Nuclear Plant Possibly Restarting Despite Needing Repairs

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons)

A nuclear plant about 50 miles away from Wilmington residents is gambling with the safety of millions of lives by proposing to restart despite it needing $317 million in repairs.

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California near San Clemente.

The plant was shut down in January after discovering a small radioactive steam leak at one of its two reactors that indicated accelerated degradation of tubes in the plant's new steam generators, reported Reuters.

Last month the owner submitted an experimental plan to restart one of its reactors, Unit 2. The leak occurred in the Unit 3 reactor, which is closed indefinitely.

Edison has topped $317 million in repairs and their efforts to restart the reactor faces opposition from environmental groups and community members who say the plan could endanger eight million nearby residents.

Community members and environmentalist are demanding a public hearing and the Los Angeles City Council has until this Friday to act before the year is through to urge a resolution.

“Edison is pushing hard to get Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval for what amounts to a reckless experiment with the lives and livelihoods of the 8.4 million people who live within 50 miles of San Onofre,” said Damon Moglen, energy and climate director for Friends of the Earth.

“This critical matter should not be considered in another informal meeting, in which the audience is silenced and removed from the real process despite their demands for independent public input and oversight,” he said in a press release. 

Environmentalist are demanding this matter be considered in NRC proceedings to examine the dangers this can pose to many families.

In the event of a massive accident or a natural disaster that harshly impacts the reactors at this plant a big population of Los Angeles would be put at risk. Parts of L.A. are within the 50 mile radius that NRC recommended be the evacuation zone after Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power during last year’s tsunami. 

When Japan was hit by the deadly tsunami farms up to 90 miles away from the Fukushima plant were tainted with dangerous levels of radioactivity.

A massive nuclear accident in Southern California can cause long-term radiation in contamination well beyond the 50-mile radius as proven in Japan.

Wilmington residents along with other L.A. community members are asked to contact their councilman or councilwoman and President Wesson with their support for the Koretz/Rosendahl resolution on San Onofre safety. To contact Councilman Joe Buscaino who represents L.A.'s 15th council district click here to voice your concerns.

Families Filled the Streets to Watch the Annual Christmas Parade

Wilmington residents filled the streets Sunday afternoon to watch the annual Christmas parade on Avalon Boulevard. The parade was led by the Banning High School band and drill team who were accompanied by the new principal and former band member, Rudy Mendoza.

Others in the parade included Councilman Joe Buscaino, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, community groups like I heart Wilmington and Womyn of Wilmington and many more.

The Councilman's office produced a short video of the parade you can watch here, and the Wilmington Wire captured some photos. Take a look!

Wilmington Residents Go Out to Vote Early Morning

It was a few minutes before 7 a.m. and Wilmington residents were already in line at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to vote for the next president.  Many took the advantage and made sure their vote was in before polls got crowded after work. Polls will be open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Take a look at some photos of Wilmington voters this morning.

Member-at-Large Elections for the Wilmington Neighborhood Council this Saturday

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. community members, residents, property owners, stakeholders, workers, worshipers, people who have any connection to Wilmington will have the opportunity to vote for the Member-at-Large of their choice to fill the three open seats for a two-year term on the Wilmington Neighborhood Council (WNC).

Elections will be held at the Wilmington Senior Citizen Center, 1371 Eubank Ave. Voters must be at least 16 years of age and might have to provide identification. If you are undocumented or a permanent resident you still qualify to vote.

The council is also looking for volunteers to help at the polls. Community service hours for school can also be granted for volunteering. If you're interested in engaging in local politics and lend a hand this Saturday contact WNC Chair, Cecilia Moreno, at cmoreno@portla.org or call her at (310) 732-7659.  

Here's information on each candidate.

Sylvia Arredondo

Anthony Quezada

No photo by Anthony Quezada was provided.

I am eager to become a member of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council governing board, so that I can use my affiliation with Amvet Post 33, as well as my relationships with Congresswoman Janice Hahn and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to support and assist the people of Wilmington. My intention is to focus on the needs of veterans, senior veterans and their families with all the resources at my disposal.

(This is a statement Quezada provided to the WNC in his candidate filing form.)







Gladys Padilla

Gladys Padilla is a young Latina passionate about engaging youth, empowering women and building stronger communities in Wilmington. She was born to parents who immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. They taught her the values of resilience, perseverance, and honesty. She is a first generation university graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science and was nominated as 2009 New Progressive Leader in Washington, DC.


Her work experience ranges from being a volunteer at a Rape Crisis Center, answering 24hr-hotline calls and advocating for survivors during SART exams, to living in Washington, DC and working for Center for American Progress in their Ethnic Media department, developing press releases on topics of healthcare and immigration. Currently she works at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center providing social case management services to patients who are living with HIV.
In 2009, she co-founded an unofficial organization Wilmington Enrichment Community Artist Network (W.E.C.A.N.), which celebrates local artists at local venues. This year, she and a small group of residents in Wilmington, organized the 2012 First Annual Wilmington Women’s Month. She was recently asked by Congresswoman Hahn to be in her Women’s Advisory Board. She is moved by her values of equality and social justice. She is determined to make change and help create opportunities for future generations.

Anabell Romero

Anabell Romero is an aspiring journalist who grew up in Wilmington and returned home after graduating from UC Santa Cruz. She is currently a graduate student at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. She is very committed to her community and hopes to bring positive change. Since 2009 she has been Member at Large of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council and hopes to continue to serve as an active member. She also helped create The Wilmington Wire, a cooperative blog for the community. In addition to graduate school, she works for The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships as Program Coordinator. She has a fondness for informing people about issues that directly impact their community’s infrastructure. 

She also served as a Wilmington community correspondent blogger for the San Francisco National Public Radio Station, KQED, where she covered public health issues in the neighborhood. Recently she began an internship with Univision-KMEX34 where she will cover stories on Latinos in Los Angeles for their website. Her passion is driven by the fact that she grew up in a largely Latino neighborhood that continues to be faced with many issues that deplete the quality of life for its residents. Her goal is to trigger dialogue about community issues to help empower residents to bring positive change to Wilmington. 

(Disclosure: Anabell Romero is the author of this post, but as a commitment to remain objective the Wilmington Wire's goal is to provide the community with information and allow readers to make their own choices.)

New research reveals health effects caused by diesel particulates

Dr. John Froines giving his presentation on the
health effects caused by diesel.
(Photo by Anabell Romero)

A doctor and professor at UCLA revealed new research on the health effects caused by diesel particulates Wednesday night. Community members, environmentalist, health experts and government agencies all gathered at the Banning Senior Citizen’s Center to listen to Dr. John Froines speak about his shocking findings.

He started off by stating that 50-60 years ago America’s views on pollution were completely different and very limited.

“It was thought that air pollution was the result of backyard barbecues,” said Froines.  

As more research on air pollution has been conducted studies show that, “the underlying basis for health effects are from airborne particulate matter (PM) and vapor co-pollutants,” said Froines.

There has been speculation that Southern California’s air quality is gradually improving, but according to Froines, that is false.

“There have been no improvements,” he said, “It’s worse!” Some of the health illnesses he listed as a result of PM, which is found in diesel fuel are:

• Asthma
• Problems of lung growth in children
• Atherosclerosis, which is hardening of the arteries. It occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques.
• Lung and possibly bladder cancer
• Uptake and chronic inflammatory effects in the Central Nervous System (CNS)

Other illnesses he mentioned were Alzheimer, as well as the increased chances of premature births.

He said these particulates are as tiny as the size of a virus. People exposed to PM are not only inhaling it but the invisible poison also travels through human pores he said.

“Particulates can travel to the brain, not only the lungs and heart,” he added. He continued to emphasize on pollution being a, “very complex issue.”

He said, “for diseases and illnesses to occur there needs to be chemistry at the outset and downstream with proteins and DNA.”

The Solution to pollution

The solution is finding something other than diesel said Froines.

Now that the research is there to prove how harmful it is to be exposed to high levels of diesel the federal government needs to regulate the amount of emissions that are released in the air, he said.

After Froines’ talk a panel of health experts and government agencies discussed some of the work they’re doing to develop a solution for this fatal problem.

A representative from the air division at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Kim Hoang, said that, “everything at the federal level takes years to develop…five to 10 years from now we will see all those studies being considered.”

The public was not very happy to hear that.

A Long Beach community resident demanded that government agencies do something about holding the ports, railroad companies, trucking companies and other polluters accountable for the damage they’re doing to the health of residents in nearby neighborhoods.

Carmen Rivera from Long Beach sharing her experience of
living in neighborhood highly impacted by air-pollution.
(Photo by Anabell Romero)

“The ports want to do all these new projects, like the railyard, behind our homes,” said Long Beach resident Carmen Rivera. “You the agencies have the power to help us and say no to their absurd projects.”

There was also discussion about zero-emission technology available to replace current diesel fueled machines and trucks.

“Zero-emission freight technology is the solution and we need to pursue them,” said Dr. Joseph Lyou from South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The meeting ended with public comments and community members demanding that the government do something about this now and not five or 10 years from now.

It is not fair for residents to continue fighting with industry about these issues, if there’s probable risk then it needs to be banned, said an attendee at the meeting.

Street Art Event in Wilmington

This Saturday at Streetcraft in Wilmington independent artist collaborated at the event that had an open graffiti yard, tattooing, various art galleries, independent clothing vendors, live music and more. The event started at 11 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. To attend the cost was 50 cents.

Artist from Wilmington and other neighborhoods all over Los Angeles came together to showcase their  original street inspired art.

Slanguage Celebrates their 10-year Anniversary

Photo: Slanguage Facebook 

The Wilmington art hub Slanguage celebrates their 10-year anniversary since they launched the art group in 2002. Located on 640 North Avalon Boulevard the group was founded by couple Karla Diaz and Mario Ybarra, Jr. who together have created an art scene much needed in Wilmington, a neighborhood that lacks many art resources. Their members craft artwork, curate exhibitions, coordinate events throughout Los Angeles, and lead art-educational workshops for youth in the community.

Their Wilmington inspired art work portrays the influences in living in an industrial dominated neighborhood while also highlighting the hidden historical treasures like the famous “THE DON” hotel that once welcomed visitors entering Wilmington.

Slanguage bases their practice on a three-pronged approach to art-making to include education, community-building, and interactive exhibitions, according to their website.

This summer Slanguage continues to host a popular exhibition and various workshops at Made in L.A. 2012, organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART. The art group features a public billboard project, a new mural on LAXART’s facade, and an interactive installation documenting 10 years of the collective’s projects. Slanguage is also hosting public programs, events, and performances that give audiences access to its educational process of artistic creation.

The art group has received a lot of support from community members including District 15 Councilman Buscaino. In mid-July a group of Wilmington residents coordinated a trip to L.A. to vote and help Slanguage win the MOHN prize of $100,000 for their "Made in L.A. 2012" exhibition. The last day to vote was Sunday August 12, 2012.

For upcoming events see below for more details. (Information was taken from the Made in L.A./ LAXART website)

Congratulations Slanguage!

SLANGFEST 2

SAT | AUG 25 | 11AM–6PM

12PM | BASS ELEGY/DEVIL’S NIGHT (FOR M.K.)

The second annual Slangfest is a daylong festival of art workshops, music, and performances. Art activity booths will host family workshops while a lineup of performances including break-dancing and live bands takes the stage. Food trucks will be present during the event. At noon, Scott Benzel and Mark Hagen will fit a wrecked car with a custom pyramidal bass cabinet and play a mix of Ghettotech, Booty bass, and early Detroit Techno as well as a live original composition through it. Incorporating both a dense mix of sound to create extreme vibrations and slow compositions using live musicians, Bass Elegy/Devil’s Night (for M.K.) is an elegy to one of our city’s most influential and pioneering artists, Mike Kelley.

(Supported by honorary mayor candidate, Gladys Padilla) 

WHEN: Saturday, July 21
TIME: 9:30 AM (Will return by 3 PM)

WHERE: Slanguage, 640 N. Avalon (Across from Santa Fe Seconds) 

Wilmington Residents Host Meetings to Discuss Community’s High Rate of Sex Offenders

Mary Gant speaking during community meeting. (Photo: Oralia Rubio)

Harbor Inn Hotel (Photo Source: Google Maps)

Tension was high as residents and city officials gathered Tuesday evening to discuss the high number of registered sex offenders living in Wilmington.

Organized by the Wilmington Community Organization, this meeting held at the Harbor Christian Center was a chance for residents to ask questions about the high number of sex offenders released in Wilmington, and to see if anything could be done to regulate it. The discussion cleared up a lot of misinformation that residents had about sex offenders and their parole conditions.

Parole Administrator Joe Martinez explained that, in general, offenders are on parole from one to five years with the average time being about three years. High-risk offenders can be on parole up to seven years or longer and have to be registered as sex offenders for life, Martinez added.

Offenders on parole are also tracked with a GPS ankle monitor and have frequent visits to their residence by parole officers.

The LAPD is responsible for registering offenders yearly in the Department of Justice Megan’s Law registry as well as enforcing any offenders who fail to register when needed, officials explained.

Although the laws became more clear to residents, it still did not seem fair to attendees that our community has to deal with LA’s problem of sex offenders. Wilmington has the highest concentration of registered sex offenders totaling to about 177. Flint Street in East Wilmington has a high concentration of offenders living in what officials called residential facilities or hotels. Residents believe this type of housing is a threat to our community’s safety.

Sex Offender Hot Spots
Places like the Harbor Inn were mentioned as locations where many sex offenders live. Last summer the motel was raided and eight people were taken into custody for alleged parole violations, including possession of child pornography or narcotics. Stuffed animals, teen magazines and children's underwear were found in the motel, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Martinez explained that sex offenders under parole supervision are allowed to live anywhere they would like as long as its 2,000 ft. away from a school or park. He said they also take into consideration the offenses and if it is near other places where youth conjugate.

However, once the offender is off parole or probation, he or she can live anywhere they please. This information displeased and angered many of the attendees. A main factor as to why there are so many sex offenders in Wilmington is the low cost of housing, officials said.

Next Steps
The community has definitely united in this effort in hopes of making our community safer. But with the sensitive nature of this topic and with a system that doesn’t seem to empower resident, many feel powerless and by the end of the meeting, had some suggesting extreme measures as solutions.

It was also important to residents that they be informed when an offender moves into their neighborhood. As of now, officials said they can only monitor the whereabouts of the offenders as well as enforce violations.

Community members advised anyone who is committed to this issue to speak to local legislators, council members, supervisors and anybody who can help Wilmington be a safer place for residents via legislation changes.

“We need to continue pushing for change, attending meetings and voice our concerns,” said Mary Gant, organizer of the meeting and member of the Wilmington Community Organization.”It will not happen overnight and not with just one meeting.”

Although residents were unhappy about the current situation, it was a motivating meeting to continue to voice their concerns and spread awareness about the issue. Police officials also assured residents that they will continue to monitor offenders and address any concerns.

The next meeting is scheduled for August 14, 2012 at the Harbor Christian Center, 1551 Wilmington Blvd. Wilmington, CA. For updates, please email the Wilmington Community Organization at wilmcomorg@gmail.com


Story was written by Oralia Rubio

Gunshots Fired During a Police Raid at a Wilmington Home

This morning at about 5 a.m. the Los Angeles Special Enforcement Bureau raided a home in Wilmington where shots were fired and two deputies suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

This occurred on the 1200 block of Ronan Avenue between L Street and M Street feet away from Gulf Avenue Elementary. 

Nearby residents said they were woken up by the sudden bomb-like sounds and gunshots.

“I woke up to a loud bang that was followed by four gunshots,” said Esperanza Romero who lives a few houses down. “I immediately thought that someone had crashed and perhaps had been shot.”

 Investigators were serving a search warrant and were given the call to go in to the house, said officials.

“The deputy had information that they had illegal weapons and narcotics and the individual’s apparently belong to a motorcycle gang, so that was the reason for the search warrant,” said Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

The police knocked on the door and announced themselves as deputy sheriffs when suddenly shots were fired at them and deputies fired back, said Corina. There were two men inside the home who eventually gave up and were taken into custody. No names were released.

“We haven’t searched the home yet, but just in plain view we saw AK 47, rifles, pistols and hand guns,” said Corina.

As of now the police said they can't confirm if there are any drug related crimes linked, but they said they plan to continue the investigation to find out about the type of activity occurring in the home.