Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 - FEBRUARY 1, 2015
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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
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Environmental Experts From the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and Aquarium Address New Air Pollution Regulations The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the two busiest container ports in the nation, together accounting for 43 percent of the country’s imports. Ships entering these ports are now subject to new regulations aimed at improving air quality. In a live webcast held Wednesday at the Aquarium of the Pacific, officials from the Port of Long Beach (POLB) and the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) discussed the new rules under annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which went into effect at the start of this month. Rick Cameron, Port of Long Beach managing director of planning and environmental affairs; Chris Cannon, Port of Los Angeles director of environmental management; and Aquarium President and CEO Dr. Jerry R. Schubel talked about what the ports have done to reduce negative impact on the environment, including improving air quality, and reducing maritime impacts on marine wildlife. The new regulation set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) increases the area of coverage for compliance by vessels from 24 to 200 nautical miles from the coast. Vessels within 200 nautical miles must now
slow down to a speed of 12 knots (previously 20 knots) and must adhere to stricter fuel standards to reduce sulfur oxide and other harmful emissions contributing to poor air quality and climate change. In his remarks Cannon emphasized the benefit to migrating whales—slower vessel speeds reduce whale strikes. Both ports have made significant strides in developing programs and policies to improve air quality, reduce water pollution, and lessen impact of port operations on wildlife, remarked Schubel. Ten years ago the Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners adopted a Green Port Policy, which provides guidelines for reducing negative impacts of port operations. POLB has also developed a Clean Air Action Plan in collaboration with the POLA and the California Air Resources Board, United States Environmental Protection Agency, and South Coast Air Quality Management District. Programs developed under this plan, like the clean trucks programs at each port, have cut emissions from sources within the port complex by 80 to 90 percent, Cameron said. Both ports have also implemented a Water Resources Action Plan to improve water
-Courtesy Photo
quality in and around the port complex, Cannon said. Also, in 2004 both ports began requiring ships docked within the port complex to run on shore-side auxiliary electric power to reduce emissions. This rule later became a state regulation, Cannon said. Cameron and Cannon both looked to the future in their remarks, stating that cleaner, more energy-efficient technologies will be incorporated into port operations in coming years. Cannon said POLA will be looking to reduce reliance on combustionbased fuels and has already added hybrid tugboats to its fleet. “Both ports have set a good example of environmental stewardship with the non-regulatory efforts they have made,” Schubel said. “Vast improvements to air quality, water quality, and local wildlife habitats have been made in recent decades. The port complex is now home to diverse and
abundant marine wildlife, from fish and sea lions to seabirds. This is an example of humans and wildlife coexisting in harmony.” Visitors to the Aquarium of the Pacific can learn more about the ports and shipping daily in the Ocean Science Center by watching the program A Working Waterfront: Ports of San Pedro Bay. This show is available to more than 100 institutions around the world through NOAA’s Science on a Sphere (SOS) Network with a capacity to reach over 50 million people. The Aquarium creates SOS programming about environmental issues from extreme weather to sea level rise to share with its 1.5 million visitors and globally through the SOS Network. The webcast with the port executives is also available for viewing on the Aquarium’s website. For more information, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or call 562-590-3100.
Mike DuRee Continued from page 1
and I am very proud to have been selected by my peers to serve as President of LAAFCA,” said Chief DuRee. “The Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association is on the forefront of issues facing the Fire Service and constantly strives to find
new, creative and collaborative ways to enhance the way we deliver service to our communities, while at the same time, ensuring that the Los Angeles region has the best equipped and best trained Firefighters in the nation.”
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Research on 19th Century Black Women Activists in Education at AAUW Meeting Natalie Sartin, lecturer in the Department of Africana Studies, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Long Beach branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Sartin’s topic is: “Lifting as We Climb”: The Relevance of the Critical Methods and Approaches of the Late Nineteenth Century Black Woman Activist to Educators Today. Natalie Sartin’s doctoral dissertation looks at two Black women activists of the late 19th century, Anna Julia Cooper and Frances E. W. Harper, who employed several critical methods and approaches in their task of imparting skills for the regeneration of the Black race. This is otherwise known as “racial uplift.” Sartin argues for the relevance of these approaches to current educational leaders--how work by Cooper and Harper can inform pedagogical models of teaching African American students today. She will also point out how this work relates to the importance of culturally relevant education for other underrepresented minority students. In addition, the presentation celebrates the power and passion of these pioneering women. The AAUW meeting will be held at Grace Brethren Presbyterian Church, 3955 N Studebaker Rd, Long Beach, CA 90808 beginning with a social at 9:30 a.m. and including a business meeting at 10:00 a.m. The program will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by lunch at noon. Natalie Sartin is a lecturer in the Department of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. She currently serves as Faculty Advisor for the Africana Studies Student Association (ASSA)
and is in her third year of a doctoral program in Educational Leadership at California State University, Fullerton. She completed her undergraduate studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Behavioral Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a second Master of Arts degree in English from California State University, Long Beach. Her research interests include cultural theories and pedagogies, African American literature, ethnic literature, and Africancentered research methodologies.
The cost of the luncheon (turkey and trimmings; vegetarian meal also available) is $21.00. Those interested should RSVP to Judith Kaho at562-429-2790 by Monday, February 2nd. The AAUW Long Beach branch has been actively involved in the community since 1911. AAUW’s mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. Membership is open to those with an A.A. degree or higher. For details about membership in AAUW and the local branch, visit www.aauwlongbeach.org.
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
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Start 2015 With a Commitment to Getting Health Insurance 2015 New Year’s Resolution: Get Covered Long Beach is an education, outreach, and health insurance enrollment event sponsored by the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and several community partners. Health insurance enrollment will be offered at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on January 31, 2015. Certified Enrollment Counselors will assist community members with Medi-Cal and Covered California applications with language assistance available in Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog. “It’s important for all our community members to have access to quality healthcare,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I encourage everyone to start the New Year with a commitment to health and get insured.” “This event is a good opportunity for families to get educated on health insurance options and get questions answered about the enrollment process,” said Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez. The 2015 New Year’s Resolution: Get Covered Long Beach is a community collab-
orative effort involving local organizations working together to increase access to care and promote health and wellness to Long Beach residents. “I am proud of the many community organizations who are working very hard to get the word out about Covered California. This effort advances our public health goal of nurturing healthy people and healthy communities,” said Kelly Colopy, Director of the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. No appointment is required but interested individuals must bring the following documents in order to complete a health insurance application: 1) birth certificate, U.S. passport or resident alien card (green card); 2) proof of income such as recent paychecks and tax forms; 3) proof of Los Angeles County residency such as driver’s license, utility or phone bills, rental agreement; and 3) Social Security cards for everyone in the family applying for health insurance. For further information please contact the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services at 562.570.7975
MLK and Starbucks Continued from page 1
ad is still effective for the company’s PR; however, it really doesn’t do anything to champion Civil Rights or promote Black History Month or even to promote an interest in the work and life of Dr. King. It’s really just designed to get you to buy coffee without feeling guilty. Not many would disagree with Martin Luther King Jr., but a lot of people have found an issue with Starbuck’s system of cheap labor which requires enlisting an army of part-time workers whose hours fluctuate week by week due to a piece of scheduling software which assigns shifts based on a mathematical logarithm that calculates each worker’s level of gross productivity. Dr. King, speaking on April 4th, 1967 at the Riverside Church in New York, warned against the sort of society in which coffee chains claim to be activists. Speaking of a world in which America came out peacefully from the Cold War (ours) he said, “I am convinced that if we are to get on to the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” Like anything, changing anything in a community requires its members, “To get out and get active.” Activism can be anything in which the community comes together to discuss its important issues. It isn’t limited to marching, but it also isn’t marketing.
New CDE Fiscal Deputy Supe. Appointed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today named Nick Schweizer to the position of Deputy Superintendent for the Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch of the California Department of Education (CDE). “We are pleased to find an outstanding leader with a deep knowledge of education, the state budget, and fiscal issues,” said Torlakson. “Nick brings so much to the department. I look forward to working with him.” Schweizer has been at the California Department of Finance since 1998 and has served in a variety of roles, including overseeing and developing budget policies affecting K-12 education, community colleges, state universities, college financial aid, teacher credentialing, and child care. Schweizer also spent one year as executive director of the State Board of Education where he provided leadership and direction to the board members and staff. As Deputy Superintendent, Schweizer will oversee the CDE budget, accounting, information systems, personnel services; and assistance to local educational agencies for fiscal and business aspects of public schools. He replaces Jeannie Oropeza who recently became Deputy Secretary for Human Resources for the state Senate. For additional information on the CDE’s Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch please visit http://www.cde. ca.gov/