Traffic Fatality 
LONG BEACH – An elderly man was killed while crossing the street at an uncontrolled intersection, April 9, near Redondo Avenue and 11th Street in Long Beach, officials said.
A vehicle driving southbound at about 10 a.m. struck the Long Beach pedestrian, who has yet to be identified. The driver, an 89-year-old Huntington Beach resident, stopped and rendered aid while a witness called for help.
The pedestrian died at a local hospital at about 3 p.m. The driver was released with no charges pending.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call (562) 570-7355.
Harbor Currents: NEWS April 11, 2013
Art Listings April 10, 2013
April 12
Homes Tour Extraordinaire 2013
Enjoy touring three magnificent homes in Palos Verdes Estates, and then receive a special tour of the newly redesigned Palos Verdes Art Center/Beverly G. Alpay Center for Arts Education in this year’s Homes Tour Extraordinaire from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12 and 13.
This annual fundraiser for the Palos Verdes Art Center/Beverly G. Alpay Center for Arts Education features three Palos Verdes Estate homes: a charming Old Spanish style home; a private cliff-side Lunada Bay Estate; a charming Tuscan view home; and, as a fourth stop on this tour, visit the newly renovated Palos Verdes Art Center– all created by the vision and creativity of Edward Carson Beall. Each ticket includes a tour of the three homes, a delicious luncheon, and the opportunity to shop at a variety of boutiques, including The Circle’s own Classy Collectibles booth, with its trove of fabulous gently used treasures.
This year’s homes tour will pre-sale tickets are $40 for Art Center members and $45 for non-members. The days of the event tickets will be $50 for all.
Details: (310) 541-2479;www.pvartcenter.org
Chef Dustin Trani Named in Top 5 Rising Chefs in the U.S.
This past month, Chef Dustin Trani of San Pedro’s J. Trani’s and currently DOMA Beverly Hills restaurant was named as one of the top rising chefs in Gayot (guy-oh) Magazine’s Restaurant Issue for 2013.
Trani became the executive chef at DOMA in 2012, bringing Italian heritage and his travels around the world to his cuisine. Trani, who was trained at an early age by his father and grandfather, went to Belbo, Italy after college where he studied pasta making at Guido da Costigliole. He then became a chef at the People’s Café in Zagreb in Croatia. At at 23, he went further east to Thailand to cook at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
In 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chose Trani to represent California in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans, where he met celebrity Chef Ming Tsai and became a fan of his. Tsai recruited him as a team member for the James Beard Awards. Trani later became a sous chef under Tsai at the Blue Ginger in Boston and worked under Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco and Todd English at Olives in New York.
Zerby Family Finds Solace
A few days ago, the family of Douglas Zerby won a wrongful death judgment against the Long Beach Police Department.
“We had closure today,” said Mark Zerby, Douglas Zerby’s father. “I’ll always miss my son. He’s such a part of my life and I’ll remember him everyday: ‘A kind smile and a word of encouragement.’”
I’d met with Mr. Zerby more than a year ago, at the advent of the one-year anniversary of his son’s death. The Mark Zerby I saw before me was a different man than the man I met a year earlier — more aged, but also more at peace, engaged with moving forward in life and his work.
Even with all the losses I’ve experienced in life, I can’t fathom the loss of a child. Moreover, the loss of a loved family member in such tragic circumstances, I can only imagine, must be drilling to the heart. Add insult to injury, the family was kept out of the loop and the police department insinuated that the Doug Zerby was partially at fault for his own death.
Officers Victor Ortiz and Jeffrey Shurtleff killed Zerby on Dec. 12, 2010, while he held a garden hose nozzle, which they mistook for a gun.
“People should be given a warning,” Mark Zerby said. “Lethal force should be the last thing when we have other alternatives.”
Nearly 11 months after Doug Zerby’s death, the Los Angeles County District Attorney determined that though this was a tragic mistake of fact, the officers involved in the shooting of Doug Zerby lawfully acted in self-defense of themselves and others.
While the District Attorney’s investigation acquitted the police officers, jurors in a civil case found, on April 4, that the Zerby’s 4th Amendment rights were violated. They found that the officers’ actions caused his death and that they acted with malice or reckless disregard for life.
“The jury was more than generous with the family,” Mark Zerby said. “They listened to all the family, the facts and made their decision. I’m very pleased with their decision.”
Mr. Zerby maintains he doesn’t harbor any animosity toward the police officers that killed his son.
“I don’t want to assign blame to anybody,” Mark Zerby said. “I just pray that this doesn’t happen to another family and that our police force can learn from [the experience].”
The federal court jury awarded $6.5 million to Zerby’s family: $2 million to Mark Zerby, $1 million to Pam Amici, Doug Zerby’s mother, and $3.5 million to Doug Zerby’s son, River.
While River will be taken care of, there is certainly no substitute for the loss of his father. Mark Zerby said his close-knit family maintains a relationship with his grandson, and plans to personally teach the boy to sail and dive, as his father did in his lifetime.
Indeed, there is no amount of money that can bring back Douglas Zerby to his family. But perhaps the acknowledgement that he was a victim, rather than a responsible party helps bring solace to family hit by double by the bereavement of his death and the insult to his memory.
Perhaps, as Mr. Zerby points out, the judgment may serve as a lesson for a department that embrace their shortcomings, as well as its many accomplishments.
Theater Listings: April 9, 2013
April 10
Class Clowns
The Laugh Factory will be hosting Class Clowns on April 10, at 8 p.m. Class Clown is a professional college comedy produced by Grant Cotter. Tickets will cost $17 and $27 depending on seating. Go to the website to reserve tickets.
Details: (562) 495-2844; www.laughfactory.com
Venue: Laugh Factory Long Beach
Location: 151 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach
April 12
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Grab your best girl…and best guy friends for another Girls Night Out, at 8 p.m. April 12, at the Warner Grand.
Harbor Currents: ANNOUNCEMENTS April 9, 2013
April 16
Political Contributions
The Long Beach City Council will consider, during its April 16 regular meeting, ordinances related to political contributions to elected officials.
The ordinances would ban political contributions from contractors and those having business before the council, require elected officials to disclose non-public communications about public business and require council members to disclose communications being received during the city council meetings from lobbyists.
April 23
Fighting World Hunger: Intercultural, Interdisciplinary, Sustainability
Marymount College presentsFighting World Hunger: Intercultural, Interdisciplinary, Sustainability, at 7:30 p.m. April 23, at the Chapel on the Main Campus.
Harbor Currents: ANNOUNCEMENTS April 8, 2013
April 9
Peace: Inner, Outer, Intercultural, Interdisciplinary
Marymount College presents: Peace: Inner, Outer, Intercultural, Interdisciplinary, at 7:30 p.m. April 9, at the Chapel on the Main Campus.
The event will feature music and speakers from the arts, social science and more to discuss the many concepts of peace. Reception and discussion follow in the P.E.A.C.E. Center. The event is free.
Details: (310) 303-7223; www.marymountpv.edu.
Venue: Marymount College
Location: 30800 Palos Verdes Drive East, Rancho Palos Verdes
Harbor Currents NEWS April 8, 2013
Hyatt Workers to Unionize in Long Beach
LONG BEACH — Officials at the Hyatt Long Beach announced, April 8, that it is moving forward with collective bargaining with workers who voted to unionize with UNITE HERE Local 11.
Employees at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach and Hyatt The Pike Long Beach have elected to unionize last month.
Man Killed in Long Beach Shooting
LONG BEACH — One man was killed and four others wounded after a shooting took place April 7 on the 300 block of east Home Street in Long Beach.
When officers arrived at the scene four men had sustained gunshot wounds. Twenty-three-year-old Randy Chapman, of Long Beach, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Two others remain hospitalized in critical condition while another was treated and released.
The motive for the shooting is unknown and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone who may have information regarding this crime is urged to call (562) 570-7244.
Harbor Currents: NEWS April 5, 2013
Monsanto Foolproofs Plan
Deep within House Resolution 933, a billed passed and signed by both Congress and President Barack Obama in March, lies the authorization for Monsanto Corp. to have authority over the U.S. judicial system.
Officially named the Farmer Assurance Provision, it has since been labeled by activists as the “Monsanto Protection Act.” Rightly so, considering it gives Monsanto Corp., the world’s largest producer of genetically modified crops and seeds and the authority to override any federal court decision to restrict the sale and planting of genetically modified crops — regardless of health concerns.
Many anti-GMO advocates say that there needs to be more research. Though some research has already linked genetically modified foods to infertility. With the passing of this provision, even if researchers discover dangerous effects attached to GMO’s, they will be unable to do anything to stop if from reaching the publics dinner tables.
At first, the provision was slipped in anonymously, but soon after its passing, one Republican stepped forward to claim credit. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) actually wrote the provision with help from Monsanto before inserting it into HR 933. Blunt has been a friend to the Monsanto Corp., whose headquarters is in Blunt’s state, for many years. According to OpenSecrets, since 2008 Blunt has received over $90,000 dollars in contributions from Monsanto. Blunt’s wife, Abigail, serves as the head of U.S. government affairs for the processed food giant Kraft. Kraft and Monsanto have worked together in in the past to strike down any anti-GMO bill. For example in 2012 California’s Prop 37, which required labeling of GMO foods, both Kraft and Monsanto donated around $10 million dollars to defeat the bill.
Though lasting only six months, this provision could be an eye-opening example of truly how much power both Monsanto and other major corporations have over our Congress.
–By Cory Hooker
Father Brown Solves Mysteries
By John Farrell, Contributing Theater Columnist
The Innocence of Father Brownis not long on production values but it is big on words and thoughts.
The program describes Father Brown, the detective created by G. K. Chesterton in half a dozen volumes and more than 60 stories, as a humanist as well as religious detective, but that is quite wrong.
Father Brown represents, at least to Chesterton, a Catholic convert himself, all that is great and rational about the Catholic Church. Father Brown solves mysteries by putting himself in the shoes of criminals, by understanding their motives (he has, after all, heard much worse in years of confessions) and by not making the errors that his friends make of presuming anything.