd?

November 11 - 24, 2021

Specializing in small businesses CPA quality service at very reasonable rates www.donmarshallcpa.com

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021216815 The following person is doing business as: BARCELONA APARTMENTS, 920 S. Montebello Blvd. Montebello, CA 90640, Los Angeles County.

(310) 833-8977

10/28/21, 11/11/21

“Soup’s On!” — it’s getting to be soup weather.

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)

4G LTE Home Internet Now Available! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as

statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 09/30/21, 10/14/21,

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

DIVORCE • TRUST BANKRUPTCY $99 Down•Low Cost

10/28/21, 11/11/21

This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/1996. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Sharon L McGann, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 09/15/21. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the

AUTOS

Bulletin Board Serving the South Bay

registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 09/30/21, 10/14/21,

© 2021 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/consumerinformation. (AAN CAN)

Still paying too much for your MEDICATION? Save up to 90% on RX refill! Order today and receive free shipping on 1st order - prescription required. Call 1-855-750-1612

which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Thomas Gregory Compagnon, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 09/17/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a

For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com

JOB TRAINING

HEALTH

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021208707 The following person is doing business as:(1) V&B CHINESE FOOD HOUSE, 335 West 6th Street, Commerce, CA 90040, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Brandon Chhea, 457 W. 13th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2018. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information

17


LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, Bids for the following Work: BERTH D48-50 TRANSIT SHED ABATEMENT AND RENOVATION PROJECT at 1251 PIER D STREET LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S3131 Bid Deadline:

NIB -1 Contract Documents. Contract Documents may be downloaded, at no cost, from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal website. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the Port of Long Beach PB System website in order to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued. For the link to the Port of Long Beach PB System and for information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at www.polb.

Prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Bids shall be submitted electronically via the Port of Long Beach PlanetBids (PB) System prior to 2:00 p.m.

Bid Opening:

Contract Documents Available:

Electronic Bid (eBid) results shall be viewable online in the PB System immediately after the Bid Deadline. Download Contract Documents from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal: www.polb.com/sbe Click on the POLB Vendor Portal 1. Register and Log In 2. Click “Bid Opportunities” 3. Double-click on respective bid Project Title 4. Click on Document/Attachments tab 5. Double-Click on Title of Electronic Attachment 6. Click “Download Now” For assistance in downloading these documents please contact Port of Long Beach Plans and Specs Desk at 562-283-7353.

NonMandatory Pre-Bid Meeting:

Date/Time: November 30, 2021 at 10:00 AM Location: Microsoft TEAMS (virtual), Click here to join the meeting Tel: +1 323-451-1087; Conference ID: 423 962 425#

NonMandatory Site Visits:

Dates/Times: December 1, December 2, December 6, and December 7, 2021 at select times per the sign-ups Location: Port of Long Beach Berth D48 Transit Shed 48 W. Pier D Street, Long Beach, 90802 If the Prospective Bidder is interested in visiting the Project site, the Prospective Bidder may request access by signing up on the following Sign-Up Genius link:

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

7. Repeat for each attachment

18

https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/30E0B44A5AE23A1FD0-site1 and use Access Code: polb3131. Project Contact Person:

Brian Culligan; brian.culligan@associates.polb.com

Please refer to the Port of Long Beach PB System for the most current information.

com/business/business-opportunities. Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, SBE/ VSBE Program forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at www.polb.com/business/ permits. NIB -2 Pre-Bid Questions. All questions, including requests for interpretation or correction, or comments regarding the Contract Documents, must be submitted no later than January 4, 2022, at 5 p.m. Questions received after the pre-Bid question deadline will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted electronically through the PB System. Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted. Questions submitted to City staff will not be addressed and Bidder will be directed to the PB System. NIB -3 Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Visit. The engineering staff of the City’s Harbor Department will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 10:00 AM, on November 30, 2021, via Microsoft TEAMS at the link provided above. Attendance is optional. Site visit requests shall be coordinated through Sign-Up Genius by navigating to: https://www. signupgenius.com/ go/30E0B44A5AE23A1FD0site1 and use Access Code: polb3131 to access appointment slots. Site visits are not mandatory. Prospective Bidders must provide their e-mails when reserving an appointment date/time with Sign-Up Genius. It is required that Prospective Bidders use their personal vehicles for the site visit. The City will not provide vehicles or shuttle services for the site visit. The site visit is limited to one (1) hour duration for each appointment time. A maximum of 5 individuals may attend at each appointment time. Please refer to Sign-Up Genius for the available site visit dates/times. Only those listed dates/times are available and no other opportunities to visit the secured area will be scheduled. The City may elect to cancel the nonmandatory site visits should it be necessary at the discretion of the City to do so. Cancellations, should they be necessary, would occur prior to any site visits being conducted, with a minimum 48 hour notice required for cancellation notification. Prospective Bidders who fail to attend at their booked appointment time, and do not provide a minimum 48 hour cancellation notice, may not be granted another Site Visit appointment time unless there are open appointments

within the dates/times indicated in the Sign-Up Genius link. At all times during the site visit, all participants shall be required to wear face masks covering their noses and mouths and comply with CDC, state, and local health guidelines as they relate to the COVID-19 virus, including, but not limited to, social distancing measures. Each participant must have a valid picture identification card (driver’s license or TWIC card), hard hat, steel-toed boots, and safety traffic vest to attend the Site Visit. To gain entry access to the interior of the Transit Shed, all individuals must submit the following as attachments on the PlanetBids Q&A tab, no later than November 18 at 5:00 p.m.: • Signed “Agreement Assuming Risk of Injury or Damage, Waiver and Release of Claims” provided in Appendix JJ; • Document of proof of a minimum 2-hour Asbestos Awareness training; • Document of proof of a Medical Evaluation, dated within the past one year, clearing the individual to wear a respirator; and • Document of proof of Respirator Fit test, dated within the past one year. The City will review the provided documents, and will return the approved “Agreement Assuming Risk of Injury or Damage, Waiver and Release of Claims” form marked with a Confirmation Number to the email address provided on the form. This Confirmation Number must be provided in Sign-up Genius to reserve a time to enter the Transit Shed. At the selected time/date for the reserved site visit, participants shall check in at the Transit Shed with City Staff, by providing the Confirmation Number and valid picture identification card (driver’s license or TWIC card). Participants must bring and don all of the following PPE to be given entry to the Shed: • Hard hat • Steel Toe boots • Half mask respirator as documented in Respirator Fit test • Ty-vek Suit • Gloves • Strong operable flashlight • Wet wipes to cleanse hands upon exiting. All of the listed PPE must be furnished by the individual planning to use them; none will be furnished by the City. Any Prospective Bidders lacking any of the necessary items will not be given access to the interior of the Transit Shed; they will be allowed to walk the exterior site only. Each Bidder who attends the non-mandatory Site Visit can inspect and examine the

Project Site and perform any observations and measurements to further document existing conditions and may use photography and/or video to aid in preparation of Bid Documents. Unmanned Aircraft Systems, i.e. drones or other similar systems, are prohibited at the site visits. Construction equipment, i.e. lifts, ladders, cranes, cherrypickers, etc., are prohibited at the site visits. Participants shall follow OSHA safety guidelines and shall not climb on any objects or move objects. The City makes no guarantee that existing construction and site conditions matches conditions depicted on record reference documents. Should a Bidder elect not to attend the optional Site Visit, the Bidder shall not be relieved of its sole responsibility to inform itself of all conditions at the Project Site and the content of the Contract Documents. NIB -4 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: hazardous materials abatement and/ or removal; buried railroad tracks removal and disposal; roofing; seismic retrofits; electrical, lighting, and communication systems decontamination and/or replacement; electrical and fiber optic systems installation; office demolition; restrooms reconstruction; fire suppression systems; interior and exterior painting; doors and windows repair and/or replacement; general civil work such as concrete work, paving, striping, fencing, and signage. Refer to Section 01 10 00, Summary of Work in the Technical Specifications. NIB -5 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Contractor shall achieve Substantial Completion of Work within 485 calendar days and Affidavit of Final Completion of the Project within 575 calendar days as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8.2 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES SET FORTH IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ENGINEER’S APPROVAL OF AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COMPLETION, WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS. NIB -6 Contractor’s License. The Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “B”, California Contractor’s License to construct

this project. In addition, the Bidder or subcontractor(s) shall hold a current and valid Class “C-22”, California Contractor’s License to perform the following work: Hazardous Materials Abatement. NIB -7 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 30% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract. The amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City on the Schedule of Bid Items. The bid price of any materials or equipment rental costs from vendors who are solely furnishing materials or rental equipment and are not performing Work as a licensed subcontractor on this project shall also be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. NIB -8 Mandatory SBE/ VSBE Participation. This project is subject to the Port of Long Beach (POLB) Small Business Enterprises (SBE)/ Very Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Program. The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement for this Project is thirty-five percent (35%) of total bid value. The combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement shall include a minimum five percent (5%) of total bid value as VSBE. POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the combined SBE/ VSBE participation requirements. Responsiveness of the bid will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting an SBE-2C Commitment Plan demonstrating the Bidder’s intent to meet the combined SBE/VSBE participation requirement. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the combined requirements, the Bid will be deemed nonresponsive. The Port’s SBE Program staff is available to provide information on the program requirements, including SBE certification assistance. Please contact the SBE Office at (562) 283-7598 or sbeprogram@ polb.com. You may also view the Port’s SBE program requirements at www.polb. com/sbe. NIB -9 Prevailing Wage Requirements per Department of Industrial Relations. This Project is a public work Contract as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier

shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www. dir.ca.gov/dlsr/DPreWageDetermination.htm and on file at the City, available upon request. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices. This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 (with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)). No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5. NIB -10 Project Labor Agreement. This project is subject to the requirements of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), included as Appendix AA. The Contractor and all tier subcontractors must sign a Letter of Assent before commencement of construction and be bound by each and every provision of the PLA, including, but not limited to: payment of prevailing wages; payment of fringe benefit contributions to union trust funds on behalf of workers; use of union hiring halls as a source for workers; follow alternating referral procedures if employing Core Workers; and Local, Disadvantaged, and Veteran worker utilization goals. Per the Department of Industrial Relations, projects covered by a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) are exempt from the requirement to submit electronic CPRs directly to the Labor Commissioner’s Office. In lieu, the Contractor and all Subcontractors will be required to submit electronic or hardcopies of CPRs and labor compliance documentation to the Port of Long Beach. NIB -11 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent

[continued on p. 19]


LEGAL NOTICE & DBA FILINGS [from p. 18] material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after City’s issuance of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City. NIB -12 Prequalification of Contractors. NOT USED NIB -13 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City.

NIB -15 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds and other acceptable Bid Security shall be guaranteed and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first. NIB -16 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code. NIB -17 Iran Contracting Act of 2010. In accordance with Public Contract Code sections 22002208, every person who submits a bid or proposal for entering into or renewing contracts with the City for goods or services estimated at $1,000,000 or more are required to complete, sign, and submit the “Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit.” Issued at Long Beach, California, this 28th day of October, 2021. Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: For project updates after Bid Opening, please contact plans. specs@polb.com.

RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL

831-3138

(310)

Se Habla Español

Lic. #748434

11/24/21

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021235393 The following person is doing business as: JIM’S CAR SERVICE, 1610 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: James B. Wasti, 1610 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by

an individual. The registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/2021. 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/. James B. Wasti, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 27, 2021.. Notice-In Accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to 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. Effectively January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the 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: 11/11/2021, 11/23/2021, 12/02/2021, 12/09/2021

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021239045 The following person is doing business as: ENGINEER MAKERS PROJECT, 830 W 29th St. Apt D, San Pedro. Los Angeles County. Reg-

istered owners: Shurhonda Olawuyi, 830 W 29th St. Apt D, San Pedro. This Business is conducted by an individual. The registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2021. 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/. Shurhonda Olawuyi, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 27, 2021.. Notice--In Accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to 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.Effectively January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the 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: 11/11/2021, 11/23/2021, 12/02/2021, 12/09/2021

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021245974 The following person is do-

ing business as: ZUZU’S PETALS, ZUZU’S PETALS CAFE, 801 E. 3rd Street, Long Beach, Ca 90802. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Jesse Franco, 1446 Sepulveda Street, San Pedro, CA 90732. Evangelos Papadakis, 1446 Sepulveda Street, San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by partners. The registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true 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/ Jesse Franco, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 27, 2021.. Notice--In Accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to 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.Effectively January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the 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: 11/11/2021,

11/23/2021, 12/02/2021, 12/09/2021

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021231132 The following person is doing business as: SOLAR SIGMA SYSTEMS, 1828 Amelia St., San Pedro, Ca 90731. Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Kaine Nicholas,1828 Amelia St., San Pedro, Ca 90731.This Business is conducted by an individual. The registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2021. 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/. Kaine Nicholas, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 22, 2021.. Notice--In Accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to 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.Effectively January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the 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: 11/11/2021, 11 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 1 , 1 2 / 0 2 / 2 0 2 1 , 12/09/2021

November 11 - 24, 2021

COMPLETE PLUMBING SERVICE

Registered owners: David Blaney, 1357 W. 35th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Terry Blaney, This 1357 W. 35th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Business is conducted by a married couple. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above:05/2013. I declare that all information in is statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. David Blaney, husband. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2021. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920. were to expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not in itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 10/28,21, 11/11/21,

QUICK RESPONSE TIME!

[from p. 17]

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

NIB -14 Conditional Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, reserves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to

submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder.

19


20

November 11 - 24, 2021

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.