{"id":128278,"date":"2026-01-10T18:16:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T18:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/128278\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T18:16:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T18:16:33","slug":"from-chemical-fumes-to-rv-lawsuits-to-the-brown-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/128278\/","title":{"rendered":"From Chemical Fumes to RV Lawsuits to the Brown Act –"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HC<\/a> The Harbor Gateway\u2019s Unfinished Business<\/p>\n

By Rick Thomas, Columnist<\/p>\n

A new year is usually a good moment to look at what\u2019s been accomplished in the Harbor Gateway.<\/p>\n

And what hasn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

This marks two years of writing this column for Random Lengths News. When I started, I assumed I\u2019d have to dig for stories in what\u2019s often described as a \u201cthriving\u201d community\u2014one full of opportunity.<\/p>\n

And as it turns out, there is no shortage of problems.<\/p>\n

There was no digging required. If anything, the Harbor Gateway produces more stories than one column can hold. And they don\u2019t just originate here\u2014issues spill in from Harbor City, San Pedro, and beyond.<\/p>\n

As we say in the music radio business: the hits just keep on coming.<\/p>\n

Politics.<\/p>\n

Environment.<\/p>\n

Community well-being.<\/p>\n

Some stories require investigation. Most simply require paying attention\u2014something too many officials are counting on residents not doing.<\/p>\n

Because the stakes here are real: safety, services, accountability.<\/p>\n

Not slogans.<\/p>\n

What became clear very quickly is this: while the community wants these conversations, many of the people responsible for public safety, transparency, and quality of life would prefer to avoid them.<\/p>\n

More soon on city, state, and county officials and their creative use of the Brown Act.<\/p>\n

The Harbor Gateway has been asking for recognition for years. In some ways, it\u2019s arrived. In others, the community is still being ignored.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s increasingly clear that asking politely isn\u2019t getting results.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s talk about what made news in 2025.<\/p>\n

Jones Chemicals, Inc.<\/p>\n

The polluter in Harbor Gateway South is still with us\u2014and still causing concern.<\/p>\n

Jones Chemicals, Inc., at Del Amo Blvd & Denker Avenue, has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for environmental violations, yet the company remains firmly embedded in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Embedded directly next to the Cheryl Green Boys & Girls Club.<\/p>\n

Enter the Del Amo Action Committee (DAAC).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll admit when I first heard the name, I raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

That changed quickly.<\/p>\n

DAAC\u2019s leadership\u2014and particularly its scientific experts\u2014laid out in clear terms what a chlorine spill at Jones Chemicals could mean for nearby residents.<\/p>\n

The answer wasn\u2019t hypothetical.<\/p>\n

It was dangerous and immediate.<\/p>\n

Despite this, I\u2019ve been told by people in city leadership to \u201cbe nicer\u201d to Jones Chemicals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a tough sell.<\/p>\n

Especially after a company employee openly cursed me for questioning why a Jones Chemicals truck was driving through a residential street in violation of DOT rules\u2014and hollered at me again at a Harbor Gateway South Neighborhood Council meeting.<\/p>\n

Environmental accountability isn\u2019t a bland issue.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

If city officials choose to partner with Jones Chemicals as event sponsors, that\u2019s their call. I\u2019ll simply report on those relationships. Anyone who\u2019s worked in sponsorships\u2026as I have\u2026 knows how quickly a bad pairing can unravel.<\/p>\n

What matters is this: DAAC\u2019s advocacy directly led to two City Council motions targeting Jones Chemicals, both sponsored by Councilmember Tim McOsker.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what community pressure looks like\u2014and it works.<\/p>\n

More in-depth on Jones Chemicals\u2026more specifically the Del Amo Action Committee.<\/p>\n

The Silver RV Park Saga<\/p>\n

The Silver RV Park in Harbor City project that refuses to fade quietly.<\/p>\n

Built across the street from million-dollar homes.<\/p>\n

Still unopened.<\/p>\n

Still tangled in lawsuits.<\/p>\n

Still costing residents and taxpayers time and money.<\/p>\n

Green Meadows West residents, along with Councilmember McOsker, have opposed the project for years. The owner, Stewart Silver, isn\u2019t backing down\u2014and now he\u2019s suing everyone involved for up to $20 million.<\/p>\n

How did it get up to $20 million for the original $10 million? Because a similar Silver RV Park project in North Hills was also blocked.<\/p>\n

By the Los Angeles City Council.<\/p>\n

In response, LA City Council passed new restrictions on RV parks citywide.<\/p>\n

Translation: affluent neighborhoods complained loudly\u2014and were heard.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the part few people don\u2019t like to say aloud: wealthy communities fight hard to protect themselves. Less affluent ones are told to adapt. I live in a gentrifying, less affluent part of Harbor Gateway South. Disrespect by residents in this neighborhood isn\u2019t theoretical\u2014it\u2019s routine.<\/p>\n

An RV park next to million-dollar homes isn\u2019t about aesthetics; it\u2019s about property values.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be honest about that.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Stewart Silver followed the city\u2019s approval process. The problem wasn\u2019t the rules\u2014it was the outcome.<\/p>\n

And when cities change rules midstream, taxpayers often end up footing the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing I can tell you is I will not give up till these parks are open and we\u2019re compensated,\u201d Stewart Silver wrote to me in an email.<\/p>\n

This story doesn\u2019t end in 2026.<\/p>\n

And Finally, the Brown Act<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a favorite hiding place for public officials, it\u2019s the Brown Act\u2014especially when questions get uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one reason I stopped attending Harbor Gateway South Neighborhood Council meetings. Last year, LAPD leadership walked out of one of those meetings rather than answer resident questions.<\/p>\n

The Senior Lead Officer.<\/p>\n

The Sergeant.<\/p>\n

Gone.<\/p>\n

These positions earn roughly $200,000 a year on average in public salaries.<\/p>\n

Public salaries.<\/p>\n

That means we, the stakeholders here in the city of Los Angeles, are paying for the LAPD community reps to leave meetings and not answer questions related to issues happening on the streets we walk every day.<\/p>\n

At that level of \u201cpublic salaries,\u201d silence isn\u2019t an option. Accountability comes with the job.<\/p>\n

More stories are coming on the Brown Act.<\/p>\n

More stories about money.<\/p>\n

About avoidance.<\/p>\n

About institutions that vanish when scrutiny appears.<\/p>\n

And yes\u2014more stories from persistent columnists like me.<\/p>\n

As I write this post I get an alert from Citizen\u2019s App.<\/p>\n

\u201cReport of Man With Pistol in Car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to that?<\/p>\n

\u201cReport of Four to Five Gunshots Heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Division is fleeing out of a Neighborhood Council meeting and not taking questions about issues in the area they are sworn\u2026\u201dto protect and serve?\u201d<\/p>\n

AI says it best: that phrase \u201c\u2026signifies law enforcement\u2019s core duty to safeguard communities and assist citizens\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank goodness for the LAPD Harbor Division\u2019s Gang Unit.<\/p>\n

Those officers show up.<\/p>\n

The Senior Lead Officer and the Sarge should do the same.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve told friends and neighbors, even those in the political world here in Los Angeles, that I sometimes think about leaving LA for an easier lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Leaving the Harbor Gateway South idea doesn\u2019t go over well, at least to my friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n

I get beaten up about it.<\/p>\n

After further review\u2014as they say in the NFL after throwing the red flag\u2014I\u2019m not going anywhere just yet.<\/p>\n

Frank Sinatra said it well:<\/p>\n

\u201cL.A. is my lady\u2026 I think I\u2019ll unpack my bags and hang around here a little while longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like this:<\/p>\n

Like Loading…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Harbor Gateway\u2019s Unfinished Business By Rick Thomas, Columnist A new year is usually a good moment to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128279,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[66191,66192,66193,131,133,132,9722],"class_list":["post-128278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-harborcity","tag-rickthomas","tag-done","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-rln"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}