RLn 7-7-22

Street Vendors Often Forced to Throw Out Food

By Hunter Chase and Fabiola Esqueda, Community News Reporters

[See Permit, p. 4]

Kiss The Doc: Frontline Provider Advocates for Abortion Healthcare Rights p. 3 J6 Hearings: Every Crime Imaginable p. 8 Goodbye Party: The Pain, Joy and Achievement of Josh Fischel’s Final Year p. 9

Victor Cortez works at his fruit stand in front of the DMV in San Pedro. Photo by Fabiola Esqueda

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

Life isn’t easy for street vendors in Los Angeles, and the vendors in San Pedro are no exception. Permits are hard to come by, and without them, they can be fined by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and even have their food and carts confiscated.

Victor Cortez, a street vendor who has worked in San Pedro, Long Beach and Harbor City, said that prior to the pandemic, the health department has confiscated his cart three to four times.

Each time he has had to pay $1,400 to replace it. However, since the start of the pandemic, the health department has been more lenient, and has only fined him or confiscated the fruit he is selling and thrown it away.

Edin Amorado, an activist who helps street vendors, said that the process of securing a permit takes a few weeks. The problem is that it is only possible to secure a permit for a tamale cart.

“It’s just super hard for them,” Amorado said. “For example, if you have a corn mobile

Port Breaks Law Again With China Shipping SEIR

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

may not direct the port to carry out its obligations under CEQA in any particular way,” he wrote.

Homeowners represented by the Natural Resources Defense Counsel (NRDC) filed the initial China Shipping lawsuit in 2001 when the port approved the project without any EIR at all. They won on appeal in 2003, leading to the 2008 EIR. This lawsuit was notable because homeowners and activist organizations were joined by both state and regional air pollution agencies — CARB (California Air Resources Board) and the AQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) — as well as the Attorney General.

“The forceful words from this judge’s decision underscored the port’s repeated failures to comply with environmental laws or to respect the health impacts to residents from their industrial expansion,” said Janet Gunter, one of three local activists who spearheaded the initial lawsuit.

“This decision is a victory for the port-adjacent communities in Los Angeles,” said CARB Chair Liane

Randolph. “The Port of Los Angeles must finally require China Shipping to set in place the required measures they have been flouting, and take steps to reduce the air pollution they produce that is harming the residents of multiple AB 617 communities.”

Assembly bill 617 requires specific emission reduction protections for environmental justice communities, including Wilmington, Carson and west Long Beach.

“The judge understood the history of the port’s malfeasance in this case and I think that his ruling reflected that,” NRDC senior attorney David Pettit told Random Lengths News.

“This is another in a long line of court rulings finding the port has violated laws designed to protect public health and the environment,” said Joe Lyou, president and CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air, another community plaintiff represented by NRDC. “It says a lot about their continual prioritization of money over the health of their neighbors. It’s time for the city [See China Shipping, p. 5] 1

July 7 - 20, 2022

The Port of Los Angeles violated the law with its most recent plans to mitigate harm from the China Shipping terminal, a judge ruled on June 27. Judge Timothy Taylor ordered the port and the City of LA to “set aside the August 2020 certification of the SEIR [supplemental environmental impact report],” which involved replacement mitigations for 11 measures in the 2008 EIR that were never implemented.

“The port violated CEQA [the California Environmental Quality Act] in several ways by certifying the SEIR in August of 2020,” Judge Taylor wrote. Crucially, “The critical assumption underlying the SEIR’s environmental analysis — i.e., that China Shipping would agree to amend its lease in 2019 to require mitigation — is completely baseless,” which in turn “renders even the port’s watered-down mitigation measures unenforceable.”

The port was justified in eliminating some measures as infeasible, but not others, he also ruled, and he declined to pursue a specific remedy. “The court

Community Announcements:

Harbor Area Small Business Rental Assistance Round Two

On July 11, Economic Workforce Development Department is launching Round 2 of the City of LA’s Small Business Rental Assistance Program, which will provide grants to eligible businesses located in the city that need financial assistance to aid in their recovery from COVID-19. Grants will be of up to $15,000 (or six months of back rent, whichever is less). Applications are due by July 20.

Details: Additional details, along with a link to the application portal will be available beginning July 11 at https://bit.ly/lasmallbizgrant.

Help Shape New Zoning Regulations in Central Long Beach

Long Beach Development Services will be hosting a series of open house events as part of the Zone In: City Core effort, previously known as the Anaheim Corridor Zoning Implementation Plan or ACZIP. The Planning Bureau initiative aims to update zoning regulations in the area bounded by Pacific Coast Highway, 10th Street, Magnolia and Ximeno Avenues.

Time: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., July 14 Details: www.eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?

Venue: Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba Ave. Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 20 Details: www.eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?/July20 Venue: 14th Street Park, Cedar Avenue and West 14th St. Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 30 Details: www.eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?/July30 Venue: MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St. Details: longbeach.gov/citycore

City of Carson Free Dump Day

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

As part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $1.1 billion Clean California program, the City of Carson, Caltrans and Assemblymember Mike Gipson’s office are joining forces to host a free public dump day for all Carson residents. Residents are invited to drop off their bulky items and household waste at the Carson City Hall parking lot.

This Dump Day collection is limited to household items such as old furniture, mattresses and carpeting. Items not accepted include: car tires, tire carcasses, tire split rims, refrigerators, air conditioners, batteries, propane cylinders, oil or petroleum, contaminated products, vehicles or vehicle engine parts, sand, liquid waste, salt/brine, detergents, used needles/sharps containers, medicine, fluorescent bulbs or tubes, chemical containers, hazardous waste, paint containers, electronics, treated wood, contaminated dirt, sewage and asbestos. Loads that are not tied down, enclosed, or secured by tarps or other means, will not be accepted.

Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 9 Details: 213-200-1915 www.cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov Venue: Carson City Hall parking lot, 701 E. Carson St., Carson

Become a Docent with the PVPLC — Virtual Orientation

Discover the many ways you can enjoy sharing your love of nature with students and preserve visitors. Community outreach orientation is done by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.

Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 16 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.volunteerhub.com Venue: Online

July 7 - 20, 2022

PVPLC Docent Training — In Person

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Attend this one-day orientation to find out how you can help share information about upcoming nature-based activities with local community members as an outreach booth greeter at public events. No experience needed.

Time: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., July 31 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.volunteerhub.com Location: 916 Silver Spur Road, #104 Rolling Hills Estates

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

Bruce’s Beach Returned to Descendants For the first time in the history of Los Angeles County and likely anywhere in the United States, land will be returned to Black descendants whose ancestors were robbed of their property and generational wealth due to unjust laws and practices rooted in systemic racism.

Just days after Juneteenth celebrations took place, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion June 24, from Chair Holly J. Mitchell and coauthored by Supervisor Janice Hahn that returns Bruce’s Beach to the great-great grandsons of Charles and Willa Bruce.

Hahn remarked that it is never too late to right a wrong.

“The Bruce family will finally have the opportunity to start rebuilding the generational wealth that was denied them for decades,” Hahn said.

Hahn added this will be the first land transfer of its kind, but it cannot be the last; she hopes the county sets a precedent that governments across this nation will follow.

Mitchell noted that Bruce’s Beach was a refuge for Black families who came from across the state when racist laws wouldn’t allow for any other safe beach going options.

“It holds the memories of countless Black families, the deep pain of multi-generational loss, and the hope that comes from facing the heinous acts of our past and having the courage to do what is right today,” Mitchell said.

The transfer agreement is the culmination of years of advocacy and has taken several steps to set the county on the path to legally return the land. Hahn, alongside Mitchell, originally announced her intention to return the Bruce’s Beach property to the living descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce in April 2021. However, at that time the county was unable to transfer the property due to limitations placed on the land by the state. Hahn reached out to State Senator Steven Bradford who authored Senate bill 796, which codified into law the county’s ability to transfer the piece of public property back to private ownership.

The land being returned to the legal heirs of the Bruce family are lots 8 and 9 of Peck’s Manhattan Beach Tract, an estimated 7,000 square feet that have been appraised at a value of $21 million. These lots are currently being used by the LA County Fire Department as a lifeguard training facility. The motion authorizes the county to lease the property its lifeguard training facility is located on from the Bruce Family, LLC annually for $413,000.

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang told RLN that the Bruce’s Beach property will be assessed based upon the 1975 value based on Prop. 13, with the incremental Consumer Price Index or CPI increase of no more than 2% from then to now. The reason for this formula of assessment is embedded in the state legislation to return the beach property to the Bruce family.

The Bruce family operated a thriving resort, welcoming to Black patrons when legal segregation kept Black families from accessing California public beaches up until 1929 when the City of Manhattan Beach condemned the property. Through government actions, the Bruce

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn embraces Anthony Bruce, spokesman for the Bruce family.

family lost their land, business, their home and generational wealth. This is a historic moment for the county in its process of addressing current and historic prejudice under its Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative.

“This is a day we weren’t sure would ever come, the return of our family’s property happened thanks to the hard work of many, many people. It means the world to us,” said the family’s spokesman, Anthony Bruce.

“But it is also bittersweet. My great-greatgrandparents, Willa and Charles Bruce sacrificed to open a business that gave Black people a place to gather and socialize, and Manhattan Beach took it from them because of the color of their skin,” Bruce said. “It destroyed them financially.

It destroyed their chance at the American Dream.

I wish they could see what has happened today.

We hope this opens people’s eyes to a part of American history that isn’t talked about enough,

and we think it’s a step toward trying to right the wrongs of the past.”

“I am extremely proud to have authored Senate bill 796 that allowed the County of LA to transfer the Bruce’s Beach land back to its rightful heirs,” Bradford said. “The county’s plan will accomplish my legislation’s objective of rectifying the historic injustice that was done to the Bruce family. This will allow the Bruce family to realize the generational wealth which they have been deprived for generations, simply for being Black in America! We cannot change the injustices done to our people in the past, but we owe it to the future generations to eliminate structural and systemic racism that still exist today.”

Details: Read the full motion here, www.file. lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/BrucesBeach —RLN Staff

Peck Park July 4 Blaze

An aerial shot of the Peck Park fire on July 4. The Los ANgeles Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the area after 9:30 p.m. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was not confirmed. Photo by Sean Dover

Frontline Provider Advocates for Abortion Healthcare Rights

By Melina Paris, Assistant Editor

Abortion Pill

that has been such a basic part of healthcare is astonishing.”

Dr. Kiss is also looking into possible resources outside of the country. She has contacted multiple clinics in Tijuana to identify one location that a pregnant person might need. And she has friends in the north looking to Ontario, Canada to see what resources could be provided.

“This is the headspin,” she said. “The thought that we’re having to find resources for something

“If you are of childbearing age and you’re not ready to conceive a child, you need to remember a couple things. Anytime that you are not actively preventing, you are actively trying to get pregnant. And if I can stress nothing more, that is the statement. When I talk to my kids going off to college I always tell them, if you hear one word, you hear the word condom today.

Proactive Solutions

Dr’s. Advice

July 7 - 20, 2022

The doctor said over the counter Plan B, which most people are familiar with, is essentially equivalent to taking a higher dose of pills that physicians use for reproductive care already.

“Now, a consequence of (this ruling) too, is that places like Amazon are limiting the amount you can buy because they are worried about shortages — which is terrifying on a different level.”

Further, Dr. Kiss recently spoke on AskDrMom about another instance where this is a problem. Physicians often use Methotrexate for abortions. It’s most commonly used in chemotherapy and to treat auto-immune disease, “like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis and some of these other debilitating conditions, which, without this medication, (patients’) lives are incapacitated,” she said.

“And in trigger states they are now limiting access to [Methotrexate] to people of reproductive age who have a uterus, and that’s

terrifying because the consequences of that are absolutely debilitating to these patients.”

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

For more than a month, we knew how the U.S. Supreme Court was going to rule in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, thereby overruling Roe and Casey. When Random Lengths News spoke to Dr. Jessica Kiss of Palos Verdes Medical Group, a frontline doctor in the fight for abortion healthcare rights about the ruling, she identified the language in Dobbs v. Jackson as very dangerous.

“Particularly for healthcare practitioners, because it says if there is not a precedent in this country for this, then we don’t necessarily have a right to it,” said Dr. Kiss. “Well, most of modern medicine there was no precedent for because the vast majority of modern medicine did not exist.

And the rights in bodily autonomy have been wiped away in that one statement.”

Dr. Kiss practices gynecologic care. She is the first stop when a woman is pregnant and needs to figure out what to do next, whether to go to the OB/GYN, particularly for HMO patients who have to see her first.

Dr. Kiss has counseled several young women in pregnancy options who have found themselves with an unwanted pregnancy or unexpected pregnancy from myriad different circumstances.

In the last week it’s been reported that California expects 9,000 to 16,000 people to come to the state seeking abortion healthcare, and in Los Angeles alone, between 9,000 to 10,000 people are expected to arrive in the next year.

How is the medical community moving forward and preparing for the amount of people who are expected to travel here to get their abortion healthcare needs met?

Dr. Kiss said physicians across the country are working together to help and mount resources right now as a group, and using resources that have networks in place already from organizations like www.reproductiveaccess.org.

“We’re really trying to mount those things,” said Dr. Kiss. “I’m doubling down on the amount of counseling I’m doing for my patients who have a uterus of a reproductive age, in what’s called a long-acting reversible contraceptives or LARCs — like IUD and Implanon which goes under the arm, or Depo Provera which is injected — in case they move to another place or they find themselves on a long trip and have a complication from an unknown pregnancy and find themself in a place where they might not be able to get emergency access.”

But condoms don’t always prevent pregnancies, as we know. So, if you are of reproductive age, you should consider a longer term birth control option which would be an IUD or something like the Implanon. Have those conversations now with your physicians. Don’t wait.

If these things are upsetting to you, this news with Roe v. Wade is upsetting, you need to take action. And right now it’s not coming up with your own action. It’s taking action with places that have organized these things for many years: making donations to Planned Parenthood and to reproductiveaccess.org who can provide those networks safely and effectively. If you can’t fund them directly, share their information, share their links on social media so that you can “in kind” help them and support the services they provide.”

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[Permit, from p. 1]

No Permit

July 7 - 20, 2022

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

stand, it’s impossible for you to get a permit right now.”

Amorado says this is because tamales are simple. They are already cooked; the cart is just meant to keep them warm. Other types of food can require preparation onsite.

The other advantage the carts have is that they are fully mobile, they don’t have to be set up in one place. Some San Pedro residents are not happy with where street vendors have been setting up.

At the June 13 meeting of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, the board passed a resolution 14-0 asking for stricter enforcement against street vendors.

“It’s not a problem so much with the vendors themselves, it’s where they choose to be,” said Melanie Labrecque, chair of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s public safety committee.

Labrecque said there was a vendor who was selling on private property.

“It’s on somebody’s yard, and it’s in the red zone,” Labrecque said. “So, it makes it very unsafe for the cars to stop there.”

Labrecque said they could cause an accident, especially if cars are lined up. Officer Chris Eick of the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Division said that his department might try to work with the vendors to find them a better spot when he spoke at the June 23 meeting of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s public safety committee. “[I’ll] say hey, I looked around, and there’s a spot over here,” Eick said. “It’s got a huge

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sidewalk, it’s got a lot of space, you’ll get a lot of customers. Maybe you can go over there. So not just tell them no, but tell them hey, try over here, there’s more space, you won’t have any issues from us or anybody else, and people can park, and there’s no safety issues.”

Cortez said it is difficult to choose a location, as he never knows where he will sell the most product. He constantly thinks of the best place to sell, as he does not want to throw any of the food away.

Eick said that his department will assist the health department when they go to enforce permits.

“They need a permit from the city to vend, and they need a health department permit to sell food,” Eick said. “We aren’t really involved, per se, we are more there for security purposes for the health workers.”

Eick said the police and the health department workers go to places where they have heard complaints and throw away the vendors’ food.

Sometimes they do not fine the vendors because they do not have identification on them. Eick said his goal is to work with the health department more often, and bust the vendors several days in a row.

“Because if you do it once, and then they don’t see you again for a long time, then they’re just going to start setting back up and doing the same thing all over again,” Eick said.

Cortez said that when health department employees throw away all his food, he feels like crying, as he has been selling for many hours under the hot sun when they take away all his food. He has been fined up to $470 and can spend from $250 to $300 every day on the fruit he sells.

Melissa Arechiga, an activist and one of the founders of Buried Under the Blue, said that the

Juan filed a police report for the incident, but not much has come from it.

“We went to the police department, but they said because there was no physical damage, there was nothing that can really be done,” Luz said.

“At this point, it’s kind of like, well, if you see the man again, call us.”

The difficulty of getting a permit

Supporters of Juan Aguilar, a tamale vendor who was harassed with racial slurs, supported him at his sell-out event back in June. Photo by Raphael Richardson

police should have more compassion for the vendors.

“That costs money, when they take it and throw it away,” Arechiga said. “At least, if you don’t want them to sell, at least give them the opportunity to eat, take their stuff and leave, instead of confiscating it and then just throwing it in the trash. We have so many people that are hungry, and products costing so much. That’s just wasteful, not just to the person, but to our whole environment.”

Juan and Luz Aguilar, a married couple that sell tamales in San Pedro, said they have not had trouble with the police or the health department.

In fact, the police have even bought from them before. However, on June 8, Juan was harassed by an older white man who yelled racial slurs at him and kicked his cart.

Juan recorded the incident, and posted it on TikTok, where it got more than 2 million views. In response, activists, including Arechiga, organized a sell-out for Juan on June 11, where he sold 1,500 tamales in two hours.

Cortez does not have a permit because the county asks for a lot of documents from him that he does not have. He is not alone.

According to Civil Eats, only 204 out of about 10,000 vendors in the City of Los Angeles have permits. A study from UCLA said that part of the reason for this is the prerequisite that vendors must first have a license from the health department, which requires them to follow rules in the state’s Food Retail Code. It requires things like a threebasin sink, and 20 gallons of water at all times.

In addition, it also bans cutting fruit and reheating and hot-holding food. These rules were written with food trucks and catering in mind, before street vending was legalized in 2018.

Amorado said the language barrier is also an issue.

“The majority of vendors that speak Spanish, they’re also in fear of deportation so they don’t bother with it, because they feel their information might be exposed,” Amorado said. “The ones that have tried, it’s close to impossible for them to get one.”

With pending state legislation comes both hope and more worries — Senate bill 972 would make it easier for vendors to get permits and reduce fines, whereas Senate bill 1290 would criminalize street vending further.

“It’s an oxymoron how these two bills were passed through the Senate,” Amorado said.

Amorado said that SB 1290 was written by someone who did not want to see street vending in California, and that if it passed, it could significantly reduce the practice.

“During the pandemic, there was a lot of brick-and-mortar owners that lost their business who are now street vendors, and they’re just trying to get back on their feet,” Amorado said.

Samoan Heritage Celebrated in Carson

Ms. B Royal performs Samoan classics and original reggae songs at the Samoan Heritage Celebration at Foisia Park in Carson on June 25. There are more than 50,000 Samoans in Los Angeles County which is nearly equal to the entire population of American Samoa. The City of Carson is one of the main cities where Samoans settled with their families when they migrated to California. The goal of the Samoan Heritage Day Celebration is to teach all community members about their Samoan neighbors by way of sharing dance, food, music and culture. Photo by Harry Bugarin

[China Shipping, from p. 1]

China Shipping

and port to make the systemic changes necessary to start making the health and welfare of the residents of Wilmington and San Pedro a higher priority than maximizing profits,” he said.

“The port has a 20-year record of flouting the law with this project, including issuing secret and illegal waivers of environmental protections to China Shipping. This took place at the highest levels of the port, perhaps the mayor’s office,” said Peter Warren of San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners Coalition. “The port has shown that it cannot be trusted to follow CEQA, or to report honestly and transparently on mitigation compliance without independent oversight. This court victory is one step along the pathway to justice and accountability. As the court notes, the port allows and China shipping places priority on its profits ahead of ‘compliance with California environmental law and the health of harbor workers and residents.’ This must stop.”

While the judge warned in his ruling that “this court is only a temporary first port of call on the voyage to appellate review,” Pettit was not so sure that would happen, and the port itself has refused to comment. “While the Port of Los Angeles does not comment on ongoing litigation, the Port is evaluating its options in response to the Court’s ruling,” Port spokesman Phillip Sanfield said via email.

In addition to the central ruling striking down the SEIR, the judge also ruled on each implementation measure where the adequacy of the port’s analysis was challenged, upholding some while striking down others. For example,

the port tried to weaken its AMP (shoreside power) requirement from 100% to 95% compliance, arguing that “some third-party vessels may not be equipped to use AMP, certain ‘situations’ may prevent an AMP-capable vessel from utilizing AMP, and 100% compliance has never occurred,” as the judge summarized. But, “These findings are not supported by substantial evidence,” he wrote, going on to explain how the original measure anticipated and allowed for precisely such difficulties. “The measure was unlawfully modified in violation of CEQA,” he concluded.

On the other hand, a similar reduction in compliance for vessel speed reduction (12 knots within 40 nautical miles of Point Fermin) was found to be “supported by substantial evidence” and was upheld. Perhaps most seriously, the court upheld the elimination of the drayage truck measure requiring a phased transition from diesel to LNG trucks, and the failure to adopt a replacement measure. As noted in the AQMD’s brief, this is strikingly at odds with the port’s own timeline of 2035 for 100% phase-in of zeroemission technologies.

All these could be challenged on appeal, but it could be months before it’s clear if there will be any. If there is none, what happens next is also unclear, particularly with a new mayor and new Harbor Commission coming in just a few months. When that happens, “there could be a different approach to this,” Pettit noted.

But Gunter was less optimistic.

“Our plaintiff’s celebratory mood regarding this second court win is tempered by the results of our first court victory,” she said. “If the port has proven anything at all, it is simply that they should not be trusted.”

Real People, Real News, Really Effective July 7 - 20, 2022

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The Day After the Fourth

Some laws are just unenforceable for better or worse but insurrection must be prosecuted

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

They say that the amount of air pollution after the July 4th fireworks extravaganza all across Los Angeles is about three to four times as bad as the air quality would be normally. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued advisories for increased particulates in the air for the days following Independence Day. The amateur pyrotechnics aren’t relegated to just my part of the metropolis as it seems to be everywhere no matter how many times city leaders proclaim they’re “illegal.” From a vantage point looking north from Cabrillo Beach towards the rest of San Pedro and beyond, the spectacular display of explosives is quite astounding. I wonder if the Los Angeles Police Department or Los Angeles Fire Department responded to anything other than calls from people mishandling sparklers and firecrackers or improperly disposing of the explosive pyrotechnic materials. It seems a bit delusional that on one singular day and the weeks leading up to and after are filled with loud explosions, setting off car alarms, scaring dogs and cats and perhaps rattling war veterans struggling with post traumatic stress. It’s damn annoying any way you look at it to have otherwise placid neighborhoods abruptly attacked by juvenile explosions. It is a rebellious outpouring and a prime example of a law that can’t be enforced.

As long as it’s legal to import fireworks and as long as some Southern California cities allow for legal sales there’s probably little that other cities like Los Angeles can do to stem the tide. Years ago I contemplated just having the fire department set up free fire zones where the fire fighters might monitor and contain a certain amount of the activity and be on hand to supervise the event. That might contain some of it, but there’s something more beneath the exuberant July 4 lawlessness that’s akin to the American attachment to guns or women’s desire to exercise their right to an abortion despite what SCOTUS, their state government, or what they claim their position is on the issue. People are going to do what they need or want to do because they feel they have a right to do it!

Laws can only go so far if people don’t believe that those laws are fundamentally just and fair. We clearly have a nation divided on guns on one side and female autonomy on the other. However, both gun control and legal abortion seem to have overwhelming

public support no matter what the rightwing majority on the Supreme Court opines. And their recent rulings taking away states’ right to control concealed weapons while giving all states the right to control womens’ reproductive health in a whiplash of hypocrisy. Both seem suspiciously related to fundamentalist religious beliefs that should be separated by the church and state doctrine, which the court now seems primed to do away with entirely by allowing religious prayer on a Washington state football field.

People are not going to obey or respect these court decisions and I predict that just like the runaway slave laws of the 19th century there will be a new abolitionist underground railroad for women seeking abortions. Some are already calling these anti-abortion laws “Jane Crow Laws.” There will continue to be mass protests against gun violence and mass shootings, as the mass shootings continue.

And it may just come down to private businesses and entertainment venues simply banning guns from their premises. No guns will accompany no shoes, no shirts and no service signs either!

The contradictions of all of this have vexed our nation from the very beginning — the conflict between freedom and liberty — asks the question “whose liberty and freedom from what and at whose expense?” Guns, like fireworks, are held onto by some in this country with a kind of religious ferocity that can only be viewed obscurely.

It is best explained in the 2008 book by Joe Bageant, Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War. We are experiencing both a class and culture war that is exacerbated by Donald Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court, Fox News and the Big Lie of the stolen election.

So as the gunpowder in the Southern California air begins to clear from the exuberant display of rockets and their red glare in a celebratory display of lawlessness, just remember it could be worse, far worse — Trump could still be president and the fascist mob could have been successful in attacking Congress. At least for now their defeat is something to celebrate this Independence Day. But it’s a sobering thought the day after to realize how close we came to losing this republic to a tyrant.

At this point, only the conviction of Donald J. Trump for insurrection and adding three more liberal judges to the Supreme Court will clear the air regarding our national conflicts and the toxic nature of our politics. But fireworks are probably here to stay.

‘All of Our Rights Hanging In the Balance’

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a stark warning in her dissent to a school prayer case

By Travis Gettys

The right-wing majority ruled 6-3 in favor of a Washington high school football coach who led student prayers on the field, which the majority opinion described as a private exercise of his religious liberty, but Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent described the ruling in Kennedy v.

Bremerton as “no victory for religious liberty.”

“Today, the Court once again weakens the backstop,” Sotomayor wrote. “It elevates one individual’s interest in personal religious exercise, in the exact time and place of that individual’s choosing, over society’s interest in protecting the separation between church and state, eroding the protections for religious liberty for all.”

“Today’s decision is particularly misguided because it elevates the religious rights of a school official, who voluntarily accepted public employment and the limits that public employment entails, over those of his students, who are required to attend school and who this Court has long recognized are particularly vulnerable and deserving of protection,” she added.

Joe Kennedy, a coach for Bremerton High School in Washington state, began a ritual in 2008 where he would pray on the field at the final whistle.

July 7 - 20, 2022

Columnists/Reporters Publisher/Executive Editor Melina Paris Assistant Editor/Arts James Preston Allen Community News james@randomlengthsnews.com Hunter Chase Reporter Assoc. Publisher/Production Fabiola Esqueda Carson Reporter Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya

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“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.”

—Mark Twain Vol. XLIII : No. 14 Random Lengths News is a publication of

Beacon Light Press, LLC

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach.

Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com Internship Program Director Zamná Àvila

Photographers Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Harry Bugarin, Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva Contributors Mark Friedman, Travis Gettys, Lyn Jensen, Ari LeVaux, Greggory Moore

But the school told the Christian military veteran to bring an end to the custom in 2015 after players began joining in -- arguing that he was violating its ban on staff encouraging students to pray.

He was placed on administrative leave when he defied the order and did not reapply for his job after his contract ended soon after, opting instead to sue the school district.

The Supreme Court is being asked to rule on whether the public official’s prayers amounted to government speech, or private expression protected by the Constitution.

Education officials say they supported Kennedy’s religious rights — offering him private places for prayer — but could not allow his post-game ritual, which could be perceived as the school endorsing religion.

Kennedy lost the case and a subsequent appeal in which a three-judge panel said he was “not engaging in private prayer, but was instead engaging in public speech of an overtly religious nature while performing his job duties.”

But the Supreme Court’s conservative justices backed Kennedy’s claims.

Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker

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RANDOMLetters RE: SCOTUS Ruling Limiting EPA’s Power

I condemn this decision and the harm it will bring to families, workers and our environment, particularly in communities like ours in South LA that have lived with environmental injustice and, as a result, healthcare disparities for far too long. It is not acceptable to have elected officials and appointed justices that are bought and paid for by corporate polluters. Our leaders need to do what’s in the best interest of the people, not polluters and fossil fuel executives. I am proud to stand with and be endorsed by the following organizations who are fighting for environmental justice and action on climate change: Sierra Club California, CBE Action, Sunrise Movement LA & Long Beach, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Jane Fonda PAC, South Bay 350 LA and CEJA Action. The lack of action on environmental injustice by my opponent’s tenure was a

primary reason I stepped into this race. I will continue to work with frontline organizations to ensure a healthy and safe environment for future generations.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Candidate for California Assembly District 65

Donald Trump is a Cop Killer

“Mike [Pence] did not have the courage to act.”

— Donald Trump prison-bound Putin puppet The January 6th congressional committee not only hit a historic political home run with its public televised hearings in June, demoralized Donald Trump — who is clearly 100% guilty — has only further incriminated himself since then. Trump can forget about running in 2024.

If there’s one thing that we all can agree upon about that tangerine traitor is that dimwitted Don-

ald Trump cannot keep his stupid mouth shut for more than a few seconds. Donald Trump is a blithering idiot!

Witness tampering and witness intimidation, for example, is just another series of felony crimes that the Department of Justice will be able to charge Donald Trump with (along with Trump’s partner in capital crimes, Mark Meadows) after the January 6th hearings conclude in July 2022.

Lock these conservative cop killers up and throw away the keys! These traitors must pay, no matter how hard their cult members cry. The GOP is Jonestown, and Donald Trump is just a fat, old, orange version of Jim Jones.

Jake Pickering Arcata, Calif.

called racial slurs while working by a man neighbors described as a “white supremacist.”

In two hours, Aguilar sold 1,500 tamales. A personal record.

Although it wasn’t the first time Aguilar had experienced racism while selling his tamales in San Pedro, it was the first time he recorded an incident. The video received more than two million views on TikTok. Below are just a few of the comments the RLn video received

opportunity. Hope someone put hands on that guy

Don’t Care BIG MISTAKE!!! To mess with a working proud Mexican Man for his family. He has the support of the people.

Jokawild Hustle not like these wyte bums always begging for money

San Bruno PEACE LOVE UNITY PROSPERITY CALM WISDOM OPTIMISM

1fastmex Disgraceful what a POS. This man just working hard and clearly grateful for the opportunity. I’m sure he didn’t retaliate because he didn’t want to jeopardize his

Tamale Vendor Harassed with Racial Slurs Speaks Out

Read these online exclusives and more at:

RandomLengthsNews.com

A few weeks ago, RLn posted a video news report regarding the massive outpouring of support for San Pedro tamale vendor Juan Aguilar, who was harassed and

Will You Stay, a Psychedelic-Folk Exploration into the Broken Heart

By Melina Paris

Grim Mercury Fur Properly Energized by Garage Theatre

By Greggory Moore

Shakespeare by the Sea Takes Sure Aim at the Groundlings with Much Ado Pereira Group

By Greggory Moore

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7

Every Crime Imaginable

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

“We’re going to charged with every crime imaginable” — White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Trump’s plans for Jan. 6 Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson may have changed the course of history with her damning testimony about the Jan. 6 insurrection in a hastily called hearing on June 28 — but the question looms: by how much?

Hutchinson provided damning specific details showing that the Jan. 6 insurrection was not a non-violent demonstration that got out of hand, but rather an intentional disruption planned days in advance.

“We’re going to the Capitol. It’s going to be great,” Rudy Giuliani told her on Jan. 2, after which her boss, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told her, “Things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6.” Donald Trump knew that the crowd was armed as he exhorted it to “fight like hell,” and wanted to go with them to the Capitol to prevent certification of his election loss.

As a result of her testimony, “There will be way more information,” from new witnesses, GOP committee member Adam Kinzinger told CNN. And pressure is rising to indict Trump on a variety of counts, pointing to two distinct potential futures, each dangerous to the future of democracy.

In the first, Trump declares his 2024 candidacy early, seeking to discourage his indictment as a declared candidate, but turning the mid-terms into more of a referendum on his threat to democracy, which could favor Democrats, making them more able to prevent a

repeat 2020-style election-theft scenario. In the second, Trump holds back, Republicans make gains in the midterms, and are better positioned to undermine the 2024 election in less ham-fisted ways, and/or continue to undermine American democracy more broadly.

Potential erosion of support for Trump could push him towards the first alternative, while a spate of extreme-right Supreme Court decisions — most notably the overthrow of Roe v. Wade — underscores the danger of the latter. Significantly, after the last Supreme Court decision of the term was handed down, the court announced it would hear a case next term involving the “independent state legislature” theory, a version of which was central to Trump’s plan to derail Joe Biden’s election in the Electoral College.

Early on Jan. 6, Hutchinson said, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone warned her something to the effect of “Please make sure we don’t go up to the Capitol, Cassidy. Keep in touch with me.

We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen.”

Taped witnesses and contemporaneous text messages confirmed that was Trump’s intention.

The committee also played taped police radio transmissions about weapons in the crowd, including glocks and AR-15s. This was among those who chose not to pass through security checkpoints with magnetometers (aka “mags”) screening for weapons. Trump was furious that

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Jan. 6 Select Committee provided damning details of the days around Trump’s coup.

File photo

they weren’t being let through, Hutchison said, paraphrasing Trump saying, “I don’t effing care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take that effing mags away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in.” That was before he told them to “Fight like hell.”

In short, he clearly intended to lead an armed mob to the Capitol — which could bring charges of both incitement to violence and seditious conspiracy, according to multiple experts.

But the Secret Service nixed the idea as unsafe when he got in his vehicle after the speech, and Trump exploded in anger, trying to grab the steering wheel himself, according to an account Hutchinson said she received shortly afterwards from Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato. This account was disputed in the first 24 hours after Hutchinson’s testimony, but its essentials were then confirmed by multiple anonymous sources.

July 7 - 20, 2022

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

Trumpism Without Trump?

A Possibility Grows

8

Hutchinson’s testimony came just as the Supreme Court was concluding the most conservative term since 1931 according to a popular expert metric. With a hard right majority in place on the Court, Trump now seems more expendable than ever, even as he’s transformed the GOP along the way.

“Hutchinson’s sworn testimony closes a gap in the criminal case against Trump, and Trump is closer to a credible prosecution than ever before,” wrote David French, an editor at the conservative publication The Dispatch.

And the right-leaning Washington Examiner said Hutchinson’s testimony “ought to ring the death knell for former President Donald Trump’s political career” and that “Trump is unfit to be anywhere near power ever again.”

“We’re seeing an avalanche of stories, an avalanche of people openly talking about considering a run in 2024, whether it’s Mike Pence, whether its Ron DeSantis, whether it’s Larry Hogan, the governor of Maryland, there are people who are putting themselves in place to run, regardless of what Donald Trump does,” former GOP congressional staffer Kurt Bardello said on MSNBC. “That tells you that there is a very real crack in the foundation and frankly, the idea of the Republican Party being remade into the image of Donald Trump, has been successful.

They don’t need him anymore, because they have all embraced this radical extreme portrait of America, and they’re all acting on it now. They don’t need Donald Trump.”

White Christian nationalism has been key to Trump’s election and that transformation. He enjoyed 81% support among white evangelicals in

2016, running on the promise to remake the courts for them, and having delivered, he recently gave the keynote speech at the Road to Majority Policy Conference, where he led the way in demonizing Democrats. Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, reported on what she saw there in a New York Times op-ed: [T]hree clear trends were in evidence.

First, the rhetoric of violence among movement leaders appeared to have increased significantly from the already alarming levels I had observed in previous years. Second, the theology of dominionism — that is, the belief that “right-thinking” Christians have a biblically derived mandate to take control of all aspects of government and society — is now explicitly embraced.

And third, the movement’s key strategists were giddy about the legal arsenal that the Supreme Court had laid at their feet as they anticipated the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Trump didn’t invent any of this, of course.

But he was instrumental in normalizing and mainstreaming the more extreme, violent, confrontational elements. And now that he has, there appears to be no going back. Instead, would-be successors and allies are working to refine the effectiveness of the power-grabbing strategies and opportunities he and his Supreme Court appointees have advanced.

Stewart highlighted the role of two crucial, but less-noticed Supreme Court decisions in strengthening their legal weaponry: They intend to use that arsenal — together with additional weaponry collected in cases like Carson v. Makin, which requires state funding of religious schools if private, secular schools are also being funded; and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which licenses religious proselytizing by public school officials — to prosecute a war on individual rights, not merely in so-called red state legislatures but throughout the nation.

No Crime At All

Meanwhile, on the pure political power front, the Supreme Court announced it will hear a case next year involving the “independent state legislature” [ISL] theory, which played a key role in Trump’s attempt to steal the election. The theory alleges that state legislatures have virtually unchecked power over federal elections—even the power to ignore the results in Trump’s extreme version. Less extreme versions prevent election officials, state courts or governors from having any role—as many did in response to COVID-19 in the 2020 election.

The Supreme Court has already gutted the Voting Rights Act, and given a green light to gerrymandering, so the ISL would be one more giant step toward destroying democracy in America. Not only could Trump (or another GOP candidate) will the presidency with minority support — like Trump in 2016 or George W. Bush in 2000 — he wouldn’t even need to win a majority of the Electoral College votes if enough state legislators were organized to elect him instead.

While attention has rightly been grabbed

by Hutchinson’s alarming testimony, and more details are sure to come, the more serious longterm threat to American democracy comes from an entirely different direction — from the same folks who just destroyed a constitutional right for the first time in American history. In 2024, Republicans won’t have to commit every crime imaginable to steal the election. If the Supreme Court goes unchecked, stealing the election will be perfectly legal.

By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist

“We have no control over who lives, who dies, and who tells our story. But […] I am heartened by the fact that Josh wrote one hell of a tale.”

— Abbie Fischel, at her husband’s memorial chronicles that time through use of over 40 interviews and 70 hours of found footage from a wide variety of sources (including audio recordings of MTG planning meetings), but also provides enough background material that even those who never heard of Josh Fischel or Music Tastes Good can come away with an integrated portrait of both.

Coleman didn’t start out with such lofty ambitions. In the wake of Fischel’s sudden death, she helped curate a public celebration of his life — fittingly produced by RIOTstage, a troupe Fischel founded in 2013 to mount ambitious one-off theatrical musical events, including front-to-back performances of Abbey Road, Pet Sounds, The Wall, and an original staging of The Nightmare Before Christmas — and then immersed herself in helping bring off another two iterations of the rechristened “Josh Fischel’s Music Tastes Good.” It was only after MTG went on hiatus in 2018, at dinner with several MTG teammates, that she got the idea to create a document of the inaugural festival. “‘There’s an incredible story here,’” she remembers thinking. “‘If we’re not going to continue the festival that is his legacy, [a film] is a way to solidify that.’”

But as she collected and logged the footage, she realized there was a far deeper and more complex narrative in the offing, one with unavoidably dark undertones relating to Fischel’s alcoholism and the lengths to which he went to hide it as he persisted to drink in secret after being diagnosed with liver disease and told by doctors in no uncertain terms to stop.

“One of the reasons I felt I needed to revisit this was coming to the realization that [during MTG planning] we were watching someone actively die and didn’t realize it,” Coleman says. “[…] Not one person knew the whole [scope….] I thought I was just going to tell the story of the first year of this festival and how this man achieved something huge […] that was his swansong, how he went out big, [etc.]. But then it became a deeper story about addiction.”

To tell the Josh/MTG story with any honesty, Coleman had no choice but to confront that addiction — Josh’s addiction, and some painful-

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

Mere hours after the closing of the inaugural Music Tastes Good, a three-day event that transformed a half-dozen square blocks of East Village Arts District into festival grounds the likes of which Long Beach had never seen, musician/ organizer/impresario Josh Fischel, a dreamer of sometimes unrealistic proportions, was rushed to the hospital where days later he breathed his last.

Many in his orbit knew he was ill, but nobody, nobody — not his friends, not his wife, not the people with whom he spent nearly every day over the previous chaotic year putting together Music Tastes Good with more will than skill — expected him to be gone nearly so soon.

But we all gotta go sometime. And despite how painfully shocking it was to lose someone so seemingly permanent as this bear of a man, six years on, it’s hard not to appreciate a certain poetry in his exit. For better and for worse, Josh Fischel self-produced the way he left this world.

How to Throw Your Own Goodbye Party chronicles exactly that: a self-destructive creator who drove himself and others to fulfill a dream that was the last act of his life.

Lauren Coleman wasn’t a filmmaker, but as a member of the Music Tastes Good team she had a front-row seat to Fischel’s final year.

“I remember thinking, ‘I wish we could hire a camera crew,’ because every day something was going wrong,” she recalls. “[…] Usually when I’m doing something I can look down the pipeline and see how it’s going to pan out, but [not in this case]. As things were getting more and more hectic, I said, ‘I need to document this.’ I didn’t think, ‘Later I’m going to do a film,’ but I just thought this was a very pivotal time.”

How to Throw Your Own Goodbye Party not only

[See Party, p. 13]

July 7 - 20, 2022

Josh Fischel, founder of Music Tastes Good, who died in 2016. File photo, graphic by Brenda López

9

P

otato salad isn’t supposed to be a main event. Its humble job is to support other dishes as a kind of chunky mayonnaise, a creamy and tangy mortar between the important dishes. But the other day while I was enjoying some BBQ, the potato salad next to my epic piece of brisket almost stole the show.

At first those creamy bites were a refuge — light as the breeze compared to the rich and heavy glory of the succulent meat that I was there for. The potato salad was like another flavor of BBQ sauce, as the dill, onion and pickles gave a tangy and aromatic balance to the brisket. When I finally ran out of potato salad, I decided to stop eating and bring home the meat.

This was at Jesse Peppers’ BBQ, a restaurant in a small town called White Sulphur Springs, a small town in the middle of Montana. The potato salad, according to owner Mel Redding, is a collaboration among three generations of her family, combining elements of her mom’s potato salad with some tricks from her son’s recipe, along with her own.

Many families have a special potato salad recipe, but when each family member has their own specific potato salad recipe, we know we’re

Potato Salad Perfection

By Ari LeVaux, Flash in the Pan Columnist

Potato salad and BBQ brisket. Photo by Ari LeVaux

July 7 - 20, 2022

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

dealing with a serious crew of baller chefs.

But tragically, this team is like the 1992/93 Chicago Bulls, which remained dominant even after losing Michael Jordan. Jesse Peppers the restaurant exists, Mel explained, because of her son, Chef Jesse Peppers, who died in a car crash nearly two years ago.

“The last time I saw him he came to visit me,” Mel told me. “He said it’s time that we started a family restaurant. I was going through a divorce. The boys were sick of working for other people. We all kind of needed a change.

He made me promise that we would do it.”

After Jesse died, he left a larger-than-life hole. The family left Vermont and bought an old restaurant in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and set to work bringing his idea to life. In the process, the restaurant has turned this tiny town near the continental divide into a culinary destination.

Jesse was an exuberant man with a big

10

laugh, and he is still very much present in the kitchen, where his urn and knives have a special shelf. Every afternoon his brothers play dubstep music in his honor. As the one member of the family to graduate culinary school, the knowledge Jesse gathered is all over the menu. And although the story of the restaurant isn’t posted, the locals are learning why Jesse Peppers is here. “I make sure to tell his story to at least two customers every day,” Mel told me.

White Sulphur Springs sits on a high plateau on the divide between the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. In this last refuge of winter, still snowing as of last week, residents have embraced this hive of gastronomic innovation.

The story of Jesse Peppers is still beginning, and Mel and Travis generously shared the recipe for their potato salad with us, so we could write another chapter.

Part of what makes this potato salad so satisfying is its protein content. It’s got large pieces of hard boiled eggs, and crumbled bacon.

On some days at the restaurant they make it with leftover BBQ, such as brisket burnt ends.

It’s also wonderful with browned burger meat.

Whatever meat you use will get lathered in the [See Perfection, p. 11]

Jesse Peppers Potato Salad Serve it alongside rich and delicious main dishes. And if you have no main dish, add more meat.

Makes a whole picnic load.

12 large russet potatoes 12 eggs 1 large white onion, minced 1 large red onion, minced 3 large dill pickles 2 cups celery, diced 3 cups sour cream (use normal not cultured sour cream, which is too thick) 3 cups mayo (they used Best Foods aka Hellmans, with which one can’t go wrong) ½ cup mustard ¼ cup of minced fresh dill (not to be a troublemaker here but I use a LOT more) 2 cups chopped pork belly, bacon, burned ends, or other succulent meat 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons black pepper Peel the potatoes and cut them small — ⅜ x ⅜ ideally — and put them in a large pot. Add water to cover the potatoes and cook on high heat until they are tender but not mushy. There is nothing mushy about this recipe. Strain and set aside.

In a small pot, boil six cups of water and a half cup of vinegar. Add the eggs, return to a boil and boil for ten minutes, then move the pot to the sink with the cold water on. Pour out the hot water and flush with cold water. Then add ice and let them cool.

Start chopping all the other vegetables into a medium dice, by which point your eggs will be ready to be peeled and cut into eight pieces each. Store these in the fridge until the end. Wash off your eggy knife and cutting board.

Add the mayo, sour cream and pickles to a food processor or blender, and blend for about 90 seconds — until the pickles are atomized.

Add the onion, celery, mustard, dill, meat, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl and thoroughly combine. Add the pickle mayo and mix again. Add the potatoes, and gently mix, lifting from the bottom and carefully folding it over, so nothing gets mushed.

[Perfection, from p. 10]

Perfection

creamy sauce to the point where you can lose track of its identity, but you always know it’s there. Unless you don’t want meat, of course.

The dish can be as vegetarian or vegan as you want it to be.

The recipe calls for blending pickles with

mayo and sour cream, but the first time I made it I forgot to buy pickles. Instead, I used some home-made pickled cherry bomb peppers and a jar of relish. It wasn’t the same, but when you make small tweaks to an amazing recipe you sometimes achieve dazzling results. I enjoyed the heat of the pickled peppers, and the coupling of “relish” and “peppers” in the same sentence seemed appropriate.

Start to the Summer Season

Storm Drain Octopus

On July 1, San Pedro kicked off the summer months with Cars and Stripes on the waterfront, featuring classic cars, live music and pyrotechnic displays over the Los Angeles Harbor. Photo by Chris Villanueva

The Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs via the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District funded a grant that would paint art around the storm drains on Mesa at 5th and 6th streets. San Pedro High School art teacher, Jay Davis, and his team of two won the commission. Davis’ application was one of 25 applications submitted to decorate the storm drains and utility boxes around downtown San Pedro. The $1,100 grants covered class materials and supplies. The sites are scheduled to stay up for the next 10 years. Photo by Chris Villanueva

BIG NICK’S PIZZA

BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA

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

HAPPY DINER #2

Built on the success of Happy Diner #1, Happy Diner #2 offers American favorites like omelets and burgers, fresh salads, plus pasta and Mexican dishes 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, 310-9352933, 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

PINA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Pina’s Mexican Restaurant serves traditonal Mexican food from Michoacan for breakfast through dinner, and is known for specialty enchiladas, burritos, tacos and mariscos served in a comfortable, casual dining atmosphere. Pina’s now has a full bar and outside dining, so come on by for a real margarita! Party trays for any occasion. Hours: Sun. - Wed. 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Thurs. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pina’s Mexican Restaurant, 1430 W. 25th St., San Pedro, 310-547-4621, www.pinasmexicanrestaurant.com

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.. 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

July 7 - 20, 2022

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

HAPPY DINER #1

Real People, Real News, Really Effective

Tradition, variety and fast delivery or takeout—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza.

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

11

DANCE July 10

MUSIC July 9

Andy & Renee, Hard Rain South Bay’s folk-rockers close the season with their homage to The Band’s legendary show, The Last Waltz.

Time: 8 p.m., July 9 Cost: $28 Details: https://tinyurl.com/Hard-Rain Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Scary Pockets Grand Performances kicks off its first concert in July with a special lineup including viral funk sensations Scary Pockets and DJ Aaron Paar.

Time: 6 to 10 p.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Scary-Pockets Venue: Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

July 14

Open Mic Night Calling all musicians and poets, showcase your talent at the Grand Annex. First 10 sign-ups are guaranteed to perform, additional artists as time allows, starting at 6:30 pm.

Time: 7 p.m., July 14 Cost: $5 Details: https://tinyurl.com/open-micJuly-14 Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

July 16

Real People, Real News, Totally Relevant

Black Nile & Linafornia Grand Performances and The World Stage present Black Nile & Linafornia, bringing dynamic jazz and soulful beats, representing Leimert Park’s musical heritage.

Time: 6 to 10 p.m., July 16Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Black-Nile Venue: Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

July 19

John Daversa Multi-Grammy award winning trumpeter John Daversa has teamed up with pianist Tal Cohen, creating an open vessel of imagination, heart and creativity within a jazz duo setting.

Time: 8 p.m., July 19 Cost: $25 Detail: www.alvasshowroom.com/ event/john-daversa-and-tal-cohenduo Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

July 7 - 20, 2022

July 23

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Ali Sethi + Discostan Pakistan Arts Council, LA & Aga Khan Museum present global artist Ali Sethi. Also performing is Discostan, a diasporic discotheque.

Time: 6 to 10 p.m., July 23 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Ali-Sethi Venue: Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

THEATER July 7

Company With a record-setting 14 Tony nominations, Company, by Stephen Sondheim, focuses on Robert, a confirmed

bachelor living in New York City, who is celebrating his 35th birthday with a collection of his married friends.

Time: 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. July 7 to Aug. 6 Cost: $14 to $24 Details: www.lbplayhouse.org; 562-494-1014 Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach

July 7

Mercury Fur Mercury Fur is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where gang violence and drugs — in the form of hallucinogenic butterflies — terrorize the community. The protagonists are a gang of youths surviving by their wits. Their main source of income, however, is holding parties for wealthy clients in which their wildest, most amoral fantasies are brought to life.

Time: 8 p.m., Thursday, Friday, Saturday, July 7 to July 23 Cost: $18 to $30 Details: www.thegaragetheatre.org Venue: The Garage Theatre, 251 E. 7th St., Long Beach

July 8

Romeo & Juliet Love will definitely be in the air as this classic play tells a tale of romance.

Time: 8 p.m., July, 8 and Aug. 5 Cost: Free Details: www.shakespearebythesea.org Venue: Point Fermin Park, 807 W. Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro

ART

July 7

Guided ArtWalk Tour Join the First Thursday Guided ArtWalk Tour, gathering at Sirens Java and Tea. The tour features the artists of the 4th Street Lofts.

Time: 5:30 p.m., July 7 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/3nzbbapn Venue: Sirens Java and Tea, 402 W. 7th St., San Pedro Insights 2022: Annual School of Art Student Exhibition Undergraduate and graduate students were invited to submit up to three works for consideration, and the exhibition was juried by School of Art alumni from their respective program area.

Time: July 7 to 29 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/insights-2022 Venue: Cal State Long Beach, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach,

July 9

The Colors Of Life For years Michael Stearns has been interested in the human genome and genetic variations. Recently, science has discovered that neither race nor ethnicity is detectable in the human genome. Over the years the majority of Stearns’ work has focused increasingly on the exploration and expression of our shared human DNA. Time: 2 to 5 p.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Michael-Stearns Venue: Michael Stearns Studios@The Lofts, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro

Flamenco Abierto Would you like to know more about falmenco, to experience it with an understanding of the art and culture? Flamenco Abierto is a chance to do that, as singer Ana Quintero, guitarist Jose Tanaka and dancer Misuda Cohen will both perform and explain a little about the nature of their art. Spanish tapas will be provided by La Española. Seating will be very limited.

Time: 2 p.m. July 10 Cost: $20 Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/flamencoabierto Venue: Collage, 731 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

FILM

July 15

PCH Movies & Moonlight The six-week summer series continues through Aug. 19 with movies beginning at sunset. July 15 features Disney’s Luca.

Pre-show entertainment will be included on select dates. Self-seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets.

Time: July 15 to Aug. 19 Cost: Free Details: 2ndandpch.com Venue: 2nd and PCH, 6400 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach

COMEDY July 24

ALO-HA-HA! Headliner Monica Piper is an Emmy and Golden Globe winning comedy writer with a Showtime special. Enjoy other comics and a three-course lunch. Purchase tickets by July 12. No tickets will be sold at the door. Get an early bird discount by June 10.

Time: 12 p.m., July 24. Lunch at 12:30, showtime 1:30 p.m.

Cost: $85 Details: 714-914-2565; www.seniorcomedyafternoons.com Venue: Los Verdes Golf Course, Vista Ballroom, 7000 W. Los Verdes Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes

COMMUNITY July 7

Sunset Series Explore the garden as the sun begins to set on a warm summer evening, with a cocktail in hand, after-hours every Thursday throughout July. Explore the garden’s entire 87 acres, visit the pop-up refreshment station and enjoy yard games, music and kids activities, including live performances.

Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m., July 8 Cost: $5 to $9 Details: www.southcoastbotanicgarden. org/sunset-series Venue: 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula

July 9

Let’s Talk About Gender Conversation Starter Join Professor Carlos Royal for an interactive, introductory two-hour workshop on understanding gender, its history, and what role it plays in today’s society.

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: www./pvld.evanced.info/signup/ gender-conversation-starter Venue: Peninsula Center Library, 701 Silver Spur Rd., Rolling Hills Estates Guided Nature Walk at the Vicente Bluffs Reserve Follow the bluff top from Point Vicente to Oceanfront Estates during El Segundo blue butterfly flight season in an area containing restored coastal sage scrub habitat.

Time: 9 a.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.org/calendar-guided-nature-walks/ Venue: Vicente Bluffs Reserve, 31501 Palos Verdes Dr. West, Rancho Palos Verdes

The Big Gay Beach Takeover — Pride Edition The Big Gay Beach Takeover is back.

This time it includes principles inspired by burning man and its community. Enjoy music and DJs with record label Secret Service LBC. Everyone is welcome.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/big-gay-beach Venue: Rainbow LifeGuard (Pride) tower, Long Beach Bergamot Station Summer Celebration The arts center is a creative arts complex with over 20 galleries and creative businesses. The summer celebration highlights gallery exhibitions and brings together live music, local vendors and special events.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., July 9 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Bergamot-2022 Venue: Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica

July 12

Self-Discovery Writing Workshop Nancy Lynée Woo leads this six-part poetry workshop focused on self-expression.

Participants will be given a writing prompt, time to write and to share. Participants are encouraged to attend all six sessions to build a sense of community. All levels are welcome.

Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m., July 12 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/self-discoveryworkshop Venue: Zoom Sounds of Summer Enjoy live musical performances from an eclectic mix of Southern California artists and genres on the grand staircase.

Time: 6 to 8 p.m., July 12 through Aug. 30 Details: 2ndandpch.com Venue: 2nd and PCH, 6400 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach

July 13

Summertime Explorers An interactive weekly kids club features entertainment, storytimes, crafts and activities encouraging kids to learn and explore weekly, with a custom weekly themed photo backdrop available to capture memories.

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m, July 13 through Aug. 31 Details: 2ndandpch.com Venue: 2nd and PCH, 6400 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach

July 16

New Guided Nature Walk at White Point Discover a unique variety of wildlife in their coastal sage scrub habitat with amazing views across to the ocean. Meet in front of the nature center and come inside to explore after the hike. Park in the lot at the deadend of 1600 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro. Reservations are not required.

Time: 10:30 a.m., July 16 Cost: Free Details: www.pvplc.org/nature-centers Venue: White Point Nature Preserve, 1600 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro Docent Guided Nature Walk Enjoy this easy walk along the McBride Trail with views of the Peninsula and Catalina Island. Learn about the native coastal habitat along with a lesson on the early history of the Palos Verdes area.

Meet at the end of Ocean Terrace Drive.

Drive south on Highridge Road, cross Crest Road, then turn right on Ocean Terrace Drive and park at the end of the street.

Time: 9 a.m., July 16 Cost: Free Details: 310-544-5260; www.losserenos.org/ Venue: McBride Trail, Rancho Palos Verdes LA U.S. Hands Off Cuba Carlos Lazo, national Cuban American leader, who is fighting the U.S. blockade of Cuba, headlines a Los Angeles meeting to raise money for Cuban medical aid and advance protest actions. More than a dozen local organizations and promi-

nent individuals will join this united effort to raise consciousness about ending the U.S. blockade and sanctions against Cuba.

Time: 6 to 9 p.m., July 16 Cost: Free Details: ushandsoffcubacommittee.com Venue: McCarty Memorial Church, 4101 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles

July 17

Creative Communal Makers Market This open-air market features handcrafted treasures from over thirty local makers, photo-ops, kids entertainment and live music from Ernando and the Nandos on the grand staircase stage from 2 to 5 p.m.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., July 17 Details: 2ndandpch.com Venue: 2nd and PCH, 6400 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach Northern Argentina Cacti and Succulent in Habitat From his travels to Northern Argentina in 2021, Gary Duke will show 31 cacti genera and 15 succulent genera all native to Argentina. He even found the elusive Yavia cryptocarpa.

Time: 1 p.m., July 17 Cost: $15 park admission for non-members Details: southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula

July 20

Discovering Griffith Park Join author Casey Schreiner to learn about one of the largest and most famous municipal parks in North America. Casey’s writing has appeared in Backpacker, Adventure Journal and the REI Blog.

Time: 6 p.m., July 20 Cost: Free Details: Email SBuehler@TorranceCA. Gov for the link to join by July 18.

Venue: Zoom

July 23

Outdoor Volunteer Day at Alta Vicente Reserve Come help restore habitat on the 22-acre restoration site to create a home for rare cactus wrens and gnatcatchers with beautiful views of Catalina Island.

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., July 23 Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.volunteerhub.com/ Venue: Alta Vicente Reserve, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes California Native Plant Society Talk Learn about local California native plants with an expert from the South Coast chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

This talk is limited to 20 participants.

Time: 3 p.m., July 23 Cost: Free Details: 310-323-7200 Venue: North Torrance Library, 3604 Artesia Blvd., Torrance

July 30

Guided Hike at George F. Canyon Nature Preserve Join a special nature club guided hike at George F. Canyon Nature Preserve. Explore the canyon habitat, including all the critters and plants that call it home. Meet on the back deck of the George F. Canyon Nature Center and come inside to explore after the hike.

Time: 9 a.m., July 30 Cost: Free Details: 310-541-7613 Venue: George F. Canyon Nature Center, 27305 Palos Verdes Dr. East, Rolling Hills Estates PVPLC Rapid Response Team Work alongside the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy staff around the nature preserve to help protect important wildlife habitat. No experience needed. 15 and up.

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays Cost: Free Details: https://pvplc.volunteerhub.com Venue: Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes

[Party, from p. 9]

to-rehash behavior that came with it — head-on, partly in the hope that others may be helped by hearing the hard truth.

“It is really important to me to tell the truth, for better or worse, but while respecting the monstrous weight of addiction itself,” Coleman says. “I wanted to be careful not to vilify those battling addiction, but also to shed light on the toll it takes. The best way I felt I could do that in this case was to show the impact on the people who are left behind. Sometimes it takes the love we have for others to motivate us to do things we may not do just for ourselves. […]

There was a gentleman I met at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival who shared his struggle with addiction with me after he had watched the film. He is sober now, but he connected with Josh’s story.”

For all his foibles — not a person who loved him (I count myself among the lucky) would one-dimensionally beatify him; he was simply too big and gave of himself too completely for that — How to Throw Your Own Goodbye Party manages to highlight the playfulness and joy that were at Fischel’s core.

For Coleman, making the film allowed her to know Fischel in new ways. She didn’t know him at all c. 2015 when he booked her band Pebaluna for a gig — and only slightly better when a short time later she jumped at his invitation to be part of the MTG team despite her reservations that his vision for the festival sounded “too good to be true.” And when he died not much more than a year later, she knew him mostly as a boss.

“I really like [that through making the film] I got to know him as a son and a husband and a brother and a friend,” she says. “I could have walked away from Music Tastes Good knowing only this one dimension of him, but I’m so glad I’ve got this fuller picture of this man who inspired so many people. […] I’m a better

Your Own Goodbye Party

The Music Tastes Good team from left, filmmaker Lauren Coleman, Vince Guiterrez, Josh Fischel and Meagan Blome.

person for [my experience with him], so to get to know him more fully through the eyes of others was my favorite part of [making] it.”

Abbie Fischel, Josh’s wife/partner/constant support, is “overwhelmed” that Coleman “cared enough to capture important pieces of Josh’s story in a documentary.” It’s just the kind of thing she publicly exhorted shortly after his death.

“At Josh’s memorial concert I asked people to honor his memory by going out and creating more beauty for all of us to behold, just as Josh did,” she says. “Lauren took up that calling and created a beautiful piece of art about a fellow artist, Joshie. I am so very grateful to each and every person that contributed to this good work.

It was incredibly touching to hear accounts of what Josh meant to others.”

Josh’s mother, Maurine, has a more mixed reaction to How to Throw Your Own Goodbye

Party. She was warned by her son Zach before seeing an early cut (Coleman held several screenings for friends and family for feedback during the editing process) that the film would be “difficult to watch.” It was.

“There were a number of revelations in the documentary — answers to questions many of us had chosen not to ask and really preferred not to know,” she says. “I was devastated and a bit angry. This [film] was not what I originally, naively, thought it would be.”

But when she saw the final version with her sister, the pair agreed that it’s well done.

Although Maurine feels she has some insights into what was going on with Josh that may differ from what’s presented in the film, she appreciates that it captures Josh’s complexity and the achievement that was Music Tastes Good.“Josh was […] a big personality, creative and talented, loving and supportive of

family and friends,” she says. “[He was] also outspoken and opinionated on everything. He would envision how he thought things should be and then relentlessly figure out how to make it happen. That he figured out how to pull off Music Tastes Good was nothing short of amazing. And it’s pretty obvious he spent the last year of his life pushing to succeed with MTG while spiraling, avoiding dealing with his very real physical issue.”

“I never once thought he would risk his health and his life to do this festival,” Coleman says. “And I don’t even know to this day if he knew that’s what he was doing or just going. […] There’s part of me that felt bad for exposing so much of what he was going through, but it was necessary for the whole story. […] It might not be the film a lot of people are expecting to see, but I hope that the love that it’s told with comes across.”

All in all, Maurine Fischel hopes viewers come away feeling “Josh was a big dreamer with wild ideas and a good heart — which is what he was.”

Abbie has no doubt that it does.

“One of the things I always loved the most about Josh was the way he coaxed beauty from brokenness,” she says. “He was full of grit and fire, and that often served him well, while at other times it worked against him. This film captures much of the beauty and brokenness that was our dear Joshie. I loved every bit of who Josh was, and I miss every complexity of being a witness to his triumph and his struggle.

I hope Josh is remembered for all he created, but more than that I hope his legacy inspires others to keep pushing and creating amidst pain and struggle. We are all more than our broken pieces. Josh knew that better than anyone, and he lived his life accordingly.”

To learn a bit about that life, watch How to Throw Your Own Goodbye Party, visit https:// vimeo.com/587348268.

Real People, Real News, Really Effective July 7 - 20, 2022

13

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310-519-1442 Remember to renew your DBA every 5 years

CITY OF LOS ANGELES ENVIRONMENTAL NOTICES Notice is hereby given to the general public of the availability for public review and comment on the following Environmental document.

This publication is intended to serve as our Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Berths 187-191 [Vopak] Liquid Bulk Terminal Wharf Improvements and Cement Terminal Project, located in Wilmington, California - Council District 15. This NOP also includes an Initial Study (IS).

The proposed Project would consist of improvements to the existing liquid bulk terminal wharves located at Berths 187-190 to comply with Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS), and of repairs and structural upgrades to the Berth 191 wharf to support maritime cement operations.

A scoping meeting will be held on July 20, 2022 at 5pm.

Information on how to attend the scoping meeting and a copy of the document are available on the Port of Los Angeles’ website at: https:// www.portoflosangeles.org/ ceqa. A copy of the document is also available for public review at the Harbor Department Environmental Management Division (EMD) located at 425 S. Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro. Due to COVID-19, please send your request to ceqacommments@ portla.org to schedule an appointment to pick up a copy.

Comments on the NOP/IS should be submitted in writing prior to the end of the 45-day public review period and must be postmarked by August 22, 2022. Please submit written comments to: Christopher Cannon, Director, City of Los Angeles Harbor Department Environmental Management Division 425 S. Palos Verdes Street San Pedro, CA 90731. Written comments may also be sent via email to ceqacomments@ portla.org. Comments sent via email should include the project title ``Berths 187-191 [Vopak] Liquid Bulk Terminal Wharf Improvements and Cement Terminal Project`` in the subject line. The comment period for this document period begins on July 7, 2022 ends on August 22, 2022.

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PLEASE HELP!

14

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

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The public will have a second opportunity to review project documents when the Draft EIR is prepared and released.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No: 2022099827 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: PEERLESS AV, 1580 W. MANHALO PLACE, RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CA 90220 County of LOS ANGELES. Mailing Address: 2300 WHITE OAK, CIRCLE, AURORA, IL 60502 Registered owner(s): PEERLESS INDUSTRIES, INC, 2300, WHITE OAK CIRCLE, AURORA, IL 60502; State of Incorporation: DE. This business is conducted by a Corporation. The registrant(s) started doing business on 03/2022.I declare that all in-

formation in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)).

PEERLESS INDUSTRIES, INC S/ DAVID WISNIEWSKI, CFO This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 05/05/2022. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in

subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/26/22, 06/10/22, 06/24/22, 07/08/22

[continued on p. 15]

“Sandwiched In” — one thing between two other things. © 2022 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords

RLNews is looking for freelance food and music writers who are knowledgeable about San Pedro and Long Beach area restaurants, culture and music scenes. Experienced writers preferred, but will consider aspiring bloggers. We are looking for writers who have a curiosity for a wide range of cuisines or music in the greater LA / Long Beach Harbor Area.

Committment to writing to deadline is a must. Having a strong social media following and bi-lingual skills is a plus.

Submit inquiries and any links to your writing to editor@ randomlengthsnews.com or call 310-519-1442 weekdays.

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JOB OPPS

ACROSS

1. Some 1990s Toyotas 7. Chicken ___ 11. Big Sky Conference sch.

14. Low-tech counting device 15. Skater Kulik who won gold at Nagano 16. Sounds of hesitation 17. Get back into 18. Instructions within instructions 20. Bacon hunks 21. Kin, informally 22. Prefix for “venous” 23. City northeast of Reno 24. III, to Jr. 25. Hawkins of school dances 26. Ballet wear 28. Lovecraftian entity with tentacles 30. Prefix before “laryngologist” 33. More agile 35. Yale graduates, slangily 36. TV room, perhaps 37. Nassau’s country 39. “___ be my honor” 40. Pt. of many airport names 42. Audience member who isn’t bawling at the end, metaphorically 43. Word repeated in an Iris Murdoch title 44. Dangerous callout while bike riding

46. Monologue fodder 48. State a new way 49. Inc. relative 50. Nelson Muntz’s catchphrase 54. Manufacturer of the SURFboard modem 55. Twice, in music 56. A.C. ___ (Serie A squad) 57. Readers’ haven 59. Rake it in 60. ___ mode 61. Like a souffle 62. Baskets for fish 63. Pixar’s “Turning ___” 64. McEntire with a part in “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” 65. Most peeved

DOWN

1. Analyze, as grammar 2. “Nope, doesn’t ring ___” 3. “Wheel of Fortune” social correspondent Maggie 4. Self-sustaining automaton 5. Some votes in Quebec 6. IRS info 7. Leaning Tower city resident 8. Returning grad 9. “Spare” meat 10. “Emotions” singer Carey 11. Country singer Pam’s father (and singer of “I Ain’t Never”)

12. Sexologist with a 1976 report 13. Fictional former space agency in the game Fallout 19. Excessive 21. Remarkable showing on a baseball box score (or 1/6 of a day) 24. March parade honoree, as preferred in Ireland 25. Went off track 27. Charging port, maybe 28. Bonds securely 29. Abbr. on some beef 30. Valhalla host 31. Don JosÈ or Otello, in opera circles 32. Kerouac novel 34. Stadium cheer 38. Replace a button, say 41. Eye surgery technique 45. Earnhardt’s org.

47. Black eye 49. Tripoli’s nation 51. Playwright Edward who won three Pulitzers 52. Comes down hard 53. Unsettling feeling 54. “A guy walks into ___ ...”

55. Commuter’s home, for short 56. Spanish surrealist Joan 58. Prevarication 59. British lavs

LEGAL NOTICES & DBAs [from p. 14]

06/24/22, 07/08/22

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2022124645 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BACK TO ORIGINAL RESTORATION, 1603 Sunnyside Terrace, San Pedro, CA 90732, County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): Paul Creig Michaelis, 1603 Sunnyside Terrace, San Pedro, CA 90732. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ Paul Creig Michaelis, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on June 08, 2022 NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2022116546 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: VALESKA’S INSURANCE SERVICES, 548 E SEPULVEDA BLVD STE A CARSON CA 90745 County of LOS ANGELES Registered owner(s): MARIA VALESKA VALDIVIA 586 W 2ND ST, SAN PEDRO CA 90731 This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) started doing business on 06/2017. 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/ MARIA VALESKA VALDIVIA OWNER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 05/31/2022.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by 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 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 7/7, 7/21, 08/04, 08/18/22

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2022148938 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: REDUX ANTIQUE THRIFT AND GIFT, 1906A Marshallfield Lane Redondo Beach CA 90278, County of LOS ANGELES. Registered owner(s): GABRIEL FILKOSKY, 1906A MARSHALLFIELD LANE, REDONDO BEACH CA 90278. This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) started doing business on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Profes-

sions 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/ GABRIEL FILKOSKY, OWNER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 05/31/2022.

NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by 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 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 06/23/22, 07/07/22,

the Superior Court 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/22/22 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 22LBCP00215 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: STEVEN RICHARD MARCKS for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner STEVEN RICHARD MARCKS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: STEVEN RICHARD MARKCKS to Steven richard marcks The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above

must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing: Date: 7/29/22, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: 27 The address of the court is

275 Magnolia Long Beach 90802 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Daily Journal Date: June 18, 2022 Mark C. Kim Judge of the Superior Court 6/29, 7/6, 7/13, 7/20/22

QUICK RESPONSE TIME!

07/21/22, 08/04/22

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 22CMCP00104 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Dylan E. Martinez; Venizio T. Martinez, minors by and through Mother, Azalea Fauthfor Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Dylan Elijah Martinez and Venizio Tomas Martinez filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Dylan Elijah Martinez to Dylan Elijah Fauth Venizio Tomas Martinez to Venizio Tomas Fauth The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing: Date: 08/25/2022, Time: 8:30 AM, Dept.: A, Room: 904 The address of the court is 200 W. Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90220 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Daily Journal Date: June 16, 2022 Thomas D. Long Judge of

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2022129592 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: JOHNNY ON THE SPOT CARPET CLEANING, 1821 W. Santa Cruz St., San Pedro, CA 90732, County of Los Angeles. Registered owner(s): John Sheridan, 1821 W. Santa Cruz Street, San Pedro, CA 90732. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to

07/21/22, 08/04/22

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).

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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No:2022080201 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1.

VINYASA MOVEMENT 2.

PIINXIT STUDIO, 303 S PACIFIC AVE #101, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731, County of LOS ANGELES Registered owner(s): PILAR ELIZABETH VALDEZ, 303 S PACIFIC AVE, #101, SAN PEDRO, CA 90731. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ Pilar Elizabeth Valdez, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 13, 2022. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner.

A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 05/26/22, 06/10/22,

exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ John Sheridan, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on June 15, 2022 NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code).

Original filing: 06/23/22, 07/07/22,

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July 7 - 20, 2022

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