Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
VOLUME 1, NO. 33
Ride-Sharing App Uber: Sexual Offenses U.S. Dept. Against Passengers and Lawsuit for of Education Insufficient Background Checks Grants $2.8 Million to by jennifer schlueter CSULB to Help Hispanics Attain Graduate Degrees By Shayne Schroeder
and new housing, retail and a hotel. The project creates thousands of local construction jobs for a decade and will increase revenue for the city so we can reinvest dollars in our neigh-
Thanks to the U.S. Department of Education’s Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program, Hispanics will have more opportunities to attain graduate degrees. It has approved the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) project proposal for a grant totaling about $2.8 million over the next five years. The project, Hispanic Opportunities for Graduate Access and Retention (HOGAR), will be used to further postbaccalaureate opportunities for Hispanic and underprivileged students. It will develop the graduate program at CSULB, support student outreach and provide monetary support for recruitment and travel for graduate students. It will also provide funding and mentoring for faculty desiring to engage in grant writing and other scholarly work that includes graduate students. Babette Benkin, director
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- Photo by JD Lasica
Travis Kalanick, founder-CEO of Uber, at the 2014 Launch Festival .
While Uber has been banned in Portland, Nevada, Delhi, Spain, Thailand, etc. for unfair and illegal business practices as well as a rape incident, several other cities and countries are also investigating a potential boycott of the app that is competing
with taxi services. According to the official website, Uber currently provides 52 countries with a (mostly) cheaper alternative for cab rides with private drivers and their cars. As convenient as the services are, stories about (sexual) assaults and kidnappings by
Uber drivers, some of them with a felony background, are surfacing from numerous violated passengers, prompting to question the app’s background check procedures. Last Tuesday, San FranPlease see page 2
New Downtown Civic Center a Game Changer A Letter from Mayor Robert Garcia Last night, Long Beach went big and approved a project team to build a new downtown Civic Center. After many months of public meetings, careful study, and healthy debate, Plenary-Edgemoor Civic Partners was unanimously se-
lected by the City Council. This is great news for our city: We are going to get a new Civic Center and revitalize our downtown. The project includes a new Main Library, Lincoln Park, City Hall, Port Headquarters,
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Uber Lawsuit Continued from page 1
cisco District Attorney George Gascon and Los Angeles district attorney Jackie Lacey announced that they were suing Uber accusing them of “misleading consumers about the service’s safety, overcharging them and thumbing its nose at the law,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Not only did the company illegally demanded airport fees, but UberX passengers have been charged a $1 “Safe Rides Fee” misleadingly promoting their background checks. “Uber continues to misrepresent and exaggerate background checks on driv-
ers,” Gascon said. He told the LA Times that the company claims to use an “industry-leading background check process,” which he titles “completely worthless” because they do not include fingerprinting. “The company repeats this misleading statement, giving consumers a false sense of security when deciding whether to get into a stranger’s car.” He added at another press conference: “It’s not our goal to shut them down. What we’re saying is the advertising is false.” Eva Behrend, spokeswoman for Uber defends the
company in a statement: “Californians and California lawmakers all agree — Uber is an integral, safe and established part of the transportation ecosystem in the Golden State.” Uber’s biggest competitor Lyft also faced a lawsuit, but settled with Gascon and Lacey “to stop picking up passengers at airports until it obtains the necessary permits and approvals, and to submit its app to a state testing agency to measure accuracy in calculating fares, a move Uber refused to make,” the LA Times claimed. Director of communications at Lyft, Erin Simpson, said told the
paper that this “demonstrates [Lyft’s] shared commitment to consumers and innovation.” Additionally, Lyft agreed to pay both counties a combined fee of $500,000. The lawsuit wasn’t a surprise for Thilo Koslowski, vice president and automotive practice leader at the technology analysis firm Gartner because the company is still in its infancy and growing exponentially. However, “Uber has to address these problems because if it doesn’t, it’s at risk of letting these things get out of control,” the LA Times quoted him.
Board OKs Incentive for Pollution-Control Testing Vessel Operators Needed to Help with At-Berth Clean Air Technology The Board of Long Beach Harbor Commissioners has approved a new incentive program to reward shipping lines for taking part in testing of new air pollution-control technology for vessels. The first to benefit from the new incentive will be vessel operators that are participating in the Port of Long Beach demonstration of a barge-mounted emissions-capture system for ships at berth. By waiving the
parking or “dockage” fee, the new incentive program is designed to encourage vessel operators to participate in the testing of this barge-mounted system and other similar technology. An estimated 40 vessel calls each year will be eligible for this incentive over the next two years. In addition to the incentive, the Port’s Technology Advancement Program provides funding for
inventors to test their cleanair technology. “This incentive will allow more ships to participate in these important demonstration projects, so we are very happy to offer it. As the Green Port, the Port of Long Beach is committed to being a leader in air pollution reduction and elimination. We’ve made great strides in that area, but we’re far from finished,” said Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond. Shore power, which reduces air pollution by allowing docked ships to shut down shipboard engines and plug in for clean power, is installed at all of the Port’s container shipping terminals. But there is also a need for at-berth emissions control when shore power is not feasible. Currently, the bargebased “Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System” or AMECS is undergoing testing at the Port. The AMECS uses a 115-foot-high tower mounted on a barge to connect to a ship and vacuum up
emissions. The gases are sent through filters and scrubbers remove pollutants. The system is seeking approval from state regulators to qualify as an alternative to shore power for container ships and will also be tested on other types of cargo ships. Although the Port has made significant progress in improving air quality, ships remain the largest source of portrelated air pollution. A top priority for the Port’s Technology Advancement Program is to find and demonstrate technologies to reduce emissions from ships. The new incentive aims to encourage participation in these types of demonstrations. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for transPacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 140 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.
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Downtown Civic Center
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borhoods and fix more sidewalks and alleys. Retrofitting the existing facilities is prohibitively expensive and would be impossible without finding new financing through bonds or taxes. Partnering with this team to build a new Civic Center is the right decision, and provides an opportunity to add residential development and other uses to the site, and to create a modern, sustainable project that will last for generations, without additional cost to our residents. I want to thank our Harbor Department for partnering with us on this project. The Port's participation means savings for
the City and greater efficiency from shared facilities. It also means our Civic Center -- and downtown -- will be that much more active thanks to their participation. I want to thank the City Council for their hard work moving this forward. I also want to thank the many City staff who put years of research and planning into this process. I especially want to thank all the residents who came to Council meetings, sent emails and letters, and spoke to me personally about your hopes and ideas for a new Civic Center. Your input was valuable, and I want to encourage every-
one to continue participating in the process as we move forward. The design for the Civic Center won't be finalized for many months, and input from residents is essential. The new Civic Center is a great contribution to the continued revitalization of downtown, and will give our city and our residents a shared home we can really be proud of. Bringing new residences, new retail and the Port's headquarters to downtown is a new chapter for Long Beach, and will completely change the landscape downtown. It's a very exciting time for our City. Go Long Beach!
Queen Mary Holiday “Chill” Returns Our giant dome - once home to the legendary Spruce Goose - was frozen over and transformed into a giant igloo and home to The Ice Kingdom – an awe-inspiring exhibit featuring larger-than-life ice creations. This holiday season, The Ice Kingdom allows you to be a part of The Nutcracker story, following little Clara and her Nutcracker through her adventures on one cold Christmas Eve Night. CHILL will also feature Ice Tubing, an outdoor Ice Skating rink, the World’s Largest Snowman Bouncy and the World’s Largest Rocking Horse. And don’t miss the chance to climb into a giant Snow Globe. CHILL continues its run at The Queen Mary Dec. 9 - Jan. 4 & Jan. 8-11. For information call (562) 435-3511 or visit www. queenmary.com/events/chill. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Hwy. in Long Beach.
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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New Airport Director Bryant L. Francis, C.M., an aviation expert with over 18 years of industry experience, has been named Director of Long Beach Airport (LGB). Mr. Francis' appointment will be effective January 5, 2015. Mr. Francis has served as Director of Airports for the Shreveport Airport Authority in Louisiana since 2012. Previously he was Deputy Director, Properties & Business Development of the Boise Airport in Idaho; Director, Aviation Real Estate for the Wayne County Airport Authority in Detroit, Michigan; Deputy
Director of Aviation - Marketing, Communications and Air Service Development for Palm Springs International Airport in California; and Airport Operations Representative for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. "I am passionate about aviation, am committed to fostering positive relationships, and will ensure that Long Beach Airport provides the absolute best service possible to its travelers and to all our business and community partners," commented Mr. Francis. Mr. Francis' responsibili-
ties will include oversight of all airport operations, finances and leases, the Airport Noise Ordinance, community outreach, environmental matters and capital improvements. LGB has won numerous awards, and the Long Beach Airport Area Complex is a major economic development resource, supporting 43,000 jobs and generating more than $11 billion into the regional economy. Mr. Francis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is a Certified Member (C.M.) of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). He is currently a member of the Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Board of Directors as well as Chair of the AAAE Diversity Committee. Mr. Francis is replacing Mario Rodriguez, who resigned as Director in May 2014 to accept a position as Executive Director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
Grant to Help CSULB Hispanics Attain Graduate Degrees Continued from page 1
of graduate studies in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is the principal investigator (PI) on the grant. She will collaboratively work with her co-PIs, Eric Marinez, department of chemistry and biochemistry, Rigoberto Rodriguez, department of Chicano and Latino studies, and Nancy Hall, department of linguistics. Zed Mason, former associate vice president for research and external support, will serve as the evaluator for the grant.
“This project will help to both expand and enhance CSULB’s graduate studies, which is a key component of the university’s strategic plan,” said Benkin. “Through the development of the new Graduate Studies Resource Center and programs that support prospective and current students, Project HOGAR aims to increase enrollment and graduate student success at CSULB, particularly for Hispanic and underserved students. We
hope that this project will propel a greater focus on graduate studies here at CSULB.” For the first time in CSULB’s history, a Graduate Studies Resource Center will be established, which will serve as a central location to be used by all CSULB post-baccalaureate students in a dedicated space in the Peterson Hall 2 building. HOGAR will be developed to include comprehensive outreach programs for Hispanic and underserved students. The programs will enhance student engagement relating to graduate education and professional/ career goals, facilitate graduate research/scholarship, grow cultural competency and scholarship excellence in faculty mentors, and develop the research infrastructure to support quality post-baccalaureate education. CSULB is considered a Hispanic Serving Institution. It is ranked 11th nationally in awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanics and 13th for underrepresented students generally. More than 35 percent of CSULB’s under-
graduate student population is Hispanic. However, the graduate enrollment for Hispanics is significantly lower, and the graduate program is relatively small (12 percent of total enrollment) compared to other universities, including other CSU campuses. HOGAR is designed to help continue and advance CSULB’s reputation as a research-driven university. The five-year goals of HOGAR are: to strengthen CSULB’s outreach efforts of Hispanic and underserved post-baccalaureate students by developing and implementing a comprehensive recruitment plan; to improve the experience and success of Hispanic and underserved post-baccalaureate students; to enhance the scholarship, research, and mentorship capacity of faculty to support Hispanic and underserved post-baccalaureate student success; and to improve CSULB’s graduate-level infrastructure to support Hispanic and underserved post-baccalaureate student success.