Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014 - JULY 13, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
VOLUME 1, NO. 10
Design issues and soil conditions delay Skunk new bridge for Port in Long By JENNIFER schlueter Beach tests positive for rabies First rabid skunk to test positive in Los Angeles County since 1979
10 years in federal prison, more than the maximum seven-year term provided for under state law. The Orange County District Attorney agreed to dismiss the existing state charges to facilitate the federal prosecution and Barbour was remanded to federal custody Friday afternoon. The District Attorney’s Office noted, however, that if the probe leads to the identification of any Orange County victims, new state charges may be lodged.
The City of Long Beach Health Officer reminds residents to vaccinate their pets and avoid contact with wild animals following confirmation of a case of rabies. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS) confirmed a skunk found on Thursday, June 26, 2014 near the corner of Wentworth Street and Snowden Avenue in the 90815 area of Long Beach tested positive for rabies. The person who notified authorities about the skunk handled the situation correctly; she made no attempt to pick up or capture the animal, and immediately called Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) officials to remove the skunk after she noticed erratic behavior by the animal. The skunk was taken by ACS officers to the LBDHHS Public Health Laboratory for testing. At this time, officials are not aware of any human or animal contact with the skunk. While bats in the area have tested positive for rabies in past years, this is the first confirmed case of rabies in a skunk in Los Angeles County since 1979. Further testing is being done at the State lab to determine the strain of rabies. “Residents need to avoid any contact with wildlife and ensure their domestic pets are vaccinated for rabies to avoid the dis-
Please see page 2
Please see page 3
Design of the replacement bridge -Courtesy Photo
Long Beach is currently working on the replacement of the nearly 50 year old Gerald Desmond Bridge, named after a Long Beach councilman and city attorney. An important harbor connector, the Desmond Bridge carried about 15% of the nation’s waterborne cargo. Traffic often congested the Desmond Bridge, and ships had difficulties to navigate because of its low height. The new bridge is designed to improve traffic flow on top and underneath it for both cars
and ships. Designers are constructing the new cable-stayed bridge as a design-build model, which means it will be designed as construction goes on. According to the LA Times, only 70% of the replacement bridge have been designed. Originally expected to open by 2016, officials now predict constructions to last until late 2017 or early 2018. That will also increase the estimated budget of $950 million. The cost of the new bridge re-
cently has been raised almost $300 million to $1.26 billion. In earthquake-stricken Southern California, bridges have to be built with even more utmost care and precision. The soils that are supposed to hold the new bridge’s foundation at several locations vary immensely. The labyrinth of underground oil wells and utility lines only enhance the difficulties. At a recent Harbor CommisPlease see page 2
Kids’ dance contest emcee charged with federal child pornography offense A 33-year-old Long Beach man who emceed children’s dance contests nationwide is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court Monday following his arrest on a federal child pornography charge. Paul Michael Barbour, who worked for Cypress-based Kids Artistic Review (KAR), fell undersuspicion late last month after a digital video camera belonging to the defendant was discovered in a dressing room used by teenage girls taking part in a dance contest at Cypress College. Bar-
bour was originally taken into custody June 1 by detectives with the Cypress Police Department on state charges filed by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office accusing him of possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled substance. On June 26, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California filed a criminal complaint against Barbour charging him with possession of child pornography. The violation carries a possible penalty of up to
2 | JULY 7, 2014 - JULY 13, 2014
New bridge for Port Continued from page 1
sion meeting, Harbor Commissioner Richard Dines said: “My concerns are that we got to this point. I think that this is something that should have been under control before.” Road closures and detours due to demolishing the Desmond Bridge and constructing its replace-
ment are causing traffic and delays. However, port spokesman John Pope sees a brighter future: “We have a lot of confidence with this new timeline. The design is moving along, we’ve started construction … and there’s some very highlevel coordination happening.”
Motorcyclist murdered On Friday, June 27, 2014, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Long Beach Police responded to the 5500 block of Dairy Avenue regarding shots fired. When officers arrived, they discovered a male adult down on the street with multiple gunshot wounds. Long Beach Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. The victim has been identified as 28-year-old Marcel Johns of Long Beach. The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was riding a motorcycle at the
time he was shot, which caused him to collide into multiple parked unoccupied vehicles. No suspect information is available at this time. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Scott Lasch and Donald Goodman at (562) 5707244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers. org.
Child pornography offense Continued from page 1 The Gerald Desmond Bridge -Courtesy Photo
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
“This case represents another stellar example of how federal and local authorities are using their respective authorities and expertise strategically to target those involved in the online sexual exploitation of innocent children,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “Every time a sexually explicit image of a child is downloaded, that victim is violated yet again.” The charges against Barbour are the result of a probe by the Cypress Police Department and members of the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF), including special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). As part of the investigation, authorities executed a search warrant at Barbour’s Long Beach residence, seizing a desktop computer. A forensic analysis of that computer resulted in the recovery of several thousand images and 10 videos containing children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators emphasize there is no evidence at this point indicating the defendant produced any of the material. However, the probe is ongoing and investigators urge anyone who
may have information relevant to the case to call the Cypress Police Department at 714-2293391 or contact the task force at occetf@ice.dhs.gov. This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its tollfree 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THELOST. For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
JULY 7, 2014 - JULY 13, 2014 | 3
hlr media EDITORIAL editor@belmontbeacon.com Editor Jennifer Schlueter Publisher HLR Media Advertising advertising@hlrmedia.com Submissions:
Please send all press releases to: editor@belmontbeacon.com HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC 525 E Seaside Way, Suite 101B Long Beach 90802
Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452
Alhambra PRESS
Baldwin Park
INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENT
Rabid skunk Continued from page 1
ease being passed to humans and their pets,” says Dr. Kushner. Rabies is a virus that causes a severe brain infection in mammals and humans that is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear. Infection, however, can be effectively prevented with prompt medical treatment. Any mammal can be infected with rabies. In California, the disease is most commonly found in bats, skunks, and foxes. Humans can become infected through bites from an infected animal, or through contact with the saliva of an infected animal. Skunks are naturally nocturnal animals; however, it’s not unusual to see an urban skunk during daylight hours. Symptoms of rabid skunks include crusty eyes and noses, disorientation, and staggering. Other signs of rabies include excessive salivation and aggressive behavior. The Health Department and Animal Care Services share the following tips to help prevent rabies: Vaccinate your dogs and cats. Keeping your pets vaccinated protects you and them; unvaccinated pets that come into contact with a rabid skunk, bat, or other animal may need to be euthanized or quarantined for up to six months Restrain your pets; do not allow them to roam. Keep dogs on a leash when outside of your property. Avoid contact with wild animals and with dogs and cats you do not know. Do not try to handfeed wild animals and do not keep them as pets. Do not touch sick or injured animals. Report sick or injured animals to Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387. Teach children to never touch unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly. Wash any wound from an animal bite thoroughly with soap and water; seek medical attention immediately. For more information on rabies, call Long Beach Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387 or visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/ rabies.
Supreme Court out of touch with women’s lives? Last Monday, in a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States sided with Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties. These private corporations sought religious exemptions in the Affordable Care Act requirement that they cover birth control for employees. However, the Supreme Court indicated that the government may provide its own alternatives for those who need to access coverage. Planned Parenthood condemns today’s ruling that some for-profit private corporations can deny birth control coverage to their employees, for no reason other than the personal religious beliefs of the corporation’s owners. “Make no mistake, today’s ruling does not strike down the birth control mandate overall,” stated Sheri Bonner, CEO of Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley. “Thanks to the birth control benefit, women have already saved $483 million in the last year alone.” While this is a federal decision, California’s Women’s Contraceptive Equity Act, signed into law by Gray Davis in 1999, ensures access to birth control through employer health plans.
However, in accordance with today’s ruling, some Californians may be subject to a plan-specific co-pay. Women in states without contraceptive equity laws are forced to pay as much as $800 a year out of pocket for birth control. That’s why the mandate is vital to women’s health and economic justice. Studies also show that women who receive birth control with no co-pay or at a reduced cost are able to avoid more than two million unplanned pregnancies each year. It’s not surprising that the public overwhelmingly supports the birth control benefit by a nearly two-to-one margin. “It’s unbelievable that in 2014 we are still fighting for access to birth control,” observed Bonner. “Today’s decision, coupled with last week’s Massachusetts buffer zone decision, shows an alarming trend, a lack of education, and a lack of understanding of the experiences of women today. Regardless of today’s decision, Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley and affiliates across the nation are dedicated to serving all women — no matter where they work.”
4 | JULY 7, 2014 - JULY 13, 2014
Levi Ponce: A talented muralist envisioning community improvement through painting By JENNIFER schlueter A close friend recommended I check out Levi Ponce’s art (www.leviponce.com). Thrilled about what I saw, we set up an interview at the location of his next mural on a Sunday. In the afternoon, I arrive at Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Heights, where Levi and his crew had already been working for two hours on a memorial painting for Mexican –American starlet Jenni Rivera who died in a plane crash 2012. Approximately a dozen people stand around the shaded spot where Levi is painting alongside his father and a few
da Vinci. When I ask him if he prefers realistic styles, he says no; he loves everything that looks good: sculpture, graffiti, pop art, etc. In 2011, the artist, who works in visual effects for his day time job in the film industry, started to use his art to bring the community of his hometown Pacoima together. When he paints, he invites everyone to join. Together with his father and many other volunteers, he transformed graffiti marked walls of his neighborhood into what is now called the “Mural Mile.” The strip on Van Nuys
“I've always been the kid with the paint brush in his hand” - Levi Ponce other artists he had invited to join, including Rivera’s son Mike. While Levi’s father is coloring the yellow flowers at the bottom of a painting, Levi stands on a ladder shading Rivera’s face. The bilingual artist tells me that he has been painting since he was 4 and that he has “always been the kid with a paint brush in his hand.” Levi idolizes his father with whom he regularly paints, and legendary Classics such as Salvador Dali, Michelangelo, and Leonardo
Boulevard between Arleta and Herrick Avenue now hosts more than 20 murals depicting Levi’s interpretation of Mona Lisa, a tribute to Michelangelo, several portraits, etc. According to a Huffington post article, Kevin Taylor, chairman of the Reseda Neighborhood Council, praises Levi’s and his work: “Levi is without a doubt one of the most important artists in Los Angeles right now, “ he said. “With the work he’s doing, his skill level, talent, the speed with which he works
Levi Ponce painting with his father -Photo by Jennifer Schlueter
and the positive messages he brings to his murals, what he’s bringing to communities that need his work ... To have the opportunity to have him painting here in Reseda is a huge honor, and the murals that he’s leaving here are treasures.” However, the Cal State Northridge graduate does not limit his murals to the San Fernando Valley. With his art, he wants to “paint cities, not walls,” as he says. His murals and paintings are all over Los Angeles, but also on the east coast. His eyes light up when Levi tells me about his ultimate goal to tour the world while painting, but especially in Brazil, where they have “a mean street art game,” as he describes it.
When I ask the artist for a message that he wants to get out, he says: “You don’t need your city’s permission if you want to do something positive.” He is not interested in starting his own organization to help communities, but would rather have existing organizations work closer together instead of competing with them by starting his own. After all, “I just want to paint,” he states. Levi does not get paid for his murals; he finances them out of his own pocket. By painting them, he not only beautifies communities, but also engages them to work together. More information about Levi Ponce and his art can be found on www.leviponce.com.