Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, AUGUST 24 2014 - AUGUST 31, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
The Ice Bucket Challenge: fun or controversial? by jennifer schlueter Have you asked yourself why so many of your social media friends and people like former president George W. Bush, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey recently have been pouring ice buckets over their heads? Not only in the United States have people joined this trend where you donate to the ALS Association if the chilling thought of ice water does not appeal to you: Thanks to challengers nominating three other individuals, the ice bucket challenge has quickly gone viral all over the world, and the ALS Association has received over $30 million as of August 20, according to the official website. Compared to the same period of last year, from July 29 to August 20, donations amounted to $1.9 million. According to Slate, the Ice Bucket Challenge was not an invention of Pete Frates, an ALS patient, or the ALS Association, but of a few pro athletes, who were dared to contribute $100 to a charity of their choice, if they declined an ice bath. Proving this are videos by Matt Lauer, Martha Stewart, and others, who
15 themed displays that celebrate his comedic contributions; his achievements in entertainment; his relationships with 11 U.S. Presidents; and his enduring passion – golf. It traces his family’s arrival at Ellis Island; their lives as Please see page 4
Please see page 2
Critics of the #icebucketchallenge, as it is referred to online, have expressed their concerns about the dare being a bandwagon trend. Today’s web narcissists join to collect “likes” or because they feel peer pressure. The challenge was supposed to help charities by donating money to them; however, more Please see page 2
New Queen Mary exhibit shows why America, and 11 U.S. presidents, loved Bob Hope Traveling exhibit opened Aug. 9 at the Queen Mary, where Hope performed on the very day WWII began The Queen Mary is proud to host a traveling exhibit on America’s “most honored” entertainer Bob Hope – friend of U.S. troops, presidents and generations of fans. The four-month exhibit opens Aug. 9 on the ship where Hope performed his first wartime routine on the very day World War
II began. The traveling, 2,200-squarefoot exhibit, “Bob Hope: An American Treasure,” was created in partnership with the World Golf Hall of Fame Museum with support from the Bob and Delores Hope Foundation. It tells Hope’s story through
Landmark $400 million film and television job creation act passes final committee, headed to Senate floor The long saga of AB 1839, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act of 2014, continued by passing its final committee barrier, clearing the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 5-0 vote. The legislation, authored by Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), contained numerous amendments today which represent the culmination of nearly a year of research and negotiations and would expand and significantly improve the state’s current program to keep production jobs in California. The most anticipated amendment to the bill expands the program’s allocation to $400 million a year. Other changes include: allowing big-budget blockbusters – which create the most jobs – to qualify for the incentive; spending requirements to protect jobs and wages for below-the-line workers; creating certainty for television series by guaranteeing credits if the show is renewed; and providing larger incentives for film and television productions that move to California from out of
Pete Frates, ALS patient, linked the Ice Bucket Challenge to the ALS Association. -Facebook Photo
predate any videos mentioning the ALS Association. Frates, 29, however, initiated people donating to the ALS Association should they refuse his Ice Bucket Challenge. The nonprofit organization is committed to research the fatal nerve disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” with which former baseball star Frates was diagnosed.
VOLUME 1, NO. 17
2 | AUGUST 25, 2014 - AUGUST 31, 2014
Asian American Civil Rights organization calls for thorough investigation into shooting by LAPD of Los Angeles African American man Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) expresses sadness and outrage at the fatal shooting of Ezell Ford, an unarmed African American man with a history of mental illness, at the hands of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and demands a full and transparent investigation of Ford’s death. Ford’s death comes tragically on the heels of a number of other fatal shootings of African American men by law enforcement officials around the nation, including that of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The killings of Ford and Brown by law enforcement expose the systemic and entrenched nature of racial profiling and racial discrimination that African Americans have long endured and fought against in the struggle for civil and human rights. As Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, our communities also have experienced police brutality and discrimination by
law enforcement. We have too many stories of our own youth and other community members being shot or beaten by law enforcement, including a 2012 case where a young, limitedEnglish speaking Asian immigrant with mental illness was shot dead by the Los Angeles County Sheriff in a San Gabriel Valley mental health clinic. Advancing Justice - LA joins the African American community and other civil rights and social justice groups in demanding justice for Ezell Ford, including a full and transparent investigation and an examination of mental health intervention policies by the LAPD. We also urge all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to stand in solidarity with Ezell Ford, Michael Brown, and other African American victims of police brutality, because we recognize that our struggles are inextricably tied to those of other communities who face systemic racism or oppression. Together we can achieve justice for all of our communities.
Ice Bucket Challenge Continued from page 1
people seem to enjoy freezing their brain cells because their friends do it rather than raising awareness for a good cause. That’s probably why some videos do not even mention ALS. Yet, there are those outstanding people who have done both the challenge and a donation. Especially in drought-stricken California, the Ice Bucket Challenge videos are viewed with raised eyebrows and shaking heads. According to Reddit, less water than people believe is wasted: “Comparatively speaking, very little. People use much, much more water for everyday activities than they do for the ALS ice bucket challenge. The most obvious example: you use as much water in one minute in the shower as you would use for one bucket of ice water. (The average showerhead uses about five gallons per minute, while the average bucket holds the same amount.) And most
people take showers every day, for often quite a bit longer than one minute.” With California authorities issuing fines for unlawful outdoor water use such as hosing down asphalts and watering on certain weekdays, it is interesting to note that, according to a 2012 Pacific Institute report, households only use about 4 percent of California’s water, whereas agriculture takes up 93 percent. Cows drink 23 gallons of water, and automatic flushing systems for them can use up to 150 gallons a day. The One Green Planet article which compiled this data therefore suggests replacing animal products with a plant-based diet to save water. Whether you choose to engage in the Ice Bucket Challenge or not, please keep in mind that it intends to promote donations to charities, and not a trend.
Film and television job creation act Continued from page 1
state and those that film outside of Los Angeles. “I’ve heard from so many people over the past year, who have told me about their family being torn apart because production left the state,” said Gatto. “This proactive effort ensures well-paying jobs stay in California and families remain together.” California’s film and television industry has faced increasing competition in recent years from subsidies by other states and countries. Since its creation in 2009, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act prevented as many as 51,000 well-paying jobs from leaving the state, and helped generate $4.5 billion in economic activity. Despite the program’s success, figures from the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of
Labor Statistics show that from 2004-2012, California lost more than 16,000 film-and televisionindustry jobs, resulting in more than $1.5 billion in lost wages and economic activity. “Passing this expanded and improved program is a critical step forward to bringing back high-paying film jobs to California,” said Bocanegra. “I’d like to thank Chairman De León for his leadership on this effort. He’s been a tremendous partner and champion for the film industry. I appreciate the Committee’s support of AB 1839 today and look forward to continuing the fight to move this through the legislative process and ultimately see it signed into law.” The bill now goes to the Senate floor, where it needs to be voted on by the end of the legislative session, August 31, 2014.
AUGUST 25, 2014 - AUGUST 31, 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
Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers oversees the 21st annual Gun Melt On Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers announced the destruction of 4,661 weapons confiscated from criminals in Los Angeles County and collected through the “Gifts for Guns” exchange program. Annually, Gerdau Steel Mill, located in Rancho Cucamonga, generously donates its furnace, equipment and personnel to convert these weapons into steel rebar. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works also donates the trucks every year that transport the weapons to the Mill. These weapons will be melted into steel reinforcing bar (rebar) and ultimately transformed into elements of construction for upgrades in freeways and bridges in Arizona, California and Nevada. “Our partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department allows us the opportunity to make a positive impact on our community,” said Mark Olson, Vice President and General Manager of the Gerdau Mill in Rancho Cucamonga. “Gerdau is melting materials that could otherwise damage our community and transforming them into steel that will be repurposed to create the buildings, roads and bridges we use daily.” This year twelve law enforcement agencies contributed confiscated weapons to this program. These agencies include Downey Police Department, Long Beach Police Department, South Gate Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, El Monte Police Department, West Covina Police Department, Gardena Police Department, South Pasadena Police Department, Manhattan Beach Police Department, UCLA Police Department, Department of Motor Vehicles Police Department and Pasadena Police Department. “The continuous partnership with Gerdau Steel Mill has allowed law enforcement to destroy thousands of weapons that will never be used again to commit crimes on the streets of Los Angeles County. The guns that are being destroyed today have
-Photo by Terry Miller
been collected throughout the year and are a great example of the hard work of law enforcement officers in the communities we serve. Since the inception of the Gun Melt Program we have destroyed a total of 178,167 weapons,” said Assistant Sheriff
Todd Rogers. For more information please contact Public Information Officer Nicole Nishida at (323) 810-1973 or Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau at (323) 267-4800. For information about Gerdau please visit http:// www.gerdau.com/longsteel/
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
4 | AUGUST 25, 2014 - AUGUST 31, 2014
Port contributes to rescue of local birds The Port of Long Beach announcedTuesday that it is expanding its partnership with International Bird Rescue, a global expert in oiled wildlife emergencies and aquatic bird care, a partnership that was unofficially established during an animal cruelty case that made Southern California headlines earlier this year. The Port has committed a total of $20,000 during 2014 to support International Bird Rescue’s primary mission to care for injured wildlife, affected by the urban environment, including birds found in Long Beach and surrounding communities. “The Port of Long Beach is thrilled to continue our partnership with the International Bird Rescue. Through the Green Port Policy we are committed to improving the harbor environment both for people and wildlife,” said Michael Gold, Port Director of Communications and Community Relations. As part of this partnership, the Port and International Bird Rescue will work together to highlight the remarkable species that live in local marine environments through a regular “sponsored patient” campaign. Each sponsored bird will reflect the biodiversity of local ecosystems, and will be prominently featured on POLB and IBR social media, often from intake to release. Through its Green Port Policy, the Port has worked to maintain area marine habitat as well as to actively monitor local populations of
bird species. The Green Port Policy also has supported habitat restoration at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and other local wetlands that serve as key stopover points for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, which stretches from Alaska to Argentina. The partnership unofficially began this spring, when Pink, an adult California brown pelican, was found on the Long Beach shoreline with its throat pouch cut from ear to ear by an unknown perpetrator. The Port contributed $5,000 to surgery for the pelican, nicknamed “Pink,” who was released in early June. The first official sponsored bird is an American avocet, one whose nest had been recently abandoned due to human activity; the bird has been raised among other wading birds and shorebirds at International Bird Rescue. Avocets are federally protected wading birds that can be seen “sweeping” their upturned bills through shallow water for food at critically important coastal wetlands. More information on this sponsored bird can be found here. “Many of the bird species that call the Long Beach area home also are some of our most common patients,” said Barbara Callahan, interim executive director of International Bird Rescue. “We see a natural connection between our mission to protect birds from human activity and the Port of Long Beach’s commitment to local wildlife and the habitats they depend on.”
$10,000 reward issued in murder investigation The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for murder of 25-year-old Olataga Filemoni of Long Beach. On the night of July 25, Long Beach Police responded to a shooting in the 3200 Block of Baltic Avenue and found Filemoni on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds. Though he underwent emergency surgery shortly after, the victim died from
his injuries on July 28. A motive for the shooting is unknown, and detectives believe it may have been a case of mistaken identity. Anyone with information relating to this incident is strongly urged to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Mark McGuire and Greg Krabbe at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Bob Hope exhibit Continued from page 1
immigrants in Cleveland; Hope’s effort to strike it big in New York; his success and family life in Hollywood; and how his love for the military and golf took him around the world. It was 75 years ago this September, in 1939, that Hope performed his first wartime routine – on the Queen Mary. Hope and his wife Dolores were returning from Europe when war was declared. German U-boats were on the prowl, so the Queen Mary’s captain ordered all portholes painted, windows covered and running lights shut off. Then he asked Hope to calm the nerves of frightened passengers. Hope obliged, performing his first wartime show in the First Class Lounge, joking that it was hard to dance in a life preserver and singing “Thanks for the Memory,” with the line: “Some folks slept on the floor, some in the corridor, but I was more exclusive, my room had GENTLEMEN above the door.” In all, Hope starred in more than 50 films and headlined 57 USO tours for American servicemen, carrying his signature golf club and singing his signature song, ‘Thanks for the Memory.” The traveling Bob Hope exhibit includes reproductions of more than 200 vintage photos, seven videos and more than 170 items. These include an original
vaudeville contract from 1922; his Ellis Island medal; the final set of golf clubs used in his life; Emmy and Honorary Oscar awards; an outfit he wore during USO tours; gifts and awards from Presidents and other celebrities; his Congressional Gold Medal awarded by President John F. Kennedy; and his “Honorary Veteran Citation” from Congress, which he called the most important honor of his life. It’s enough to make you say: ‘Thanks for the memory.” The exhibit runs Aug. 9 through Jan. 2015 in the Timeline area of the ‘Queen Mary Story’ tour. Exhibit entrance is included in these tour packages: Queen Mary Passport, Historic First-Class Passport, Haunted First-Class Passport and Royal Passport. Parking is $15. Hours are 10 AM. to 6:30 PM. For more information, visit: www.queenmary.com About the Queen Mary Located in the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary features a rich maritime history, authentic Art Deco décor, and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and Long Beach city skyline. At the time of her maiden voyage in May of 1936, she was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. The Queen Mary features awardwinning restaurants, historical attractions, numerous special event salons and 346 staterooms.