Sunday, October 19, 2025
spot_img
spot_img
Home Blog Page 75

Lydia Maria Child’s Forgotten Lessons in a Nation Still Learning the Hard Way

Terelle Jerricks
-
0
Lydia Maria Child’s Forgotten Lessons in a Nation Still Learning the Hard Way

As Americans muddle through this “find out” period, 45 days after we inaugurated the first criminal to the presidency, it’s surprising that more white Americans still haven’t learned that the wages of whiteness will leave us all impoverished.

In the last election, exit polls indicated that some 52% to 55% of white women voted for a convicted rapist and a political party that has fought against abortion access and the bodily autonomy of everyone but men.

For me, the past three elections show that we are living in the failed Susan B. Anthony’s vision of American freedom.

Susan B. Anthony fought for abolition and women’s suffrage but prioritized white women’s status in America’s racial hierarchy. She and Elizabeth Cady Stanton opposed the 15th Amendment, arguing that granting Black men the right to vote without including women left white women behind.

Reflecting on this moment, I think of Lydia Maria (Mariah) Child, a prominent 19th-century writer and activist. Abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison called her “The First Woman of the Republic.” For over 50 years, she wrote groundbreaking works, including Hobomok, which depicted a romance between an Indigenous man and a colonial woman, The Frugal Housewife, the first American cookbook, and An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, the first known use of the term “African Americans.” She also authored History of the Condition of Women and numerous essays on religious and social equality. Today, many recognize her as the editor of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the book that introduced filmmaker Natoma Lillie Keita to her work.

Unlike suffrage leaders like Stanton, who sought to appease Southern white women by excluding Black women, Child prioritized racial justice. She supported Black men’s voting rights before women’s and insisted that Black women fight alongside white women for suffrage and abolition. When Stanton and Anthony invited her to join the Women’s Suffrage Movement as an honorary member, she refused, stating that she would not divide her efforts between freeing enslaved people and securing voting rights for Black men.

In 2001, filmmaker Constance L. Jackson (now Natoma Lillie Keita) helped induct Child into the National Women’s Hall of Fame alongside Althea Gibson, Lucille Ball, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Rosalynn Carter. In 2007, through Permanent Productions, Jackson wrote, directed and produced a documentary on Child’s life, earning recognition from Child scholars and LA County Supervisors. This renewed attention led to Child’s permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Child’s most controversial work is her book An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, which called for immediate action to end all forms of racial discrimination — from employment bans to segregated schools to anti-miscegenation laws. The book landed in thousands of hands, including the Reverend Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The United States has yet to atone for the original sin of slavery, and in some key respects, it has doubled down on holding onto the ill-gotten proceeds of white supremacy. The most recent election exemplifies this, particularly in the role that white women played in preserving systems that deny fundamental rights to marginalized groups. While they are not the only example, their complicity highlights the tension between the promise of suffrage and the reality of exclusionary feminism.

More than half of white women supported Trump in the last election, which suggests that despite the advances of the suffrage movement, many white women remain aligned with white supremacy at the expense of their own gender’s rights.

The recent election also underscores a broader realignment in American politics, where the Republican Party has increasingly appealed to working-class voters across racial lines. While many political analysts view this shift as an indication that education and class matter more than race, this interpretation ignores the extent to which whiteness still functions as an economic and social currency. White blue-collar voters, for example, overwhelmingly supported Trump over Kamala Harris by a margin of 63% to 34%, reinforcing the idea that the “wages of whiteness” — the material and psychological benefits of racial privilege — continue to outweigh other factors. Even some historically marginalized groups have, in some ways, been folded into this system, further complicating efforts to build solidarity across racial and economic lines.

Lydia Maria Child’s vision of an America free from white supremacy remains unfulfilled. Until we confront this reality and commit to dismantling these systems, we will continue to see history repeat itself — at the expense of justice, equality, and true democracy.

To learn more about Lydia Child’s legacy, visit permproductions.com where you can stream Natoma Lillie Keita’s documentary, Over the River: Life of Lydia Maria Child, Abolitionist for Freedom.

Garage Theatre turns 25 by the grace of community

Greggory Moore
-
0
Garage Theatre turns 25 by the grace of community

When I sat down with a quartet of Garage Theatre co-founders in 2010 as they got ready to celebrate their 10th anniversary, they told me that nearly three times as many groups were doing theatre in Long Beach as when the Garage came on the scene.

But that trend has reversed, and in 2025 you can count on your fingers the number of groups that don’t have “high school” in their name offering theatre of any kind in the 44th biggest city in the United States.

But 25 years on, the Garage Theatre endures. Ask this little engine that could how they can, and they’ve got a word for you: community.

***

The Garage Theatre community started to come together in 1995 when Eric Hamme met Jamie Sweet and Jeff Kriese at Orange Coast College, a conducive environment for DIY drama nerds.

“In addition to the classes and mainstage shows, they had the OCC Rep, which was basically a student-run theatre company,” Hamme relates. “[…] You had to do everything yourself, so it wasn’t uncommon for me to be directing a show, acting in two shows, running lights for one show…. If you needed a set piece, it was like: go to the shop and build it.”

The trio quickly found themselves kicking around the idea of forming their own company, but it was when the three transferred to Cal State Long Beach — “and met much more talented people” (Hamme) — that the Garage really started to happen.

Jessica Variz was among those talents. Kristal Greenlea. Amy Louise Sebelius. And Matthew Anderson, who landed in the CSULB’s Theatre Department straight from Minnesota. When Sweet directed him in a production of David Mamet’s The Revenge of the Space Pandas, Anderson saw a window opening on a possible future: “I felt like we could do this again and again and again and again. All of the pieces were there. It was so much fun, so irreverent…. It just felt so good.”

Immediately after graduation, Anderson, Hamme, and Sweet drove to Washington to see Phish for the first time. It was an epiphany.

“I had never experienced live music in such a way where it felt like the audience was a part of the experience instead of just watching something unfold in front of them,” Anderson recalls raptly. “[…] All of my prior experiences felt like you were going to a concert show or going to a play and watching something. [But at the Phish show] there was a give-and-take, like the audience was feeding what was happening onstage and vice versa. That imaginary fourth wall was just really blurry.”

Many such road trips followed (these are real live Phisheads, kids), as much for the inspiration and camaraderie as for the music.

“Cultivating that connection through the art we were presenting felt like the only thing that was worth pursuing,” Hamme says. “[…] Lots of conversations about shows we wanted to do came on the road driving 12 hours in the middle of night. That solidified the relationship of us as friends and us as a company.”

The Garage Theatre debuted in 2001 with Eric Bogosian’s Scene from the New World at Studio 354, a club known for Monday-night keggers where a ten-spot got you live music and all you could drink. But one week into the Garage’s second show Studio 354 was shut down (Hamme: “It was totally illegal”), and during the next four years the Garage performed kinda wherever they could (including once in the Santa Ana digs of fellow OCC spinoff Rude Guerilla (RIP)) and averaged only two shows a year.

Yet to their surprise, they had a bit of a following.

“I remember in grad school [hearing] that theatres were desperately trying to capture that 18-34 demographic because theatre is expensive and it gets perceived as a little elitist,” Hamme says. “But from Day One we had it. […] We tried to market ourselves as theatre for people who don’t like theatre. We encouraged people to bring their own beer and wine to the show. […] We were just trying to do stuff our friends would like. We didn’t [yet] know or have a relationship with the greater Long Beach community, so we just said, ‘Well, we like it — and if our friends give us the thumbs-up: success!’”

But it was after their 2005 move into “the space” at 251 E. 7th Street — made available when the Found Theatre (RIP) decamped for new digs across the street at the City Place Shopping Center — that they first felt like a full-fledged theatre company. And with it, the added pressure.

“We knew we had to pay rent now,” says Hamme, “so it was just: show show show show” — eight in 10 months, which they realized wasn’t a sustainable model creatively. By 2007 they’d hit their stride, doing six shows including a Mamet, a Sebelius autobiographic that was a local sensation, the third installment of Sweet’s five-play melodrama/farce, and a staging of Don DeLillo’s Valparaiso (the set was a box without walls tricked out in lo-fi multimedia) that convinced me they definitely had something going on.

The next several years were relatively smooth sailing, as they joyfully navigated everything from The Threepenny Opera and Richard III to The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Trey Parker & Matt Stone’s Cannibal! The Musical — all while regularly being voted Long Beach’s fave arts organization. Original projects were regularly in the mix, such as 2011’s monumental LOLPERA, whose libretto was composed exclusively of LOLcat memes and hilariously dramatized the catastrophe inherent to a world where the search for meaning in life has been commodified into the most meaningless of pursuits.

But communities change. Kriese left in 2008, and by 2013 Sebelius, Greenlea, and Variz had followed. That year the Garage merged with (ingested?) Alive Theatre, a younger spawn of CSULB’s Theatre Arts program. Although results of the partnership were mixed (“We’ve done some stinkers for sure,” laughs Hamme, ticking off a few examples both pre- and post-merger), one of the two Alivers still with the Garage today is Thomas Amerman, who — along with Garage mainstay and set designer Rob Young — is chiefly responsible for tending the flame of one of the Garage’s most charming traditions: how for each show the interior is transformed so that at least a little (and sometimes a lot — even the seats and stage may be in totally different places) it feels like you’ve never been in that particular space.

And some of the Garage’s best work was to come. A peak was 2015’s world-premiere staging of Tom Stoppard’s radio play Darkside, which fashions a narrative from both the music and themes of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Conceived and directed by Hamme, the result was so well regarded that Stoppard sent a representative from England to check it out. How often does something like that happen to a theatre that rarely has seating for 40?

But by 2018 the waters were choppy. Sweet was gone, leaving Hamme and Anderson the last co-founders standing. And while the lack of a rigid hierarchy wasn’t a problem with the original crew, now the pair’s lack of feel for helmsmanship left the Garage a bit rudderless. There were only three productions that year (including a restaging of Darkside) and just two in 2019 (though one, a parody version of the Patrick Swayze flick Road House, was one of the funniest things they’ve ever done).

Knowing they were adrift, Hamme and Anderson resolved to get a better grip on the tiller. But smack dab in the middle of the 2020 opener came the tsunami known as COVID-19. Not only was the Garage’s 20th washed away, but if they weren’t sinking, they were sure taking on a lot of water. Attention, passengers: in an emergency your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device.

“We had a little bit of money in the bank, but we really depend on that first show to get us through the rest of the year,” Hamme says. And while “a sizeable donation from a family friend” meant they could pay rent on the space for the short term, the nonprofit, all-volunteer Garage (no employees, no payroll) qualified for very little COVID financial assistance and ultimately got none.

So they turned to community. And their community came through.

“In general asking for money has always been an uncomfortable thing for us,” Hamme says. “And let’s be honest: [although] our audience is incredible — I think we have the best audience in Long Beach, and they’re very supportive — we don’t have the wealthiest audience. […] We thought $5,000 [was enough] to get us a few months into 2021. But then we decided, ‘Look, if we’re going to ask for anything, let’s go big.’ And the response was absolutely incredible.”

Despite setting a target of $10,000, the Garage’s “Yes We Can” fundraiser brought in about $25K, which enabled the Garage to pay 2021’s rent in one lump sum.

“I remember thinking, ‘Shit, this actually means something to people,’” Hamme reflects. “Because when you’re in your own little corner of the sandbox just doing your thing, you don’t really think of that; you’re just trying to entertain the people who chose to be there that night.”

“Lots of donations came with stories and experiences that people shared about what we meant to them, how our being there has helped them,” Anderson adds. “It solidified for us our place in the hearts of the community.”

And community was always the goal.

“No matter what year, no matter what the show, when you walk into our space, whether you’ve been there two times or 20, you feel it,” Anderson says. “That’s part of the reason you’re there: that connection, that relationship. Whether you know us or not, you feel like you’re a part of something. And you are.”

***

While in the midst of working on promos for the Garage’s 25th Season kickoff event, Hamme made the mistake of leaving both his laptop and backup drive together in his car overnight. In the morning he was greeted with the broken window, the missing backpack. A record of the last quarter-century in a little corner of Long Beach, gone.

“I called Eric after I got back [from vacation recently], and he said, ‘It’s gone, everything’s gone,’” Anderson says. “But how do you measure something that’s living and breathing? Experience is the thing. Yes, the record of it is gone, but you never really could go back and revisit the experience itself, anyway.”

Twenty-five years on, there’s no end in sight for the Garage. In fact, 2025 is their first five-show season since 2016. And co-founder Jessica Variz — who brilliantly directed Cannibal! The Musical and LOLPERA — is back for a show this autumn.

“We didn’t think it would last 25 years,” Hamme says. “But we just keep doing the work. […] Everyone — even Matt and me — has a last day with the company coming. I’d like for it to go on even after the two of us are gone; but if/when it’s meant to stop, it’ll stop. [In that case] I think it would be cool if there’s just a little plaque at the space that says something like, ‘This shit happened here.’ That’s enough.”

This shit here continues Friday when the Garage Theatre opens its 25th season with the world premiere of Ryan McClary’s Tragedy Gift Shop (dir. Matthew Anderson). For tickets and all things Garage Theatre, visit thegaragetheatre.org.

Long Beach Opera dials up the ambition for season’s second aleatory offering

Greggory Moore
-
0
Long Beach Opera dials up the ambition for season’s second aleatory offering

Having just seen/heard Long Beach Opera’s staging of El Relicario de los Animales, I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about on their website when they call it “one of [Pauline] Oliveros’ most emotional scores,” as I gather this season’s second aleatory exercise care of Oliveros is based on little more than the composer’s intended orchestration, spatial arrangement of the musicians, and general suggestions for content based on animal themes for four movements. Emotional content? Nada.

But in a season explicitly dedicated to “Deep Listening” — “the term [Oliveros] used to name the driving philosophy and practice behind most of her later work,” says the program — projecting emotion onto the sound is beside (and maybe even counter to) the point. All that concerns us here is the aural and its presentation.

On that score, LBO’s second 2025 offering was a step up from their first in terms of both ambition and execution. Comprised of not only El Relicario de los Animales but also Thirteen Changes, which made expansive use of Los Angeles’s indoor/outdoor Heritage Square Museum, even those of us looking forward to the next time LBO fully stages a traditional “opera” likely came away satisfied with the spectacle.

The Heritage Square Museum “explores the settlement and development of Southern California during its first 100 years of statehood through historic restoration and preservation” by way of the preservation/restoration of eight “historically significant” Victorian Era buildings from Los Angeles neighborhoods relocated to a sylvan nook in Montecito Heights.

From one end of the museum grounds, two dozen black-clad figures slowly processed west, where, after what might have been a wordless blessing, a single violinist/vocalist stepped up on the porch and began to improvise on the basis (presumably, considering the program insert cards showing the score Thirteen Changes) of the instruction, “Standing naked in the moonlight—Music washing the body.” After a short while, the remaining 23 musicians began back east, where the process was more or less repeated as they reached pre-ordained spots (usually the houses). “Solar winds scorching the returning comet’s tail,” “Elephants mating in a secret grove,” “Songs of ancient mothers among awesome rocks” — these ideas may have existed in the musicians’ heads, but without the “score” we would never have known.

But if your sole concern is sound, who cares? And regardless of how much or little each individual performance amounted to, all dozen or so (the title and card suggest 13, but the little map shows 11 spots) taking place simultaneously spread across nine time-warped acres made for one lovely sound-art installation.

Called by the sound of the conch, gradually the performers made their way back east and entered the 137-year-old church, where they arranged themselves in four diamond formations centered on Jamie Barton, the main vocalist and conductor of sorts for El Relicario de los Animales.

What transpired seemed intended as a sort of protohuman religious ritual, with Barton a sort of ur-shaman leading her pre-linguistic congregation from nearly silent contemplation through waves of wild ecstasy riding heartbeat rhythms. It may have gone on too long (when doing a piece of aleatory music, it’s usually best not to fall back on a conceit you’ve already explored), but otherwise I would think it succeeded on its own terms, were it not for that pesky bit on the LBO website about emotionality (whatevs to that).

Although I remain in the camp that hopes Long Beach Opera will eventually return to more of what most of us think of as opera (costumes, arias, a score that’s got actual musical notation), if instead they’re going to do (what I call) sound art (operatic as it may be), this was a satisfying outing.

LA County Sues Edison Over Eaton Fire

Reporters Desk
-
0
LA County Sues Edison Over Eaton Fire

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County filed suit March 5 against Southern California Edison and Edison International or SCE to recover costs and damages sustained by the county from the Eaton Fire. The lawsuit alleges that SCE’s equipment caused the deadly blaze, requiring the county to incur massive costs responding to the fire and its aftermath.

The Eaton Fire devastated the unincorporated community of Altadena, destroying county parks, a nature center, multiple trails, and other essential community infrastructure. Numerous county departments and employees responded and are continuing to assist residents impacted by the fire’s destruction. The county quickly staffed and continues to offer resources at a disaster recovery center in Altadena to help residents and businesses navigate the extensive hardships they are facing due to the fire. The county’s press release stated its case is essential to the restoration and rebuilding process for the community, including residences and businesses, to recover from the devastation.

The county’s complaint against SCE alleges that witnesses, photos, and videos indicate the fire started directly under SCE transmission lines in Eaton Canyon. After the fire started, SCE informed the California Public Utilities Commission or CPUC that a “fault” occurred on its transmission line around the time the fire started. On Feb. 6, SCE sent a letter to the CPUC stating that photographic evidence of its tower at the end of the idle Mesa-Sylmar transmission line shows signs of potential arcing and damage on the grounding equipment for two of the three idle conductors.

The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed approximately 9,400 structures, damaged more than 1,000 structures, resulted in 17 deaths, and injured several firefighters. The lawsuit alleges that the Eaton Fire has massively impacted the county’s natural resources, harmed the environment and wildlife, and threatened public health.

The complaint alleges that while the county’s costs and damages from the Eaton Fire and its aftermath are still being determined and could increase over time based on many factors, it is estimated that they will total at least hundreds of millions of dollars. County counsel Dawyn R. Harrison, who filed the case, said the costs and losses being sought include compensation for destroyed county infrastructure, recreational areas, parks, road damage, cleanup and recovery efforts, flood and mudslide prevention, workers compensation claims, overtime for county workers, lost taxes and more. “We are committed to seeking justice for the Altadena community and the taxpayers of Los Angeles County,” she said.

The county, the county Flood Control District, and the county’s Consolidated Fire Protection District are the plaintiffs in the case. County counsel’s affirmative litigation and consumer protection division will prosecute the case in civil court with outside counsel, Baron & Budd, P.C. The cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre are also filing suits against SCE for damages to taxpayer resources and public infrastructure incurred from the Eaton Fire.

The county’s lawsuit was electronically filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and a copy of the complaint is available here: link

Harbor Area Briefs: Policy Update and Restored Wilmington Clock Tower Unveiled

Reporters Desk
-
0
Harbor Area Briefs: Policy Update and Restored Wilmington Clock Tower Unveiled

McCosker Policy Update

LOS ANGELES — In 2019, the office of Council District 15 partnered with CalTrans and the Port of Los Angeles to commission a freight mitigation study evaluating the impact of commercial truck traffic on East Wilmington residents. The study focused on the area near Watson Junction and identified key measures to reduce truck-resident interactions. Recommendations included permanently closing Blinn Ave. between Lomita Blvd. and Sandison St. to all vehicular traffic and restricting access to Drumm Ave. by creating cul-de-sacs at key intersections of Drumm and Cruces St. as well as at O and Colon St.

With the upcoming closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, commercial traffic is expected to increase, worsening quality of life conditions for East Wilmington residents. On Feb. 26, the council passed a motion introduced by Tim McOsker instructing the Bureau of Engineering, with help from the Department of Transportation, to develop and report back on a comprehensive plan to implement traffic restrictions to help mitigate commercial truck traffic with an outline for the full scope of work and budget for both projects.

 

Restored Wilmington Clock Tower Unveiled at Port of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES –— Residents, tourists and ships arriving at the Port of Los Angeles will now be greeted by a newly restored and illuminated Wilmington Clock Tower at Berth 153. The upgraded tower is the result of a $2.7 million renovation to repair water damage and structural wear-and-tear, and add new façade, exterior lighting and a modern sound system.

Using Prism RGBA color LED luminaire technology, the iconic structure’s exterior lighting will be able to change colors to coordinate with different port and city events. The illuminated tower will be visible from several key junctures in the port’s main channel and west basin, including the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Los Angeles Cruise Terminal, Battleship IOWA, Los Angeles Maritime Museum and West Harbor.

Since the mid-20th century, the Wilmington Clock Tower has marked the entry to the port’s main channel’s west basin. The 100-foot-high structure sits at the south end of Berths 153-155. When built in the early 1950s, the berths’ eight-acre marine terminal featured one of the longest shipping sheds ever to be constructed. The port still uses these warehouses today.

Beyond the exterior façade lighting, the extensive tower restoration involved repair of the entire tower wall assembly, including the interior and exterior finish; replacing all the exterior doors, thresholds and interior lights; repairing or replacing exterior windows, sills, balconies and stair threads; installation of a new sound system; lead and asbestos abatement; stucco and metal flashing work; various plumbing, electrical and wiring upgrades; and a new LED sign that reads “The Port of Los Angeles.” The port began the tower restoration in 2021

 

AG Bonta Charges 30 Officers for Facilitating ‘Gladiator Fights’ Between Youths at Juvenile Hall

Reporters Desk
-
0
AG Bonta Charges 30 Officers for Facilitating ‘Gladiator Fights’ Between Youths at Juvenile Hall

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta March 3 announced the unsealing of a grand jury indictment against 30 detention services officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California on charges of child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy, and battery. The indictment alleges that the officers allowed and, in some instances, encouraged 69 fights to occur between youths at Los Padrinos during the period from July 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023. The indictment stems from an investigation launched by the California Department of Justice after video footage of one of the so-called “gladiator fights” leaked in January 2024. Twenty-two of the 30 officers were arraigned today at Los Angeles Superior Court. The remaining officers will be arraigned on April 18, 2025.

“Officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of those under their care. Instead, the officers charged today did just the opposite – overseeing ‘gladiator fights’ when they should have intervened,” said Attorney General Bonta.

The officers were indicted on charges, including alleged child abuse/endangerment; conspiracy to commit a crime; and battery impacting 143 victims between the ages of 12 and 18. The indictment also alleges aggravating factors, including the vulnerability of the victims and the officer’s position of trust or confidence, which helped enable them to commit the offense. The indictment identifies 69 incidents over a six-month period where probation officers facilitated and permitted youths in their custody to fight each other. These so-called “gladiator fights” resulted in physical harm to youth involved and, if the charges are proven, were a dereliction of the officers’ duty to protect those in their care.

DA Hochman Announces Grand Theft and Conspiracy Charges Employees of CSU, Long Beach

Terelle Jerricks
-
0
DA Hochman Announces Grand Theft and Conspiracy Charges Employees of CSU, Long Beach

LONG BEACH — District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman March 3 announced that one current and one former employee of the California State University, Long Beach or CSULB Athletics Department have been charged with stealing approximately $36,560 from the university through fraudulent time sheets certifying hundreds of hours of nonexistent work between January and December 2022.

“I am appalled at the brazen acts of criminality allegedly committed by employees of California State University, Long Beach, an institution that depends on public funding and public trust,” District Attorney Hochman said. “Stealing from California’s venerated public university system steals from taxpayers and the thousands of students who rely on the university for affordable tuition and educational and career opportunities. Our office’s Public Integrity Division will ensure that those who steal from public institutions are held accountable.”

Oscar Perez Almanza (DOB 12/4/85) and Hender Noe Maxwell (DOB 9/25/86) are each charged in case 25CJCF01062 with one felony count of conspiracy to commit grand theft and one felony count of grand theft. It is further alleged the offenses indicate planning, sophistication, and professionalism; and involved an attempted and actual taking and damage of great monetary value.

From January to December 2022, Almanza worked as a field supervisor and Maxwell was a former grounds worker in CSULB’s Athletics Department. After Maxwell left CSULB’s employment, he allegedly submitted timesheets falsely certifying hundreds of hours worked, which Almanza allegedly approved despite knowing Maxwell no longer worked for the Athletics Department. Once CSULB paid Maxwell, Maxwell allegedly split the money with Almanza. In total, Almanza and Maxwell allegedly stole $36,560 from the university.

The defendants pled not guilty at arraignment March 3. The court released the defendants on their own recognizance with the condition that they relinquish their passports. The next court date is April 14 at the Central Arraignment Courthouse, Dept. 83, for preliminary hearing setting.

If convicted as charged, the defendants face three years in county jail.

The case was investigated by the CSULB Police Department and is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Robert Zoumberakis of LADA’s Public Integrity Division.

Get Free Tax Help. Sign Up for Prep Events in the 65th Assembly District

Reporters Desk
-
0
Get Free Tax Help. Sign Up for Prep Events in the 65th Assembly District

Assemblymember Mike Gipson invites those who have not filed taxes for the past year to join for a tax prep event in March. Both events coming up are free, but appointments are required. For more information, call the assemblymember’s district office at 310-324-6408.

Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 8

Venue: Community Resource Center of Long Beach, 5599 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach


Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 22

Venue: Community Resource Center of Wilmington, 911 N. Avalon Blvd., Wilmington

Assemblymember Gipson’s staff will be available to take your RSVP by phone between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

To be eligible for this free service, you must meet the following criteria: earn $64,000 or less annually. Additionally, you must also meet the following document requirements:

These appointments are available for individuals earning $64,000 or less annually.

For married couples filing jointly and wishing to file electronically, both spouses must be present to sign the necessary forms.

Both spouses must be present when filing jointly.

A government-issued photo ID is required for both individuals, including for the spouse.

Expired IDs will not be accepted.

Important: Please review the information below before your visit. Don’t forget to bring your documents:

Proof of identification (photo ID)

Social Security cards for you/your spouse/dependents

An ITIN assignment letter may be substituted if you do not have a Social Security Number

Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return

Wage and earning statements (Forms W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers

Interest and dividend statements (Form 1099)

Health Insurance Exemption Certificate, if received

Last year’s federal and state tax returns, if available

A blank check or other proof of bank account routing and account numbers

Total paid for daycare provider and provider’s tax identifying number

Forms 1095-A, 1095-B, and 1095-C, health coverage statements

Copies of income transcripts from the IRS and state, if applicable

Spots are still available, so register today. Tax filing help in 45-minute timeslots are available while space lasts.

Trump’s Speech

Reporters Desk
-
0
Trump’s Speech

 

We are living in a pivotal moment in our country’s history. And how we respond to this moment will impact not only our lives, but the lives of our kids and grandchildren.

As you heard last night, President Trump has been very effective in creating a parallel universe. A set of ideas that either have no basis in reality, or are nowhere near the most important concerns of the American people.

He does it through the concept of the BIG LIE, and boy did we hear that last night. He says something that is grossly false, says it over and over again, and has right-wing social media blast it out endless times until people believe it.

The purpose of all of these lies is not just to push his hateful right-wing ideology. It is a masterful effort to deflect attention away from the most important issues facing the people of this country — issues Trump and his billionaire friends do not want to address because it is not in their financial interests to do so.

Trump spoke for almost 100 minutes and he almost completely ignored the issues keeping working people up at night as they worry about how their families are going to survive during these tough times.

100 minutes and he did not have one word to say about the economic realities facing 60% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck.

100 minutes and not one word to say about our broken, dysfunctional and expensive health care system that has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured or why we pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and 1 out of 4 Americans are unable to afford the medicine their doctors prescribe.

100 minutes and not one word to say about the major housing crisis in America that has left 800,000 Americans who are homeless and the millions who spend more than half of their limited income on housing.

100 minutes and not one word to say about the massive income and wealthy inequality that has three Americans owning more wealth than the bottom half of our society.

100 minutes and not one word about a corrupt campaign finance system that allows a handful of billionaires to buy elections.

100 minutes and not one word to say about the fact that our life expectancy is four years lower than other wealthy countries, and the bottom 50% of this country live on average seven years shorter life than the top 1%. In other words, being poor in this country is a death sentence.

100 minutes and not one word to say how we are going to address the planetary crisis of climate change.

And the reason he had very little to say about the crises working families are facing is because he has no plan or desire to address them. Despite some of his rhetoric, Trump and his billionaire friends could not care any less about the concerns of the working people of this country.

He did urge Congress to pass his big beautiful budget…

But he left out the part that that budget would cut Medicaid by $880 billion.

According to one estimate, it means up to 36 million Americans including millions of children would be thrown off the health care they gave. Think about it — we’re talking about people who own their own spaceships who are trying to take away health care from millions of kids. It’s a disgrace.

A 100 minute speech, not one word about that.

I guess he forgot…

Friends, let me be direct:

At this particular moment in history, despair is not an option. None of us have the privilege of hiding under the covers. Let us never forget that real change only happens when ordinary people stand up — by the millions — against oppression and injustice.

I am going to do my part, and I need you with me.

We just had two large and successful rallies in Iowa and Nebraska recently. Thousands of people turned out.

This weekend, I’ll be going to Michigan and Wisconsin where thousands more have already RSVP’d to attend those events.

But that is not all. I’m going to continue running around the country talking to people about what Donald Trump is trying to do — and to talk about our vision for an agenda that works for the many and not just the few.

We can win. We will win. But only if we go forward together.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

County Probation Dept. & Sup. Hahn Address Probation Officer Indictments in Official Statements

Reporters Desk
-
0
County Probation Dept. & Sup. Hahn Address Probation Officer Indictments in Official Statements

 

“The Los Angeles County Probation Department fully supports and applauds the Attorney General and his office for today’s indictments. Our department sought the assistance of law enforcement authorities when misconduct was discovered, which eventually led to the AG’s office investigation. Since then, we have fully collaborated with our partners. At the same time, we have been conducting our own internal inquiries. The current staff named in today’s indictments have all been placed on leave without pay. Accountability is a cornerstone of our mission, and we have zero tolerance for misconduct of any peace officers, especially those dealing with young people in our system.”

“While these incidents are deeply troubling, we believe this marks an important step toward rebuilding trust and reinforcing our commitment to the meaningful changes we are proposing in our juvenile facilities. Our vision for them is one that prioritizes rehabilitation, support, and positive outcomes for justice-involved youth, as well as upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity for our staff. We remain dedicated to fostering an environment that is safe, restorative, and aligned with best practices.”

 

Hahn Issues Statement after California AG Indicts 30 Probation Officers

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has issued the following statement regarding California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s indictment of 30 probation officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall:

“I appreciate the Attorney General for filing these charges. The young people in Los Padrinos are not only in our custody, they are in our care. It is unacceptable that probation officers who were entrusted with this responsibility would use their power to abuse these kids. The probation officers who were involved in this abuse were put on leave last year and I support the Chief Probation Officer in firing any officers who are found guilty. This is only further proof that the culture of our probation department needs to change dramatically.”

1...747576...942Page 75 of 942

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

Real people. Real news. Random Lengths is the Los Angeles harbor area's remaining independently owned progressive news magazine. We cover news in Carson, Wilmington, Long Beach, Lomita, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro.

Contact us: letters@randomlengthsnews.com

FOLLOW US

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv