LOS ANGELES — , 2024 – The Los Angeles Harbor Commission Sept. 5 approved a lease amendment that finalizes plans for a $52 million infrastructure improvement project to improve the on-dock rail capacity and reduce overall emissions at the Port of Los Angeles Pier 300 terminal operated by Fenix Marine Services. Construction is expected to begin next year.
“Fewer transfers of cargo results in cleaner operations and more fluidity on our container terminals,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This project will make us more competitive and add to our ability to pursue more discretionary cargo headed for the interior of the United States.”
The project will add five loading/unloading tracks in the intermodal yard at the Pier 300 terminal. The improvement will increase on-dock rail yard capacity, enabling more cargo to be loaded directly onto trains via the on-dock rail yard within the terminal. Rail is the most energy and fuel-efficient means of long-haul freight movement within the continental U.S.
Other improvements involved in the project include grading and paving, fire protection, electrical improvements, striping and signage, and additional storm drain design elements for Low Impact Development compliance.
Grant funding for the project includes approximately $18 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and $19 million from California’s Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The Port of Los Angeles will provide the balance of the funding.
In January 2022, CMA CGM reacquired 100% of the Fenix Marine Services or FMS container terminal in the Port of Los Angeles. One of the largest terminals in the U.S. in one of the country’s most strategic gateways, FMS’ strategic deep-water location and first-class infrastructure are the foundation of the terminal’s ongoing development and investment program.
With nearly 18 million students on U.S. college campuses this fall, defenders of the war on Gaza don’t want to hear any backtalk. Silence is complicity, and that’s the way Israel’s allies like it. For them, the new academic term restarts a threat to the status quo. But for supporters of human rights, it’s a renewed opportunity to turn higher education into something more than a comfort zone.
In the United States, the extent and arrogance of the emerging collegiate repression is, quite literally, breathtaking. Every day, people are dying due to their transgression of breathing while Palestinian.
The Gaza death toll adds up to more than one Kristallnachtper day — for upwards of 333 days and counting, with no end in sight. The shattering of a society’s entire infrastructure has been horrendous. Months ago, citing data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, ABC News reported that “25,000 buildings have been destroyed, 32 hospitals forced out of service, and three churches, 341 mosques and 100 universities and schools destroyed.
Not that this should disturb the tranquility of campuses in the country whose taxpayers and elected leaders make it all possible. Top college officials wax eloquent about the sanctity of higher learning and academic freedom while they suppress protests against policies that have destroyed scores of universities in Palestine.
A key rationale for quashing dissent is that anti-Israel protests make some Jewish students uncomfortable. But the purposes of college education shouldn’t include always making people feel comfortable. How comfortable should students be in a nation enabling mass murder in Gaza?
What would we say about claims that students in the North with southern accents should not have been made uncomfortable by on-campus civil rights protests and denunciations of Jim Crow in the 1950s and 1960s? Or white students from South Africa, studying in the United States, made uncomfortable by anti-apartheid protests in the 1980s?
A bedrock for the edifice of speech suppression and virtual thought-policing is the old standby of equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Likewise, the ideology of Zionism that tries to justify Israeli policies is supposed to get a pass no matter what — while opponents, including many Jews, are liable to be denounced as antisemites.
But polling shows that more younger Americans are supportive of Palestinians than they are of Israelis. The ongoing atrocities by the Israel “Defense” Forces in Gaza, killing a daily average of more than 100 people — mostly children and women — have galvanized many young people to take action in the United States.
“Protests rocked American campuses toward the end of the last academic year,” a front-page New York Times story reported in late August, adding: “Many administrators remain shaken by the closing weeks of the spring semester, when encampments, building occupations and clashes with the police helped lead to thousands of arrests across the country.” (Overall, the phrase “clashes with the police” served as a euphemism for police violently attacking nonviolent protesters.)
From the hazy ivory towers and corporate suites inhabited by so many college presidents and boards of trustees, Palestinian people are scarcely more than abstractions compared to far more real priorities. An understated sentence from the Times sheds a bit of light: “The strategies that are coming into public view suggest that some administrators at schools large and small have concluded that permissiveness is perilous, and that a harder line may be the best option — or perhaps just the one least likely to invite blowback from elected officials and donors who have demanded that universities take stronger action against protesters.”
Much more clarity is available from a new Mondoweissarticle by activist Carrie Zaremba, a researcher with training in anthropology. “University administrators across the United States have declared an indefinite state of emergency on college campuses,” she wrote. “Schools are rolling out policies in preparation for quashing pro-Palestine student activism this fall semester, and reshaping regulations and even campuses in the process to suit this new normal.
“Many of these policies being instituted share a common formula: more militarization, more law enforcement, more criminalization, and more consolidation of institutional power. But where do these policies originate and why are they so similar across all campuses? The answer lies in the fact that they have been provided by the ‘risk and crisis management’ consulting industries, with the tacit support of trustees, Zionist advocacy groups, and federal agencies. Together, they deploy the language of safety to disguise a deeper logic of control and securitization.”
Countering such top-down moves will require intensive grassroots organizing. Sustained pushback against campus repression will be essential, to continually assert the right to speak out and protest as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Insistence on acquiring knowledge while gaining power for progressive forces will be vital. That’s why the national Teach-In Network was launched this week by the RootsAction Education Fund (which I help lead), under the banner “Knowledge Is Power — and Our Grassroots Movements Need Both.”
The elites that were appalled by the moral uprising on college campuses against Israel’s slaughter in Gaza are now doing all they can to prevent a resurgence of that uprising. But the mass murder continues, subsidized by the U.S. government. When students insist that true knowledge and ethical action need each other, they can help make history and not just study it.
SoCalGas has determined it is unsafe to continue providing natural gas service to 29 homes in the western Seaview area and 25 homes in Portuguese Bend Beach Club. Unfortunately, natural gas service will be discontinued to those homes indefinitely, effective Friday, Sept. 6, at about 3 p.m.
At this time, SoCalGas does not know when it will be safe to restore service to these communities.
If your natural gas service is turned off, please do NOT attempt to restore service or to connect alternative fuels like propane to your natural gas meter. Doing so is unsafe.
No evacuation warning is in place at this time for Seaview or the Portuguese Bend Beach Club. Residents in these neighborhoods can choose to remain in their homes without gas and/or electricity service. However, this situation is dynamic, so be prepared.
For SoCalGas updates, visit socalgas.com/rpv. For customer service inquiries, please contact 1-877-238-0092 or email projectinfo@socalgas.com.
If you suspect a natural gas leak, evacuate the area immediately, and from a safe location, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200.
For SCE updates, visit sce.com/rpv. or call 1-800-250-7339 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Handouts with information on residential generator installation, propane conversion, solar, and sewer projects is available on the City website.
CARSON— The City of Carson has received a $50,000 grant from SoCalGas, which will be instrumental in the update of its climate action plan or CAP. The funding is part of SoCalGas’ 2024 climate adaptation and resiliency grant and represents a joint effort between the city’s Sustainability, Emergency Services, and city manager’s office to foster a resilient and sustainable future for the community.
City of Carson receives $50,000 grant from SoCalGas.
“For the seventh year in a row, SoCalGas’ climate adaptation and resiliency grants will help cities with local planning efforts to prepare for and recover from climate change risks, such as extreme heat, wildfires, drought, subsidence, sea level rise, flooding, and mudslides. Addressing environmental challenges aligns with our mission to build the cleanest, safest, and most innovative infrastructure company in America,” said Jawaad Malik, vice president of Strategy, Sustainability and chief environmental officer at SoCalGas.
The CAP, a strategic framework that expired in 2022, is due for a renewal to incorporate the latest data on emissions and to adjust the city’s strategies accordingly. This plan is a commitment to actionable and measurable goals that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the most cost-effective manner. It is a comprehensive roadmap that builds upon the information gathered by GHG inventories, focusing on activities that promise the greatest emission reductions.
The City of Carson will use its grant to update its climate action plan, which will serve as the city’s guiding tool to increase sustainability, improve energy efficiency, and meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals over the next 20 years.
Understanding the importance of proactive climate adaptation, with the support of SoCalGas, the city is poised to enhance its efforts in combating climate change and in environmental stewardship.
This grant signifies more than just monetary support; it is a testament to the collaborative spirit between SoCalGas and the City of Carson, united in the pursuit of a greener tomorrow.
The City of Carson invites the community to stay engaged and informed as it embarks on this journey to update their climate action plan.
Details: Contact the city manager’s office at 310-830-7600
If I had my way, right now you’d be reading a review of International City Theatre’s current show. The good, the bad, the matters of taste — I’d be giving you my honest but admittedly/unavoidably subjective take on what they’re hoping you’ll lay your hard-earned money down to see.
But apparently I’ve given them one too many negative reviews, because after more than a decade of covering most every show they’ve staged, recently word came down that I would no longer be issued press tickets. It’s not a question of freeing up space for paying customers: ICT rarely fills even half of the 825 seats in the Beverly O’Neill Theater. Rather, apparently it’s a matter of trying to control the narrative.
Full disclosure: historically ICT’s theatrical sensibilities, both in terms of script selection and performance style, have differed from mine, and this has been a limiting factor on the number of positive reviews I’ve written about their shows.
But in the theatre world negative reviews are typically viewed as a sort of occupational hazard. A theatre company offers a product for sale (an individual play, a season subscription), and the critic offers potential buyers data that may help them decide whether it’s a good investment (time, money).
ICT’s actions seem to show that they don’t like this status quo — that they are now willing to have reviewers come out only if they tend to function in a strictly promotional capacity. Unfortunately, that’s generally obtainable — and despite being home to very little arts coverage these days, Long Beach is no exception. Page back through the work of some of the very few writers covering Long Beach theatre, and you’ll get the impression that every show anyone puts on is a rousing success on all fronts.
I wish that were the case I really do. Nobody doing theatre in Long Beach is getting rich, and nobody (ICT included, despite being one of the priciest arts orgs in town) is trying to screw the theatregoing public out of their money. I’m always a little nervous when I see a show — nervous for the performers because of the tightrope act that is getting up on that stage and trying to bring a vision to life in real-time; and nervous for me, in that I hate being in the position of having to write anything less than a rave, let alone a pan.
But the truth is that not all shows are created equal. Not all actors are equally convincing or well-cast. Not all directors are equally diligent. Not all mise en scène is equally transporting. And when it comes to scripts, one person’s Pulitzer-winner may be another person’s turd.
Needless to say, negative reviews are no fun for anyone. But ICT’s response is uncommon. Madison Mooney is executive director of Long Beach Playhouse, both Long Beach’s oldest theatre company (95 years) and the one staging the greatest number and variety of shows each year. And she would never consider cutting off access to a critic.
“It’s an accepted fact that you’re going to be getting reviews, either from professional sources like critics or websites or regular audience members who rave or complain about you on their Facebook page,” she says. “My philosophy towards it is that you kind of have to put the same weight on all reviews, [so] you can take a bad review and not let it hit you too hard — but then you can’t let a good review give you a big head. […] We try to have a [wide enough] range of shows so that we can appeal to everyone at some point. […] But with any show, there’s going to be people who like it and people who don’t.”
Mooney not only sees the value of arts criticism — especially in a journalistically underserved city like Long Beach — but feels an obligation to lay Long Beach Playhouse open to reviews, particularly if they are going to accept public funds (City of Long Beach, Arts Council for Long Beach, etc.), as do both Long Beach Playhouse and ICT.
“In comparison to cities with similar populations, there is definitely a lack of arts/culture coverage here,” she says. “It would be beneficial if there were a bit more. […] Anything to [raise] awareness of the different institutions that are out there in the city and what we’re doing, [whether] a negative, middle, or positive review. […] For general arts organizations, I do think the community you are providing entertainment/culture for does have the right to critique both the work and the organization.”
Garage Theatre co-founder Eric Hamme says it’s “absolutely” important to have critics review shows, regardless of the outcome even though Garage performances typically have only 30 to 40 available seats.
“It’s so hard to get critics out [to shows] these days,” he notes. “When we started the company, there were more options [for being reviewed. …] Honestly, I’m just happy to get a review these days.”
And he says that not only don’t negative reviews trouble him, they can actually be helpful.
“It’s not personal,” he says. “[…] Critics come with some level of experience, with knowledge of the [theatre] craft and what to expect, and they see a lot [of theatre], so they can compare and contrast and provide insight. […] You’re getting a truthful response, and it’s helpful sometimes. It helps you become a better artist. […] And if somebody reads [a negative review] and says, ‘This guy didn’t like it, but it sounds right up my alley,’ they’re still going to come.”
Mooney also sees the potential value of negative feedback.
“Critics or general patrons are all allowed to have their opinions,” she says, “and we as an org can choose to ignore negative ones, especially when it is clear the person giving the negative review just doesn’t get something or understand a production. But when there is a growing trend of similar complaints, that’s when it can help you evaluate what your organization is doing and fix problems that didn’t necessarily seem to be problems before.”
But apparently that feedback is no longer welcome at International City Theatre. So if you see only positive reviews from now on, it may be fair to wonder why.
(Note: International City Theatre’s Artistic Director caryn desai did not respond to Random Lengths News’s invitation to be interviewed for this article. Neither Mooney nor Hamme were asked to comment on ICT.)
City Launches Long Beach Vacancy to Vibrancy Interactive Real Estate Map
LONG BEACH — As part of the ongoing effort to expand the City of Long Beach’s business resources portfolio, the Economic Development Department has launched the Long Beach Vacancy to Vibrancy Real Estate Map, an interactive mapping tool where business owners, entrepreneurs and prospective businesses can access data on real estate available for lease or purchase throughout Long Beach. Now available at longbeach.gov/vacancytovibrancy, the complementary tool provides entrepreneurs and business owners with information to find the most suitable space for their business needs.
The map’s interface encourages business owners and entrepreneurs to engage in strategic decision-making and simplifies the way users can identify potential sites that offer prospects for economic growth for their business. Explore available listings by clicking on the interactive map to review site specific details, or by using the filter or keyword feature to search by listing type, property type, square footage and more.
Long Beach’s Sidewalk to Success to Offer Free Food Carts for Eligible Vendors
LONG BEACH — The City of Long Beach has launched the next phase of its Sidewalk to Success program and is now accepting applications for its food cart giveaway initiative for eligible sidewalk vendors. The Sidewalk to Success program, which provides assistance to achieve compliance while easing the financial burden for small businesses during the first year the City’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance is in effect, will provide up to 40 free carts to local sidewalk food vendors who meet eligibility requirements.
Applicants will have a choice among four types of carts, including:
Fruit carts with coolers (for serving cut fruits).
Grilled food carts (for serving already cooked meats such as hot dogs, wrapped and labeled burritos or tacos, etc.).
Tamale carts (for serving prepackaged/hot food).
Ice cream carts.
To qualify for a free cart, applicants will need to meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
Live in Long Beach and operate the cart in the city.
Be a micro business (defined as a business with no more than two full-time employees).
Only operate one cart, including the cart for which they are applying.
Complete the business license application.
Complete the Compact Mobile Food Operation health permit application.
The cart giveaway application is in three parts: the business license form and readiness checklist; the plan submittal checklist and menu; and the final approval checklist. Other forms, such as a restroom agreement, could be required depending on the business plan.
Back in the aughts, when every single year Long Beach Playhouse could be counted on to produce something by Neil Simon or Noel Coward — if not both — the idea of their staging anything written by Martin McDonagh would have been ludicrous.
But times change. I’ve now seen three McDonagh plays at the Playhouse, two in the last three seasons. And while the first two were good, their current offering, The Pillowman, is the best of the bunch on every level.
Katurian (Brian Brennan) doesn’t know why he’s been arrested, but from a glimpse of the notes of his interrogators (Paul Vroom and Patrick Peterson) apparently it has something to do with his macabre short stories. Turns out he’s right, though not for the reasons one would tend to expect in a totalitarian state. Instead, it seems his mentally-challenged brother (Jeff Cheezum) may have taken those stories a bit too much to heart.
Those whose first encounter McDonagh qua screenwriter (e.g., The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Three Billboard Outside of Ebbing, Missouri (2017)) may not be particularly impressed when they meet the younger playwright (The Cripple of Inishmaan (1996), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2001), etc.). But no matter how you come to it, The Pillowman (2003) doesn’t disappoint.
Although a great script doesn’t guarantee a great show, Long Beach Playhouse veteran Carl daSilva makes sure that this one does. For starters, he’s assembled a solid cast from top to bottom, and together they’ve done the work to ensure that all the sharp beats and shifts typical of McDonagh — a rhythmic writer if ever there was one — come across to the audience. In the process they nail McDonagh’s classic blending of humor, darkness, and pathos. Paul Vroom is especially effective, flowing so naturally you can easily miss how stylized his lines are. And Brian Brennan does yeoman’s work as Katurian, moving seamlessly between his dialog and several turns as storyteller-within-a-story.
Part of what’s so impressive about McDonagh’s The Pillowman script is that every one of Katurian’s stories is genuinely good in its own right. Part of what’s so impressive about Long Beach Playhouse’s production is how they handle each one of these. daSilva’s choice to employ a stage-within-a-stage is delightful, and part of the playfulness with which Katurian’s tales are brought to life (including the performances of Peggy Free and especially Patrick McLoy) comes from the mise en scène. The shadow-puppetry, the scrim work, the lighting and sound and Christina Bayer & Hunter D’Souza’s slightly cartoonish set design — every production element meshes and elevates the whole.
The sole shortcoming is the fight choreography. Yeah, yeah, suspension of disbelief, we don’t want to get the actors hurt, yadda yadda. But a little rough-and-tumble never killed anybody. The only truly inexcusable moment is a smothering-by-pillow that’s performed at the head of the bed, with the victim’s hands and body completely free to fight, rather than doing the obvious: straddle the victim. It would behoove daSilva to make this simple change early in the run so later audiences can be spared an easily avoidable moment of lameness.
But you’re doing something right — a lot right — when that’s the worst thing I can say. This is a wonderful show. See it.
The Pillowman at Long Beach Playhouse
Times:Fri–Sat 8:00 p.m., Sun 2:00 p.m. The show runs through September 28. Cost: $20 to $30 Details: (562) 494-1014; LBplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom Aug. 30 announced the following appointments:
Gary Tsai, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Tsai has been director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau since 2019, where he was medical director and science officer from 2014 to 2019. He was lead psychiatrist in the San Diego County Emergency Psychiatric Unit from 2013 to 2014. Tsai is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness California, County Behavioral Health Directors Association, California Health and Human Services Agency Behavioral Health Task Force, and California Department of Health Care Services Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Tsai is a Democrat.
Victoria Brash, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Architects Board. Brash has been a lead project architect at Target since 2022. She was a senior design project manager for Whole Foods Market from 2020 to 2022. She was a principal architect at Victoria Brash Consulting from 2013 to 2020 and a senior designer at 5+ Design from 2006 to 2013. Brash earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Woodbury University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brash is a Democrat.
LOS ANGELES —The Los Angeles County Health Officer has issued a heat advisory for the following local areas:
Los Angeles County Beaches: Sept. 5, through Sept. 6.
Palos Verdes Hills Sept. 5, through Sept. 6.
To check the risk of heat-related impacts for your specific city, go to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) HeatRisk website and click on Location Search and enter your city or use the zoom (+) button in the top left corner to see nearby cities more clearly.
Public Health reminds everyone to take precautions to avoid heat-related illness, especially older adults, young children, pregnant people, outdoor workers, athletes, and those with a chronic medical condition who are more at risk for negative health impacts from extreme heat. Public Health recommends the following actions be taken on days with high temperatures:
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated throughout the day. Your body loses water more rapidly through sweating to cool itself down. Drinking enough water helps you replenish the lost water and maintain proper bodily functions, prevent dehydration, and reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.
Think ahead, Plan, and Protect: If you need to go outside, avoid going out during the hottest hours. Wear sunscreen, lightweight and light-colored clothes and wear a hat or use an umbrella.
Car Safety: Cars get very hot inside, even with the windows ‘cracked’ or open. Never leave children or pets in cars. Call 911 if you see a child or pet in a car alone in a car.
Recognize Heat Illness: Be aware of the symptoms of heat-related illness like heat exhaustion and heat stroke and know what to do to care for them. Call 911 right away if you see these symptoms: high body temperature (103°F or higher), vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and hot, red, dry, or damp skin. Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
Check on People More At-Risk: Regularly check on those at risk for heat-related illness, like those who are sick or have chronic conditions, older adults, pregnant people, children, those who live alone, pets, and outdoor workers and athletes.
Prepare for Power Outages: Visit your power company’s website or contact them by phone to determine if you are scheduled for a rolling power outage.
“Although it’s crucial that we take care of ourselves, it’s equally important that we extend our hand to those in need. We must look out for those who are more likely to get ill due to the heat, including the elderly, unwell, pregnant women, children, and those living alone. Hot days aren’t just uncomfortable — they can be dangerous,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “However, if we make sure to stay hydrated and keep cool, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones, friends, and neighbors. If you have an elderly or unwell family member or neighbor, check on them regularly to ensure they are safe and well.”
County and city partners have planned ways to safely operate cooling centers during times of high heat. Residents who do not have access to air conditioning are encouraged to take advantage of these free cooling centers, splash pads, and community pools. To find a location near you, visit https://ready.lacounty.gov/heat/ or call 211.
The NWS HeatRisk takes into consideration:
How unusual the heat is for the time of the year
The duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures
If those temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts based on data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Los Angeles County residents and business owners, including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs can call 2-1-1 for emergency preparedness information and other referral services. The toll-free 2-1-1 number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 211 LA County services can also be accessed by visiting 211la.org
The Port of Long Beach Aug. 30 released a final study examining a proposal by Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co. LLC to demolish the Tesoro Calciner facility located at 2450 Pier B St., in Long Beach.
There is no new proposed development, no new proposed operations or proposed new land uses for the site following the proposed demolition of the facility.
The study, available at www.polb.com/ceqa, is called an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). A draft was released on June 7 for a 30-day public review period, which concluded that there would be less-than-significant impacts to the environment with the incorporation of mitigation measures. A Port of Long Beach press release said, ‘no new significant environmental effects to any environmental resource areas were identified, nor did any issues raised in the comments received necessitate recirculating the Draft IS/MND.’’
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider the Final IS/MND, which incorporates public feedback collected during the review process, at its regular meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. Meetings are live streamed at www.polb.com and can be attended in person at the Bob Foster Civic Chambers, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach 90802.
The Calciner facility was originally constructed in 1982 by Martin-Marietta Corp. as a joint venture with Champlin Petroleum Co. Tesoro began operating the Calciner facility in 2013 and ceased operations in June 2022. Prior to termination of their lease with the port, Tesoro is required to remove from the premises all improvements and property belonging to it and restore the site to a condition equivalent to or superior to its condition prior to the commencement of the lease.
