Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 - FEBRUARY 1, 2015
belmontbeacon.com
How Starbucks Hopes to Profit from MLK Day O pinion By NICK KIPLEY According to an article published by the Boston Globe in 2011, sales of the Frappuccino make up roughly a fifth of Starbuck’s revenue. Possibly to counter a reputation as a venue that makes 20% of its money in what are arguably just coffee milkshakes, Starbucks also offers a variety of products supporting the good cause: a community bulletin board, inoffensive bestsellers about protagonists changing the status quo through championing a noble cause, bottled water that allegedly raises money for drinking water programs in Africa, and selected CD’s of eclectic music performed by top artists collaborating in an effort to raise money for famine relief, an end to human trafficking, AIDS research, a cure for cancer, etc. This does a lot to corroborate Starbuck’s image as not just another fast-food-style chain selling beverages big enough to drown a cat in, but as a meeting place where social consciousness, community
activism—and corporate altruism—flawlessly comingle. Huge corporations like Starbucks, Apple, Nike, et. al have learned to market positions of selfless activism by painlessly co-opting figures from the “politically correct” canon. A recent, prominent example of this comes from an ad run by Starbucks in the New York Times which shows the alphabet sequence printed backwards in white letters upon a black background. Its letters “MLK” are highlighted in red. Beneath this text, also in white font, made highly visible against a full-page sea of black, reads the call to action statement: “It’s time to look at things differently. Again.” Is this statement telling us that if we find ourselves arranged within a sea of hierarchical conformity, all we need to do is change the way the system is viewed in order to gain a startling new perspective? In this case, that perspective leads to some crackly, inner-speaker of pop-culture and history, which
Dr. Martin Luther King - Courtesy Photo
resonate with the words, “I Have A Dream.” Displayed directly below this message is Starbuck’s logo. Thus, the only information we are given is that the largest coffee chain in the nation—who makes billions selling high calorie coffee milkshakes—shares the same beliefs as the greatest American civil rights leader of the 20th Century. Wait. What? Not advertising anything but the Starbucks brand, the Please see page 4
Man Fatally Shot; Investigation Ongoing On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Long Beach Police responded to the 2300 block of east 10th street regarding shots fired. When officers arrived, they learned that a suspect walked up to a group of individuals who were gathered in a yard of a residence and opened fire, striking a male adult in the upper body. Long Beach Fire Department paramedics responded and transported the victim
to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition. Due to the seriousness of the victim’s injuries, homicide detectives responded to the scene to investigate. Last night, January 16, 2015, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The victim has been identified as 22-yearold Jose De Jesus Cabral Orozco of Long Beach. The motive for this shooting is still unclear
and no suspect is in custody at this time. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Hugo Cortes and Oscar Valenzuela at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.
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Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee Appointed President of the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee has been appointed President of the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association (LAAFCA). Comprised of 31 Fire Departments within Los Angeles County, LAAFCA focuses on regional training, grants administration, legislative advocacy and Firefighter safety and survival. “I want to congratulate Chief DuRee for being selected by his peers for this important leadership role,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This appointment highlights his commitment to providing excellent fire service to the community.” Chief DuRee’s one-year term began on January 1, 2015. His primary focus will be to further enhance regional training opportunities and work toward developing even more effective collaboration across municipal boundaries. A key focus area will be in developing grant strategies for training and equipment that will benefit the entire region in the event of a large scale man-made or natural disaster. “We are very fortunate to have an extremely solid group of Fire Chiefs in the region, Please see page 2