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St. Mary Medical Center Appoints Two New Hospital Community Board Members

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St. Mary Medical Center Appoints Two New Hospital Community Board Members

 

LONG BEACH — Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center or SMMC has appointed two new members to its Hospital Community Board or HCB: Robina Smith, MD, MBA, and Sunny Zia, M.S., P.E., PMP.

“During this transformative time in health care, we are thrilled for Dr. Smith and Ms. Zia to join our board to lend their expertise, insights, and advice,” said Carolyn Caldwell, President and Chief Executive Officer at SMMC. “We have made great strides toward achieving our vision of a future where health is equitable and exceptional. These two individuals demonstrate great commitment to our community and I am so pleased to welcome them.”

Robina Smith, MD, MBA, is a fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist with more than a decade of practical clinical experience treating breast cancer patients, establishing and managing a Hereditary Cancer Syndrome High Risk clinic, leading a multidisciplinarybreast tumor board and enrolling patients into late-stage oncology studies while in practice. In addition to her experience seeing patients as an attending physician, she has been a co-investigator on several clinical trials in breast oncology. Dr. Smith has more than ten years of experience in the biopharma industry, leading many phase 1 through 3 clinical programs in medical oncology, hematology, and general internal medicine. She has strong leadership skills substantiated by real-world experience and an Executive MBA degree.

Currently, Zia is a senior civil engineer and program manager at the Port of Long Beach responsible for overseeing multi-million dollars in capital improvement projects. Zia is a first-generation Iranian American serving her third term on the Long Beach Community College district board, having been elected trustee for Area 3 in April 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022. Under her leadership as a trustee, she has championed measures supporting students experiencing food and housing insecurity, support for formerly incarcerated youth and led building public private partnerships to support a pipeline for the career and educational future of the students.

These two individuals will serve alongside current board members: Dr. Felton Williams (Chair), Dr. Gloria Willingham (Vice Chair), Vattana Peong (Secretary), Dr. Arlene Vernon (Chief of Staff), Carolyn Caldwell, (President/CEO), Dr. Ali Jamehdor, Dr. Chester Choi, Chris Steinhauser, Dr. Cynthia Chao, Gina Maguire, John Arens, Dr. John Javien, Dr. Lisa Lighthall Haubert, Sandy Cajas, Dr. Sharifa Batts, and Sr. Mary Kieffer.

“Our board’s outstanding leadership skills and experience in community advocacy makes it a faithful champion for advancing care in Greater Long Beach,” continued Ms. Caldwell. “We care deeply about the communities we serve and are honored to build upon the progress made.”

Port of Los Angeles Names Erica M. Calhoun as Deputy Executive Director of Harbor Administration

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Port of Los Angeles Names Erica M. Calhoun as Deputy Executive Director of Harbor Administration

 

LOS ANGELES — The Port of Los Angeles Aug. 22 appointed Erica M. Calhoun as its deputy executive director overseeing the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department’s administrative bureau. In this new position, Calhoun will be responsible for the planning, direction and management of several key divisions at the port. Calhoun has served as interim deputy executive director of Harbor Administration since May 2024.

“Erica is an incredibly talented professional and valuable member of our Harbor Department team,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Her dedication, leadership and hard work over the past two decades with the City of Los Angeles have paved the way for this new role, a well-earned and deserving promotion. I couldn’t be more excited for her.”

As deputy executive director of Harbor Administration, Calhoun will oversee the port’s human resources function for the department’s nearly 900 employees, as well as risk management, contracts & purchasing and the commission office. In Seroka’s absence, she will serve as acting executive director of the Harbor Department.

Calhoun first joined the port in 2012 as a senior management analyst in the grants unit, where she identified and managed grant funding opportunities. She joined the port’s executive office in December of that same year, and in 2015, was appointed chief of staff to the executive director, the first African American woman to hold that position at the Department.

With more than 23 years of service with the City of Los Angeles, Calhoun previously served as assistant officer in charge in the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget section where she aided in the preparation, dissemination and management of the department’s $1.3 billion adopted budget. Her tenure also included serving in a civilian oversight capacity in the Los Angeles Police commission’s office of the Inspector General and as a grants manager with the city’s Housing Department.

Calhoun has an undergraduate degree in Spanish language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science degree in public administration from California State University, Los Angeles.

Portuguese Bend Land Movement Geologist Update

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Portuguese Bend Land Movement Geologist Update

Geologist Update

RANCHO PALOS VERDES — At the Aug. 21 Rancho Palos Verdes city council meeting, the city’s geologist, Mike Phipps of Cotton, Shires and Associates, gave an update on the latest land movement data in the Portuguese Bend Landslide complex.

Across 680 acres, the overall rate of movement is leveling off, decelerating by 1% from July to August. Movement ranged from 13% acceleration, to -13% deceleration, depending on location. Generally, movement on the north and west ends of the landslide complex is slowing down, while movement at the south end continues to accelerate, as shown in the map below.

Percent Change in Displacement Rate Map – July-August 2024. Red represents acceleration and green represents deceleration. Click image to open PDF.

Mr. Phipps called the overall deceleration a “positive sign,” but cautioned that the land is still moving 3.5-4.5 feet per month, about 88 times faster than it was in October 2022. He compared the situation to a car going from accelerating on a freeway to cruising.

Mr. Phipps still does not believe there is risk for a sudden, catastrophic landslide. He also noted that recent data shows the boundaries of the active landslide area have not expanded beyond 680 acres. The city is monitoring the current boundaries of movement for any signs of expansion.

Watch a recording of the full presentation on the city website.

Hydraugers Project Update

In June, crews began drilling boreholes in the landslide area as the first step in the city’s project to install two emergency hydraugers — one that will remove water underground contributing to land movement, and another that will intercept water to prevent recharging of groundwater. This test borehole drilling has proven highly beneficial. Samples taken from as deep as approximately 350 feet showed that there is movement on a deeper slide plane in the landslide complex, which had not been previously known. The deeper slide plane is moving much faster than the shallower slide plane targeted by the hydrauger project.

This new information means city staff and the team of geologists and engineers working to slow the land movement must change their strategy. At last night’s meeting, the council authorized city staff to take a more holistic approach by expanding the project area to encompass the entire landslide complex, prioritizing the deeper slide.

City staff will return to the council with emergency construction contracts to install deeper, vertical dewatering wells as a pilot program at the toe of the landslide to provide immediate relief from water pressure. Drilling of these wells is expected to begin in the coming weeks. The team will continue to work on developing drainage improvements and assessing the timing of the hydraugers. The city also plans to drill more boreholes throughout the larger landslide area to help the team get a more complete picture of what’s happening underground, as the samples collected to date were isolated to the south end of the Portuguese Bend Landslide.

How to Sign Up for SCE Outage Alerts

On Aug. 19, SCE informed the city of a temporary repair outage in the Seaview neighborhood due to emergency work related to land movement. As a reminder, in the event of a power outage, residents can check sce.com/outage for the latest updates, including an estimated restoration time. Report an outage at sce.com/outage or by calling 1-800-611-1911.

To sign up for outage alerts, go to sce.com/outagealerts. Sign in to your account, click on Profile Settings, and navigate to Contacts for Notifications to add contact information. Then navigate to Preference Center and under Account Preferences, select what notifications you want to receive.

If you have noticed SCE helicopters in the landslide area, note that this is related to ongoing aerial monitoring, as SCE has added the landslide area to its regular route for situational awareness related to landslide activities.

The city will continue to provide regular community updates at rpvca.gov/landmovement.

Details: For questions, email landmovement@rpvca.gov

CVS Workers Rally For Fair Pay, Affordable Healthcare and Safe Stores at South LA Pharmacy

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CVS Workers Rally For Fair Pay, Affordable Healthcare and Safe Stores at South LA Pharmacy

 

LOS ANGELES — On Saturday, August 24, scores of CVS employees from across California, along with community supporters, banded together at a CVS pharmacy in South Los Angeles to call on CV

S to negotiate a fair contract with fair pay and benefits, safe staffing levels, affordable and comprehensive health benefits, and safer shopping experiences for customers.

Despite providing essential healthcare services for CVS, a prominent healthcare corporation that reported a staggering net operating income of $11.173 billion last year, many CVS employees continue to struggle with basic necessities like paying rent, buying food, and affording their own healthcare.

A recent survey among Local 770 members revealed that a startling 64% of respondents do not have the company’s health plan. Instead, workers rely on coverage from their spouses or parents and government-sponsored programs such as Medi-Cal. One of the main reasons cited for not having the company’s health plan is that the company’s plan is unaffordable (77 %).

CVS employees also face the detrimental impacts of short staffing, which has contributed to increased shoplifting and workplace violence, putting workers’ and customers’ safety in jeopardy and resulting in excessive burnout and mental health issues.

UFCW 770 president Kathy Finn stated that after being in negotiations with CVS representatives for several months, “where workers have told heartbreaking stories of struggling with low pay, understaffing, workplace violence, and their own inadequate healthcare while CVS has rejected all our proposals to solve these issues. CVS’ stated purpose is ‘bringing our heart to every moment of your health’ but I can’t describe them as anything other than heartless.”

“Recently my husband needed to have an operation and had to change insurance because he couldn’t pay his copays anymore,” said Gladys Gonzalez, a pharmacy technician at CVS in Anaheim and a member of UFCW Local 324. “I added him on to my plan at CVS along with my son, thinking I would be able to afford to get my husband the care he needed, but now I’m paying around $388 per paycheck – over $600 a month! We deserve to live knowing we can keep our families healthy. It’s time CVS starts acting like a healthcare company again and cares about its employees.”

“CVS says it’s a healthcare company, one with a ‘heart,’ but we don’t see them prioritizing health or heart anywhere in how CVS treats its workers, customers and patients,” said Andrea Zinder, president, UFCW Local 324. “CVS needs to realize that employees are the reason they have been able to make billions of dollars in profits. It’s time to prioritize hard workers over profits.”

The CVS contract expired on June 30 and negotiations have been held since May 23; contract talks will resume on August 27 and 28. As essential providers of healthcare services to the community, CVS employees play a critical role in filling prescriptions and promoting the health and well-being of families.

Eight UFCW Locals in California (5,135, 324, 648, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442) make up the CVS contract, representing 7,000 UFCW members in the state. The members represented under this contract work in essential retail drug stores spanning from Northern California to the U.S.–Mexico border.

The goal of the UFCW Locals’ coordinated negotiation effort is to secure a contract that provides fair wages for essential CVS workers and improved safety and security for both workers and customers.

Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the Editor

 

Karma and Civil Rights

The biggest punishment for the employee may have been to pass a history course in civil rights in order for him to learn from the experience and not to repeat his actions out of resentment. He needs to learn and understand why this was unacceptable for any human being to do and to accept accountability for his actions! Otherwise, he will be more resentful and his feelings will only escalate!!!

Linda Ivey

 

Regarding Kamala Harris as the Savior of American Democracy

James Preston Allen mocks MAGA Republicans for deifying “the orange man as some kind of savior of fundamentalist beliefs.”

I agree: there is too much Magadonia worship. Trump is no Savior.

No President can be a Messiah in any sense.

And yet, Allen gives Kamala Harris the same kind of mythic, divine treatment, when he compares the former California AG to the mythic figures in Delacroix’s painting Liberty Leading the People and the Statue of Liberty itself.

Allen places in Harris all his hopes and dreams of “leading American patriots against the threat of Trumpian tyranny.” If that is not hero worship, then what is?

Also, the cartoon smearing JD Vance as some kind of silver spoon-fed billionaire is a total lie. He was born dirt-poor in Kentucky, very much a working-class Appalachian kid of the hills, a true Hillbilly, according to his autobiography.

Since when is it wrong for someone born in poverty to emerge from his dire straits to become a strong, successful, and grateful citizen?

JD Vance worked his way into success and prominence. Kamala Harris slept her way to the top, starting with her boy-toy Willie Brown, then pandered to the most radical, left-wing elements in San Francisco, then California to get elected to higher office.

Does anyone see the supreme irony in Kamaladonians like Allen putting his hopes in an un-elected presidential candidate, one forced on us following Nancy Pelosi’s machinations, as the Savior of Democracy? Oh, the significance of the passage of time!

Arthur Christopher Schaper

Torrance

 

Dear Mr. Schaper,

We haven’t heard from you in a long time. Yes we should not idolize political leaders, but the ones like Harris who step up to the front and lead the charge against tyranny do come to symbolize more than who they were when they started out. It’s kind of like Abe Lincoln or Barack Obama, leaders who don the cloak of leadership become more than just the average citizen. As for Harris’ political career she has been elected to more offices than Trump has. And no she may not be the savior of democracy but she may very well save us from the enfant terrible behaviors of Trump!

James Preston Allen, Publisher

 

Proud Pedro Nonnie Gushes on Grandson in the Little League World Series

I am writing to tell you that I have a grandson, Caleb Gomez. I was born and lived six years in San Pedro. Caleb and his family moved to Henderson Nevada where as of today, Caleb and his teammates, the Paseo Verde are at the Little League World Series representing the state of Nevada. Last week in San Bernardino was the playoffs for the mountain region winners, in their first game they lost to Montana. in the second game they won Wyoming 24 to 4. They played Montana again and 6 to 0. Paseo Verde played Colorado won 4-0.

Championship game for mount region was played against Utah for Paseo Verde won

2 to 0. The Paseo Verde baseball are at the Little League World Series, where they played Staten Island, New York on August 15 and they won 9-1… their next game will be August 19. I do not know the time yet or who they will play because it’s still elimination on different teams. Also Caleb and his close friend Noah Henry have a podcast called Pass the Ball (PTB) on Instagram. The podcast is about young athletes and mental health and how they feel during the game after the game before the game they just express their feelings. I am so proud of my grandson. I just want to give him a shout up and let (Pedro) know one of our own is at the Little League World Series.

Thank you for your kindness 🙂

Sheryn Roux

San Pedro

 

An Urgent Plea to the Public

In the interest of ending climate change, I pledge to give up using private automobiles, and rely instead on public transportation, walking, or bicycling.

I will use a car only for the following reasons:

  1. Sick or injured people
  2. Safety at night
  3. Heavy or very cumbersome loads
  4. Inclement weather (too cold, too hot, or rainy).

In addition, I may use a car to go somewhere too far to walk where the bus or train does not go, but only after making a thorough effort to find a bus route.

For information on bus routes, schedules and fares, call;

  1. Metropolitan Transit Authority 323-GO-METRO, 323-466-3876
  2. DASH 310-808-2273
  3. Long Beach Transit 562-591-2301
  4. Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority 310-544-7108, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Naomi G.

San Pedro

Falun Gong and its Dance Troupe Hit With Another Scandal

Terelle Jerricks
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Falun Gong and its Dance Troupe Hit With Another Scandal

 

Last week, the New York Times published their bombshell investigation of the dance group Shen Yun and the price the dancers have had to pay in untreated injuries and emotional abuse to amplify the Falun Gong’s anti-Communist message.

Over several rounds of interviews across many months, the Times got nine people to share their stories on the record. The Times reported that almost all of them were terrified to be quoted using their real names because they were fearful of retaliation and harassment from other Falun Gong practitioners.

The Times said of the feat, “We know they risked a lot to speak to us, and we’re so grateful for their courage.”

The dance group Shen Yun sends troupes of Chinese dancers swirling in colorful costumes to cities like New York, Paris, Toronto, and Taipei. Shen Yun’s mission is more than entertainment: The shows amplify the anti-Communist message of Falun Gong, a religious movement that the Chinese Communist Party has tried to stamp out. Shen Yun has been led in exile by Falun Gong’s founder, Li Hongzhi, from a 400-acre compound in upstate New York, where many of the performers live and train.

A New York Times investigation found that Shen Yun routinely discouraged dancers from seeking medical care and demanded obedience to rigid schedules.

Their reporting showed that their training compound had a controlling atmosphere and that the young student performers were subject to a long list of rules. They were limited in the books they could read, the music they could listen to, and the news outlets they could access and they needed special permission to leave the compound and often saw their families only once a year.

The dancers, according to the Times investigation, faced tremendous pressure to serve their spiritual leader, who has a residence inside the compound and helps oversee their training. They were told that performing with Shen Yun was part of a holy mission to save humanity — and that any mistakes onstage could doom their audiences to hell.

Female dancers were particularly affected.

The ones we interviewed told the Times that they were subjected to regular weigh-ins and that their instructors would yell at them in front of their classmates for being too fat.

This is just the latest scandal the group has faced. This past June, the chief financial officer of the publishing arm of the Falun Gong, Epoch Times, Weidong “Bill” Guan was arrested and charged with money laundering charges. The Justice Department said he had participated in a transnational scheme to launder $67 million of illegally obtained funds to benefit himself and the media company.

Federal prosecutors said members of the company’s “Make Money Online” team, which Guan managed, used cryptocurrency to “knowingly purchase tens of millions of dollars in crime proceeds,” including funds from fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits that were loaded onto prepaid debit cards.

Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich, Happy 100th Birthday!

Melina Paris
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Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich, Happy 100th Birthday!

 

“100 Cards for One Hundred Years.” Born Aug. 28, 1924

On Aug. 28 Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich will be 100 years old. She’s lived through the century that has seen the most significant industrial, labor, immigration and climate changes.

Anita has a long, valued San Pedro history. Her father Andrew Fistonich founded Star Fisheries in 1921. Anita was an early member of the Dalmatian American Club, (DAC) which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.

She is the daughter of immigrant parents — her father from Croatia, her mother “Mamasita” from Mexico — one of three siblings (Helen (Fistonich) DiMaggio and Andrew Fistonich, Jr.) were born and raised in San Pedro. She is a grandmother of three, and great-grandmother of three.

Anita grew up attending Mary Star of the Sea parish. She was married in Holy Trinity Church in the 1950’s and became part of that parish. She was a working mother alongside her late husband Nick, in their numerous businesses enterprises.

Anita’s good friend Stephanie Mardesich describes the centenarian as agile, totally cognizant, gracious, generous, walking tall, busy with bookkeeping and maintaining property, nostalgic and grateful.

Anita is also one of the “stars” of the oral history project Stories of Los Angeles Harbor Area: For Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (SOLAHA, Vol. I) where her anecdotes and memories are viewable at the link below.

She requests no birthday gifts, though donation(s) to scholarship funds at Mary of the Sea High School, or the DAC would be an honor.

Mardesich has suggested what would be a “truly appreciated by Anita” is a birthday greeting card or message. “100 cards for 100 years.”

“My wish for her is that all receiving this missive, and more, will respond,” said Mardesich.

Random Lengths News had the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Mardesich.

On turning 100, she said it’s hard for her to comprehend and a little surreal.

“I’m talking to you and we’re talking about it,” said Anita. “It’s like we’re talking about some story.”

For more than a year, Anita’s family has been telling her they’re going to throw her a birthday party.

“I say no, because I’ve never been one that can be the center of anything,” Anita said. “I like to be in the back, and I’ll do my share with meetings and donations and clubs I belong to. But they insisted and I said, okay; I’ll go along with you. I won’t rebut in any way but don’t ask me anything because I have a big mouth.”

Anita shared that it’s sad also because her one and only son, Nick, who never missed Anita’s birthday, died in October 2023. Last year, he was in the hospital when the doctor told him he needed to undergo a procedure. Nick agreed, and then said the one thing he asks is to go home first, to be at his mother’s birthday.

“So he came home for my 99th birthday,” Anita said. “He was so happy to be there.

“Then the beautiful part was on July 3 of last year, a new baby came into our lives. A little boy and they named him after him, Nick Andrew Mardesich IV. Nick got to hold him in his arms from July to October of last year.”

Anita used to be very active with clubs but said those days are over. Now, she occasionally goes out to dinner and spends time with her family.

Anita said, “I appreciate [my family’s] younger generation — “that want to even tolerate me, let alone all the time.”

It sounds like the centenarian’s family appreciates her.

It’s really a blessing, she said. “I am trying to make the most of it. You just gotta face it; I don’t have the energy I did and I live alone. Whenever I feel like sitting down and watching a program, and I think, ‘I want a glass of water,’ then ‘nah,’ I don’t want to get up and go get it.

“I tell myself, ‘Anita, think about it. One is that you don’t want to and the other means that you can get that glass of water. If you want to, get up and get that damn glass of water.’”

We should all have a strong mind like Anita’s. Before we ended our conversation, Anita shared this advice.

“I think yes, how wonderful, how carefree we were, how wonderful everything was and our parents. [Not] that we never thought of the monetary. [It’s] always having each other, loving one another, doing for one another … if you want a friend, you’ve got to be a friend. You want to be loved, you gotta give love … Life [has] tribulations … but you have to try to do the best to overcome them. And when they happen don’t put them in your memory book. Try to keep your book with nice memories.”

Well said, Anita.

To send a greeting, mail to:

P.O. Box 5202

San Pedro, California 90733

Details: Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich SOLAHA Vol. I stories:

http://www.storieslaharborarea.com/histories/anita-fistonich-mardesich

 

Dollar Tree Opens in Place of 99c Only Store With Less Groceries and Higher Prices.

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Dollar Tree Opens in Place of 99c Only Store With Less Groceries and Higher Prices.

 

By Rosie O. Knight, Columnist

It’s hard to believe that only a few months ago, the 99c Only Stores announced they’d be closing down all their locations. The removal of the Gaffey Street location in San Pedro instantly changed the landscape of affordable groceries in the neighborhood. Still, with the announcement that Dollar Tree would be taking over, there was hope that they may be able to fill the void that 99c Only left.

Unfortunately, the new Dollar Tree is not attempting to replicate what made the 99c Only location so beloved. Since opening earlier this month, the store has struggled to fill its shelves and freezers, with most of the latter still empty. Just like their other locations, there is no fresh produce to be found and the dried goods that they do have were for the most part priced much higher than their equivalents at the now defunct 99c Only Stores.

The store is predominantly filled with home goods, seasonal items, and cleaning supplies, with only a couple of aisles dedicated solely to food, most of it dried or canned goods. The freezers were largely empty with only a few products in each, hot afternoon sun shining through the Gaffey-facing windows directly onto the glass of the freezer doors. There is no sign of the wide range of bread and baked goods that shoppers could always find at 99c Only.

Another thing that is instantly clear is that most of the goods and signage focus on foods that are above a dollar, pushing the average price per full grocery bag higher. Many shoppers were worried that Dollar Tree wouldn’t be able to replace the fresh produce and variety that made 99c Only such a staple, and as it stands it looks like those worries were on the mark. It seems like shoppers are less than impressed as when this journalist visited on a Wednesday afternoon — when the 99c Only Store would have been full of customers heading home after work — it was nearly empty with only a few shoppers mulling around the aisles.

With all of that said, it’s important to note that the new Gaffey Street Dollar Tree is undergoing something akin to a “soft-opening” phase with posted plans to build out more shelving and products in the future. But for now, it feels like just another Dollar Tree location with a focus on processed foods, plastic goods, and a lack of healthy, fresh options for the local community.

 

Random Happenings: Deitrick Haddon and DW3 to Headline Carson Family Festival and POLA, Historical Society Workers Exhibit Opens for Labor Day

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Random Happenings: Deitrick Haddon and DW3 to Headline Carson Family Festival and POLA, Historical Society Workers Exhibit Opens for Labor Day

 

Gospel Artist Deitrick Haddon and DW3 Headline Carson Family Festival at Stevenson Park Aug. 24

CARSON — The Carson Family Festival, popularly known as Fam Fest, returns Aug. 24 at Stevenson Park. This annual event is open to the public of all ages, promising a day filled with fun, music and community spirit.

The entertainment lineup includes prominent gospel artist Deitrick Haddon, known for his hit albums such as Lost and Found and Church on the Moon. Haddon’s innovative and contemporary approach to gospel music has earned him multiple Stellar Awards, GMA Dove Awards and a BET Award. He will be joined by the Grammy-nominated band DW3, renowned for their fusion of various musical genres, and many more talented performers. This year’s event will be emceed by KJLH 102.3 Radio’s Aundrae Russell.

For those seeking an exclusive experience, VIP cabanas are available by reservation only. Each cabana, priced at $850, includes seating and food for 10 people. Reservations must be made by Aug. 19.

Fam Fest, held every third weekend of August, is a long tradition that brings families together, fostering a sense of collective love and meaningful fellowship.

Stevenson Park, a beautiful 13-acre site, will host the festival. Attendees can look forward to a vibrant live concert stage featuring gospel, R&B, and dance performances. The festival will also showcase a variety of local, ethnic and international food and retail vendors, along with an adventure zone designed especially for children.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m., Aug. 24

Cost: Free

Details: Stevenson Park, 310-233-4880, Monday to Friday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m

Venue: Stevenson Park, 17400 Lysander Drive, Carson

Port of LB, Historical Society Open Workers Exhibit in Time for Labor Day

History exhibition starts Aug. 27 to highlight how labor shaped the port

A new exhibition to highlight and celebrate the contributions of labor throughout the history of the Port of Long Beach will open Aug. 27, presented by the Historical Society of Long Beach in partnership with the port.

Debuting the week before Labor Day, The Workers’ Harbor – How Labor Built and Shaped the Port of Long Beach will be on display at the Port of Long Beach administration building in downtown Long Beach. This special exhibition brings together historical photos and artifacts to look at the people who made the ports of the San Pedro Bay possible: longshore workers, skilled tradespeople, mariners, Navy personnel and many more — the laborers who made the Port of Long Beach and keep cargo moving today.

“The San Pedro Bay would not be what it is today without the dedicated work of labor from all specialties,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “This exhibition is a look at how the Port of Long Beach was built by labor, and a great way to honor the legacies and history of port workers.

“The story of workers in the harbor demonstrates the tremendous feat of transforming muddy tidelands into a global economic engine and a source of employment for generations of local residents,” said Julie Bartolotto, executive director of the Historical Society of Long Beach. “Partnerships like this one with the Port of Long Beach expand the reach of local history and the work of the Historical Society of Long Beach.”

Time: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Aug. 27 through Nov. 15

Cost: Free

Details: polb.com/workersharbor

Venue: Port of Long Beach Administration Building Lobby, 415 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

 

Environmental Groups Rally as Regulators Approve New Wells

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Environmental Groups Rally as Regulators Approve New Wells

 

By Daniel Rivera, Reporter

On Aug. 10, Synergy Oil and Gas Field was the target of environmental protests by the Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, and their allies outside the company’s Studebaker Road headquarters in response to news that the company’s new gas and oils wells do not adhere to AB 1137 — a state law that forbid new wells near residential areas.

“CalGEM (Grologic Energy Management division) decided to approve dozens of new oil drilling permits in the hours following that news, and they are still refusing to rescind those permits,” Andrea Vegas said during the rally. According to data available from the Department of Conservation, in 2024, all new wells that have been approved belong to Synergy. Thirteen of the 30 new wells have had their permits rescinded.

AB-1137 was originally pushed forward in 2022, however, due to a referendum backed by the oil industry, the law was suspended as it was challenged. That referendum was withdrawn the following year after failing to win public support. After 2022, the number of approved wells (new) dwindled, from about 150 wells in 2020, 57 in 2021, and 30 in 2022, down to only 21 in 2023 and 38 in 2024 according to the department’s information dashboard.

This is another shot fired in the battle between environmentalists and regulators, the latter of which has been a revolving door of management, conflicts of interest, nepotism and a continuing battle on enforcement and jurisdiction.

The California Department of Conservation, or CalGEM, has been at the center of a handful of recent controversies, including resignations and conflicts of interest.

In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom ousted the former director of CalGEM (Formerly DOGGR) Ken Harris after the issuence of permits for new wells doubled. In 2020, top oil regulator Jason Marshall stepped down following controversies over oil permits that critics have called “risky,” and allegedly not properly reviewed by regulators. He would go on to work at CRC, a top Californian oil company.

In January 2023, Uduak-Joe Ntuk resigned to focus on his family life. However, in a recent lawsuit, he alleges that he was fired for not upholding the AB 1137 while it was in the limbo of the referendum.

And lastly, on Sept. 1, current DOC director David Shabazian will retire after an ongoing controversy regarding his relationship with Jason Marshall, who he worked with for over 25 years.

The announcement came after a merger between two of the state’s largest oil companies, Aero and CRC, would not have to pay the bond on wells. CRC has Marshall on the board.

In a letter by the California Department of Conservation, they explain that the Orphan Wells Act makes “no mention of stock transfers,” explaining that the operators haven’t changed but rather the owners of the stock.

“This proposal allocates 32 out of 500 acres for restoration while leaving the remainder for destruction by dredging, bulldozing, and flooding them with salt water for oil access,” said Paulo Panaligan with the Sierra Club. The fracking process includes pumping the ground with large amounts of seawater and other chemicals to force out the oil, which can seep into surrounding water sources and contaminate them in the process.

“We wanted to call it out, because its tribal lands, critical environment, and it’s very close to communities, people work out just across the street,” Panaligan told Random Lengths News. The oil industry is the largest polluter, and the transition away might be necessary to safeguard the environment. We were at a similar point in history before, when petroleum replaced whaling as a source of various industrial fluids. This change saved the whales, and possibly large swaths of reefs because whales release nutrients in their feces as they travel.

“That’s why there are such things as contradictions,” said Charles Moore, with Los Cerritos Wetlands Task Force during the rally when talking about the history of oil. It saved the whales because petroleum offered an alternative to whale oil for various fluids like hydraulic fluid. He explained that now it has become an enemy due to the threat it represents to the environment.

California used to be a top oil supplier in the United States, but in the last couple of decades, public approval for oil drilling has declined and the public has become more health-conscious of the downstream effects of drilling. More wells are due to shut down. There are more than 35,000 idle wells in California, and only about 5% are plugged per year.

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