grunion gazette 2-2-12

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VOL. 35 NO. 5 FEBRUARY 2, 2012 Follow us on

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LONG BEACH RESCUE IN PUPPY BOWL ...... Page 3A

OIL MONEY MEANS BEACH PROJECTS ....... Page 4A

PUBLIC ART VICTIM OF RDA’S DEATH ......... Page 9A

MEMORIAL OPENS WOMEN’S CENTER ...... 2A

RUGBY FLOURISHES AT CSULB .................. Page 1B

A PINCH OF SALT ........................... Page 2A

BUSINESS BEAT .............................. Page 23A

ELECTION 2012 ............................. Page 8A

ON WITH THE SHOW ..................... Page 15A

PROFILES IN DINING ....................... Page 19ACO

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By Ashleigh OldlandEDITOR

When members of the On Broadway Merchant Association look at the thoroughfare that con-nects them, they envision a street full of color — a rainbow row celebrating the diversity of busi-nesses, residents and visitors on Broadway. On Broadway merchants will present their colorful idea for the future of the business corridor this Saturday, Feb. 4, at the sec-ond annual Broadway Visioning Community Meeting hosted by Vice Mayor and Second District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal. The meeting is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and takes

place at the Bixby Park Commu-nity Center. Spa Sidney Beauty Lounge owner Sidney Cramer, who serves as the co-president of On Broad-way, said he has been working with business owners and area resident association representa-tives to develop a plan and vision for the street. “On Broadway basically stretches from Alamitos (Avenue) to Belmont Avenue, which is just under two miles — so it’s long,” Cramer said. “We really want to create a cohesion and identity on this street.” What Cramer and other busi-ness owners are proposing, with support from some of the resident

associations, is creating a series of mini-business districts along Broadway that would fall beneath the On Broadway umbrella. The six mini-districts would be cen-tered around major intersections and would include Alamitos Vil-lage, Falcon Village, Bixby Park Village, Temple Village, Heights Village and Belmont Village. Each village will be assigned a different color of the rainbow, from red (Alamitos) to purple (Belmont) as a signature color. “The idea is to strengthen each area and build an identity at each part of the street while also creat-ing a sense of cohesion for Broad-way overall,” Cramer explained.

On Broadway Seeks to Create Rainbow Of Color

—Gazette photo by Ashleigh OldlandWAITING FOR THE RAINBOW. The Broadway corridor from Alamitos to Belmont Avenue boasts diverse businesses.(Continued on Page 26A)

By Harry SaltzgaverEXECUTIVE EDITOR

After six years of seeking sponsorships and coordinating waterfront events, the nonprofi t Sea Festival Association has announced it will suspend operations. This summer will be the 80th year when Long Beach brings a series of events, mostly water-related, under the umbrella of the Long Beach Sea Festival. Activities include every-thing from a model boat regatta in Colorado Lagoon to the waterski and speedboat races between Long Beach and Catalina Island. But in 2012, it will be up to the city’s Parks,

Recreation and Marine Department to put on the multiple shows, likely with help from the Special Events Bureau in the city manager’s offi ce. That’s the way it used to be organized, until promoter Chris Pook was brought in in 2005 to create the nonprofi t and go after more sponsorships and higher profi le events. That partnership was touted as a way to make Long Beach a regional destination for summer events, and Pook and his nonprofi t board did bring in draws like the women’s pro volleyball tour (before the tour went bankrupt and folded its tent), an international open wa-ter swim and more. The Sea Festival Associa-

tion and then-president Drew Satariano also were the brokers for a partnership making Long Beach the permanent home of the pres-tigious Trans-Pacifi c Yacht Race (TransPac) to Hawaii. But the same issue that prompted the cre-ation of the association — empty city govern-ment budget coffers — apparently has caused its demise. “Due to budget constraints, the City of Long Beach advised us that they are no lon-ger prepared to waive fees they would poten-tially receive from Operators of Sea Festival

Sea Festival Nonprofi t Ceases Operation


When a divided City Council turned away a redevelopment plan for land at the corner of Second Street and Pacifi c Coast Highway on Dec. 20, they did manage to agree that the master planning document governing that part of the city should be overhauled. Now Fourth District Council-man Patrick O’Donnell is push-ing for an even quicker timeline to revise the South East Area Development Improvement Plan (SEADIP). He and Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews have an item on the Feb. 7 council agenda to start the planning pro-cess immediately, and to fi nance the study with money from Lyon Communities to be repaid later. Third District Councilman Gary DeLong, whose district includes all of the property in-volved in SEADIP, said he was not asked to cosponsor the agen-da item. Nor was he consulted before the item was put on the council agenda. “This is just an effort to ex-pedite SEADIP,” O’Donnell said. “We have an obligation to them — the property owners, the neighbors, the environmentalists — to give them some predict-

DELONG SKEPTICAL

Effort ToSpeed UpSEADIP

(Continued on Page 27A)(Continued on Page 27A)

—Gazette photo by Jonathan Van DykeFirefi ghters responded Tuesday evening to the 100 block of Loreta Walk, behind Naples Rib Co. in Naples, to put out a chimney fi re in a home.

HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN

By Jonathan Van DykeSTAFF WRITER

The number of murders con-tinued to tumble in Long Beach last year, although other, less violent, crimes increased. The Long Beach Police De-partment released some of its offi cial crime statistics for 2011 Monday, which included murder totals that were better than any time in the LBPD’s recorded history. “I couldn’t be more proud of the work the Long Beach Po-lice Department does every day to keep our city safe,” Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement. “Crime continues to be near his-toric lows in Long Beach and

MurderDown,Crime Up

(Continued on Page 26A)

A | GRUNION GAZETTE | February 2, 2012GAZETTE COMMENTARY

Medical PotTo The Editor, Last month, there was a celebra-tion of the prophet, peacemaker and Nobel award recipient Mar-tin Luther King Jr. It was a com-memoration of his great speeches and of the advancements he ac-complished in the name of civil rights. It was a memorial to the man who led a peaceful 250,000-strong march on Washington D.C. and emblazoned upon the memory of this nation that he had a dream. His was a dream that included all peoples, especially those who

might be considered different. The Civil Rights Act was pro-moted by John F. Kennedy and fi nally enacted in 1964. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990 and Cali-fornia State Unruh Act legislated in 1959 were designed to elimi-nate discrimination against peo-ple with disabilities and provide an avenue for them to have equal /comparable access. Proposition 215, called The 1996 Compassionate Use Act, al-lowed for qualifi ed medical mari-juana patients to legally partake of their medicine. In 2003, CA

Senate Bill 420 clarifi ed many aspects of Prop 215. Change did not happen over-night, but over the years the vast citizenry has become much more aware and accepting of those who are distinctive. Long Beach’s motto is “Work-ing Together to Serve” — meant to serve all citizens. On the city’s web page, it states, “The City of Long Beach is committed to complying with both the intent and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” That means that medical can-

Last week in this space, I talked quite a bit about how the great wired and wireless world of the Internet and its related social media activities are changing our news world. This week, I’d like to tell you how that other amazing wired in-vention, email, has changed my own little world. I’m not talking about how it is running my beloved U.S. Postal Service out of business, or how I hate paying whatever it is I’m paying now for stamps. I’m not even talking about how it has be-come pretty much the sole meth-od for submitting press releases, letters to the editor (should we even call them letters anymore?) and the primary link with my di-verse columnists. No, I’m referring to all of the different ways people have reached out to me to change my life. All I really have to do now is get off my duff and reply. There’s the opportunity to own an iPad or a Kindle Fire for less than $20. Apparently, there is a huge surplus of these electronic wonders, because I average about 50 offers a day to get a deal. Speaking of deals, I’m a fool for sitting here with my lowly BA degree, earned somewhere in the middle of the last century. I can get degrees ranging from a mas-ters in business administration to a doctor of divinity simply by providing my credit card infor-mation. Then there are the business opportunities. Some of my best friends (although I appear to have forgotten their names) can’t be-lieve I’m still going to work when

I could be making thousands a week from my home. If I’m determined to get out of the house, there’s a plethora of franchise opportunities, and even more career-oriented educational outlets. I could learn a foreign language in 10 days or less, or open an account to accept on-line payments. You’ve heard how the wired world has made our darkest se-crets common knowledge to all the data miners out there, and some of the emails I receive certainly seem like they know a lot about me. I’m not just talk-ing about calling me by my fi rst name, either. (Strange how so many people think my name is Editor, though.) How do those businesses know that my home value is underwa-ter? And where did they get the information that I’m just a tad bit extended when it comes to cred-it card debt? I still have a good credit rating, though — I can tell because people are always offer-ing to let me borrow $1,500 or $1,200, to be deposited today. That’s really unnecessary, if I would just, as I said before, get off my duff. After all, my email account has won lotteries in Aus-tralia, New Zealand, Great Brit-ain, Switzerland and Germany. My reputation has reached dark-est Africa, where highly placed individuals want to enter into

business relations with me, where I can earn an easy six- or seven-fi gure commission, just for using my bank account. If I’d just go after that money, I could help out all my friends. It seems people I know have a proclivity toward taking sud-den trips, then losing all of the cash, credit cards and passport information while owing their hotel lots of money. I feel really guilty about just leaving them in the lurch. Fortunately, it seems to always work out, because I see them later and they’ve forgotten the whole incident. I do appreciate how email makes it so much easier for pres-tigious publications to offer to honor my long body of work. I’ve been asked to allow my name (and Editor Saltzgaver’s name) to appear in a number of Who’s Who compilations. I’m particu-larly pleased that the Young Ex-ecutives want me in their book. I have to admit to a little puzzle-ment over the invitation to be part of the next Distinguished Women of America list, though. I’d be worried about how all this activity is impacting my health, but I can turn to my email offers to do everything from los-ing the extra 25 or 50 (or more) pounds I carry to avoiding the heartbreak of psoriasis. What’s more, I can get supplemental in-surance to cover the treatments. We do indeed live in a brave new world, and email makes it all possible. Now excuse me, while I get off my duff.

The Sea Festival is dead. Long live the Sea Festival. Okay, Long Beach’s Sea Fes-tival isn’t exactly like British royalty, but it does have a way of surviving traumatic demises, and we’d like to make sure that the venerable Long Beach summer tradition makes it past the latest trauma — the dismantling, or at least suspension, of the Sea Fes-tival Association. Often called the International Sea Festival, the conglomeration of summer waterfront events has ebbed and fl owed over its 80 or so years. Early on, it was a loose affi liation of activities in Marine Stadium (powerboat races), off-shore (Catalina Ski Races), on the pier (Kids Fishing Rodeo) and on the beach (Great Sand Sculpture Contest). For the fi rst 70-some years, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Department tried to be the umbrella under which the summer activities came together and were marketed. When times were good, that meant lots of promotion and plenty of prizes at the events the department put on itself, like the sand castle con-test and the Model Boat Regatta. When times were bad, that meant relying on free publicity for mar-keting and the pleasure of partici-pation for attracting competitors, with heavy reliance on promoters for the bigger events. Things were looking particu-larly bleak in 2004. The city was in a budget-cutting mood, and spending money on “extras” like summer recreation was creating a bad perception, even though the actual amount wasn’t that great. So then-City Manager Jerry Miller and then-Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine Phil Hester went to super pro-moter Chris Pook with an idea. How about starting a nonprofi t to go after sponsorships and big events, while keeping the popular community activities alive at the same time? Pook brought in some key players, notably Drew Satariano from the boating world and Char-ter Communications as a primary sponsor, and got the ball rolling. The Sea Festival Association brought the Women’s Pro Vol-leyball tour back to Long Beach, capitalizing on the popularity of hometown favorite Misty May. Yacht owners up to and including Roy Disney came to town when Transpac made Long Beach and Sea Festival its home base. With the addition of Run Racing as the operator, promotion took on a professional feel.

The dream of turning Sea Fes-tival into a regional draw while maintaining the community feel with things like Movies on the Beach appeared close to reality. Then, the Great Recession hit. Sponsorships and money-spending participants disap-peared in 2009. Ironically, that was the year that Pook’s agree-ment with the city called for a jump in payments. Long story short, the city man-agement felt it wasn’t getting the money it needed to allow big special events to occur and the Sea Festival Association felt it wasn’t getting the breaks neces-sary to attract event promoters and sponsors. The association was supposed to be nonprofi t, but it wasn’t supposed to lose money. So the plug was pulled. Which leaves us pretty much where we were some six years ago. A large number of activi-ties remain ready to go forward under the Sea Festival umbrella, and one primary promoter, Fred Khammar of Beach Ventures, surely knows that Sea Festival is important to his summer beach business. City management says it can-not afford to waive fees anymore for big events. That’s understand-able. Most of the promoters we know will pay the actual costs (even though they’ll likely grum-ble) if they have a viable event, like the Chinese Dragonboat Races. We just need to make sure they aren’t being gouged. Sea Festival can and should return to its community roots. Make it a summer celebration of the lifestyle that we who live in Long Beach revel in. We’re confi dent that the Parks, Recreation and Marine Depart-ment can handle the administra-tion — although City Hall is go-ing to have to fi nd a way to part with some money and/or resourc-es to help it along. We know it can be done — they found a way to keep the much more expensive Municipal Band alive when the politicos said make it so, didn’t they? We’ll need to lean on the de-partment’s own nonprofi t arm, Partners of Parks (ironically, now led by Drew Satariano as execu-tive director) as a conduit for do-nations, sponsorships and fi nanc-ing. We’ll need to be creative when it comes to partnering with other community organizations. Just like we used to do. The Sea Festival helps defi ne Long Beach in the summer. We can, and should, keep it alive. Let’s get to it.

Sea Festival WorthEffort To Continue


Myriad Emails Create New Life

February 2, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 3A

nabis patients should have equiv-alent access to their physician-recommended medicine as others have to prescribed pharmaceuti-cals. And I have a dream that even in Long Beach all people with dis-abilities and/or who are ill will be treated with the respect they de-serve and judged by the content of their character, not by what-ever medicine they need to ease their suffering.

Diana LejinsLong Beach

Derby DevoteeTo The Editor, Kudos to Ryan ZumMallen for his excellent story about the Long Beach Roller Derby’s search for a new venue. I can’t imagine Long Beach with out our “Offi cial Sport.” These extraordinary women ath-letes have consistently packed the Dome with their exciting and

very real Roller Derby matches. The combination of thrilling com-petition, great music and family-friendly fun has earned them the rabid fan base that they so richly deserve. The Queen Mary management is really making a huge blunder by overcharging for their under-utilized facility. Roller Derby is a critical component of what makes

our city special and provides us with a spectacular, affordable sporting event. A friendly note to the City Council — Derby fans are voters and retaining this invaluable as-set to our city is a priority for us. Time to step up and help create a new venue.

Mark KingsburyRose Park

(Continued from Page 2A)

Our Mailbox

By Stephanie MinasianSTAFF WRITER

Fumble, a young Chihuahua/terrier mix from the spcaLA in Long Beach, has just scored in the big time. The puppy is set to make his television debut as part of the starting lineup on Animal Plan-et’s “Puppy Bowl VIII” show — aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl game. Ana Bustilloz, who is the di-rector of communications and marketing for spcaLA, decided last year that Long Beach need-ed to fi nd a cute, furry football player to star in the annual Puppy Bowl. “I asked our wonderful staff to recommend some puppies,” Bustilloz said. “Cuteness was a major factor, but the puppy would also need to handle a long plane ride to New York City… We saw Fumble, and he is just so cute. He was a good size and a beautiful puppy.” Fumble is very toy-driven — a good trait to have when starring in the Puppy Bowl, she added. “We gave him a toy to play with and he just went crazy,” Bustilloz said. “So, we thought he would do great on camera because he was very toy motivated. His reac-tion to other dogs also was really good. He enjoyed the company of other dogs, so our staff and trainers gave their input and they ultimately picked him.” Petfi nder — the service that

chooses each of the young dogs for the Puppy Bowl — selected Fumble, and he and Bustilloz were sent to New York City to fi lm the show last October. During the taping, Fumble was able to mingle with many other dogs of all shapes, sizes and col-ors, and was the only puppy on the set with a football reference for a name, Bustilloz said. “He did really well,” she said. “Fumble had a lot of fun playing with the toys and the other dogs rolling around and having a great time. He was there to represent California and the spcaLA.” Fumble was brought into the spcaLA with his sister late last year. While his sister was adopt-ed immediately, Fumble stayed with spcaLA and was put with a foster home before being adopted after his Puppy Bowl taping. He is now training to be a therapy dog, according to Bustilloz. “It was certainly a lot of fun to do it this year, and we’ve had a good time as a local organization telling people one of our dogs will be in the Puppy Bowl,” she added. “Puppy Bowl VIII” will be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. this Sun-day on Animal Planet. For more information, visit animal.discov-ery.com/tv/puppy-bowl.

Long Beach RescuePart Of Puppy Bowl VIII

FUMBLE

a | gRUNION gaZeTTe | February 2, 2012

By Jonathan Van DykeStaff Writer

this city has beach in its name for a reason, and this year there will be several large projects the city has paid for giving back to its namesake. if everything falls into place, construction will begin on a num-ber of different beach restroom replacements and renovations, a rebuild of the Leeway Sailing

Center, renovations to the beach pedestrian path and the comple-tion of a repaving and renovation of beach parking lots. these proj-ects will be made possible through tidelands funds — one-time oil revenue windfall from the Port of Long Beach that is supposed to be allocated for shore-side proj-ects. “i support using the tidelands funds for capital projects that

provide benefits to residents for many years,” third District Councilman Gary DeLong said. “i’m for building for the future.” Last year, the City Council ap-proved several different projects with rough estimates on cost. there is no current timeline for the projects, but initial estimates had some being completed this year and next year. the largest of these projects will be about $5.15 million al-located for beach restroom re-placements at Bay Shore avenue, Coronado avenue, eighth Place, Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, 62nd Place, Mother’s Beach, Granada avenue, Junipero av-enue and Queensway Bay. “all of the identified restroom facilities are over 30 years old and are in need of replacement or refurbishment,” said eric Lo-pez, tidelands Capital Projects program manager. “the new fa-cilities will consist of single stall units, which are safer, easier to clean and will help discourage vandalism. the city’s beach rest-rooms are heavily used, so their improvement will benefit local residents and the many visitors who enjoy the city’s beaches and special events.” Green design elements also will be included that should conserve water and energy with design ele-ments like passive ventilation and natural lighting, officials said. the city has set aside $800,000 for a completely new restroom facility between the Belmont Vet-erans Memorial Pier and Granada avenue — essentially between the Belmont Plaza Pool’s outdoor and indoor facilities. the Belmont Veterans Memo-rial Pier is set to receive curb and railings repairs for about $250,000. the beach’s pedestrian path will see a $5 million facelift/expansion that will relieve con-gestion between walkers/runners

Beach Bathrooms Get Facelifts



The Veterans Small Business Expo 2012 runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Build-ing T-1200 at Long Beach City College, 4901 Car-son St. The expo area will feature dozens of resource providers, primary contractors and veteran busi-ness owner organizations. In addition, there will be

panel discussions on “Supplier Diversity,” “Access to Capital,” “Government Contracting,” “Certifica-tions” and “Business Resource Providers. Organizers say space is limited and suggest RSVPs to be sure to be admitted. Fore additional in-formation, call (916) 393-1690 or visit the website at www.http://vboc-ca.org.

Veterans Small Business Expo Set For Feb. 8

Police cars rushed to a home Tuesday morning in the 300 block of Santa Ana, northeast of Rogers Middle School. They had been called at 8:35 a.m. on a reported cat burglary with a man still in the home, ac-cording to police. The victim said the burglar was armed and had fired a shot at him — missing — before fleeing the scene.

Officers set up a perimeter and searched both the residence and surrounding area, but could not find a suspect, police said. About eight units responded to the call. The investigation is continu-ing, and anyone with information should call the Burglary Detail at 570-7351. Anonymous tips may be sub-mitted at www.tipsoft.com

Police Still Looking For Cat Burglar

and cyclists, as well as add light-ing for safety. Belmont Shore’s Leeway Sail-ing Center is slated to receive a full rebuild for about $3.1 mil-lion. “The Leeway Sailing Center is a city-owned facility that’s over 60 years old and in need of re-placement and improvement,” Lopez said. “The current build-ing sits on wooden piles that are submerged in sand and water and need to be replaced.” The center offers services to the public like youth and adult sailing, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing classes throughout the year — as well as provid-

ing boat activities for 200 youth participants each week during a summer aquatics day camp. Its restroom facilities also will be upgraded. “It has been there many years and this rebuild is long overdue,” DeLong said. “It’s been needed for more than 10 years.” The project that may be com-pleted the earliest is the $4.8 million repavement, resurfacing and meter replacement for beach parking lots at the Belmont Plaza Pool, Alamitos Beach, Marina Green and Junipero Avenue. Of-ficials said that revenue is being lost because of malfunction-ing meters, and new equipment should be able to take different payment methods. That and the pier could be finished this year.

—Gazette photo by Geronimo QuitorianoVisitors looked at an American Doughboy Combat uniform at the Honoring Our History World War I traveling exhibit which made a one day stop Saturday next to the Queen Mary.

DOUGH BOY


Bathrooms


By Stephanie MinasianStaff Writer

it’s been nearly a year since life-long Long Beach resident and Wilson High School alumna Ja-

net McKenzie donated $100,000 to drastically improve the Bruin’s music room, and she is still beam-ing with pride for its students’ success.

McKenzie, who met her late husband edward while attending Wilson, also saw her two sons — Scott and Douglas — succeed in-side Wilson’s classrooms.

Since the deaths of her boys, McKenzie set up two scholar-ships in their memory. “i want to keep my scholar-ships up,” McKenzie said. “My husband was vice principal, and my son was a (first chair) french horn player. So, i thought it was a nice thing to do.” Her initial donation to the Wilson music room allowed the school to transform its former auto shop — and later, the ce-ramics room — into a suitable music space for the band. the first phase of construction began last february, and was completed in September. the first phase re-moved leftover hydraulics and equipment from the auto shop and ceramics studio, and added new carpet, sound-proof curtains, floors, paint, ceiling fans, lockers and acoustic paneling. McKenzie also is donating an additional $400,000 to continue the improvements and hire new music coaches. “the fact that after all these years she’s making such an im-pact on this community and her alma mater is amazing,” said Wil-son Principal Sandy Blazer. “We have more people who want to come to Wilson because of this.” Blazer added that the school is

naming the new music room the McKenzie family Music Studio once the project is completed. a dedication sign will be put into place in the spring, she said. it will be seen from Park avenue. “this family is really special,” said Long Beach Unified School District trustee Jon Meyer. “Both of her sons and her husband played football for Wilson, and were all very good.” Blazer was able to move the ce-ramics class into the main build-ing of the campus, which opened up a space for music. the only problem was the room was clut-tered with ceramics equipment, tables and layers of dust from art projects over the years. it needed a facelift, she said. “Our prior music room is above the auditorium, and we called it the shoe box because it’s long and narrow and not good for sound,” Blazer said. “We looked at porta-ble classrooms to move music to, but we always brought up using the former auto shop room that was our ceramics space.” While McKenzie didn’t play in the Bruins’ band, she did sing in the school’s Glee Club, she add-ed. the second phase of the proj-

Alumna Supports Wilson Music

—Gazette photo by Stephanie MinasianGENEROSITY. Long Beach School board member Jon Meyer, left, and Wilson Principal Sandy Blazer, right, thank Janet McKenzie for her donation to the Wilson music program.



ect will include air conditioning, a new rolling door and a more permanent wall. Technology also will be in-stalled in the room that will allow students to record their music, along with the rest of the orchestra, so that the music teacher will be able to grade it after class time. “Students can play their mu-sic, and it will be evaluated by the teacher later on,” Blazer said. “The ongoing money also will allow for a string coach, or a woodwind or brass coach to work with small groups of stu-dents.” With a school as large as Wil-son, Blazer said it can be difficult for music students to get one-on-one assistance, and coaches will certainly help with that. “I’m just glad it’s going well and it’s being used now,” McK-enzie added. A full unveiling will take place when the sign is put into place, so the community will be able to see the improved music studio.

By Ashleigh OldlandEdITor

The Council of Business As-sociations was formed three years ago in an effort to build commu-nication among business districts and city departments. CoBA is furthering that mis-sion this year with the creation of the first citywide business survey designed to highlight common is-sues business owners experience when working with various city departments. “This is not a witch hunt or smear campaign,” said CoBA Chair Blair Cohn, who also serves as the executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association. “We want to work with the city to fix issues that districts and individual business owners are having and make sure the city is as business friendly as it can be.” A few sample surveys are being distributed in various parts of the city this month, with a full launch of the survey to take place soon after. The survey will be available

online and take about 10 minutes to complete, Cohn said. The re-sults will be compiled later this year and presented to city depart-ment heads and the City Council. “This is something we can do to help this be a more business friendly city,” Cohn said. “This is a way to bring businesses togeth-er as a united force and voice.” There are about 20 questions on the survey, asking basic busi-ness information as well as more in-depth questions about recent interactions business owners have had with city departments. The survey will be sent to busi-ness owners inside and outside official business districts, Cohn said. The survey also will be sent out in different languages, such as Spanish and Cambodian, so the answers reflect Long Beach’s diversity. Kerstin Kansteiner, president of the 4th Street Business As-sociation, also serves as a chair

for CoBA, which meets monthly and includes representatives from groups such as the downtown Long Beach Associates, Belmont Shore Business Association and the East Anaheim Street Business Association. Kansteiner said the survey will highlight common issues. “We feel that there can be im-provements in the process, and what we are hoping is that we can be helpful in facilitating some changes — this won’t hap-pen overnight,” Kansteiner said.

“It is going to take awhile to re-ally change perceptions about whether or not the city is business friendly.” Cohn said the survey is the largest project CoBA has under-taken since it was formed, and the release of the survey has been in the works for more than a year. He added that CoBA has worked with Long Beach development Services as well as outside con-sultants to refine the study and insure that the results are fairly analyzed.

COBA Business Survey Seeks Common Voice(Continued from Page 6A)

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A | GRUNION GAZETTE | February 2, 2012


Naomi Rainey, whose name currently is on the ballot for the District 4 seat on the Long Beach Unifi ed School District board, has

hired a law fi rm to get her name off the ballot. Rainey announced in early Jan-uary that she would challenge Jon Meyer for the seat, then changed her mind the week nomination

fi lings were due. But she did not withdraw her candidacy with the Los Angeles County Clerk and Recorder before the deadline, and was ruled a candidate. That ruling meant that the

county would charge the school district about $200,000 to oper-ate the District 4 election, despite Rainey saying she did not want the position. Offi cials cited the state election code for the ruling. Monday afternoon, Rainey an-nounced that she had hired Reed & Davidson, LLP, to fi le a writ of mandate to have her name re-moved from the ballot. The fi rm specializes in election law, Rain-ey said. “The fi rm will do everything legally possible to have my name removed from the ballot after I was unsuccessful in my attempts to resolve the issue with both the city of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Voter Registrar’s Offi ce,” Rainey said in a state-ment. “I want to thank my family, friends, educators, business and religious leaders, and other mem-bers of the community that have been supportive, and did not rush to judgment. My main objective is to continue serving the commu-nity, especially the youth, disen-franchised, voiceless and under-represented. The decisions of my life will always be infl uenced by the needs of my family and God’s purpose for my life.” School district offi cials said they also are seeking a legal rem-edy to avoid the expense of the

election. While the money has been budgeted, it is in the dis-trict’s general fund, and could be used for other purposes if not used for the election. In other political news: • All three Fourth District City Council candidates — Patrick O’Donnell, Daryl Supernaw and John Watkins — will appear be-fore the Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council this Friday morning. The breakfast panel starts at 7:30 a.m. at The Grand and is open to the public. • Former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill has endorsed Lil-lian Kawasaki in the Eighth Dis-trict City Council Election. • Fourth District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell has been en-dorsed by the Long Beach Police Offi cers Association and the Long Beach Firefi ghters Association in his write-in campaign for a third term. • Doug Otto, the incumbent in District 4 race for Commu-nity College Board of Trustees, has received endorsements from the two faculty unions at Long Beach City College — the Com-munity College Association and the LBCC Certifi cated Hourly In-structors.

Rainey Hires Attorney To Stop Costly Election

Third District Councilman Gary DeLong will be the guest at the next meeting of the Belmont Shore Residents Association at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at Bay Shore Library, 1950 Bay Shore Ave. DeLong will discuss current

Shore issues regarding new res-taurants, bars and liquor license applications. All Belmont Shore residents are invited to attend the monthly meetings, which are on the sec-ond Thursday of the month. Visit www.shoreresidents.com.

DeLong Speaks To BSRA Meet



Public art, love it or hate it, has been a part of Long Beach’s evo-lution for the last few decades. No more. At least no more un-less the City Council fi nds another way to fi nance it. That’s because the city’s Percent for Art program ended Wednesday, Feb. 1, along with the Redevelopment Agency and the city’s redevelopment ar-eas. “Percent for Art was a rede-velopment program, not a city program,” said Development Ser-vices Director Amy Bodek. “Just like the rest of redevelopment, any preexisting agreements that require compliance must go for-ward, but that’s it. The program is over.” In addition to the major sculp-ture pieces seen on Ocean Bou-levard and elsewhere in the city, the public art program has been responsible for creation of things like the changing lights down-town, starting at Rainbow Harbor and running through the Prom-enade to Third Street. For most of the program’s exis-tence, public art has been admin-istered by the Arts Council for Long Beach, previously known as the Public Corporation for the Arts. That nonprofi t has helped with everything from peer review for selection of artists to follow-through to complete installations. “Public art has been one of our primary programs,” said Larry Rice, current Arts Council board

president. “Most of our money for it has come through the con-tract with the RDA, although we also have an agreement with the transportation department (MET-RO). Most of it is pass-through, but we did take a percentage for administration, as well.” When it appeared last fall that redevelopment was in jeopardy — the state legislature eliminated redevelopment areas as part of the budget process, but that move had been appealed to the state Supreme Court — Long Beach’s RDA declined to renew its public art contract with the Arts Council. The council appealed to the city manager for bridge funding to keep its public art administrator, Leslie Markle, but to no avail. He was let go late last year. “We’ve adjusted our spending to refl ect the loss of revenue,” Rice said. “Our spending remains on target. We’ve still got the Col-

laborative (a downtown gallery paid for by Lyons Communities as part of its Gallery 421 develop-ment) and we’re completing some smaller things. We also have our other services, including to art learning programs, the (grant) al-locations and special events.” Still, loss of the public art com-ponent is a big blow, said interim director John Glaza. It represent-ed $500,000 in the Arts Council’s 2011 budget, with $340,000 go-ing directly to art and $160,000 for operating costs. Now, the council’s total annual budget is about $800,000, includ-ing $354,300 in support from the city. Of that amount, more than $200,000 is redistributed to art-ists and arts groups in the form of grants. Still, Rice said, the Arts Coun-cil is moving forward. A new per-manent executive director is ex-pected to be announced this week.

That hire will be key to what the Arts Council becomes, he added. “Our future is up in the air,” Rice said. “We’re going through an analysis now. We have to hone in on what we do best. We have to redefi ne ourselves. We need to create more collaborations with

larger organizations. “It’s still my goal to convene a presidents and executive directors council with the city’s arts orga-nizations. Our direction will defi -nitely be one of the fi rst things on our new director’s agenda, and he knows that.”

Public Art Funding Sapped By Redevelopment Loss


By Jonathan Van DykeStaff Writer

for the majority of the collect-ables found this weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center, there is a story and a history. in 1915, the mint in San fran-cisco struck the Panama Pacific

$50 gold piece for a special ship expedition. “it’s the largest size gold coin the U.S. government has ever struck,” said ron Gillio, chairman of the Long Beach Coin, Stamp and Collectibles expo. “there is one round edition and one octag-

onal — the only octagonal they ever did.” for many of the coins at the show, which takes place this weekend and then two other times this year, there is a special event being commemorated that gives them a lush background — along with a steep price. Started in 1964, the Long Beach Coin, Stamp and Collect-ibles expo was bought by Gillio in 1992. although he has since sold it, he remains in charge as its chairman. “it’s the biggest coin show in California and probably one of the biggest in the United States,” he said. to that end, the expo takes place over 100,000 square feet, with about 500 booths and about 2,000 exhibitors. the event has drawn as many as 4,000 to 6,000 people — some who will be buy-ers and others who will bring their own collections for evaluation.

“anyone can come to the event with old coins or stamps and we have free appraisals,” Gillio said. “People dig around their homes, or maybe they inherited some coins — so they can come get them evaluated.” there will be gold, silver, rare coins, vintage paper money, rare stamps and estate jewelry for sale. there will be seminars on different types and collections. Collectors flock to these events, Gillio said, looking for very spe-cific coins or stamps. “a guy might just collect silver dollars from a specific 10-year time period,” he said. “People sort of shop to fill out their collec-tions. i’ve been collecting since i was 10 years old and i still collect them. Coins are history in your hands.” in a time where older coins were kept in circulation longer, and were made of different and more valuable materials than they

are today, Gillio said it was a de-light as a child to find a penny that could be sold to a collector for as much as $50. “it’s just interesting to me,” he said. “i collect colonial coins form Vermont. the original colo-nies made real copper coins.” While the history can be fun for certain coins (take the 1892 50-cent piece given for the first World’s fair, for example), there is real money to be made and ex-changed during the event. there will be coins valued from a penny to $500,000. that Panama Pacific piece Gillio said he admires may go for more than $100,000. “there’s something for every-body, from the beginners, to the advanced collectors,” he added.

Coins, Stamps Prized At Long Beach Expo

“Courageous” will kick off a series of free movie nights. the film starts at 7 p.m. friday, feb. 3, at Seventh Day adventist Church, 1023 e. third St. “Courageous” is a Christian-targeted film about four police

officers who learn about God and family. the film series, on the first fri-day of every month, was created by the church’s ministry to create an opportunity to join friends and family for fun and fellowship.

Movie Nights Start With “Courageous”

WHAT: Coin, Stamp And Collectibles ExpoWHEN: Today through Saturday, Feb. 2-4WHERE: Long Beach Convention CenterCOST: $4 to $8


By Ashleigh OldlandEditor

Many business owners are feel-ing the pressure to jump on the mobile technology bandwagon, but creating customized smart phone applications may be out of reach for those without enough time, money or technical savvy. Alan Armijo, president of Long Beach-based tECH international, which specializes in technology consulting and website develop-ment and applications, is gain-ing a reputation among business owners and business associations in Long Beach as an alternative resource for mobile-friendly ap-plications. tECH international designs smart phone website apps, which are mobile device-friendly web-sites that automatically upload on mobile devices when the user clicks on a business’s regular website UrL. Computer users will still see the regular website, but mobile users will see a web-site custom-designed for a small-er, touch-friendly screen. “A native app, or custom app, is something you download from a source such as the Apple Store,” Armijo explained. “A web app is something you can pull up on a Google search.” Setting up a web application typically costs less and requires less maintenance than a native app, Armijo said. tECH interna-tional has charged between $600 and $1,500 to create web apps, and the apps can be programmed to automatically update whenev-er the regular website is updated. Armijo credits the low cost and

low maintenance to the success of the concept in Long Beach. Besides independent businesses, Armijo has set up web appli-cations for the Belmont Shore Business Association, Bixby Knolls Business improvement Association, and on Broadway Merchants Association. the Na-ples island Business Association is unveiling its web application this week. “More and more people will be and are searching from their phone, so we are allowing these businesses and business districts to get ahead of the curve,” Armi-jo said. “Mobile device popular-ity is growing at an exponential rate, and we are at the beginning of the cycle. it is going to over-take desktop internet use.” Bart J. deLio, president of the Naples island Business Associa-tion, said he is looking forward to the launch of the Naples website application, which will be more reader-friendly for mobile device users when compared to the as-sociation’s regular website. “We’ve been discussing appli-cations for some time, and this was financially feasible for us,” deLio said. “Also, these types of apps are more conducive to the passing public since they don’t have to load anything up on their phone. this just comes right up when they Google us.” Use a smart phone or iPad to see examples of business district web applications at Belmont-Shore.org or onBroadwayLB.com. For details about tECH international, visit techinterna-tional.net.

New Process TranslatesWeb Site To Mobile App the annual Fourth district

Snow day will take place this Saturday. Fourth district City Coun-cilman Patrick o’donnell has hosted the day for the last several

years. in addition to several tons of man-made snow shaped into a sledding hill and snowman-build-ing area, there will be bouncers, games for children and free hot dogs grilled by the Long Beach

Police and Fire departments. All of the activities are free. the event starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. Whaley Park is at 5620 E. Atherton St. Call 570-6918.

Snow To Fall In Whaley Park Saturday



two years ago, Long Beach resident Yolanda Perez gave birth to her daughter Olivia at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

Olivia was born prematurely, and Perez has had type 1 diabetes since the age of nine. the high-risk pregnancy required special care and attention, which Perez said, was exactly what Long

Beach Memorial provided for her. Long Beach Memorial officials said that premium care for women with high-risk pregnancies would continue to get better, with the

opening of the new floor for more risky pregnancies in the Memori-alCare Center for Women. Olivia is now a happy, healthy 2-year-old. “this center is really nice,” Perez said at the opening ceremo-ny last week. “it feels very homey with bright rooms.” the $14.9 million unit includes new private patient rooms, a fetal

diagnostics center and new labor and delivery suites for comfort and added privacy — which also helps a new mother bond with her infant, according to hospital offi-cials. “this has windows and sun-shine, so it will be very nice for those patients who have a pro-longed stay in the hospital,” said Dr. Martin Muth, who serves as the chief of staff for the Women’s Center. “We are now adding 18 new private rooms, so that is go-ing to lend to patients’ privacy and enhance their experience while they are staying in our care.” During the last 18 months, Long Beach Memorial reached out to the community and philan-thropists to fund and support the new floor. “We are still trying to get ad-ditional support,” said Michele roeder, who is the director of major gifts at the hospital. “We are trying to raise $3 million phil-anthropically.” So far, the hospital has received $1,750,000 from large donations, she said. Since Long Beach Me-morial is a nonprofit, $11.9 mil-lion is being invested from the hospital back into the project. the Memorial Medical founda-tion’s annual fundraiser, “Danc-ing with Our Stars,” is planned to be the biggest money-raising ef-fort for the Women’s Center. the event is set for set for feb. 11 at the Westin Hotel, in downtown Long Beach. “Our goal for the gala (Danc-ing with Our Stars) is to net $300,000,” roeder added. “So, if we net that, we will be well over the $2 million mark.” With Oliva bouncing around as a healthy child, Perez added that she is happy for the new and expectant mothers who will be treated in the new center. “i really am grateful for this hospital and for this staff here,” she said. “i think it will be great for other moms who may have a similar situation to mine, just because it’s very important to be able to have the time alone and the time with your family after the birth.”

—Gazette photo by Stephanie MinasianNEW LIFE. Entrants from the upcoming Dancing with Our Stars fundraiser smile alongside 2-year-old Olivia and her mother at the ceremony for the recently built MemorialCare Center for Women.

Center For Women Helps At-Risk Pregnancies



With more readers turning digi-tal pages of their books, free e-books and audio books from the Long Beach Public Library will be showcased when the Digital Bookmobile National tour heads to Long Beach on Saturday, feb. 11. the Bookmobile will be on site from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Second Saturday art Walk, on Linden avenue between east Broadway and east first Street, in down-

town Long Beach. the Long Beach Public Library will be showing the community how to use its service that allows library cardholders to download an eBook or audio book to their mobile device. the download site is run through Overdrive, and can be found at www.lbpl.org/down-loads. “its at the art Walk, so people can come by anytime during it,” said Digital Services Librarian Julianna robbins. “People don’t need to make an appointment,

and they can tour the Bookmo-bile. Library staff will be there to help them understand how to use the eBooks feature online. they will be able to download it to their mobile phone, Kindle, Nook, computer and or tablet device.” Once the titles are downloaded from the site, many audio titles can be burned onto a CD or to a computer, robbins added. at the end of the lending period, the eBook or audio book will auto-matically expire from the device. “as an avid eBook reader, i’m

delighted that our Long Beach Li-brary is expanding its use of tech-nology that will enrich our com-munity in many ways,” Mayor Bob foster said in a release. those who show up to the event are encouraged to bring their Long Beach Public Library card, or apply for one that day, to be en-tered in a drawing to win a Kindle touch from the Long Beach Pub-lic Library foundation. “the big benefit is that it’s free, unlike when you go to amazon,” robbins said. “You can never

have a late fee because it’s auto-matically returned and you don’t have to come into the library.” the Digital Bookmobile is housed inside an 18-wheel trac-tor-trailer, library officials said. this is the first time the 74-foot community outreach vehicle has visited Long Beach, and is equipped with internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, interactive learning stations and portable media players. for more information, visit www.lbpl.org.

Social and peace activist Phyl-lis Solomon passed away Jan. 24 at the age of 93. Pat alviso, an activist for Mili-tary families Speak Out, said, “She was an outspoken proponent for ending these unjust wars… She would be the first one out planting signs in the lawn, march-ing with us during parades, and facing down the occasional angry and rude motorist… today, the peace movement has lost a great activist and humanitarian.” She was a founding member of Long Beach area Citizens in-volved, an organization dedicated to peace and justice as well as a

more representative and respon-sive local government. in her 90s, she was elected president of Senior Patriots against the War in Seal Beach. She was honored with a Lifetime Peacemaker award from the Long Beach area Peace Network in 2011. Solomon was born in Chicago on Dec. 19, 1918. She got a Ba from Northeastern illinois Uni-versity while in her 50s. Solomon was active in civil rights, helping integrate Skokie ill., in anti-war efforts in Chicago and in the nu-clear freeze movement after mov-ing to California.

Solomon and her husband Sid-ney moved to California in 1971. at the age of 60, she got her Master’s degree in Gerontology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Solomon’s husband passed away in 1990 and she is survived by four children, six grandchil-dren and one great-granddaugh-ter.

Long Beach Says Farewell To Activist Phyllis Solomon

Library Pushes Digital Book Service

Magic of LaserThe


By Julian BermudezArts Writer

the inexorable relationship between fashion and art is well known amongst those who un-derstand its distinction and close cultural association. However, art’s deeply influ-enced — and influential — rela-tionship with music often goes unnoticed or somehow is held at arm’s length. Diving deep into these waters in order to change this behavior is the University Art Museum (UAM) at California state Uni-versity, Long Beach, with three new exhibits to usher in 2012. “static Noise: the Photographs of rhona Bitner” present the art-ist’s first West Coast exhibit fea-turing newly captured images from the ongoing series “Lis-teN,” a “two-dimensional ex-

ploration of performance, theater and spectacle.” On view through April 15, the exhibit focuses on seminal punk bands and con-cert venues from the 1970s and ’80s, including New York City’s electric Lady studios, Detroit’s Grande Ballroom, san Antonio’s randy’s rodeo and Los Ange-les-based Whisky a Go-Go and Masque. According to the UAM’s press release, “Bitner’s photographs transpose the fascination with the staged or constructed image that preoccupies many of her contem-poraries, focusing instead on the performance venue itself and the

construction of history. Decon-textualized and devoid of affect, the often unrecognizable land-marks under Bitner’s gaze rely on memory for their reconstruction. though silent, they speak elo-quently of the raw and rebellious music of a new generation.” On view in the UAM’s Project room is “Lou reed: Metal Ma-chine trio: the Creation of the Universe,” featuring the world premiere audio installation of “Metal Machine trio,” an instal-lation presenting 12 loudspeakers arranged to create a fully immer-sive 3D sound lab. “the complete ‘Metal Machine Music’ in four parts (will) run continuously with each composi-tion lasting around 16 minutes in length,” states the UAM material. “each of the four parts (is) unrec-ognizable as structured compo-sitions and include over an hour of over-modulated feedback and guitar effects, intricately mixed at varying speeds by reed himself. Chairs strategically placed in the room will allow museum visitors to experience the work in full comfort for the duration of the work.” Finally, “split Moment,” which is in conjunction with the Uni-versity’s Graduate Program in Museum and Curatorial studies, examines how artists interpret, engage and actualize “live” ver-sus recorded performances. “For these artists, performance is composed of a series of split

UAM Explores Music, Art Relationship



“God of Carnage” is a perfect example of how fast a smash-hit comedy can leap from country to country (and language to lan-guage) in its travels around the world. Written in French by Yasmina Reza, this hilarious spoof of genteel upscale society opened in German-speaking Zurich in 2006. It brought the house down, and word spread like wildfire. In less than two years the work was produced in Paris and London, where it hit the jackpot with the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. Using Christopher Hampton’s excellent English translation, “Carnage” opened on Broadway in 2009 — adding a Tony Award feather to its cap — before cross-ing the country to California where the New York cast played to rave reviews at the Ahmanson. And now it crops up in Long Beach. Six short years after its rousing Zurich debut, Interna-tional City Theatre opens its 27th season with this scathing, comi-cal portrait of contemporary so-ciety. In fact, “God of Carnage” is so hot, more than 1,000 actors responded when ICT’s casting call went out for the play’s four characters. Thanks to caryn desai’s inci-sive direction, her superb cast is on its toes and the play’s produc-tion values are top-drawer. They include Stephen Gifford’s gor-geous set, Jeremy Pivnick’s daz-zling light design, Chris Kittrell’s crisp sound and Kim DeShazo’s authentic costumes. If you’ve seen this social sat-ire before, you’ll love it all over again, just as myriad fans did on opening night. Everything revolves around two “civilized” sets of parents (the nouveau riche Novaks and the upper-class Raleighs) who get together in the Novaks’ snazzy apartment to resolve a physical altercation between their 11-year-old sons. Apparently Benjamin Raleigh struck Henry Novak in the face and knocked out two of his front teeth. Attempting to discuss the situ-ation as intelligent adults rather than clobber them with insurance

claims, Henry’s parents (Les-lie Stevens and Greg Derelian) invite Benjamin’s parents (Alet Taylor and David Nevell) over for cocktails. The living room is decorator perfect, complete with a huge bouquet of imported white tulips, as are the manners of the polite parents who are meeting each other for the first time. Then slowly but surely, the con-trolled behavior of Michael No-vak wears thin as his blue-collar background breaks through. Ditto for the liberal, do-good attitude of his wife Veronica, a writer and African art-lover who advocates tolerance and understanding. Of course liquor doesn’t help matters. With enough rum, the polite, soft-spoken, well-coifed Annette Raleigh tells her hus-band Allen (an arrogant, full-of-himself lawyer who is glued to

his cell phone) exactly what she thinks of him. Before long, the polite meeting turns into an out of control free-for-all. Hysteria runs rampant, tempers rage, and tantrums flair from both couples. Although the audience roots for all four characters, it’s inevitable that the hard-working Novaks will be favorites. Kudos to Gregg Derelian and Leslie Stevens as victors of the “carnage,” but also to David Newell and Alet Taylor as the obliging punching bags. BTW: If you’re tempted to see the film adaptation (directed by Roman Polanski), see the play first. According to most reviews, Reza’s stage version is better. “God of Carnage” continues at the Center Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., on weekends through Feb. 19. Call 436-4610.

“Carnage” Comedy Transcends Language

moments — a play between movements and the liminal space between them — potentially as meaningful in their absence as when visible,” adds the UAM. “(The exhibit) experiments with negative space, bringing focus to what cannot be seen. Movement is performed by way of drawing, film, sculpture and photography — removing the medium’s reli-ance on the live event and thus readdressing its temporalizing and spatial relationships.” For years the UAM has been developing, cultivating and fos-tering a deeper understanding of the relationship between art and music. Through its acclaimed “w.i.r.e: T/A/P” series, which explores the frontier of new sound, the UAM celebrates this relationship that is both beauti-ful and pioneering. UAM is at CSULB, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. Call 985-5761 or visit www.csulb.edu/uam.


Eye On Art

WEEKLY EVENTSWEEKLY EVENTSWEEKLY EVENTSWEEKLY EVENTSMONDAY:MONDAY:MONDAY: DRINKS DRINKSHALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHTHALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHTHALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHTHALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHTTUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY:TUESDAY: BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OF BUCKETS OFBUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3WEDNESDAY:WEDNESDAY:WEDNESDAY:WEDNESDAY: $3 CORONASALL DAYALL DAYTHURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMSATURDAY & SUNDAY:SATURDAY & SUNDAY:SATURDAY & SUNDAY:SATURDAY & SUNDAY:HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMHAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PM

WEEKLY EVENTSWEEKLY EVENTS

HALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHTHALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHT BUCKETS OF

BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3BUD LIGHT $15, PALMS SHOTS $3 $3 CORONAS

THURSDAY & FRIDAY:HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMSATURDAY & SUNDAY:HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PM

HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMTHURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:THURSDAY & FRIDAY:

HALF OFF ALL DAY & NIGHT BUCKETS OF

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$3 CORONAS $3 CORONAS

HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PMSATURDAY & SUNDAY:HAPPY HOUR 11:00AM-9PM

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$3 CORONAS

A | GRUNION GAZETTE | February 2, 2012SUPER BOWL

Now is the time to make plans for viewing the New England Patriots and the New York Giants when the Super Bowl kicks off at 3: 30 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 5. Here’s a rundown on what area es-tablishments are doing for this year’s big game. Brix, 16635 PCH in Sunset Beach, has an all-you-can-eat (and drink) package for $50 which includes four wines, four draft brews and food cooked to or-der (or just the food or the drinks for $25 or order off the menu). It starts at 3 p.m. For reservations, call 592-3167 or send an email to brix4wines@gmail. Buster’s Beach House and Longboard Bar has hot dogs, tacos, chili and more along with a Happy Hour throughout the game. Buster’s is at 168 N. Marina Dr. Call 598-9431. The Factory is having special giant screens installed for the game by Digital Installers. For $29.95, it’s all-you-can drink (drafts, sangria, Hur-ricanes and select wines) and one entrée from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The Factory is at 4020 Atlantic Ave.

It’s Burger Madness at E.J. Malloy’s on Broad-way. That means for $9.95 you get a burger, fries and a domestic pint of beer. They’ll have raffl es and the regular menu is available. Call 433-3769. E.J.’s is at 3411 E. Broadway. At the E.J. Malloy’s uptown, 4306 Atlantic Ave., they’ll also have specials, raffl es and more. Call 424-5000. Kavikas, 95 Aquarium Way, has Super Bowl Specials on Sunday. Buckets of beer, raffl e prizes every quarter and a $20 all-you-can eat buffet are on the schedule for McKenna’s on the Bay, 190 N. Marina Dr. Call 342-9411. The party at Shannon’s on Pine features free raffl es, a reserved seat option, a postgame tail gate party with free food and discounted drinks and, oh yes, the game on 14 fl at screens and a 10 foot mega-screen. Shannon’s, 209 Pine Ave., opens at 11 a.m. Call 436-4363.

— Kurt A. Eichsteadt

Time For Some Super Bowl Party TimeEditor’s Note: Once a month, we present an abbreviated compila-tion of restaurant listings. For a complete list of Gazette restau-rants, see the Dining Guide at www.gazettes.com.Gazette Dining Guide guidance on price: $ Thrifty; $$ Night Out; $$$ Splurge

AmericanBEACHWOOD BBQ

131 1/2 Main St., Seal Beach210 E. Third St.

493-4500, 436-4020 Beachwood BBQ offers slow-smoked ribs, chicken, brisket, homemade sau-sages and pulled pork. The menu also features fish, salads and sandwiches. Large selection of craft beers. Delivery, catering. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. $

BLACKBIRD CAFE3405 Orange Ave.

490-2473 Offering a California fresh menu for breakfast and lunch. Menu includes breakfast fare along with coconut French toast and peanut butter pancakes. An extensive vegetarian menu along with burgers, sandwiches, soups & chili. Cof-fee drinks. Open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. $

THE BULL BAR3316 E. Seventh St. (at Redondo)

433-6282 The Bull Bar has it all — plasma TVs with every NFL game, live music on weekends, 18 beers on tap, mouth-watering food menu, $1.50 tacos all day every day. $

BUSTER’S BEACH HOUSE168 Marina Dr.

Alamitos Bay Landing598-9431

Open at 7 a.m. seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with beauti-ful ocean views from every table. Two banquet rooms. Chouse from a delicious menu all day long. Exetended happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday with drink specials, $2.95 draft beer and hafl price on appetizer menu selections. 17 HD flat screens for football fans every game through Super Bowl Sunday. $

CHUCK’S COFFEE SHOP4120 E. Ocean Blvd.

433-9317 Near Belmont Plaza Pool, Chuck’s

has been locally world famous since 1964. Open for breakfast and lunch all week, Chuck offers many combination breakfasts, lean burgers, salads and sand-wiches. Home of “The Weasel.” $

THE CROOKED DUCK5096 E. PCH

494-5118 A casual neighborhood grille serving

delicious comfort food. “Duck Chili,”

Biscuits & Gravy, Corned Beef Hash,

Huevos Rancheros, Burgers, Sandwich-

es, and the World’s Best Meatloaf. Daily

Specials. Beer & Wine. Happy Hour 3-6

p.m. Tues-Fri. Brunch Menu Sat. & Sun.

Open 8 a.m. Tues-Sun. $-$$DALE’S DINER

4339 E. Carson St.425-7285

An original ’50s diner complete with table-side jukeboxes and vintage auto seat booths. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the whole family. Don’t miss the burgers and malts, old-fashioned oatmeal or chicken pot pie. $

DOGZ BAR & GRILL5300 E. Second St.

433-3907 Home of the 20 oz. pint that is “too cold to hold” at 28 degrees. In addition to a large selection of specialty sausagez and hot dogz, they also offer a Not Dogz, Kids and Late Night Menu. Open 7 days. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Mon - Fri; 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat & Sun. $

EGGS ETC. 550 Redondo Ave. 433-9588

Offering good old-fashioned country breakfasts and lunch. Daily specials. Pa-tio dining. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. $

E.J. MALLOY’S3411 E. Broadway, 433-3769; 4306 Atlantic Ave., 424-5000

E.J. Malloy’s is a pub with attributes of the original 1920s restaurant, along with a secluded patio. Specialties include corn-fed beef, chicken and fish. Break-fast served Saturdays and Sundays. Open all week for lunch, dinner. Full bar at the Atlantic location. $$

THE LOCAL SPOT 6200-B E. PCH

498-0400 From the owners of Eggs, Etc. this

SUPER BOWL


Bangkok Cuisine

February 2, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 17ADINING

restaurant features a variety of burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps, salads and smoothies with an emphasis on healthy food. Lunch, dinner 11 a.m.-8 p.m. $

NAPLES RIB COMPANY5800 E. Second St., Naples

439-RIBS Naples Rib Company is more than just great barbecue. Swordfish, prime rib, choice steaks, tri-tip, sandwiches and innovative salads round out a menu that offers something for everyone. Family owned and operated for 20+ years. Offer-ing take-out specials, banquet room up to 60 and full-service catering. Open 4 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sunday. $$

PHILLY STEAK & SUB4141 Long Beach Blvd.

988-0556 Traditional East Coast Cheese Steak sandwiches as well as cold subs, burgers, salads, and even a build-your-own sand-wich or sub option. Happy Hour 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and Free Side Sundays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Open 11 a,m,-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. $

PROSPECTOR2400 E. Seventh St.

438-3839 Since 1965 the Prospector has been serving mouth-watering USDA Prime steaks, lobster and fish. There are daily specials, a happy hour and entertainment in the lounge. Breakfast specials from $2.50. Open 11 a.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. weekends. $$

QUEEN MARY1126 Queens Highway

877 313-2726 With seven unique restaurant and lounge options, historic ambience and scenic location in Long Beach Harbor, the Queen Mary is the perfect place to relax and dine this summer. www.Queen-Mary.com. $$ - $$$

SCHOONER OR LATER241 Marina Dr.

430-3495 The ultimate dockside dining experi-ence for breakfast or lunch, with great patio dining. Great food, friendly staff and exceptional ambiance. $

Greek ATHENS WEST

303 Main St., Seal Beach431-6500

Are you paying too much for Greek food? Then you haven’t tried Athens West in Seal Beach where items are $10 or less. Offering Greek favorites like lamb chops, spanakopita & homemade avgolemono soup. Seafood kabobs and vegetarian favorites like falafel & humus are also on the menu. Heated patio. Greek beer and wine served. Open 11 a.m. daily 7 days a week. Athenswest.com $

ItalianBUONA GENTE

5205 E. Second St. 438-8763

Located in the heart of Belmont Shore, Buona Gente features a wide selection of authentic Italian specialties, from ap-petizers, homemade bread to pizzas and pasta dishes. A great selection of wine is available including Buona Gente’s private label bottled in Napa and Sonoma counties. Don’t miss the famous tiramisu. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. $$

CAFFE GAZELLE191 La Verne Ave.

438-5033 This intimate Italian restaurant has been serving Belmont Shore since 1982. They recently started serving lunch with entrees staring at $4.95. Open 7 days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5 p.m.-close for dinner. $

DOMENICO’S5339 E. Second St.

439-0261 A tradition in the Shore since 1954, Domenico’s features traditional Italian food. A star is the original Domenico’s salad and famous creamy garlic salad dressing. Lunch, dinner all week. $$

FRANCELLI’S3404 E. Fourth St.

434-3441 Francelli’s offers traditional Italian food as well as thin crust pizza, sand-wiches and panini in a casual family friendly atmosphere. Specialties include Osso Buco, Lasagna & Garlic Chicken. Open seven days a week. $

MICHAEL’S OF NAPLES5620 E. Second St.

439-7080 Contemporary Italian cuisine in a modern atmosphere. Rooftop dining available. Open seven days a week for

dinner and a special lounge and wine bar Enoteca menu. Catering for large parties. Full bar now available. Michael’s On Naples is dining at its finest. michaelson-naples.com.$$$

MICHAEL’S PIZZERIA5616 E. Second St.

987-4000 This authentic pizzeria makes its own cheese and sauce and offers diners a menu of appetizers, salads and brick-oven pizzas from an Italian-made wood-fired oven. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. $

PAPALUCCI’S4611 E. Second St.

434-4454 Beautiful food, simply prepared and shared with family and friends. Pizza, pasta, calzone and other specialties pre-pared daily from 11 a.m. All-you-can-eat specials from 5 p.m. to closing. Beer and wine; carry out available, too. $$

PASSAPAROLA TRATTORIA6204 E. PCH

986-5280 This restaurant give you the feeling of being in an Italian Courtyard while you are eating dinner. The restaurant features food from every region of Italy. Dinner served daily from 5pm-close. $$


Dining Guide


2 Medium Pizzas $18.99+tax

2 Large Pizzas $21.99+tax

2 X-Large Pizzas $24.99+tax

a | gRUNION gaZeTTe | February 2, 2012DINING

PORKY’S PIZZa4418 e. Seventh St.

433-8888 Finally, a Porky’s Pizza (the 10th loca-tion) serving the Shore, Belmont Heights and Los Altos. Offering made from scratch pizzas with fresh ingrediants, wings, salads and garlic knots. Also of-fering friendly, polite service and on-time delivery. Catering, delivery, picup. 2-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. www.porkysonline.com. $

THe PIZZa PLaCe1431 e. Broadway

432-6000 A garden cafe to sample specialties such as lasagna, tortellinis, manicotti and Pasta Primavera. There are 26 pizzas to choose from. Beer and wine, desserts, cappuccino or espresso. Delivery avail-able. Open from 11 a.m. to midnight. www.thepizzaplaxe.biz. $$

Z PIZZa4612 e. Second St., 987-45005718 e. Seventh St., 498-0778

Z Pizza offers healthy, creative cuisine to go with a blend of taste and tradition. 29 toppings to choose from. Salads, sub sandwiches and daily pasta specials.

Catering, delivery. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. www.zpizza.com. $

JapaneseaKI SUSHI

1628 Seventh St.436-8180

Sushi and other Japanese cuisine, plus beer and wine are available. Daily spe-cials. Open daily for lunch and dinner. $

NaPLeS SUSHI5662 e. Second St.

856-2222 Naples Sushi offers authentic Japanese cuisine with the same chefs and crew as the recently closed Sushi of Naples, but

with a new owner. The menu includes the freshest sushi grade fish available and a large variety of rolls and cooked dishes. Gluten free on request. Open 4-10 p.m. Tue.-Sun., to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat. $$

SeafoodCRaB POT

215 Marina Dr.430-0272

With a view of Alamitos Bay, Crab Pot offers fresh, fresh, fresh lobster, crabs, seafood and shellfish. “Seafeasts” for two or more are their trademark, and steak and chicken dinners also are avail-able. There is dining on their outdoor pa-tio and a full patio bar and fire pit. Open

daily at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner. www.crabpot.com. $$

gLaDSTONe’S330 S. Pine ave.

432-8588 Gladstone’s Long Beach is a water-front restaurant offering views of the Queen Mary and Shoreline Harbor across the street from the Convention Center and minutes away from all major local hotels. Featuring a variety of fresh fish and su-shi, live lobster, crab and more. Outdoor seating available. Crabby Hour is from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Quarter Deck Lounge. Private Room available for banquets.$$

SpanishCaFe SeVILLa140 Pine ave.

495-1111 The Sevilla chain comes to Long Beach to serve its award-winning Span-ish cuisine. Tapas are a specialty, but the menu has full entrees, including three kinds of paella, as well. Enjoy dinner and a famenco or tango show in the third floor nightclub or eat in the restuarnt and head upstairs for dancing afterward. Also open for lunch. www.cafesevilla.com. $$

ThaiBaI-PLU

2119 Bellflower Blvd.343-2661

Newly opened, serving a large selec-tion of Thai and Sushi cusine in a modern atmosphere. Traditional, vibrant dishes, budget-freindly Thai and affordable su-shi. Beer, wine, catering. $

BaNgKOK CUISINe3426 e. Fourth St.

433-0093 The extensive menu includes spicy Thai salads, beef, chicken, pork and sea-food. Lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Take-out, beer and wine available. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $

VegetarianSTeaMeD ORgaNIC

VegeTaRIaN CUISINe801 e. Third St.

437-1122 This casual hipster vegetarian restau-rant offers nutrition for the body & soul. Use fresh locally grown organic produce. Anything on the menu can be made vegan. Offers both take out and back-yard cafe-style patio. Has outdoor seat-ing. Hours: Open 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30-9:30 Friday & Saturday, Noon-5 pm. Sunday. $


Dining Guide

Eat at

est. 1964

433-93174120 E. Ocean Blvd.across from the Belmont Plaza Pool

Great Foodfor GreatPeople!

February 2, 2012 | GRUNION GAZETTE | PAGE 19ADINING

By Larry HillRESTAURANT WRITER

Taco Luv, 7906 Alondra Blvd., (310) 438-4332. • Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, to 5 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday. • Location: Located near the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Paramount. There is plenty of onsite parking. • Food/Drinks: The menu is straightforward with fi ve basic variations: Burrito, Taco, Rice Bowl, Salad Bowl and Nacho Bowl. Choose your favorite form and then decide what you want in it or on it. Choices are skirt steak asada style, pulled pork (carnitas), fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, chicken breast and veggie. Then choose your toppings and sauces. Toppings include lettuce, cabbage, cheese, cilantro, jala-penos and pico de gallo. Sauces include chipotle pesto, chipotle BBQ, cucumber yogurt, teriyaki BBQ and zesty cilantro. Side dishes include guacamole, beans, squash, lentil soup, corn and peppers and onions. • Atmosphere: The dining area is clean and simply adorned with artwork containing messages of peace and love. It is comfortable whether you are looking for a quick nosh or for a short linger. • The Taste: Jennifer and I stopped on a Saturday afternoon in the midst of weekend errands. It was our fi rst visit. We were of-fered a few samples to help us with our decisions. Everything we sampled was exceptional. The lentil soup had a touch of cumin. The grilled chicken breast was in-fused with a nice citrus tang. The carnitas were spectacular. We decided on rice bowls. They were constructed with a layer of brown fl uffy rice topped with a layer of black beans. Then the meat of choice is placed on top. Jennifer opted for the asada. I chose grilled shrimp, which were prepared to order. Then toppings. We added some grilled chiles and onions and added lettuce, jalap-enos, cheese and cilantro. Now we had to choose our sauce. We sampled fi rst. Jennifer loved the chipotle pesto and the zesty cilantro. I opted for the cu-cumber yogurt for the shrimp. Now all we had to do was eat. And the eating was mighty fi ne. The ingredients are fresh and cooked without much, if any, fat. The fl avor combinations are won-derful. The steak was tender and nicely spiced. The shrimp were fresh and lightly fl avored with a hint of lemon. We got two tacos, chicken breast and pulled pork, topped with zesty cilantro to go for a snack later in the evening. They were fantastic. Taco Luv may be a little off the beaten path for some or near the day’s journey for others. Whatever it is, it’s worth seek-ing. Once again, Jennifer and I were rewarded with the thrill of discovery. The food is healthy, generous, wonderfully fl avored, and reasonably priced. Taco Luv is true to its name: great food pre-pared with a whole lot of love. • Price: Lunch or dinner for two is $10 to $15.

Taco Luv Eatery Stays True To NameTaco Luv Eatery Stays True To NameTaco Luv Eatery Stays True To NameTaco Luv Eatery Stays True To Name

Open For Lunch and DinnerLunch Menu $4.95

a | grunion gazette | February 2, 2012VALENTINE’S DAY

By Kurt A. EichsteadtEditorial assistant

Valentine’s day (Feb. 14) is

fast approaching and to help make your plans for that special someone, the Gazette offers this

rundown of ways to celebrate. Krispy Kreme shops are offer-ing iced, drizzled and sprinkled heart-shaped treats through Feb. 14. Gondola Getaway is offering special packages Feb. 10-14 in-cluding a rose, chocolate straw-berries, a keepsake photo and a cruise through the canals of na-ples. Prices start at $120 per cou-ple. Call 433-9595 or visit www.gondo.net. the seaport Marina Valentine’s day Experience also runs Feb. 10-14. their packages start at $188.48 per couple and combine hotel accommodations with the Gondola Getaway trips. For res-ervations, call 240-8469. For Valentine’s day, the Fac-tory has 100 Years of Port Valen-tine’s day Menu Feb. 10-14. the special menu is $50 for six cours-es plus an additional $35 for the wine pairings. reservations are suggested: 595-4020. the Fac-tory is at 4020 atlantic ave. Boney James, norman Brown and Gerald albright will present a Valentine’s day concert of ro-

mantic jazz beginning at 7 p.m. saturday, Feb. 11, at the terrace theater, 300 E. ocean Blvd. tick-ets start at $40 and ViP packages including dinner are $125. tick-ets may be purchased at the box office by calling (800) 745-3000 or going online to www.ticket-master.com. a “Valentine soiree” to ben-efit the long Beach Chorale and Chamber orchestra begins at 4 p.m. sunday, Feb. 12 in a private naples island home. Broadway performer Kevin Wood will per-form live and there will be food and wine to accompany the music. tickets are $40. Call 427-1931 or visit www.longbeachchorale.org. Fuego at Hotel Maya gets an early start with a sweetheart Brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. sunday, Feb. 12. Brunch is $45 per adult and $22 for children. on Valentine’s day, they’ll serve a special four-course dinner with entrée choices that include Prime tenderloin of Beef, Champagne Poached Halibut, spiced loin of lamb or Grilled Vegetable ter-rine. the Valentine’s day dinner

will be available from 5 to 10 p.m. for $75 per person. For reserva-tions for brunch or dinner, call 481-3910. Fuego at Hotel Maya is at 700 Queensway dr. Café sevilla’s Valentine’s meal will be available sunday through tuesday. it’s $49 or $59 depend-ing on the time and the day and features entrée choices of Beef tenderloin with shrimp or Paella san Valentine. they’ll also have live entertainment each night. sevilla is at 140 Pine ave. Call 495-1111. the rest of the listings are for Valentine’s day. the four-course meal at Café Piccolo includes entree choices of Grilled salmon, santa Fe Chick-en ravioli and Penne Pasta with shrimp and scallops. it’s $54.95 per person. For reservations, call 438-1316. Café Piccolo is at 3222 E. Broadway. the abbey road Beatles trib-ute provides the music starting at 6 p.m. Valentine’s day at Kobe steakhouse, 3001 old ranch Pkwy. tickets for the show are $20 and dinner packages are available. Call 566-9969. la traviata has two seatings on Valentine’s day: 6-6:30 p.m. and 8 to 8:30 p.m. the special dinner is $69 per person plus tax and tip. For reservations, call 432-8022. la traviata is at 301 n. Cedar ave. lasher’s Valentine’s Menu fea-tures entrée choices including Fresh Crab Crusted Wild salm-on, seafood thermidor, rack of lamb, Beef Wellington and more. the four-course meal is $74. For reservations, call 433-0153. lash-er’s is at 3441 E. Broadway. save our Beach is the benefi-ciary of a Valentine’s day dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. at McKenna’s, 190 n. Marina dr. For $100 per person, which goes to save our Beach, diners will get dinner, champagne at a guaranteed raffle prize. Call 884-6764. Parkers’ lighthouse has prix-fix dinners in both its Main din-ing room and the Queensview steakhouse. in the main room, ($60), the menu includes entrée selections of Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi, Filet, Main lobster tail, pan roasted Chicken, Crab and shrimp Encrusted salmon and Miso-Mirin Glazed Chil-ean seal Bass. the four-course meal in the steakhouse has entrée choices of Filet Mignon, lobster

Long Beach Turns On The Romance For Valentine’s Day


February 2, 2012 | grunion gazette | aVALENTINE’S DAY

Dear Mom, It’s time to ante up. Every one of my friends has an iPhone ex-cept me. Antonia has an iPhone, Lau-ren has an iPhone, Emily has an iPhone, Devynn has an iPhone, Crystal has an iPhone, Erica has an iPhone, Andrew has an iPhone and Devin has an iPhone. Even you have an iPhone. It’s time to give your daughter an iPhone. Come on, mom. It’s only $500. There are many uses for an iPhone. I can play educational games on it. I can even get a flash card app that can help me study. I can check my email on my new phone and also search the Inter-net on it. If you buy it, you do not have to buy me another iPod. There’s an iPod in the phone. Did I tell you I lost the iPod you bought me for my birthday? I can watch movies on it. That will save electricity. If you want to be really gen-erous and get me the iPhone 4s

I can talk to Siri and it can tell me where the nearest restaurants, shopping malls and supermarkets are. I don’t see a reason not to get an iPhone. The newest model of this phone is the 4s. This version has an 8 mega-pixel, camera so I can take pictures whenever I want. By getting me this phone, I am not only getting a phone that I can call or text on, I am also get-ting a phone that can play music! I can listen to music anywhere I want without having to have an iPod too. So you basically know the rest of the deal. I know this item is very expensive, but it will be worth it educationally and in a fun way.You deprived me of video games. You limit the television I watch. You have me in the Bowers Mu-seum on a Saturday afternoon. I’m reading and reading instead of watching normal cultural icons of my era. Enough is enough.

You ask, “What will happen if I don’t have an iPhone?” I say, “Um, well, you know.” I know what you are think-ing. About kids who don’t have enough food to eat much less an iPhone 4s. I will remember them. Didn’t I run a food drive? I am a good kid. I love you anyway even if don’t decide to buy it for me. You still should though. Think about what you’ll save on psychologist’s fees when I’m older. No guilt, though. — Zoe

Tail, “Simply Filet,” scallops and Oven Roasted Scottish Salmon. It’s $85 per person. 435 Shore-line Dr. Call 432-6500 or visit www.parkerslighthouse.com. The Queen Mary is present-ing a Valentine’s Day Red Hot Singles Mix and Mingle from 8 p.m. to midnight complete with live music, dancing and a sweet treat candy station. Tickets are $19.95 per person and include parking. The Queen Mary is at 1126 Queens Highway. Sababa, 6527 E. PCH in the Marketplace, has a prix fixe menu starting at $25. Reservations are recommended. Call 252-3572.

The Sky Room has live music and two Valentine’s Day seatings (5:30-7:30 p.m. and 8:30-10:30 p.m.). The meal starts with oys-ters and offers entrée choices of Prime Filet, Salmon or Lamb Loin, a box of chocolates, a long-stemmed rose and glass of Champagne. It’s $119 per person in advance. Call 983-2703. The Sky Room is a 40 S. Locust. Live piano music will provide the background at Utopia, 445 E. They’ll be serving a choice of appetizer, salad, entrée choices of Angel Hair Seafood Pasta, Mushroom Ravioli or Blackened Salmon and dessert. It’s $55 in person or $45 online. Visit www.utopiarestaurant.net or call 432-6888.


Valentine’s DayA Love Affair With An iPhone

A | GRUNION GAZETTE | February 2, 2012VALENTINE’S DAY

I don’t get out of Long Beach much. But Long Beach Opera chose to give their season-opening pro-duction of Astor Piazzolla’s “Ma-ria de Buenos Aires” at the War-ner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. So over the bridge we went. Andreas Mitisek, the LBO’s general director who wore sev-eral hats for this production, has a knack for matching venues with

the works being performed. In this case, the Warner’s Art Deco opulence was a perfect setting for the over-the-top, overripe sensu-ality of the tango. Mitisek was not only the direc-tor and production designer but also the conductor. In addition, he conceived the idea of setting the “operita” (as Piazzolla and his librettist, Horacio Ferrer, called “Maria”) in Argentina during the

so-called “dirty war,” when Ar-gentina was under military rule and some 13,000 people disap-peared. Much was made of this idea, but I’m not sure it mattered a whole lot. This work, like many operas, is about sex and violence; the themes are universal, and the setting could have been anywhere. Piazzolla’s music drives the ac-tion, and Ferrer’s poetic, surreal libretto is non-dramatic and non-linear, to say the least. But Mitisek has certainly cre-ated a piece of effective theater, and everything contributed pow-erfully to a sensual, oppressive atmosphere. The action was set behind a scrim, creating an other-worldly effect, and Dan Weingar-ten’s lighting was starkly dramat-ic. Adam Flemming’s black and white videos were hypnotizing,

and were the main vehicle for set-ting the aforementioned historical political context. Members of the Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre were a silent, brooding presence. And throughout, there was Pi-azzolla’s pulsating, evocative mu-sic, played with great style and energy by a little nine-piece band featuring Nick Ariondo on accor-dion (substituting for the original bandoneon). The performances were ex-traordinary. Peabody Southwell, in a star-making performance, to-tally inhabited the character of the unfortunate Maria, and her smoky mezzo fi t the part and the produc-tion perfectly. Gregorio Gonza-lez’s tenor fi lled the spacious hall, and his sexy Latin lover was a dynamic match for Southwell’s doomed trollop. Mark Bringel-son added another to his roster of

nasty, unsympathetic heavies. The narrator, El Duende, was portrayed by Gregorio Luke, the former director of the Museum of Latin American Art. Luke was always a bit of a performer, as anyone who attended his lectures at MoLAA could attest, and here he held the action together with a warm, passionate, fl avorful read-ing. There is another performance, at 8 p.m. on Feb. 4, and anyone who appreciates great singing and great theater (albeit in an ex-otic, unfamiliar style) should go. Call 432-5934 or click on www.LBOpera.org. You also might want to check out the area around the theater, which has a cute little downtown vibe and features several nice res-taurants. San Pedro has cleaned up well — who knew?

Long Beach Opera Delivers Power

February 2, 2012 | grunion gazette | aVALENTINE’S DAY

Rite Wellness At least two Rite Aid stores in Long Beach are undergoing reno-vations, including the Rite Aid at 5670 E. Second St. in Naples and the 211 Cherry Ave. location near Bixby Park. Rite Aid spokesman Eric Harkreader said those two stores have remained open for business and will be finished this month-with special re-opening celebra-tions soon afterwards. The stores are undergoing a modernization that will emphasize the theme of wellness, with more focus on the pharmacy side of the business and retail items in the personal care and health category. Also, care giving supplies will be sold. “We are making some changes based on customer feedback about what they think their pharmacy should be,” Harkreader said. Oth-er Rite Aid stores in Long Beach may be under construction or will soon be under construction as well. The wellness-focused Rite Aid locations also will have wellness ambassadors, or employees who can answer questions and intro-duce customers to pharmacists. Wellness-themed Rite Aid loca-

tions first debuted in April 2011 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and Harkreader said more and more of the renovations are set to take place. “In December (2011) we had 159 wellness stores out of 4,700 stores, and next year (2012) we will add an additional 300 well-ness stores,” he said. For details or store locations, visit www.riteaid.com.

Raising The Bar Bringing a new workout strat-egy to the International City, Bar Method Long Beach owners An-drea Davis and Joanna West use principles of dance conditioning, interval training, isometrics and sports rehabilitation to help cli-ents burn fat and shape muscles. Located at 6695 E. PCH, the studio opened in November and is the Bar Method’s 53rd franchise. The studio stays true to the com-pany’s aesthetics — Bar Method Long Beach has wooden floors, a spa-style locker room with show-ers, individual lockers and a sin-gle studio space open seven days a week. A retail area is in devel-opment. Davis, who has been practic-ing the Bar Method for five years,

said it is a complete workout that facilitates a connection between the mind and body. She added that the exercise, which incorpo-rates movements used to condi-tion ballet dancers, is low-impact and appropriate for all levels of physical ability. Previous dance experience is not required. West said the Bar Method classes are an “hour of pure me time where I strengthen my body, mind and spirit.” For details, a class schedule, class registration or discounted prices for beginners, visit Long-BeachBarMethod.com or call 596-0203. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and socks.

Still Popping Retro attire is a must for those attending Salon Pop & Barber Shop’s fifth anniversary celebra-tion from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Salon Pop is located in

the heart of Retro Row at 2218 E. Fourth St. For the night, the salon will be transformed into a sparkling sanc-tuary where the public can enjoy vintage cocktails and appetizers as well as a multi-themed photo booth (with costumes and props provided) to commemorate the event. Music will be provided by DJ Frankie, who will spin classic vinyl records. Additionally, there will be a raf-fle for prizes including haircuts, products and other services at

Salon Pop and other Fourth Street businesses. Raffle tickets are free, but winners must be present at the time of the drawing to claim their prize. The first 40 guests will be given deluxe grab bags. For details about Salon Pop, which opened in January 2007 and offers haircuts for women and men as well as facials, wax-ing, sugaring, manicures, pedi-cures and other services in a vintage deco space, visit www.salonpopandbarbershop.com or call 987-9200.

A | GRUNION GAZETTE | February 2, 2012

Residents of Long Beach help people all year through a variety of activities. Listed below are the results of some projects, as well as more opportunities to reach out. Today (Feb. 2) is the start of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach annual Strong Kids Cam-paign. The goal is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn grow and thrive. To do-nate, visit www.lbymca.org. The fourth edition of Dancing With Our Stars is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Westin Hotel, 333 E. Ocean Blvd. Mon-ey raised supports Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s Hospital. The event is presented by the Earl B.

and Loraine H. Miller Founda-tion. Tickets are $250. Call 933-1671. Occupy Long Beach is collect-ing clothes for homeless students seven days a week through Feb. 12 at Bixby Park at the corner of Broadway and Junipero Avenue. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Satur-day and Sunday. The group sug-gests donations of new athletic or closed-toe shoes, socks, jackets, sweatshirts/hoodies for children grades K-12 in all sizes. Dona-tions also will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at Urban Cot-tage, 4121 Long Beach Blvd. A “Valentine Soiree” to benefi t the Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 in a private Naples Island home. Broadway performer Kevin Wood will per-form live and there will food and wine to accompany the music. Tickets are $40. Call 427-1931 or visit www.longbeachchorale.org. From now through Feb. 18, Beachwood BBQ and Brew-ing will be selling raffl e tick-ets for the opportunity to enjoy their limited supply of Pliny The Younger Ale. Tickets are $5 and the money goes to the Melanoma Research Foundation in memory of Tony Carbone, a Long Beach teacher and musician who suc-cumbed to melanoma at the age of 34. Beachwood BBQ and Brewing is at 210 E. Third St. and the tickets also are available at the Beachwood BBQ at 131 ½ Main St. in Seal Beach.

Feb. 3 - First Fridays in Bixby Knolls, 6:30-10 p.m., Atlantic Avenue between San Antonio Drive and Bixby Road, http://bixbyknollsinfo.com.Feb. 3 - Music by Doug MacLeod, 7 p.m., Lucille’s Smokehouse, 7411 Carson St., free.Feb. 4 - Long Beach Opera: “Maria de Buenos Aires, 2 p.m., Warner Grand Theater, San Pedro, $29-$150, 432-5934, www. longbeachopera .o rg /tickets.Feb. 4 - Christian Singles Sweethearts Dinner Dance, 7 p.m., La Mirada Country Club, 15501 Alicante Rd., La Mirada, $45 in advance, $55 at the door,


VALENTINE’S DAY

NIGHT OUT

February 2, 2012 | grunion gazette | aCALENDAR

www.ChristianSinglesFunEvents.com.Feb. 4 - Doug Varone and Dancers, 8 p.m., Carpenter, Center, 6200 Atherton St., $45, 985-7000, www.carpenterarts.org.Feb. 6 - Bixby Knolls Supper Club, 6:30 p.m., Phil Trani’s, 3490 Long Beach, RSVP to [email protected]. 7 - Long Beach Shakespeare Presents A Night with Charles Dickens, 8 p.m., Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave, $10, $5 for students and seniors, 997-1494, www.LBShakespeare.org.Feb. 8 - Long Beach Shakespeare Presents A Night with Jules Verne, 8 p.m., Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave, $10, $5 for students and seniors, 997-1494, www.LBShakespeare.org.Through Feb. 5 - “Orson’s Shadow,” by Austin Pendleton, 8 p.m. Fri., Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theater, 5021 E. Anaheim St., $20, $15 for seniors and students, 494-1014, www.lbplayhouse.org.Through Feb. 11 - “Barefoot in the Park,” by Neil Simon, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., $24, $21 for seniors, $14 for students, 494-1014, option 1, www.lbplayhouse.org.Through Feb. 19 - International City Theatre presents “God of Carnage,” 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Center Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., $37 and up, 436-4610, www.internationalcitytheatre.org.

Feb. 2 - Franciscan Winemaker Dinner, 7 p.m., Utopia, 445 E. First St., $69, 432-6888, www.utopiarestaurant.net.

Feb. 2 - Long Beach City College Senior Center Tour: Chen Art

Gallery in Torrance, call for departure details, $25 plus any additional fees, call 938-3048.Feb. 2 - Lecture by Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO of NAACP, noon, Student Union Ballroom at CSULB, 1250 Bellflwoer Blvd., free.Feb. 2-4 - Long Beach Coin, Stamp and Collectibles Expo, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thurs., Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., Convention Center, use entrance at 100 S. Pine Ave., $8, $ for seniors and ages 8-16, discounts available at www.longbeachexpo.com.Feb. 3 - US Vets Hire Those Who Served Career Fair, 9 a.m.-noon, 2001 River Ave., 388-8023.Feb. 3 - Free Movie Screening; “Courageous,” 7 p.m., Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1023 E. Third St.Feb. 4 - Book Signing: “Bambino and Mr. Twain,” by P.I. Maltbie, 2-4 p.m. Apostrophe Books, 4712 E. Second St., 438-7905, www.apostrophebooks.net.Feb. 4 - Fourth District Snow Day, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Whaley Park, 5620 E. Atherton St.Feb. 4 - Long Beach/Qingdoa Sister City Chinese New Year Celebration, 3:30-6 p.m., Forbidden City restaurant, 6380-A PCH in Marina Pacific Shopping Center, $38, ($48 at the door), $10 for children younger than 12, www.lbq.org.Feb. 4 & 5 - “Straight Talk” cable TV show with City Prosecutor Doug Haubert, 9 a.m., 7 p.m. Sat. and Sun. LBTV Channel 3 and FiOS Channel 21, and 10 a.m., 8 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Charter Channel 101, www.StraightTalkTV.com.Feb. 5 - Low-Cost Vaccination and Microchip Clinic, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Bixby Animal Clinic, 3938 Atlantic Ave., cash only, 426-4066, www.bixbyanimal.com.Feb. 5 - Music by Down 4 The Count Vocal Quintet, 2 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 5450 E. Atherton St., suggested

donation $15, 597-8445. Feb. 5 - LBSO Chamber Concert, 4 p.m., Belmont Heights United Methodist Church, 317 Termino Ave.Feb. 7 - Parent/Child Commun cation Speech, 6 p.m., Westerly School, 2950 E. 29th St., free, 981-3151.Feb. 8 - Kickoff Event for “Let’s Double the Number of Women and Girls Riding Bikes” campaign, 9 a.m., Bikestation, 223 E. First St.Feb. 8 - Veteran Small Business Expo 2012, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., LBCC Building T-1200, 4901 Crson St., RSVP suggested to (916) 393-1690, www.vboc-ca.org.Feb. 8 - Joys of Gardening with Native Plants with Lili Singer, 7 p.m., Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Rd., $5, $3 for students, 570-1755.

Feb. 3 - Fourth District Candidate Forum, 7:30 a.m., The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St., $20, $15 for Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council Members, RSVP to 483-0587 or email to [email protected].

Feb. 2 - Medicare Updates for 2012, 1 p.m., Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St.Feb. 2 - Body and Soul: A Wellness Forum, 4-8 p.m., St. Mary Medical Center, 1050 Linden Ave., free, RSVP to (888) 888-478-0893.

Feb. 4 - Amer. Assoc. University Women on Women and Investing, 11 a.m., Long Beach Yacht Club, 6201 Appian Way, $35 includes lunch, 596-8902, email to [email protected]. 8 - Chamber of Commerce Mixer, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Jersey

Mike’s Subs, One World Trade Center, Suite 100, $15, free for members, RSVP to [email protected]. 8 - Success Network professional networking breakfast, 7:30 a.m., The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St., $20, cash only, 833-4599 or email [email protected].

Feb. 5 - Discussion on “Hispanic Culture and Ministries” with Jessica Quintana, 10 a.m., Los

Altos United Methodist Church, 5950 E. Willow St.

Feb. 3-25 - The Art of Light Exhibit, 4-8 p.m. Fri., Sat., Expo, 4321 Atlantic Ave., www.galleryexpo.net.

Feb. 4 - Creation Station Old Fashioned Fun for Children ages 1-5, 1-5 p.m., Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Rd.


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“This is going to showcase the diversity on Broadway and give a subtle nod to the street’s history and gay culture in a respectful way.” Cramer said businesses and neighborhood associations — there are five neighborhood as-sociations in the area, including

Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association, North Alamitos Beach Association, Bixby Park Neighborhood Association, Bluff Heights Neighborhood Associa-tion and Belmont Heights Com-munity Association — could keep their color of the rainbow in mind when planting trees or flowers or using lighting or other decora-tions. The colors also would be use in marketing and branding

of events taking place in specific villages or throughout the whole rainbow of the street. “As people come on board with this vision, the hope is that they will add to it and it will grow and blossom,” he said. “This idea has been more than a year in the works, and we have so been look-ing forward to presenting it this Saturday and finding out how we can move forward with imple-mentation.” John Thomas, president of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood As-sociation, said he is looking for-ward to the Broadway Visioning Community Meeting this week-end because it is an opportu-nity to connect the residents and business owners and develop the idea of “destination villages” on Broadway. “This is a way that we can take existing businesses and make them themed and more easily identified,” Thomas said. “We can

make the villages on Broadway destinations for the neighborhood and for visitors… This will help market and advertise these busi-nesses to a greater demographic throughout Long Beach... The residents already know it, but we need to tell others what they are missing and why Broadway is so unique and wonderful.” Thomas said the health of the neighborhoods is dependant on the health of the business district, which is why it is so important for the different groups to collaborate and support one another. In addition to presenting plans for the villages and rainbow color breakdown on Broadway, busi-ness owners also have been gath-ering signatures and letters in sup-port for more Long Beach Transit routes on the street. In particular, merchants said they would like to see Long Beach Transit try mov-ing one or more red-colored Pass-port (A and D lines) routes from Ocean Boulevard to Broadway. Residents, too, are interested in transit options on Broadway

as well as other changes on the street that might slow traffic or alleviate congestion. Thomas said he hopes that neighborhood as-sociations will be able to work with city traffic engineering staff to minimize the impact on street parking while visitor numbers in-crease in the business district. “Whether it’s mass transit or something else, we want to talk to staff about our options and try to develop a long-term vision,” Thomas said. “I think residents would be in support of having the red bus go up and down Broad-way on one of the legs, either go-ing or coming, so not entirely off Ocean (Boulevard)… I would be interested to see what ridership would look like.” And, Cramer and Thomas also are both interested in continuing progress made after the initial Broadway visioning Community Meeting last year, which helped motivate the community to host monthly cleanups at Bixby Park and plant new vegetation and trees along the business corridor.


On Broadway

we are focused on delivering the high quality public service this community deserves despite the difficult budget times.” There were 25 reported mur-ders in 2011 — a decrease of 19.4% from a total of 31 in 2010. Before last year, the lowest mur-der total that the LBPD has ever recorded for the city was 27 in 1969. Reported rape cases also declined. There were 112 re-ported rapes in 2011 — a 16.4% decrease from a reported 134 in 2010. Officials said they were pleased that crime statistics have been well below the average for the past 10 years. However, robber-ies and aggravated assaults have risen from 2010 to 2011. The results of increases in those two categories accounted for a 4.4% increase in overall violent crime from 2010 to 2011, officials add-ed. Robbery increased by 9.9%, aggravated assault increased by 2.2%, residential burglary in-creased 11.4%, commercial bur-glary increased 11.4%, grand

theft increased by 14.8% and bike theft increased 22.4%. Property crimes — which can include burglaries, theft and ar-son — increased by 10.5% from 2010 to 2011. Officials said a big reason behind that jump was that there were 59 more cases of ar-son — an increase of 79.7%. There were two serial arson-ists that were arrested last year. During the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, there was an arsonist who eventually was caught and charged with 18 counts. In December, there was an arsonist charged with 17 counts. Officials lauded the work of the LBPD and the Long Beach Fire Department Arson Investi-gation Unit in apprehending the suspects and quickly eliminating the threat of serial arson. “While the measure of our suc-cess is oftentimes based on num-bers, the community gauges our effectiveness on how soon we get to them when they really need us,” Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement. “In 2011, our average response time for Prior-ity 1 emergency calls was 4.2 minutes. While we continuously strive to drive down our numbers, our priority has always been to protect life and property. Doing more with less has been a chal-lenge, but we continue to meet our main objective.” Officials credited programs like iWatch — which stressed to the community to report any suspicious behavior to the police — and the Community Camera Partnership Program. The cam-era program has worked to get the LBPD access to as many pri-vately held surveillance equip-ment as possible, which can be used to obtain crime video and suspect still images. Nixle, a program to give peo-ple emergency notifications, saw an increase in subscribers for the LBPD, and anonymous tip web-site www.tipsoft.com received 270 tips for the LBPD to use, of-ficials said. They also gave credit to part-nerships the LBPD has with oth-er government safety entities like DEA, FBI, Los Angeles County Probation, California High-way Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.


Crime Stats


events,” says a letter received last Thursday signed by current as-sociation president Gregory Wil-liams. “The ‘waiver’ of those fees or rental costs were passed on di-rectly to the event operators and were a key incentive in bringing quality events to Long Beach... “Facing these new city fees plus the overall costs of operating the Association, revenues gener-ated from sponsorships, sanc-tioning fees and miscellaneous supplier fees will not support Sea Festival operations on a going forward basis, thus the decision to suspend all activities.” Under the contract with the city, the association (and through it, Run Racing) managed many Sea Festival events and oversaw agreements with subcontractors. The umbrella approach allowed the association to secure overall sponsorship packages as well as make deals for new events. The city received a portion of the net proceeds from the summer events, with the amount averag-ing slightly more than $30,000 a year, with one year jumping to $80,000. That contract was up for re-newal this year. Assistant City Manager Suzanne Frick said that the association owes the city $86,317 for last year’s events. George Chapjian, director of the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, said last Friday that there would be a 2012 Sea Festi-val, with his department likely re-sponsible for community events and the Special Events Bureau in charge of major events. The de-partment was solely responsible for the summer activities until the association was created. The Sea Festival Association had been contracting many of the beachfront community events with Beach Ventures, Inc., and

Fred Khammar, and that arrange-ment likely will continue since Khammar has the contract for beach and Belmont Veterans Pier concessions. “We did the Sea Festival be-fore, and we’ll pick up where we can,” Chapjian said. “We still need to meet with the city man-ager’s office to see exactly how it will be handled, but there will be a Sea Festival this year.” City Manager Pat West said that he had hoped there still was room for discussion with the Sea Festival Association board, but added it was true a business mod-el waiving fees would be “a very hard sell.” “We were asking them to bring back something that would work,” West said. “Now I’d like to talk with the board and see how they might want to continue to be involved. They are wonder-ful people, a wonderful group, and this is a disappointment. “Sea Festival will continue, though. It is an important part of what the city does.”

ability. And we should do it in six months, not five years. “This is a regionally impacting issue, and it involves something close to my heart; the wetlands. I just know that we need to kick-start this process.” O’Donnell and Andrews both voted against the mixed-use proj-ect called Second+PCH on Dec. 20. O’Donnell said he thought a proposed 12-story condominium tower was too tall; Andrews never commented at all. Both also voted in favor of a request to have staff return within 60 days with a plan to revamp SEADIP. Further down on Tuesday’s council agenda, the Development Services Department has an item asking the council to approve a grant application for $1 million in Proposition 84 money to finance a SEADIP study. Development Services Director Amy Bodek said the deadline for filing an ap-plication is Feb. 15.

“Proposition 84 allowed for the money to be used for considering master planning of areas,” Bodek said. “This would allow us to move forward with an update for SEADIP.” O’Donnell’s proposal includes a City Council policy to not ap-prove any new or pending re-quests for amendments to SEA- DIP. The language says this is not a moratorium on building be-cause landowners are allowed to develop a property under the cur-rent SEADIP provisions. This would appear to pre-clude any negotiation with the Second+PCH landowner or de-veloper. David Malmuth, the de-veloper, went before the council on Jan. 10 and said he wanted to look for a compromise to allow the development to move forward. Malmuth was encouraged to do so by DeLong and First District Councilman Robert Garcia, who also had voted in favor of moving ahead with the original project. “It’s really unclear what this (O’Donnell’s proposal) would

do to that process,” DeLong said. “I’ve got a call in to the city attor-ney now to see if we can answer that question. It’s certain that there will be plenty of discussion on this Tuesday. “I know for sure that it is very unlikely that the process can be done that quickly. This must be a public process, and that requires a lot of public input, and that can’t be done in six months… I don’t think you can even get the Long Beach share of the process done in six months. All the stakehold-ers have to be at the table, and that’s going to take time.” DeLong said he was “disap-pointed” that O’Donnell had not contacted him before pushing for an agenda item, but declined to complain about it, saying any council member can bring things up. O’Donnell said that his prior-ity was to get something done. “This is all about moving for-ward with something positive,” O’Donnell said. “We voted to kill a significant project. We need to move forward with something.”


SEADIP(Continued from Page 1A)

Sea Festival

Today’s ObituariesBouma, Ronald M.Bravo, Esperanza VegaDean, PetraDubuss, Robert IIIFugate, Aaron M.Hall, CarolynHarlow, Joseph RobertJiru, Daniel JosephJohnson, AnthonyMcHenry, Alice June

Mix, Audrey RebaNewell, Jeffrey CraigPlain, MaryRabinovitz, JasonSangi, FrancesTalactac, Melanio A.Ware, LindaWilliams, Willa HarrietWilson, Sydney Ann

To submit material, call: Kurt Eichsteadtat 562-209-2094, e-mail to

[email protected], go online towww.gazettes.com or fax to 562-434-8826

DEAN, Petra, 1938-2011Petra Dean, 73, of Seal Beach, passed away Dec. 4. She was born in Germany and was a free-lance writer. She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne. Interment is at Harbor Lawn Memorial Park in Costa Mesa. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

BRAVO, Esperanza Vega, 1925-2011Esperanza Vega Bravo, 86, of Long Beach, passed away Dec. 20. She was born in Mexico and is survived by her son, Ramiro. There was a service at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Long Beach. Interment is at All Souls Catholic Cemetery. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

WILLIAMS, Willa Harriet1922-2012

Willa Harriet Williams, 89, of Altadena, passed away Jan. 8. She was born in Kentucky and was a nurse. She is survived by her daughter JoAnn Williams. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

WILSON, Sydney Ann , 1934-2012Sydney Ann Wilson, 77, of Oxnard, passed away Jan. 2. She was born in Kentucky and worked as a beautician. She is survived by her son, James Hollingsworth. Interment is at Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

JIRU, Daniel Joseph, 1938-2011Daniel Joseph Jiru, 73, of Long Beach, passed away Dec. 22. He was born in Janesville, Miss., and worked as a teacher. He is survived by his wife, Irene. There was a service at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Whittier. Interment is at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

FUGATE, Aaron Matthew1978-2011

Aaron Matthew Fugate, 33, of Anaheim, passed away Dec. 31. A native Californian, he worked as a technical support supervisor. He is survived by his father, Robert Grace. Interment is at Silvercreek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

TALACTAC, Melanio Arguelles1927-2011

Melanio Arguelles Talactac, 84, of Long Beach, passed away Dec. 28. He was born in the Phillipines and was a carpenter/craftsman. He is survived by his daughter, Arlene. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

RABINOVITZ, Jason, 1921-2012Jason Rabinovitz, 90, of Los Angeles, passed away Jan. 1. He was born in Massachusetts and was CFO in movie production. He is survived by his son, Daniel. Interment is at Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark, Mass. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

BOUMA, Ronald Marvin, 1941-2011Ronald Marvin Bouma, 70, of Signal Hill, passed away Jan. 6. He was born in Bellflower and worked as a carpenter doing custom finishing work. He is survived by his wife, Candace. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

NEWELL, Jeffrey Craig, 1966-2011Jeffrey Craig Newell, 45, of Long Beach, passed away Dec. 31. He was born in Studio City and worked as a sound engineer. He is survived by his mother, Marilyn. Interment is at Mt. Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, Ill. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

DUBUSS, Robert III, 1987-2011Robert Dubuss III, 24, of Floral Park, N.Y., passed away Dec. 30. He was born in New York and worked as a sound technician. He is survived by his mother, Beth. Interment is at Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

SANGI, Frances, 1923-2011Frances Sangi, 88, of Rancho Palos Verdes, passed away Dec. 29. She was born in New Jersey and worked as a buyer for women’s retail clothing. She is survived by her daughter, Sal. Interment is at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

MIX, Audrey Reba, 1934-2012Audrey Reba Mix, 77, of Covina, passed away Jan. 3. She was born in Madrid, New Mexico, and worked as a telecommunication secretary. She is survived by her daughter, Natalia Haveman. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

HALL, Carolyn, 1936-2011Carolyn Hall, 75, of Long Beach, passed away Dec. 21. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and worked as a graphic artist in the aerospace industry. She is survived by her daughter, Jodee Lynn Smith. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

WARE, Linda, 1957-2011Linda Ware, 54, of Los Angeles, passed away Jan. 1. She was born in Los Angeles and is survived by her daughter, Angelique. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

PLAIN, Mary, 1915-2011Mary Plain, 96, of Westlake Village, passed away Dec. 29. She was born in Indiana. She is survived by her daughter, Joanna Flaherty. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

McHENRY, Alice June, 1928-2012Alice June McHenry, 83, of Long Beach, passed away Jan. 5. She was born in Los Angeles and worked as an office manager for a construction company. She is survived by her husband, Bob. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

JOHNSON, Anthony, 1956-2012Anthony Johnson, 55, of Mission Viejo, passed away Jan. 3. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is survived by his daughter, Regina. He worked in technology. Interment is private. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

HARLOW, Joseph Robert, 1935-2012Joseph Robert Harlow, 76, of Lakewood, passed away Jan. 4. He was born in Kentucky and worked as an office manager. He is survived by his friend, Julio Llop. Interment is at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach. The family was assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

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