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The Omicron Syndrome

RLn
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The Omicron Syndrome

By Jason Pramas

New COVID-19 variants are inevitable until pharmas are stopped from privatizing public vaccine research and development.

So now we have an Omicron variant. Named for the 15th letter of the 24-letter Greek alphabet. Meaning we’re going to run out of letters soon at the rate new coronavirus variants are arising. We don’t know much about the new one yet other than that the press is reporting that it arose in South Africa (which isn’t the whole story since scientists first spotted it in Botswana, according to the journal Nature) and it’s thought to be more easily transmissible than other variants. Scientists expect to have Omicron figured out in a few weeks, but it’s already spreading around the world. If a new vaccine is required to blunt the new variant’s impact, it will take months for the huge pharmaceutical corporations that control global vaccine production to release it in wealthy countries like the U.S. and over a year for it to even start to show up in poor countries.

And that’s the biggest problem we’re facing in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic: Private enterprise is not capable of dealing with a global health crisis. Because big pharmas are built to focus on markets that make the most profit for their investors. Yet only a small fraction of the world’s nations are wealthy enough to be profitable markets even for products as desperately needed as good coronavirus vaccines. So companies like Pfizer, Cambridge’s own Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson compete with each other by developing rival vaccines, then fight for market share in wealthy countries, and ignore the rest of the world other than donating smallish fractions of their total vaccine output to poor countries.

Worse still, these multinationals then refuse to open up their quickly patented vaccine research to the world for free — preventing poor countries from being able to work with the World Health Organization and rich nations to produce enough doses to cover every person on the planet that needs one.

In fact, Moderna is playing an even nastier legal game in the very nation currently being blamed for the rise of the Omicron variant. According to the UK’s Evening Standard newspaper, “South Africa recently granted Moderna several far-reaching patents on mRNA technology that could potentially undermine efforts to get a new COVID-19 vaccine off the assembly line”—notably one being developed for use around Africa by the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with help from the WHO. Thus not only are pharmaceutical companies hoarding medical knowledge that should be freely available to nations around the world, they’re also trying to game the system to prevent anyone else from being able to duplicate that knowledge in the interest of global public health.

Which certainly bears closer scrutiny from nonprofit watchdogs, government regulators, and news organizations like the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and DigBoston.

But what really needs wider discussion and debate is the idea that private interests should be allowed to profit from responses to global public health crises like the coronavirus pandemic.

When a hero of mine, journalist Edward R. Murrow, asked another hero of mine, Nobel Prize-winning virologist Dr. Jonas Salk, if he had patented his world historic polio vaccine, he said, “There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?” And so, the deadly and long-dreaded disease polio was basically wiped from the face of the Earth in a few years. Because Salk put people before profits.

What was true in the 1950s remains true today. If we want to defeat a global threat like the coronavirus pandemic, we need a strong global response focused on vaccinating as many of Earth’s multitudes as we can as fast as we can. That militates toward banning pharmaceutical corporations from being allowed to patent their vaccine research — which is largely based on publicly-funded basic science research. Public investment thus becomes private profit … with few if any strings attached.

In a better world, when a pharma like Moderna “partnered” with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop its coronavirus vaccine last year, it should have been forced to release the final product out of patent in exchange for access to government-sponsored research data and a sweetheart vaccine production deal with the US government (resulting in a cool two-and-a-half billion of federal cash courtesy of the Donald Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, according to Politifact). As it stands, Fauci and the Joe Biden administration are now fighting Moderna’s July U.S. patent application for its COVID vaccine and demanding that the company share the patent with the National Institutes of Health — the parent agency of the NIAID — according to CBS.

But that still allows a private company to hold a patent on a desperately needed vaccine. And points away from the road we should have travelled. Moderna and all pharmas worldwide should have been enjoined to work together to develop a suite of vaccines that wealthy nations could have paid to produce in sufficient quantities to immediately distribute to the entire global population at speed.

Had we gone the public vaccine production route and made sure vaccines were available everywhere early on, then we would have likely already stopped the coronavirus pandemic in its tracks — even allowing for vaccine “hesitancy” by 20% to 30% of the world’s population.

Instead, according to Our World in Data, as of this writing just “54.1% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.” While “[o]nly 5.7% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.”

Given that most major coronavirus vaccines require two doses to be fully effective, it should be obvious that the majority of people are yet not properly protected from the dominant Delta strain of the coronavirus. And as waves of COVID infection continue to buffet humanity, the virus is going to continue mutating into new variants for years to come before we finally beat the pandemic.

So millions more will die on top of the other millions that already died needlessly since effective vaccines have been developed. All because we’ve allowed rich investors to privatize public health initiatives in their endless quest to fatten their bottom lines.

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging and more pandemics expected in the years to come, societies across the globe need to rethink how we handle public health crises in the public interest. Starting right here in the U.S.

Because the alternative is a perpetual series of pandemics. As the world burns from global warming.

A shorter version of this column appeared in the print edition of DigBoston. Apparent Horizon—an award-winning political column—is syndicated by the MassWire news service of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. Jason Pramas is BINJ’s executive director, and executive editor and associate publisher of DigBoston.

Six Years In: A Needy Wilmington Continues Being the Heart of the Harbor

Terelle Jerricks
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Six Years In: A Needy Wilmington Continues Being the Heart of the Harbor

A Needy Wilmington is committed to helping the heart of the harbor’s most in need by securing and providing food, clothing and basic necessities for them. Outside of those special giveaway events, A Needy Wilmington operates what it calls a “hope closet” that stores emergency toiletries for students in need throughout the year.

Programs beneath the A Needy Wilmington umbrella include Operation Pilot Wheel – Adopt a Pilot, which was established in 2016. These programs incorporate a multi-pronged approach to helping entire families of poor students. A Needy Wilmington collects clothing, food, toiletries, blankets and feminine hygiene products, as well as cash donations in whatever amounts donors are willing to give. Donors have the option of adopting an entire family and providing them with food, clothing and Christmas gifts.

A Needy Wilmington will be celebrating the 6th Annual Operation Pilot Wheel Adopt a Pilot from Dec. 13-17.

Prom Pilot is a program designed to finance prom for students who would not be able to afford it. Through this program, tuxedos, dresses, flowers and prom tickets are purchased for students who otherwise would not have been able to go to this teenage milestone.

A Needy Wilmington works very closely with Banning High School to identify students and families in need who aren’t already receiving services elsewhere.

Tony Fernandez, the founder of A Needy Wilmington had pushed and succeeded in expanding the number of schools they serve, including Harry Bridges Span school and Montessori School in Manhattan Beach at which they gave 17 Thanksgiving meal boxes and one week extra food box for their winter break.

Random Letters: 12-2-21

RLn
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Random Letters: 12-2-21

Gop White Supremacy

The censured, failed fascist Republican congressman from Arizona — Paul Gosar — and that other moronic Republican crackpot congresscritter from Georgia – Marjorie Taylor Greene – are the ugly racist faces of the modern day GOP. Abraham Lincoln must be spinning in his grave! Where’s Union General William Tecumseh Sherman when you need him? (Sherman’s probably lighting Robert E. Lee on fire in Hell at this moment.)

It’s long past time to send an unmistakable message to these would-be White supremacist insurrectionists. Not for one minute would I actually believe any of these Trumptarded traitors are superior to anyone or actually capable of learning anything, but by making a cautionary example of these insane idiots we the people can make it clear to future generations that there will be a steep price to pay for treason. Lock them up! (At the very least.)

Prior to their felonious, anti-Constitutional criminal behavior in the Capitol on January 6th and before, pathetic Paul Gosar and promiscuous Marjorie Traitor Greene actually attempted to create a neo-Nazi GOP White supremacy caucus in the people’s House of Representatives called the “America First“ Caucus. Sound familiar?

Yes, that’s right (and extremely right-wing). “America First”, which of course was pro-Hitler Nazi son-of-a-Republican congressman Charles Lindbergh’s infamous conservative political organization advocating an alliance between America and Nazi Germany during World War II. You are of course aware of the treasonous, murderous, anti-Semitic origin of traitor Trump’s favorite fascist political slogan “America First”, aren’t you? (Perhaps not.)

And as for the chutzpah of these inbred human Picasso paintings… please! As a young child back in the 1970s, I had a pet rock whose IQ was higher than Gosar, Greene & Trump’s combined. These clueless conservative racist troglodytes are prime examples of the fact that so-called racial superiority is a myth and nothing more, much like disgusting Donald Trump’s mythic mail order marriage to sexy Slavic red sparrow Melania Trump. FREE MELANIA!

Jake Pickering, Arcata, Calif.

Regarding ‘Tis the Season

At Length, RLn, Nov. 24 – Dec. 15, 2021

Wow! Thanks SO much for your article, James!!! You are exactly on point!

Janet Gunter, San Pedro

Labor Notes: John Deere Workers Win Wage Increases and Bonuses

Mark Friedman
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Labor Notes: John Deere Workers Win Wage Increases and Bonuses

Some 10,000 union workers who produce farm equipment for the John Deere company have voted to ratify a new six-year contract, and will end their month-long strike. 61% of the United Auto Workers members at John Deere voted in favor of the deal, which brings an immediate 10% raise; an $8,500 signing bonus; two future 5% raises; and bonuses to workers who meet production targets. Clearly a large number were not happy with the offer and wanted to stay out longer. It is yet unclear what concessions might have been traded away that would especially affect new hires’ salaries, pensions and insurance costs.

UC-AFT Lecturers Union Reach Tentative Agreement With UC

UC-AFT lecturers union announced it had reached a tentative agreement with UC administration on the terms of a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. The deal includes improvements in crucial areas, including job stability, workload and compensation. It includes a $1,500 signing bonus and thirty percent wage increases over the five-year contract.
“It has taken 20-plus years to get this victory,” added CFT President Jeff Freitas at a rally on Wednesday at UCLA. “It was through the lecturers talking to each other saying we want respect, we want job protections, we want to be treated like professionals. It’s in solidarity that we win.”
Six thousand five hundred lecturers teach one third of classes for full time professors yet have always been treated worse than second class citizens. They are non-tenured and have worked 20 months without a contract.
Lecturers now will get a formal review after their first year and a preference for classes the next year before any new hire. After two years, another review and a continuing appointment. Finally, a third three-year appointment leads to another review, and a permanent appointment. Under the current system lecturers are required to apply for their jobs each year for the first five years of their careers. Now after the first year, all contracts will be multi-year.
It came hours before UC-AFT members were set to walk the picket line on a two-day Unfair Labor Practices strike. The agreement is hailed as one of the best contracts for contingent faculty.
UC-AFT President Mia McIver said, “This victory is owed to the hard work of organizing that our members have done for over two and a half years. Thousands have participated in our campaign, joining our open bargaining sessions or pledging to join us on the picket line. We built the power to win the contract we deserve.”

Kaiser Permanente Nurses Strike in Solidarity with Engineers

Kaiser Permanente nurses conducted a two-day work stoppage Nov. 18 in solidarity with the company’s engineers, Local 39 Operating Engineers, according to the California Nurses Association (CNA).
The Kaiser Permanente medical centers where the workers are striking are in the north of the state.
With this strike, the nurses expressed their solidarity with some 600 engineers from the International Union of Operational Engineers (IUOE), Local 39, who have been on strike since Sept. 18.
“An injury to one of us is an injury to all, so the nurses will stand in solidarity with our fellow engineers as they go on strike,” said CNA President Cathy Kennedy, who works at Kaiser Permanente in Roseville.
Alabama Miners Fight Court Injunction By Warrior Met
“This is a serious attack on the union,” Bryan Butler, a United Mine Workers of America member on strike at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, Alabama, told the Militant by phone Nov. 16. He was referring to the restraining order, now extended twice, by Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge James Roberts.
The order, first enacted Oct. 27 at the mine operator’s request, and now extended until Dec. 5, bans union activity of any kind, including picketing, within 300 yards of the mines.
The company got the order after organizing a violence-baiting campaign against the union, blaming miners for confronting scabs crossing the picket lines.
The company has been mining coal with scab labor at the No. 7 mine since early in the strike and has now started mining at No. 4, Butler said. Alabama state troopers provide regular escorts for the scabs driving or being bused into the mines.
The strike by 1,100 UMWA members began after Warrior Met refused to reverse massive concessions in wages and benefits made five years earlier, when previous owner Jim Walter Resources went bankrupt.

The Salty Suites at Collage

Terelle Jerricks
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The Salty Suites at Collage

The mission of Collage is to serve both the local and broader community a full menu of adventurous yet accessible programming that takes an expansive view of art from the visual, to the performative, to the culinary and literary worlds. Collage also takes into consideration culture, ethnicity, affinity, ability, and emerging ways people are brought together. And since its opening this past July, Collage has become San Pedro’s version of NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts. I don’t know if that was their intention, but a purview of Collage’s youtube videos shows quality programing that is more than just on par given that it’s happening in San Pedro.

This month on Dec. 11, Collage invited the acoustic band, The Salty Suites, to perform. The band is known for its dynamic singer songwriters, their blend of strong vocals and harmonies on a diverse set of material, much of it original and all of it crafted in the Suites’ unique style. Though their material is all original, their music is Americana and all that that encapsulates, from bluegrass to blues from classic country swing to jam band rock despite their instruments being the mandolin, stand up bass and acoustic guitar.

The Salty Suites are Scott Gates on the mandolin, Chelsea Williams on guitar and Chuck Hailes on bass, all on vocals and high on energy. The Salty Suites have been performing together for about ten years, and have released four albums thus far, including Fever Vision (2018), We All Go Down Together (2014), Live At Castoro Cellars (2013), and their self-titled debut album, The Salty Suites (2012).

Their debut album literally feels like a throwback to the way back-when of an earlier era of American music ― music that Alan Lomax would have collected. The listener is quickly disabused of that notion when they hear their harmonies over their respect finger picking of their stringed instruments.

Listening to them, one would think they were from somewhere in the MidWest or somewhere beyond the Appalachian mountains, near the coal mines of Pennsylvania. But instead, they are from Southern California. At least Chelsea Williams (vocalist and acoustic guitar), has a band leader-grandfather from Columbus, Ohio, it’s understandable where she gets it from. Williams has been writing and playing music since the age of 12. And Scott Gates, who has been called a product of the California Bluegrass youth movement, has been playing mandolin, guitar and singing hard core bluegrass since the age of ten.

Hailes is a highly regarded bass player, schooled in classical and jazz bass playing and techniques. With his background in bluegrass music and degree in upright bass, Hailes sings and plays in a way that is uniquely his own. There’s no word on whether he’s also a child prodigy training up his superpowers.

The bottom line is that the band members of this band are as talented individually as they are collectively and are fun to watch. The crazy part is that the Collage, which has only been open for less than five month, has been putting on quality programming that you won’t find easily elsewhere.

To get a taste of what the Collage has to offer, musician Sander Wolff will be performing there tonight at the First Thursday Artwalk, using a combination of synthesizers with lap steel and regular guitars to create slowly evolving soundscapes. His music is largely improvisational, and some are accompanied by projections of his visual art. Come back on Sunday for Charles and Ray Duncan who together are Ranchers for Peace. This father/daughter duo are some folk/rock noise-makers from coastal Central California, weaving outrage and compassion into rhythm and harmony in songs of hope and social justice.

In October, Collage featured Mariachi Quinto Sol — given to experimenting with genre-bending performances with exciting results. Think about an upbeat version of a music made famous by Amy Winehouse, but it’s mariachi. Music by old blue-eyes himself, watch their performance of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon.

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The only non music related programming has been culinary historian Richard Foss and his curated series on food and culture. Last month, Foss engaged author, celebrity chef and TV personality George Geary about his new book Made in California on the subject of why California is such a center for culinary creativity.

Foss, who has written for Random Lengths News in years past, has long been curating intriguing events around food and culinary history, including dining in zero gravity to the great and awful moments of aerial dining in history. Foss also has a lot to say about alcohol from the colonial period to Prohibition and cocktails from the period of the Roman Empire to the United States of the 19th Century.

Check out The Salty Suites at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11.
Cost: $20
Details: https://www.collageartculture.com
Venue: The Collage, 731 S Pacific Ave, San Pedro

Give a Banned Book for Christmas

James Preston Allen
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Give a Banned Book for Christmas

One of the few pleasures I’ve found during the pandemic is the time to actually read books —not that I didn’t read them before — it’s just that with fewer distractions and social obligations, I actually had the luxury of time–uninterrupted!

I read two great works on pandemics, one by Laurie Garrett and the other by John M. Barry­, both amazing science writers. Then the wonderful history of Los Angeles in the 1960s by Mike Davis and Jon Wiener was an insightful walk through the history of LA that I lived through or experienced first hand. Then I went on a binge reading through many of the tell-all titles on the fall of Donald Trump, sort of a nightmare before Christmas, the grift that keeps grifting.

However the real showstopper for me was a novel banned by a Virginia school district, Beloved by Toni Morrison (1931-2019). Now I’ve heard of Morrison as a talented writer before, but on closer examination, discovered that she is one of the most celebrated authors of our time. In addition to writing plays and children’s books, her novels have earned her countless prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

As the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Morrison’s work has inspired a generation of writers to follow in her footsteps. So I was surprised that her novel Beloved could possibly be banned. Well, I guess that it places her in good company with some of the best like John Steinbeck and Harper Lee, who by the way are still on the banned list. What this novel provides us today is much like what Uncle Tom’s Cabin by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe did in 1852 as an anti-slavery novel.

Both are set in pre-Civil War America but what Morrison tells in Beloved is the fictionalized version of a true story that made national headlines back in the day of a runaway slave woman who upon being recaptured by a slave posse does the unthinkable. She murders her children rather than have them returned into slavery.

Sethe (played by Oprah Winfrey in the movie version) is a mother of three, haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe’s home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons.

Morrison is such a compelling and creative storyteller that the mystery of how such a murderous act is revealed comes in layers like biscuits baked in an old wood stove with the ghost of the lost child as the butter. Such a deeply moving tale laced with magic realism or negro spiritualism could only be told by a woman of color with Morrison’s talents.

I could hardly stop reading it and neither could Winfrey, who made a movie of the novel in 1998 with Danny Glover. You can find it on Netflix if you must, but as usual the book is more rather than less. However, I intend to give a few copies as presents.

So, in recognition of all things banned or censored these days, I suggest that you visit your local independent bookseller this season and check out the top ten most banned books. Banned Books Week 2021 is an annual event sponsored by a coalition of librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. The theme of this year’s event was “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”

Below is the American Library Association’s Top Ten List of banned books:

George by Alex Gino. Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community.”

Stamped: Racism, Anti Racism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. Banned and challenged because of the author’s public statements and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents’’ and does not encompass racism against all people.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism and because it was thought to promote anti police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now.”

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint, it was claimed to be biased against male students, and it included rape and profanity.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the author.

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin. Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes and their negative effect on students.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Challenged for profanity, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message.

If you are a school teacher, librarian or professor do consider supporting American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom in partnership with the Banned Books Week Coalition. For questions concerning the annual Banned Books Week contact coordinator@bannedbooksweek.org.

41st Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade

Terelle Jerricks
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41st Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade

Last year, everyone joked that 2020 was the longest year on record due to the COVID-pandemic. But it’s been 21 months since we’ve been able to gather and celebrate in a holiday street parade.

Fortunately, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce was able to pull it together to make this year’s holiday parade happen. In past years, more than 9,000 spectators lined the streets to view the holiday floats, little league teams, classic cars, boy and girl scouts, high school bands, equestrian units, and volunteers through downtown San Pedro.

This year’s theme is a generic holiday theme and the number of participants are fewer than in 2019. But the headliners that made the last parade special are participating in this one, including Timmy, the beloved oversized rubber ducky who first made an appearance at the Tall Ships Festival in 2014, who will be on a float. The parade will carry this inflated creature of cuteness through the streets of San Pedro, starting at 13th and Pacific and ending at 6th and Palos Verdes. Fans can take pictures with Timmy the Rubber Duck in front of Crowne Plaza Hotel immediately after the parade.

Other parade highlights include: the award winning San Pedro High School Golden Pirate Regiment, Dana Middle School Band and equestrian units; Charros de Zacatecas, and the Palos Verdes Equestrian Drill Team.

This year’s grand marshals are Pam Costa, Representative Nannette Barragán, California State Senator Steve Bradford, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles mayoral candidates Mike Feuer and Joe Buscaino and Los Angeles 15th District City Council candidate Tim McOsker.

The parade lineup is in alphabetical order and is subject to change before the parade on Dec. 5.

Time: 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 5

Cost: Free

Details: www.spholidayparade.com; 310-832-7272

Venue: Downtown San Pedro

2021 Parade Lineup:

  • Alma de Oro: Folklorico Dancers
  • Bayview Baptist Church
  • Beach Cities Shrine Club
  • Boy Scouts of America Cub Scouts
  • Boys and Girls Club LA Harbor
  • Brave Creations
  • Bridge Cities Alliance
  • CA State Senator Steven Bradford, 35th District
  • Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
  • Carson High School Marching Blue Thunder
  • Charros De Compton
  • Charros de Zacatecas
  • Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi – Port of Los Angeles
  • Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, 44th District
  • Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council
  • LA City Council Member Joe Buscaino, 15th District
  • Dana Middle School STEM Magnet
  • Dance Tech
  • DoubleTree by Hilton San Pedro
  • Encore Theater Group
  • Folklórico Las Perlitas
  • Grupo Folk. Misantla
  • Haley Clark Dance Company
  • Harbor Occupational Center
  • Honorary mayor of San Pedro Pam Costa
  • Jesus Movement Christian Coalition
  • Kona Ice of South Carson
  • LA Harbor Dragon Boat Club
  • Los Angeles City Fire Department
  • Los Angeles City Fire Department Historical Society
  • LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, 4th District
  • Los Angeles Harbor College
  • Los Angeles Maritime Institute
  • Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums
  • Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Jay Mastick
  • Los Angeles Port Police
  • Mary Star of the Sea Elementary
  • Mike Feuer for mayor
  • Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council
  • Palos Verdes Junior Drill Team
  • Point Fermin Marine Science Magnet
  • Port of Los Angeles – Timmy the Duck
  • Port of Los Angeles High School
  • Prestige Princess
  • Providence Aztec Dancers
  • San Pedro Bay Historical Society
  • San Pedro Cafe
  • San Pedro City Ballet
  • San Pedro CPR Group
  • San Pedro Girl Scouts
  • San Pedro High School Marching Band
  • San Pedro High School Marine Science Magnet
  • San Pedro High School Volleyball
  • San Pedro Lions club
  • South Bay Divas
  • South Bay Young Marines
  • San Pedro High School Squad
  • The Garden Church & Feed and Be Fed
  • The Hitchens Team at Keller Williams Realty
  • Timothy McOsker for City Council
  • Waterfront BNI
  • Willenberg Career & Transition Center

58th Annual LA Harbor Holiday Afloat

Terelle Jerricks
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58th Annual LA Harbor Holiday Afloat

The Los Angeles Harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington will celebrate the free and festive Annual Los Angeles Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade on Dec. 4 from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Town Square and Promenade along the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles.

Also on tap for the evening will be a host of activities for the entire family:

  • The “Elf Pet Parade”— Get in the spirit and parade your best-dressed “elf” (aka pet) at the Town Square stage at 7 p.m.
  • Holiday Toy Drive — Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to local children in need.
  • Free hop-on and offs on the San Pedro rubber-tire trolley, to shuttle people into the event from downtown and the north end parking area of the former Ports O’ Call area.

Sponsored by the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade starts in the East Basin near Banning’s Landing Community Center in Wilmington and takes approximately 90 minutes to cover the entire parade route through the Los Angeles Main Channel. Officials and community leaders will take part in the parade as judges or passengers on approximately 60 participating vessels of all shapes and sizes, from tugboats to tall ships.

Spectators may view the procession from several points along the LA Waterfront, including:

  • Banning’s Landing Community Center, 100 E. Water St., Wilmington
  • Cruise Ship Promenade, Harbor Boulevard and Swinford Street, San Pedro
  • Battleship IOWA, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
  • Downtown Harbor, 504 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
  • Ports O’ Call Village, 1100 Nagoya Way, San Pedro
  • 22nd Street Landing, 141 W. 22nd St., San Pedro
  • SS Lane Victory, 3600 Miner St., San Pedro
  • Holiday Harbor, Cabrillo Marina, 285 Whalers Walk, San Pedro

Season of Giving

Melina Paris
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Season of Giving

The nonprofit sector brings more to the table than just turkey and trimmings

San Pedro is home to about 156 nonprofits. A big number for a “small town.” As a Harbor Area community, full of diverse people with differing views, residents value local nonprofits and step in to advocate for the environment, politically and for both social justice and well-being among other causes.

Nonprofits embody the best of local communities. They provide ways for people to work together for the common good, transforming shared beliefs and hopes into action.

Causes identified by nonprofits are for societal benefit and human services. This includes 100 Black Men of Long Beach, which serves Black youth in the wake of countless civil rights uprisings by aiming resources toward youth development. Amid an isolating pandemic, Heart of Ida helps older adults maintain independence.

Environmental and wildlife organizations, like Marine Mammal Care Center rescue, rehabilitate marine mammals and birds after recent disastrous oil spills and Long Beach’s Algalita Marine Research connects youth with scientists, experts, politicians and businesses to address plastic consumption.

Education, arts, culture and humanities organizations like San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and Carson’s Precision Dance Company give back to their communities providing respite and inspiration as well as helping youth fulfill their artistic endeavors.

Health organizations, like Torrance’s Evidence Based California Inc, help transitional aged youth and BIPOC members experiencing homelessness as Los Angeles wrestles with sheltering its population of more than 41,000 unhoused individuals. These and many other local nonprofits play a fundamental role in creating more equitable, connected communities in this region.

A resource and advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits, the National Council of Nonprofits is a link connecting the largest nationwide and sector-wide grassroots network of nonprofit networks. A report by the Council of Nonprofits shows how these organizations impact the Golden State, which, if it were a nation, would rank as the world’s fifth largest economy.

California nonprofits are key contributors to its economy; nonprofit economic activity generates about 15% of California’s Gross State Product. Nonprofits bring more than $40 billion into California each year from out-of-state sources, including the federal government, out-of-state foundations and individual donations from around the world. Despite being exempt from paying corporate income tax, nonprofits pay more than $37 billion in taxes each year at federal, state, and local levels.

Nonprofits rank as the fourth largest employment industry in California. One in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit organization, and more than 1.2 million people are employed by nonprofits in the state, accounting for 7% of all employment.

The nonprofit sector’s workforce is more diverse by gender and race/ethnicity compared to the adult civilian workforce. And California volunteers contribute about $16 billion in unpaid labor each year, the equivalent of 331,058 full-time jobs, most of it in direct work with people, animals and the land.

California nonprofits employ a significantly higher percentage of women and a slightly higher percentage of people of color than the overall civilian workforce. And in leadership positions, nonprofit percentages of women and people of color are more than twice as high as in the overall workforce.

Volunteers bring both economic and intangible value to communities through nonprofits of all sizes and types. They care for people in hospice, raise critical program funds, advocate for clean water, serve as CFOs, museum docents, bus drivers, tax preparers and surgical nurses.

There is a synergy between nonprofits and their communities as the organizations speak out for those they serve. Nonprofits engage in public dialogue. Staff and volunteer leaders speak at hearings, meet with public officials, participate in policy coalitions and take positions on policy matters that affect their constituents. In turn, the Council of Nonprofits reports Californians give nonprofits higher marks than business or government in spending money wisely and in working efficiently.

Yet, the nonprofit sector is in a state of uncertainty and flux in the wake of the pandemic and economic instability. For example, nonprofits led by people of color — which tend to be smaller, less resourced, and community-based — face a more challenging set of circumstances. Their survival, and the communities who rely on them, is at stake. However, POC-led nonprofits are leading and participating in advocacy and organizing efforts for equity and justice.

Council of Nonprofits reports that organizations led by people of color are preparing for multiple crises in the immediate future due to unmet survival needs, a resurgence of COVID-19, and policies that criminalize communities of color. Many leaders of color expect that unmet survival needs related to food insecurity, jobs, housing, more COVID-19 illnesses and deaths, and harsh economic consequences will significantly increase over the next year.

This is only a microcosm of a particular set of issues. In the larger picture, Council of Nonprofits posits that these challenges can be overcome through working together rather than by operating separately. The strength of nonprofits is in their collective numbers. They exist in every community, are closest to the problems and understand the issues. For those reasons the council says nonprofits should be sharing their insights with policymakers to help them make informed decisions. Policymakers need to hear the voices of their nonprofit constituents. Nonprofits can’t endorse or oppose candidates running for office, but can take positions on ballot propositions, register people to vote, educate people about issues and help them get their votes in.

Below is a list of nonprofit organizations to which you can donate money, time and energy and know it is making a difference:

 

Harbor Interfaith

The mission of Harbor Interfaith Services or HIS is to empower the homeless and working poor to achieve self-sufficiency by providing support services including shelter, transitional housing, food, job placement, advocacy, childcare, education and life-skills training.

Each year, the nonprofit’s 90-day emergency shelter and 18-month transitional housing program provide residence and support, including childcare to about 450 people. The Family Resource Center extends aid in all areas: free groceries, clothing and hygiene items; rental/utility assistance; case management and individualized referrals; access to medical and dental services; and enrollment in 14 benefit programs. Last year, 31,000 services were provided to 10,400 people.

Projects in need of funds:

The Family Shelter offers residence that provides up to 90 days of crisis housing to homeless families. It accommodates 20 families at a time.

The Children’s Center fills the educational gap for children and gives parents the peace of mind to focus on school or finding a job. Without the program, parents would not have the opportunity to enroll in school or to secure employment.

Despite the precautions that dealing with COVID-19 has placed on people, Harbor Interfaith will still distribute holiday food baskets to households and toys to the children for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Christmas Drive Thru Food & Toy Distribution

Time: 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 20, 21 HIS accepts donations: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 670 W. 9th St. San Pedro.

This year, HIS will not hold the annual holiday block party where donors give gifts to adopted families. You can however still adopt a family. Donations can be delivered to participant’s address or agency at 670 W. 9th St. San Pedro.

To donate toys, food or adopt a family for the holidays, go to www.harborinterfaith.org

Los Angeles Maritime Institute

The idea for the Los Angeles Maritime Institute or LAMI formed when retired science teacher and Coast Guard licensed Capt. Jim Gladson witnessed the positive effect that the experience of sailing at sea had upon even his most challenged alternative school students, even those with dyslexia.

The TopSail Youth Program mission is to use sail training to provide youth with the real-life challenges that would develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to stay in school and become healthy, productive adults. In its 23 years, more than 60,000 youth from throughout Southern California have directly benefited from participation in hands-on learning experiences through LAMI’s TopSail Youth Program.

Opportunity programs for volunteers include: Virtual Voyage, Summer Camp, Topsail STEM Program, Youth Crew Program, Topsail Youth Program and Explore the Coast.

LAMI’s at-sea operations require a lot of dockside support, and it always needs help. There is constant demand in areas including: general boat maintenance; canvas/sail repair; carpentry; marine diesel and electrical systems maintenance; grant writing; web design and retail/sales.

To volunteer, attend an orientation, held on a Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Check LAMI’s calendar to confirm and email the volunteer coordinator at volunteercrewleader@lamitopsail.org.

International Bird Rescue Celebrates 50 Years

On Jan. 18, 1971, two Standard Oil tankers collided near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, resulting in a spill that let loose 2,700 cubic tons of crude oil.

Retired nurse Alice Berkner came up with the concept of International Bird Rescue or IBR while trying to help the more than 7,000 birds that filled warehouses around the Bay Area during the oil spill. By April 1971, International Bird Rescue Research Center was incorporated as a nonprofit organization.

IBR’s wildlife clinics are open year-round to provide critical care to seabirds beyond treating oiled wildlife. In 2019, rehabilitation teams admitted over 3,500 birds, brought in by the public and affiliated wildlife groups, between its two California clinic locations. IBR’s focus has been to act toward balance with the natural world by rescuing waterbirds in crisis — since 1971 it has admitted over 125,000 birds and the count continues.

Since 1971, IBR has responded to 225 worldwide oil spills. It has provided oiled wildlife collection, rehabilitation and documentation services on an assured basis for companies that transport or hold petroleum products. IBR works with local state and federal biologists to look at what animals are in the area at the time of a spill and try to determine what species and how many of them may be exposed to oil.

Scientists are now documenting how this surge of plastic trash leaves a wake of death and disease that directly affects seabirds. In many places around the world, birds feed on plastic floating on the water, mistaking it for food, many times this ingestion leads to their death and that of their young.

Get involved by donating, becoming a member, bird adoptions and volunteering or internships. Adoptions start at $25. Your donation gives water-bird patients a second chance. To donate or learn more, www.birdrescue.org.

Top 30+ Nonprofits

  • Harbor Community Clinic Inc.

EIN: 23-7103245 — Fifty years ago, HCHC began providing San Pedro with high-quality health services.

www.harborcommunityclinic.com

  • Boys And Girls Clubs Of The Los Angeles Harbor

EIN: 95-1661682 — The mission of The Boys and Girls club is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

www.bgclaharbor.org

  • House Of Hope Foundation Inc.

EIN: 95-1868767 —House of Hope provides a safe, clean, sober and nurturing environment for substance-abusing women. Its mission is to help women to regain their dignity and learn how to live without alcohol and drugs.

www.houseofhopesp.org

  • Sharefest

EIN 20-5651596 — Empower under-served youth to transform their future and become leaders of collaborative community change.

www.sharefestinc.org

  • Rainbow Services Ltd.

EIN: 95-3855705 — Rainbow Services provides shelter and support to anyone impacted by domestic violence, empowering them to move beyond trauma, towards safety and stability.

www.rainbowservicesdv.org/who-we-are

  • Toberman Neighborhood Center Inc

EIN: 95-1643387 — Toberman Neighborhood Center is a nonprofit community-based organization committed to assisting families and individuals by delivering life-changing services.

www.toberman.org

  • Beacon House Association Of San Pedro

EIN: 23-7376148 — The mission of the Beacon House Association of San Pedro is to help men recover from the disease of alcoholism or addiction to other drugs. The Association provides food, shelter, counseling and the time to build a foundation in recovery and to return to family, home and community.

www.thebeaconhouse.org

  • Justice For Murdered Children

EIN: 33-0798716 —Justice For Murdered Children is determined to see that the scales of justice are balanced, that murdered children are not forgotten and that the rights of the victims’ families are zealously protected.

www.justiceformurderedchildren.org

  • Harbor Community Benefit Foundation

EIN: 45-2487333 — HCBF assesses, protects and improves the health, quality of life, aesthetics, and physical environment of the harbor communities adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles through grants, health service providers, learning institutions and nonprofits in support of healthcare projects and programs.

https://hcbf.org/

  • Marine Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Release Into The Natural Environ

EIN: 33-0540669 — MAR3INE supports and raises money for the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur, which rehabilitates and releases injured or sick marine mammals.

www.marinemammalcare.org

  • Friends Of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

EIN: 33-0585381 —CMA is a resource that inspires exploration, respect and conservation of Southern California marine life.

www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org

  • Wild Horse Native American Association

EIN: 47-0869771 — The Wildhorse Native American Association provides opportunities for youth to perform, to participate in pow wows and to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. It believes that cultural traditions and healing practices are important to the health and resilience of local Native American communities.

www.wildhorsesingers.com

  • Altasea At The Port Of Los Angeles

EIN: 46-3977904 — AltaSea accelerates scientific collaboration, facilitates job creation and inspires the next generation for a more sustainable ocean.

www.altasea.org

  • San Pedro City Ballet

EIN 33-0630949 — SPCB’s mission is to identify, train and promote a world-class pre-professional dance company from the diverse population of the Los Angeles Harbor K-12 through dance, exercise and education in public schools and after school.

www.sanpedroballetschool.com

  • Arts District San Pedro Waterfront

EIN: 47-1551519 — The mission of San Pedro Waterfront Arts District mission is to promote San Pedro’s diverse arts, culture, and creative economy through collaboration, advocacy, marketing, and education.

www.sanpedrowaterfrontartsdistrict.com

  • Angels Gate Cultural Center Inc.

EIN: 95-3688214 — AGCC’s mission is to provide space for artists to work and to engage the community through arts education, exhibitions of contemporary art and cultural events.

www.angelsgateart.org/about

  • San Pedro Art Association

EIN: 95-4570250 — San Pedro Art Association continues its role as a forum for networking, information sharing, promotion, peer access and council, professional assistance, art education as well as career and marketing opportunities for the artists living in the Harbor Area and beyond.

www.sanpedroart.org/wp

  • Grand Vision Foundation

EIN: 95-4554570 — Local arts have the power to bridge cultural boundaries and unite communities. The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs operates the theater, and Grand Vision has a Memorandum of Understanding to act as its official Friends’ Group. As the Friends, Grand Vision assists the theater with advocacy, a corps of trained volunteers, restoration projects and the marketing of its events.

www.grandvision.org

  • Shakespeare By The Sea

EIN: 95-4785457 — Shakespeare By The Sea’s mission is to create theatrical experiences for audiences in culturally diverse communities to make theater accessible to all.

www.shakespearebythesea.org

  • National Watercolor Society

EIN: 95-6091854 — The National Watercolor Society’s mission is to encourage innovation in watermedia through education, outreach, and exhibitions — promote the advancement of watermedia and inspire the next generation of watermedia artists.

www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org

  • Golden State Pops Orchestra-Friends Of The Gspo

EIN: 27-0059731 — The Golden State Pops Orchestra specializes in presenting media music via accessible concerts and festival style events that bring audiences together.

www.gspo.com/history

  • Point Fermin Lighthouse Society

EIN: 56-2498078 — PFLS is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization dedicated to the history and preservation of the Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro.

www.pflhs.org/about-the-society

  • Los Angeles Maritime Institute

EIN: 33-0515416 — LAMI serves to empower youth to discover their greater potential through extraordinary at-sea experiences aboard educational sailing vessels built to train and equip young people with 21st century leadership skills, and inspire maritime and STEM career paths.

www.lamitopsail.org

  • Harry Bridges Institute For International Education & Orgn

EIN: 94-3189517 — HBI was founded to meet a pressing need to educate a new generation of workers about the rich history of the labor movement; to demonstrate the working community and to showcase and celebrate the contributions of labor leaders as well as rank-and-file trade unionists, not only in the founding of unions, but in the continuous struggle for worker’s rights.

wwww.harrybridges.com/home

  • Union Women In Solidarity

EIN: 82-5395777 — A global platform to bring women together. Solidarity provides the strength, support, credibility and power to make vital changes. Union jobs have always come with risk and the possibility of injury and women’s issues are still at the forefront. Now, more than ever, women need to join together to uplift one another, build community and build long lasting friendships, locally, nationally and globally.

www.unionwomeninsolidarity.org

  • Assistance League Of San Pedro South Bay

EIN: 95-1882853 — Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay is devoted to the needs of the children, families and seniors of its community. It identifies the changing needs of the community and is committed to the growth, development and expansion of its chapter.

www.assistanceleague.org/san-pedro-south-bay

  • Green Girl Farms Inc.

EIN: 47-2358536 —Green Girl Farms is leading the effort to build an environmentally sound and socially just food system in the communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles.

www.green-girl-farms.square.site

  • Feed And Be Fed

EIN: 81-4833490 — Feed And Be Fed raises funds to support its critical projects.The nonprofit has fed a record number of people struggling with food insecurities. And the need continues to be strong in the San Pedro community.

www.feedandbefed.org

  • San Pedro Meals On Wheels Inc.

EIN: 95-2803612 — The mission of San Pedro Meals on Wheels is to supply nourishing meals at a minimum cost to people who are unable to cook, drive, shop, or leave their home for temporary or longer periods of time.

www.sanpedromealsonwheels.org/home

  • San Pedro Pirate Booster Club

EIN: 30-0541637 — Its mission is to enhance academics, extracurricular activities, and athletics for all students in grades 9 thru 12 at San Pedro High School.

https://sanpedropirateboosters.com

  • Dana Middle School Pto

EIN: 30-0870923 — Dana Middle School’s mission is to provide an engaging environment to support all students in becoming socially responsible, intellectually curious, and college and career ready individuals.

www.danams-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/dana

  • A Needy Wilmington

EIN: 82-3551385 —A Needy Wilmington is committed to the Wilmington Community and with your support and its grass-roots movement, it will address the serious need for food, clothing and basic necessities within Wilmington.

www.aneedywilmington.wixsite.com/unity

Japanese Pumpkin Pie

Ari LeVaux
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Japanese Pumpkin Pie

Kabocha, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is a versatile and delicious winter squash. The flavor is starchy and sweet, with a firm body that can handle being cooked many ways, from tempura-fried to roasted to steamed to sweet purees. The seeds are plump. The hard skin is edible. The squash experience is complete.

Once upon a time there was just one kind of kabocha squash. It was dark green, medium-sized and roundish. Nowadays there are myriad varieties of kabocha, including the bright orange sunshine, the striped green Cha-Cha, the ruddy Black Forest, and my favorite, the pale grey Winter Sweet.

According to the Johnny’s seed catalog, “Winter Sweet delivers a winning combination of sweetness, flaky texture, and depth of flavor that has made it a favorite on our research farm. Not only that, this reliable producer keeps very well and improves with storage.”

We have a farmstand in front of our house, maintained by my kids and supplied by a grumpy farmer south of town. He grew most of the above kabocha varieties I just named, plus butternut, delicata and other winter squash varieties. As I have cooked my way through the squash inventory, I have proven again and again that pie is the highest form of winter squash eatery. It’s the one form of squash of which nobody gets sick. And there is an infinite universe of possibility inside every squash pie.

I don’t use any of the pie spices except nutmeg, so its piney, resin-y flavor can stand alone against the squash pie flavors.

I tend to enhance my squash pies with chocolate, which goes so perfectly with squash pie. And the other day, when I was feeling particularly indulgent, I decided to bake a chocolate chip squash pie with a pecan pie on top, the two layers separated from one another by a layer of chocolate. It was as decadent as one might expect. A pie-opening moment, to say the least.

Basic Kabocha Pie

This is my kabocha pie recipe, including two variations: chocolate chip and pecan pie-flavored kabocha pies. Serves 6.

2 cups cooked (baked or steamed) winter sweet or similar kabocha squash

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

Pinch or two of nutmeg, preferably freshly ground

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk or ½ & ½

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Make sure the cooked kabocha is free of seeds, skin, string and any other impurities. Add the squash to a blender, followed by the milk, cream, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and eggs, and blend until smooth. Pour the filling into a crust and bake for about 45 minutes. When it puffs up like a souffle, remove it from the oven and let it cool on the counter, where it will solidify.

Chocolate Chip Kabocha Pie

Add 6 tablespoons of semisweet chocolate chips to the ingredient list above.

After blending the pie filling, transfer it to a mixing bowl and add four tablespoons of chocolate chips, gently stirring them in with a spoon. Add this chocolate chip filling to the crust. Smooth it out and then scatter the final two tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350° F as above.

Chocolate Pecan Kabocha Pie

1 chocolate chip kabocha pie, ready for baking

2/3 cup corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 additional egg

1 cup pecan halves

In a mixing bowl, combine the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, egg and pecans. Carefully pour it over the kabocha pie, so it forms a second layer. Push the pecans around to make them even. Bake for about an hour at 350° F. It will puff up as it bakes, but will condense as it cools.

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