Weekly News Roundup – Nov. 25, 2013
Man Who Allegedly Had Sex With Dog Charged With Animal Cruelty
A 22-year-old San Pedro man who was caught on camera allegedly having sex with a neighbor’s dog pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges in a Long Beach courtroom last Monday, Nov. 18. The San Pedro Beacon was first to break the story on Friday, Nov. 15.
The District Attorney’s Office charged Christopher Caceres with one felony count of animal cruelty, another felony count of first degree burglary and a misdemeanor count of sexual assault on an animal.
Caceres is being held on $100,000 bail and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing next week.
Harbor Commission Meets With Almost All New Faces
All four of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s new appointees to the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners met for the first time last Thursday.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Vilma Martinez and Yucaipa Companies partner Ed Renwick were confirmed to the five-member board earlier in the week on Tuesday.
The longest standing member on the board is now former ILWU President Dave Arian, who, along with Anthony Pirozzi and Patricia Castellanos, is one of three commissioners from San Pedro.
The board is expected to elect its president and vice president at its next meeting on Dec. 12.
Ports O’ Call Plans Unveiled
The team of developers picked by the Port of Los Angeles to redevelop Ports O’ Call Village unveiled initial plans at a public meeting on Tuesday night.
The L.A. Waterfront Alliance presented plans to an audience of several hundred at the Warner Grand Theatre. Plans for a three-acre public park, a central market square and a pier of attractions with an entertainment anchor tenant were well-received by residents. Parking structures and connections to San Pedro, including a moving bridge, were also among highlights.
Developers said the plans should be finalized by the end of 2014, with construction starting in 2016 at the earliest.
Boys & Girls Clubs Serve Up Thanksgiving Dinners
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Harbor Area served more than 2,400 Thanksgiving dinners in San Pedro and Wilmington for youth and their families last week.
With support from the Palos Verdes chapter of the National Charity League, the Palos Verdes Rotary and the San Pedro Rotary, dinners were served for Boys & Girls Club member families at the San Pedro Boys & Girls Club, Wilmington Boys & Girls Club, Port of Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club and the new Harry Bridges Span School Club site in Wilmington.
