CAIRO — Egyptian air and naval forces have spotted a body part, passengers’ personal belongings and other debris from EgyptAir flight 804 that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 66 passengers and crew who were en route from Paris to Cairo, the Egyptian army and Greek defense minister said Friday.

It is not yet known what caused the crash but some experts and officials have not ruled out terrorism as a possibility.

Greece’s defense minister Panos Kammenos said Greek authorities received notification that Egyptian authorities had spotted the body part, two seats and suitcases during their search in the Mediterranean for the wreckage of the Airbus 320. The plane disappeared off radar at 2.45 a.m. local time Thursday moing.

The debris was found around 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of the coastal city of Alexandria, Egyptian army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir said in a statement posted on his Facebook page. The Egyptian military continued to search for further debris from the downed passenger jet, he said.

France, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and the UK had all joined the Egyptian search effort, Egypt’s defense ministry said. Authorities had been scouring a wide area south of the Greek island of Crete.

A team of Egyptian investigators led by Ayman el-Mokadam — along with French and British investigators and an expert from Airbus — will inspect what the army has found, Egyptian officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The office of Egypt’s president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, issued a statement expressing its condolences to the relatives of the 66 killed. It said the presidency “expressed its deep regret and sadness for the victims” of EgyptAir flight 804. “God give great mercy and host them in his heaven,” it added.

The statement marked the first official recognition by Egypt’s govement that the missing plane had crashed.

On Thursday, Kammenos said that the plane swerved wildly before plummeting into the sea.

The Egyptian military said that no distress call was received from the pilot. The country’s aviation minister Sherif Fathi said the likelihood the plane was brought down by a terror attack is “higher than the possibility of a technical failure.”

Yet France’s foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault asserted Friday on France-2 television that there is “absolutely no indication” of what caused the crash.

The junior minister for transport, Alain Vidalies, said on France-Info radio that “no theory is favored” at this stage and urged “the greatest caution.”

Amid fears the plane was downed by an extremist attack, Vidalies defended security at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, saying staff badges are revoked if there is the slightest security doubt.

Families of the victims spent the night in a hotel in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, while they awaited the news of their loved ones. Egyptian officials said some arrived from Paris late Thursday, among them eight relatives of the 15 French passengers on board the missing jet.

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Later Friday, relatives of four of the victims held prayers for the dead at Sultan Hussein Mosque in Cairo. Some of them cried as they prayed.

Among those killed were Salah Abu Laban, his wife Sahar Qouidar, their son Ghassan Abu Laban and daughter-in-law Reem al-Sebaei.

“I ask God for forgiveness. This is very hard for the family,” a relative, Abdel-Rahman al-Nasry, told The Associated Press.

Magdi Badr, a family friend, said, “we pray for the victims.”

On Thursday, officials said the plane had veered during its last moments in flight — an erratic course that suggested a number of possible explanations for the crash, including a catastrophic mechanical or structural failure, a bombing, or a struggle over the controls with a hijacker in the cockpit.

Egyptian security officials said they were ruing background checks on the passengers to see if any had links to extremists.

Pilot Mohammed Shoukair was experienced by Egyptian standards, with 6,275 flying hours. His co-pilot Ahmed Assem had clocked in 2,101 flying hours.

SEAL BEACH — Black smoke filled the sky and flames bued bright orange Friday moing as a fire inside the closed Ruby’s Diner at the end of the Seal Beach Pier, bued for more than an hour, which also spread below the pier itself.

• PHOTOS: Blaze erupts at abandoned Ruby’s Diner on Seal Beach Pier

A fire started around 7:35 a.m. inside the restaurant, and firefighters were pumping water through standpipes at the end of the pier to try to contain the fire inside the restaurant, but it spread below the pier, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

“The fire is intensifying,” Concialdi said just before 8 a.m. “The restaurant was vacant.”

The flames below the pier were “well-involved” 15 minutes later and continued to bu.

Four fire boats from Long Beach Fire Department, three from Los Angeles County and one Orange County Sheriff’s Department fire boat, responded to assist the fire attack from the ocean.

About 55 firefighters from OCFA, Long Beach and Huntington Beach fire departments responded.

It’s unclear what started the fire, but the north side of the restaurant was in flames.

Officials were working on intensifying the water pressure to the end of the pier around 8:15 a.m. by pumping water to two additional standpipe lines.

A firefighter was injured while battling the blaze and was receiving medical care at 8:30 a.m.

Ruby’s Diner closed in January 2013, and the building has been vacant since.

A fire badly bued the pier May 15, 1992, after electrical wiring shorted under the wooden planks.

The Seal Beach Pier is the second longest wooden pier in Califoia, according to the Seal Beach city’s website.

Robert Christiansen, 61 of Anaheim, was sitting on his beach chair facing the ocean when he spotted the smoke.

“I thought ‘Maybe they’re doing some sort of control clean up fire; I hope it’s not what I think it is,” he said.

But then he saw the smoke building up, and emergency crews began arriving.

Firefighters told the fisherman and pedestrians on the pier to vacate as the smoke continued to build.

“It’s pretty serious; hopefully they’ll get it under control,” Christiansen said.

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PARIS — Serena Williams is still haunted by her struggles en route to wiing last year’s French Open title.

After getting the flu early in the touament, Williams was in major trouble during her three-set semifinal win over Timea Bacsinszky, wrapping herself in ice towels during changeovers, breathing heavily between points, the strain etched on her face.

“I think about it a lot, and I still don’t know how I got through it,” Williams said Friday after the draw for this year’s touament. “My eyes were glassy, and I was just not doing well.”

After getting through that ordeal, she skipped practice on the eve of the final, preferring to sleep until the afteoon at her Paris apartment. It proved to be good choice as Williams overcame a mid-match slump to beat Lucie Safarova in three sets and clinch her 20th major title.

Bidding for her fourth Roland Garros title this year, the 34-year-old American will open against 76th-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, then could meet Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals and third-seeded Angelique Kerber in the semifinals.

In a bid to avoid similar physical woes this year, Williams has made a firm pledge to take “Vitamin C every night” and to “regulate my temperature.”

That is because the weather in Paris has been overcast and somewhat chilly the past few days, and Williams — who joked that the warm weather only arrives at Roland Garros in time for the semifinals — said she put her tracksuit hood up following one practice session because she felt the cold on her ears.

Her victory in Paris last year followed successes in 2002 and 2013, and she then followed up with the Wimbledon title in July.

Williams was then surprisingly beaten by Roberta Vinci — an Italian ranked 43rd — in the semifinals of the U.S. Open and lost this year’s Australian Open final to Kerber.

It leaves Williams still needing one more major to equal Steffi Graf’s record for the Open era, which began in 1968, and three more to match Margaret Smith Court’s all-time mark of 24 majors.

The French Open is the only major Williams never has won back-to-back and she enters the touament following a confidence-boosting win at the Italian Open last weekend.

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“I got the match play that I needed in Rome,” she said.

Although it was her 70th career title, it was her first anywhere in nine months.

“Four touaments and three finals is not bad for everyone else, but I’m not everyone else,” Williams said. “I want to win more than most people — ever.”

PARIS — In his quest to complete a career Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic could have to beat nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinals.

Djokovic, who will face 100th-ranked Lu Yen-hsun in the first round, was put in the same side of the draw as Nadal on Friday. The top-ranked Serb beat Nadal in the quarterfinals last year, the Spaniard’s second loss of his career at Roland Garros.

Defending champion Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray could meet in the other semifinal match.

In the women’s draw, Serena Williams’ attempt to equal Steffi Graf’s professional era record of 22 major titles includes a possible quarterfinal match against Victoria Azarenka.

Djokovic has lost in the final on the red clay in three of the last four years. But wiing the French Open would give him four consecutive major championships, something no man has achieved since Rod Laver won a true Grand Slam in 1969.

He arrives in the French capital with a 37-3 record, but on the back of a loss to Murray in the Italian Open final.

Murray is seeded second for the first time at Roland Garros and will face a qualifier in his first match.

“It’s only two days out from the start of the touament and I don’t know who I’m playing against yet,” Murray said about playing a qualifier. “So you don’t have as much time to start preparing for it and that’s what makes it tricky.

“The positives are that often a lot of the qualifiers maybe have not played on the bigger courts and stuff and maybe you can capitalize a bit on that at the begiing if they are a little bit nervous.”

Because of Roger Federer’s withdrawal, Nadal has been seeded No. 4, avoiding a possible quarterfinal rematch against Djokovic. Chasing his first major title since wiing in Paris two years ago, Nadal takes on big server Sam Groth in the first round.

“I need to be ready to suffer a little bit during the match, because I know it’s going to be difficult to have breaks,” Nadal said.

Djokovic should have few problems before the fourth round, where 14th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut could be waiting.

Williams, the defending champion in Paris, will open against 76th-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova.

Before a potential quarterfinal match against Azarenka, the top-ranked American might also have to face Kristina Mladenovic and former champion Ana Ivanovic. In the semifinals, Williams could then be pitted against third-seeded Angelique Kerber, who beat her in the Australian Open final in January to win her first Grand Slam title.

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Williams, who won her first title in nine months in Rome, has played only four touaments this season.

“Four touaments, three finals isn’t bad for everyone else, but then again I’m not everyone else,” said Williams, who lost to Azarenka in the Indian Wells final in March.

Margaret Smith Court (24) and Graf are the only players with more Grand Slam singles titles than Williams, who has never won back-to-back titles at Roland Garros.

In the bottom half of the draw, second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska will start her bid for a first major title against Bojana Jovanovski.

LOS ANGELES — Strong winds blew across parts of the Southland today, especially the Antelope Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains.

A wind advisory that went into force Thursday will be in effect in the Antelope Valley until 10 o’clock tonight, as will a wind advisory scheduled to take effect in the San Gabriels at 10 this moing.

The National Weather Service forecast southwest-to-west winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour and 50-mph gusts in the Antelope Valley, slowly dying down tonight.

“These winds will make driving high-profile vehicles difficult. The winds will also produce clouds of blowing dust and sand, which can locally reduce visibility to near zero at times,” waed an NWS statement.

The Antelope Valley (14) Freeway and Pearblossom (SR 138) Highway could be particularly problematic, NWS forecasters said, urging motorists to be especially cautious and to be prepared for strong, sudden crosswinds.

The San Gabriel foothills and the Lake Palmdale area -- both in the Antelope Valley -- will see isolated gusts of up to 55 mph during the peak of the wind event this moing through this afteoon, according to the NWS statement.

Southwest-to-west winds of between 20 and 30 mph were also expected in the San Gabriel Mountains, along with 45-mph gusts.

Crisp winds were forecast in areas where no wind advisory was issued -- 10 to15 mph along the coast and in metropolitan L.A, 10 to 20 mph in the Santa Monica Mountains, 15-25 mph in the San Feando Valley, and 15-25 mph with 35-mph gusts in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Also in today’s forecast is patchy drizzle and a 20 percent chance of rain in the L.A. area this moing. The chance of drizzle and light rain in Orange County this moing was described as light.

The NWS forecast drizzle and cloudy skies today and highs of 52 in Big Bear; 58 on Mount Wilson; 62 in Avalon; 63 in Laguna Beach; 64 in Rancho Cucamonga and Mission Viejo; 65 in Ontario and San Clemente; 66 in San Pedro, Santa Clarita, San Beardino, Newport Beach, Anaheim and Irvine; 67 at LAX, and in Torrance, Burbank, San Gabriel, Palmdale, Lancaster, Redlands and Fullerton; 68 in Pasadena, San Gabriel, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Northridge, Long Beach and Yorba Linda; and 69 in downtown L.A., Whittier and West Covina. About the same temperatures are expected Saturday. They will rise slightly Sunday and decline slightly Monday.

San Beardino police this moing are investigating the city’s 27th homicide of 2016 at the coer of Sixth Street and Sterling Avenue, and a man was taken into custody following a pursuit that led law enforcement from the grisly scene to the city of Paramount.

Two juveniles are also in custody, said San Beardino police Lt. Richard Lawhead.

Detectives are focusing their efforts on a trash bin in a vacant field off Sixth Street where initial reports show that a body was bued.

Sixth Street has been shut down between Sterling and Lankershim avenues for the investigation.

Deputies stumbled on the scene around 1 a.m. when three people fled, initiating a chase that ended near Paramount, according to initial reports.

Once the chase crossed into Los Angeles County, San Beardino deputies asked the CHP to pick up the pursuit, said CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos.

The CHP took over the chase on the westbound 10 Freeway around the 57 Freeway in the San Dimas area, Villalobos said. The suspect then transitioned from the 10 Freeway to the southbound 710 Freeway around the Monterey Park area.

From there, the suspect moved to the eastbound 105 Freeway in the Downey-South Gate area, Villalobos said.

“The suspect then exited on Lakewood Boulevard in Paramount and the pursuit ended on Orizaba Avenue, just north of Golden Avenue at 1:36 a.m.,” Villalobos added.

The CHP took the man into custody in Paramount and was holding him for the San Beardino Sheriff’s Department, which was sending detectives to pick him up, according to Villalobos.

In response to questions from reporters about why he led law enforcement on the wild two-county pursuit in a vehicle hauling a trailer, the unidentified suspect said cryptically, “I just wanted to see my wife.”

It is unclear at this time where the two juveniles were apprehended.

More to come.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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SACRAMENTO >> Responding to last year’s deadly terrorist attack on San Beardino and other mass shootings, the state Senate on Thursday approved a package of sweeping gun-control legislation.

The Senate approved measures that would regulate the sale of ammunition, make several changes to the assault weapons ban lawmakers passed almost two decades ago and close a loophole that allows anyone to borrow a gun for up to 30 days without background checks. Democrats acted over the objections of Republicans, who argued that the new rules would unfairly punish law-abiding gun owners.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, hopes to use the Senate’s actions to create momentum in the Capitol that helps carry the bills through the Assembly and to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk as soon as next week. Swift success, he hopes, will convince Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to yank an initiative from the November ballot that tackles many of the same problems the legislation addresses.

“Hiram Johnson’s vision for empowering citizens didn’t involve burying citizens with an avalanche of initiatives,” de León said of the Califoia goveor credited with creating the state’s cherished system of direct democracy almost a century ago. “This is a common-sense approach.”

But none of it will be easy. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, has not yet endorsed de León’s strategy, the goveor’s position on the gun legislation remains uncertain and Newsom has vowed not to pull his measure from the ballot no matter what the Legislature does.

Legislation authored by de León in 2009 regulated the sale of ammunition, but a judge later ruled that its definition of ammunition was too vague to enforce.

De León’s Senate Bill 1235 and Assembly Bill 156, authored by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, seek to remedy the problem by defining ammunition as “one or more loaded cartridges consisting of a primer case, propellant and with one or more projectiles.”

The Senate approved both measures on a 24-15 vote.

Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Riverside, insisted that the bills would do nothing to deter criminals from obtaining ammunition, and he noted that Brown has already vetoed a similar piece of legislation.

“They’ll go to the black market to buy their ammunition,” Stone said. “I’m going to stand with the Second Amendment. I urge a no vote.”

The SB 880, authored by Sens. Isadore Hall, D-South Bay, and Steve Glazer, D-Walnut Creek, and AB 1135, authored by Assemblymen Marc Levine, D-Marin County, and Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, seek to modify the assault weapons ban to effectively prohibit “bullet buttons.”

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Aiming to work around current law, which bans long guns with detachable magazines, firearms manufacturers began selling “Califoia compliant” assault weapons with recessed buttons that allow users to instantly detach a magazine by pressing it with the tip of a bullet or another small tool.

The Senate approved these measures on a 24-14 vote.

Califoia’s assault weapons ban has been on the books for close to two decades now, and it baed the importation, manufacture and sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines. It did not, however, place any restrictions on possession of high-capacity magazines.

The SB 1446, authored by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, would prohibit possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. San Francisco, Suyvale and Los Angeles have already passed local ordinances that make possession of large-capacity magazines a misdemeanor. The Senate approved the measure on a 22-15 vote.

The final two bills the Senate approved this moing are SB 1407, authored by de León, and AB 857, authored by Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, which aim to eliminate the proliferation in recent years of so-called “ghost guns,” which are manufactured at home from parts that don’t have serial numbers and can’t be traced by law enforcement officials when they’re used to commit crimes.

The measures would require anyone who manufactures a gun at home to apply to the state Department of Justice for a unique serial number and engrave or permanently affix the number to that firearm within 10 days. The Senate approved those two measures on a 24-14 vote.

BEAUMONT >> The High Desert city of Adelanto is investigating whether some of the defendants in the Beaumont corruption case may have committed crimes while overseeing bonds there, Adelanto Mayor Richard Kerr said Thursday.

The Adelanto city attoey, finance manager and city manager began the probe the day after the arrests of seven former Beaumont officials were aounced Tuesday, Kerr said.

“Now’s not the time to worry,” Kerr said. “Once we find out if there were any improprieties, then that will be the time to be a little bit conceed about it.”

Some of those charged in Beaumont also worked in at least four other Califoia cities: Calimesa in Riverside County, Imperial and Calexico in Imperial County and Lincoln in Placer County.

Neither of the district attoey’s offices in San Beardino and Riverside counties are involved in the Adelanto investigation that Kerr described. They also have not received any reports from Calimesa. But San Beardino DA Mike Ramos and Riverside DA Mike Hestrin each said Thursday that they would launch new probes if presented with evidence of wrongdoing.

“Just because we filed charges doesn’t mean the investigation stops,” Hestrin said.

Authorities in both the city and county of Imperial and city officials in Calimesa did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Lincoln officials said they were severing ties with a company owned by one of the Beaumont defendants.

Hestrin’s office has charged the seven former top city officials with misappropriating almost $43 million from Beaumont. Six of them directed portions of $300 million in bonds to companies they created shortly after they began working for Beaumont, court records say. State law prohibits public employees from making contracts that provide personal financial benefit.

Charges include embezzlement, conflict of interest and misappropriation of public funds. Scheduled plea hearings for three of the defendants were postponed Thursday, and the arraignments for the other four were scheduled for July.

None of the defendants have admitted any wrongdoing in court.

BONDS FOR ADELANTO

Bond records kept by the federal Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board show that Urban Logic was part of the team of consultants that prepared Adelanto to issue a total of $32.8 million in water bonds in 1995 and 1996. Principals in Urban Logic who also worked for Beaumont were Deepak Moorjani, the former public works director there; Eest Egger, the former plaing director; and David Dillon, the former economic development director.

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Also in 1996, Moorjani prepared water management and conservation plans for Adelanto, in San Beardino County.

In 2000, Adelanto issued $25.2 million in utility bonds with help from Urban Logic that were paid off with the city’s sewer fees.

Also, William Aylward, the former Beaumont finance director arrested this week, had served as finance director in Adelanto in 2007.

CALIMESA WORK

In 1996, the Calimesa City Council hired Alan Kapanicas as contract city manager provided through his General Govement Management Services company at $65 an hour.

Kapanicas then served as city manager for both Beaumont and Calimesa until 2001 when he resigned from the Calimesa post, which required him to work 18 hours a week.

Aylward, the former Beaumont finance director, also did accounting work for Calimesa as an employee of General Govement Management Services during Kapanicas’ tenure in Calimesa.

A phone message left with the Calimesa city manager’s office on Thursday seeking comment was not retued.

ACTIVE IN OTHER CITIES

Federal bond records also show that Kapanicas’ company, General Govement Management Services, was active as a tax consultant for cities in Imperial and Placer counties.

The company provided special tax services to the border town of Calexico in 2013 when the city issued $7 million in bonds to build public facilities needed for the development of the Gran Plaza Outlets shopping center.

Kapanicas’ company was involved in at least a half dozen bond issues to facilitate development in Imperial, a small city just north of El Centro. The most recent bond was $5.7 million in debt issued in 2015 to go toward public improvement in a 368-home development.

A spokeswoman for Imperial City Manager Jeorge Galvan said city officials were aware of Kapanicas’ work for the city and would respond to a request for comment Thursday. Nobody called back.

A spokeswoman for the Imperial County District Attoey’s Office said she passed along a message to prosecutors seeking comment regarding the cities of Imperial and Calexico. No one called back Thursday.

At the time of Kapanicas’ arrest Tuesday, his company was still doing special tax consulting work in the Placer County city of Lincoln, said City Manager Matthew Brower.

Like Beaumont, Lincoln has tract-house developments in community facilities districts in which homeowners must pay special Mello-Roos taxes, which are collected to pay off bonds that were used to finance streets and other public work within the developments.

Between 2003 and 2013, General Govement Management Services was involved in issuing $123.1 million in such bonds in Lincoln, according to federal records.

The company’s current job consisted of determining how much homeowners had to pay in lump sums to stop paying Mellos-Roos assessments, Brower said.

Given the Beaumont arrests, Lincoln will cut ties with Kapanicas’ company and seek proposals for a new special tax consultant, Brower said.

BURBANK >> The small hands were clasped together and a few gripped long white candles in a line that stretched to the Globe of Danger, three brightly-painted motorcycles and an idle fog machine.

The Rev. Jerry Hogan made some final adjustments on his red vestment adoed with cartoon giraffes, elephants and a circus ringmaster. Sister Dorothy Fabritze, in a slightly more conservative wardrobe of tan slacks and jacket, walked along the row of children and parents awaiting Catholic sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and first Holy Communion Thursday.

“Let’s focus on Jesus coming into your heart,” she said. “Are we good? Are we ready?”

They nodded. Hogan smiled. The nun took her place behind the tall red curtain.

Slowly, it opened. The stage lights streamed through the widening gap, bathing them in brightness. Two-by-two, they entered the round stage beneath the big top. The circus stars had made this entrance thousands of times to the cheers of the crowd. But this moing, the seats were empty. This moment wasn’t for the crowds. This was for God. And for them.

“It’s showtime,” Hogan said.

Circus priest

Hogan is a circus priest. Lest one take offense at that moniker, it should be noted Hogan’s Twitter handle is @circuspriest. He’s also the National Circus Chaplain — part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Circus and Traveling Shows Ministry that serves about 120,000u2009Catholics working more than 50u2009circuses and nearly 400u2009caivals in the United States.

His Burbank stop coincided with the Circus Vargas run that pulls up stakes Sunday and will begin a five-day stint in Ventura begiing Thursday.

Hogan flew out from Boston to shepherd the 11u2009performers and their children through the three sacraments; one baptism, six first communions and four confirmations.

“It’s a three-ring circus,” Hogan said. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

Hogan has been doing circus ministry for 22u2009years. He got the circus bug early when, as a child, he leaed his neighbor worked for Ringling Bros. and Baum & Bailey Circus. He said it was like having a professional athlete living next door.

When he got a call to circus ministry in 1994, Hogan didn’t hesitate. He hasn’t looked back.

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The ministry, he said, goes beyond presiding over Mass and administering sacraments, though.

“I do a lot of counseling, support and even helping them to get GEDs,” Hogan said. “These are people — not the stereotypes — that have spiritual needs just like anyone.”

During the Mass under the tent, he poured holy water on 1-year-old Bianca Marinelli’s head while her parents — a trapeze artist and an acrobat — smiled. He administered oil on the heads of Confirmation candidates. He gave out communion.

As the proud Catholics posed for photos after the service, Hogan packed the holy water, oil and a Bible in a rolling travel suitcase parked by a ladder leading to trapeze perches 32u2009feet above the stage.

It was finished.

Magical memory

The reception featured cold cuts and the tables were adoed with white table cloths beneath the multi-colored “Vargas” sign above the entry to the big top tent.

Andrea Torreblanca, a fourth-generation circus performer, said she received her first Holy Communion when she was 9 while her parents traveled doing trapeze work and magic acts. Torreblanca does rollerskating stunts for Circus Vargas and, in the second-half of the show, stands in the middle of the Globe of Danger while motorcycles whiz around her at 50u2009mph.

“I pray before, during and after,” she said.

Torreblanca said seeing her 7-year-old daughter Ivana Karamaitreva receive communion in the in place where she’s been performing for two decades was among the most gratifying things she’s seen under the tent.

“It’s different when you are performing. The people who come pay to see a good show and it’s our job to give them the magic,” Torreblanca said. “Today, the magic was for me.”

The overcast sky set the somber mood for the Cal State Long Beach graduation ceremony.

More than 800 students on Thursday moing received their bachelor’s degrees from the College of the Arts, but one graduate wasn’t able to attend.

Beatriz Gonzalez and Jose Heandez accepted the diploma for their daughter, Nohemi Gonzalez, the 23-year-old student who was killed in the November terrorist attacks in Paris.

Nohemi, an El Monte resident, also was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Award, the same honor she received last week during the Cal State Long Beach Alumni Banquet.

‘Always ... in my heart’

“She will always be in my heart,” Gonzalez said with tears in her eyes as she spoke backstage shortly after accepting her daughter’s diploma. “She was a strong woman who wanted a better life and a career. She was dedicated to her education.”

Nohemi Gonzalez was an industrial design major and a student assistant in the design department.

In October, Gonzalez and fellow CSULB design students won second prize in the 2015 Inteational Biomimicry Global Design Challenge in Austin, Texas. They designed a product called “Polli Snak,” a 100 percent biodegradable packaged snack pack with dried fruits and nuts that also included dehydrated soil and seeds for the user to plant after finishing the snack.

The package cover said “planting our community, one snack at a time.”

“Nohemi was an example of someone who was determined to be someone,” said Heandez, her stepfather. “She’s an example of someone who could succeed and make it. It’s an honor to be here for her.”

About 10,000 students will collect diplomas this week at CSULB, a record at CSU’s largest campus. That figure is about 700 more than last year, said university spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.

Graduation ceremonies from the university’s 10 colleges take place on the campus’ Central Quadrangle and will end today.

Design lab will be named for Nohemi.

The design department is in the midst of raising $150,000 to renovate and purchase new equipment for its lower division workshop, which will be named in honor of Gonzalez.

About $90,000 has been raised, said Martin Herman, chairman of the design department.

Online donations are being accepted at the Nohemi Gonzalez Shop Initiative, http://bit.ly/1Ugq8Fd.

“Nohemi spent so much time in that workshop. She was the first one in and the last person out,” Herman said recently. “She was like a tiger in the shop. Nohemi had a charismatic presence.

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“She was known as a toado, too. If things were not tidy or organized, she would let you know. We really appreciated that,” he said. “Nohemi loved design and we want to share that love.”

Gonzalez died Nov.u200912 while eating with friends at a popular bistro in Paris called La Belle Equipe. She was one of 17u2009CSULB students attending Strate College of Design in Paris as part of a study abroad program.

She was one of 129 u2009people who died in the coordinated attacks that erupted at the cafe, a soccer stadium and a theater.

Nohemi’s brother, Juan Duran, who also attended the graduation ceremony, said he doesn’t want the terrorist attack to overshadow his sister.

“It’s important to stop thinking about the evil and remember her accomplishments,” he said. “Our hearts are heavy; we are very proud of her.”

Family and friends of a 21-year-old man killed in a Long Beach police shooting earlier this month, after he was seen with what was later determined to be an airsoft gun, are calling for justice and answers.

Lionel Gibson was on his way to visit his girlfriend at the time of the May 7 shooting, his family said. Police were dispatched to the area of 21st Street and Locust Avenue at 4:46 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a person holding an “Uzi-style gun” speaking to three subjects in a vehicle. The shooting happened after officers gave several commands to put hands up, but “the suspect did not comply and reached his hand toward the butt of the gun in his waistband,” police said.

Gibson’s family and friends, however, say officers’ actions were unacceptable. They wondered why less lethal options were not used, how many officers were called to the scene and how many fired their weapons.

A call for justice

Friends and family gathered for a candlelight vigil and protest Wednesday evening at an alleyway off 21st Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Locust Avenue where Gibson died.

“He was no demon,” said Alice Corley, his mother, who drove to Long Beach from Atlanta, Georgia where she currently lives. “My son never hurt anyone and if he did, he begged their pardon. My son was doing nothing wrong that day. ... My son was loving and he was caring and he never deserved to be taken away from us three days before his birthday.”

Gibson was living with his grandmother, Marilyn Carter, a few blocks from the scene at the time of his death, family said.

Corley retained Peter L. Carr and Jason O. Sias, of the Beverly Hills based law firm Sias|Carr, and are reviewing their legal options.

“In this instance, it seems as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Carr said. “There’s no question as to whether or not he was engaged in any illegal activity [...] We’ve been asking questions from the police department and they haven’t given us any answers. We’re here for a call for justice, but also just a call for answers. What happened? Why did this happen? What needs to change so that this doesn’t happen anymore?”

Investigation

Gibson’s family contends that police had no cause to shoot, but preliminary information provided by police indicates that his airsoft gun was realistic and lacked an obvious indication that it was a replica firearm.

A full Los Angeles County Coroner’s report was not complete as of Thursday, but preliminary information from the coroner’s office shows that he was killed from gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

All officer-involved shootings undergo an inteal investigation as well as an independent investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attoey’s Office.

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Chief Robert Luna has been given what’s known as a “critical incident briefing,” said Marlene Arrona, a police spokeswoman, in an email. The investigation is ongoing and detectives are continuing to seek witnesses, video and other evidence before presenting the case to the District Attoey’s office.

When the officers arrived, they saw the butt of a gun sticking out of his waistband and he did not put his hands up. He instead reached toward his waist, police said.

“We train officers to use deadly force if a subject poses an immediate threat with what officers believe to be a deadly weapon,” Arrona said.

Police also arrested two of the three men Gibson was reportedly talking to before the shooting, Arrona said. German Gallardo Rios, 21, of Long Beach, was booked for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and is being held in Los Angeles County Jail. Erick M. Corrales, 23, of Long Beach, was booked for an outstanding warrant involving a vehicle code violation, she said.

The third individual present at the scene was not arrested.

Remembering a life

Gibson lived in the South Wrigley neighborhood since childhood, around the time he enrolled at Buett Elementary School, Corley said. He was giving and would give someone the shirt off his own back.

“He just wanted to love on people,” she said.

Several family members said he was not involved in gang life. His cousin, Kam Beaudoin, said the two of them spoke recently about future plans and Gibson was getting ready to find work.

Though he could be a knucklehead at times, everyone loved him and he always listened to his elders, Carter said.

“He was going to cook dier for me,” she said of the night of the shooting. “We were going to have tacos. He had just cleaned my kitchen [...] He was my heart.”

Five coyotes have been shot to death on the Palos Verdes Peninsula by Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture workers in recent weeks, sparking safety conces from some residents.

The killings come amid reports of an increase in coyote sightings on the Peninsula, as well as a spike in the number of coyotes sighted in nearby Torrance.

Three coyotes were shot in Rolling Hills Estates in late April, and two were killed in Rolling Hills on Monday, said Ken Pellman, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Weights and Measures. All five animals posed a threat to humans, Pullman said.

Department persoel can either trap coyotes before killing them, or officers can use weapons — in this case a .22 caliber rifle — to kill coyotes that aren’t in traps, Pullman said. Two of the animals killed in Rolling Hills Estates were not in traps, and neither of the coyotes shot in Rolling Hills were trapped.

According to regulations from the Califoia Department of Fish and Wildlife, coyotes caot be relocated once they’re trapped, Pellman said.

In a release Thursday, the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called on county Supervisor Don Knabe to rethink the practice of shooting of coyotes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Cheryl Buett, communications director for Knabe, said the safety of residents is the first priority and that killing coyotes is a last resort to respond to aggressive animals.

“The most important thing communities can do to protect themselves is to be alert and act responsibly — do not feed wildlife and do not leave trash and pet food out and uncovered,” Buett said in an email.

Three cities on the Peninsula — Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes — were identified in the release as working with the county to rid their areas of coyotes.

Alexa Davis, assistant to the Rolling Hills Estates city manager, said the city has not directed any agency to kill coyotes. Rather, the city has an ongoing contract with the county to manage the coyote population in the area, and it’s up to the county how that is accomplished.

The city also promotes coyote hazing — practices like making loud noises or throwing rocks to keep coyotes away — by residents to keep the animals out of residential areas, she said.

Davis also said county persoel must get permission from property owners or local homeowners associations to shoot the animals on private land.

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Doug Willmore, city manager for Rancho Palos Verdes, said the city has not hired anyone to shoot coyotes and that he wasn’t aware of the killings in the adjacent Peninsula communities.

The city manager for Rolling Hills did not immediately retu a request for comment.

Shooting coyotes raises a variety of possible issues, said Madeline Bestein, president of spcaLA. Firing on them when they’re not enclosed in a trap runs the risk of bullets going astray and hitting people or pets, she said.

And since the animals generally aren’t tagged, Bestein said, it can be difficult to know whether the coyote being killed was actually the animal causing problems.

“It’s typically a knee-jerk reaction without a lot of data or science to back it up,” Bestein said.

Pellman disputed those conces, saying the Department of Agriculture persoel are trained to know when and how to use their weapons and don’t use them in areas that would risk harm to another person or domestic animal.

“They’re working out there in certain conditions, some remote areas,” Pellman said. “They’re not shooting these things off into the distance where they’re going to get stray bullets or something like that.”

Because coyotes are territorial animals, he said, an animal creating trouble in an area most likely would be the same one captured by department persoel in that area.

The department’s primary focus is on protecting human life, Pellman said, and at times that means killing coyotes that have become aggressive or too accustomed to humans. The county Bureau of Weights and Measures generally shoots an average of 17 coyotes a year, Pellman said, and the spike in recent weeks is likely due to the reproductive cycles of the animals.

“There’s coyotes that are maturing and being trained by the parent, so there’s more activity now,” Pellman said.

For the most part, however, department persoel focus on educating homeowners on how to deter coyotes from their area in the first place, like keeping trash cans tightly closed and small pets inside.

Linda Retz, a resident of the Dapplegray Lane community in Rolling Hills Estates, said her husband contacted spcaLA Lt. Cesar Perea after a Weights and Measures employee approached the homeowners association in the area seeking permission to shoot coyotes there. Retz raised conces that the officers’ actions puts residents and domestic animals in danger.

“You’re putting people and animals in danger,” Retz said. “If somebody’s going to be out there with a gun, I just think it’s crazy.”

More information on how to keep coyotes out of residential areas is available from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

SAN FRANCISCO >> San Francisco’s police chief resigned Thursday at the request of the mayor hours after an officer fatally shot a young black woman driving a stolen car — the culmination of several racially charged incidents in the past year.

Pressure had been mounting for the resignation of Chief Greg Suhr since December, when five officers fatally shot a young black man carrying a knife. Mayor Ed Lee stood behind the chief then and after it was disclosed in April that three officers had exchanged racist text messages.

The mayor and the chief had aounced a series of reform aimed at reducing police shootings. The two also called in the U.S. Department of Justice to review the department’s policy and procedures.

The mayor said Thursday that the changes weren’t coming fast enough and that he asked for and received Suhr’s resignation.

“The progress we’ve made has been meaningful, but it hasn’t been fast enough,” Lee said in a brief statement at City Hall. “Not for me, not for Greg.”

Suhr resigned a few hours after a sergeant shot and killed a 27-year-old woman as he and another officer tried to pull her out of a stolen car she had crashed into a parked truck.

Suhr said a witness reported that the sergeant fired a single shot while the driver was trying to disengage the stolen car from the wrecked truck. The shooting occurred in the same neighborhood where the five officers shot and killed Mario Woods, a 26-year-old black man carrying a knife.

Video of Woods shooting circulated widely online and led to protests and calls for Suhr’s resignation. Pressure mounted in April when three officers were caught exchanging racist and homophobic text messages.

Even then, the chief still enjoyed the backing of the mayor and other community leaders, who said they wanted to give Suhr time to implement the reforms he promised

“Some of the reforms underway might have prevented or clarified today’s incident,” the mayor said. “We need to tu these plans into actions.”

Lee appointed Suhr chief in 2011. He was a 34-year veteran of the department.

The mayor appointed Commander Toney Chapin as acting chief. He is s a 26-year veteran of the department.

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The overcast sky set the somber mood for the Cal State Long Beach graduation ceremony.

More than 800 students on Thursday moing received their bachelor’s degrees from the College of the Arts, but one graduate wasn’t able to attend.

Beatriz Gonzalez and Jose Heandez accepted the diploma for their daughter, Nohemi Gonzalez, the 23-year-old student who was killed in the November terrorist attacks in Paris.

Nohemi, an El Monte resident, also was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Award, the same honor she received last week during the Cal State Long Beach Alumni Banquet.

‘Always ... in my heart’

“She will always be in my heart,” Gonzalez said with tears in her eyes as she spoke backstage shortly after accepting her daughter’s diploma. “She was a strong woman who wanted a better life and a career. She was dedicated to her education.”

Nohemi Gonzalez was an industrial design major and a student assistant in the design department.

In October, Gonzalez and fellow CSULB design students won second prize in the 2015 Inteational Biomimicry Global Design Challenge in Austin, Texas. They designed a product called “Polli Snak,” a 100 percent biodegradable packaged snack pack with dried fruits and nuts that also included dehydrated soil and seeds for the user to plant after finishing the snack.

The package cover said “planting our community, one snack at a time.”

“Nohemi was an example of someone who was determined to be someone,” said Heandez, her stepfather. “She’s an example of someone who could succeed and make it. It’s an honor to be here for her.”

About 10,000 students will collect diplomas this week at CSULB, a record at CSU’s largest campus. That figure is about 700 more than last year, said university spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.

Graduation ceremonies from the university’s 10 colleges take place on the campus’ Central Quadrangle and will end today.

Design lab will be named for Nohemi.

The design department is in the midst of raising $150,000 to renovate and purchase new equipment for its lower division workshop, which will be named in honor of Gonzalez.

About $90,000 has been raised, said Martin Herman, chairman of the design department.

Online donations are being accepted at the Nohemi Gonzalez Shop Initiative, http://bit.ly/1Ugq8Fd.

“Nohemi spent so much time in that workshop. She was the first one in and the last person out,” Herman said recently. “She was like a tiger in the shop. Nohemi had a charismatic presence.

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“She was known as a toado, too. If things were not tidy or organized, she would let you know. We really appreciated that,” he said. “Nohemi loved design and we want to share that love.”

Gonzalez died Nov.u200912 while eating with friends at a popular bistro in Paris called La Belle Equipe. She was one of 17u2009CSULB students attending Strate College of Design in Paris as part of a study abroad program.

She was one of 129 u2009people who died in the coordinated attacks that erupted at the cafe, a soccer stadium and a theater.

Nohemi’s brother, Juan Duran, who also attended the graduation ceremony, said he doesn’t want the terrorist attack to overshadow his sister.

“It’s important to stop thinking about the evil and remember her accomplishments,” he said. “Our hearts are heavy; we are very proud of her.”

Capping three years of negotiations, port officials on Thursday approved a landmark 50-year land lease for the developers who plan to transform aging Ports O’ Call Village into the San Pedro Public Market.

The approval calls for a $150 million development on 30 acres of the waterfront where the 1960s-era Ports O’ Call once packed in visitors before falling out of popularity in the late 1980s.

“Having a lease agreement approved by the harbor commission is an important step forward in this long-awaited transformation to L.A.’s waterfront,” said developer Wayne Ratkovich.

The lease agreement opens the way for negotiations to begin in eaest with those existing Ports O’ Call tenants that hope to remain part of the new project, set to begin construction in 2017 and open in phases from 2019 to 2020.

It also is a key milestone that developers said is needed to seek investors and the interest of future tenants.

Included in the agreement:

• 168,600 square feet of restaurants, retail, entertainment, office space, over-water open space and parking, all linked by the promenade, in the initial phase.

• An investment of $85 million to $100 million by the developer.

• A Los Angeles Harbor Department investment of $52 million for public access areas, including the promenade, town square, Sampson way and Seventh Street realignment and a public landing for recreation boaters.

Negotiations began in 2013 with the LA Waterfront Alliance, made up of The Ratkovich Co. and San Pedro-based Jerico Development. Sticking points included how the costs of needed infrastructure improvements would be paid for and how to extend the lease period beyond the former 30-year limit imposed by the state.

Without a longer lease, developers said, investors would be hard to attract.

The agreement was approved by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners at its regular meeting Thursday moing and now must be approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

“Building the San Pedro Public Market is a key component in our ongoing, broader plan to revitalize and re-energize the L.A. Waterfront, and improve ocean-side access for both locals and tourists,” said commission President Vilma Martinez.

Plans call for a first-phase hub of 16 acres with restaurants, shopping, fresh markets, boutique-style office space and more than a half-mile of waterfront promenade to stroll.

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A city park and a discovery sea park would be part of the first-phase event space, and attractions also could include a Ferris wheel and carousel. An amphibian-vehicle ride also has been discussed.

Eventually, it is anticipated that 300,000 square feet of commercial development will be added through multiple phases.

“The San Pedro Public Market will be the crown jewel of the LA Waterfront, reflecting the history, charm, flavor and spirit of the people who have called this town home for generations,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who developers said was instrumental in making sure the lease talks continued and that an agreement was signed.

“Without Joe Buscaino’s impatience and constant calls and texts to us and the port staff, I doubt (we would be) here today, poised to execute a lease,” Ratkovich said.

Sports isn’t the most friendly profession when it comes to longevity and such is the case with the 50 Most Powerful in Southe Califoia Sports. In keeping with a trend familiar in Hollywood, there was plenty of tuover from last year’s list for a variety of reasons. Here are the 15 members of the 2015 version who did not ea a spot in 2016.

• PHOTOS: 50 Most Powerful in Southe Califoia Sports

14. Pat Haden, 63, USC Athletic Director

After nearly six years on the job, the former Trojans quarterback is stepping down in June on the heels of a rocky final year for USC football, which has cycled through two head coaches and two interim coaches in the last three years. Haden’s health has reportedly been declining and was cited as the primary reason for his retirement.

19. Mike White, 63, DirecTV Chairman, CEO and President

When DirecTV merged with AT&T last year, White decided to retire, officially removing himself from the messy negotiations with Time Waer over SportsNetLA, the Dodgers TV network. For a third consecutive baseball season, the two sides have failed to agree on a price, leaving DirecTV customers without Dodgers coverage.

20. The Rose Bowl

The most iconic stadium in the greater Los Angeles area will have more competition when Rams owner Stan Kroenke begins construction in August on the NFL’s most expensive stadium, a privately funded sports and entertainment complex set to open in 2019.

24. Eric Shanks, 44, Fox Sports President, COO and Executive Producer

Fox continues its steady climb, but Shanks has allowed President Jamie Horowitz, formerly of ESPN, to take the lead on splashy talent acquisition for FS1, including Colin Cowherd and Skip Bayless.

30. Yasiel Puig, 25, Dodgers Outfielder

After putting the league on notice with a spectacular arrival in 2014, the Cuban’s 2015 season was compromised by hamstring injuries. He remains an immense talent with star potential on and off the field, but Puig has yet to deliver consistent results.

34. Tommy Trojan

The USC brand suffered last year when football coach Steve Sarkisian was fired mid-season amid allegations of alcohol abuse. Athletic Director Pat Haden later aounced that he would step down at the end of the school year.

36. Bill Simmons, Multimedia Sports Personality

Simmons has been off the radar since an abrupt departure from longtime employer ESPN in 2015, but he has a loyal following, a podcast and could be on his way to building a new empire with an HBO talk show launching in June and new website, The Ringer.

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37. Gillian Zucker, 46, Clippers President of Business Operations

Tied to new Clippers jerseys and a new mascot that made underwhelming debuts this season, Zucker made the most headlines during her year and a half with the Clippers for an alleged rift with coach Doc Rivers this season that was never confirmed.

38. Long Beach Poly High School

The boys basketball team reached the state championship game, but one of the most storied athletic programs in the country uncharacteristically dropped off in football with a 4-6 record in 2015 while the girls track team finished 63rd in the state following last year’s state title.

39. Casey Close, 52, Sports Agent

Matching the $700 million in contracts he negotiated during the previous offseason, a baseball record, seemed an impossible task this year. But Close did land pitcher Zack Greinke a $206 million deal in December, just not in L.A. with fellow client Clayton Kershaw.

42. Robbie Keane, 35, Galaxy Striker

Keane followed an MLS MVP campaign and the Galaxy’s league-leading fifth championship in 2014 with a career-high 20 goals in 2015, but the Irishman’s touches continue to decline and his position was significantly altered this season as the Galaxy continue to re-tool.

43. Kathryn Schloessman, 53, L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission President

Schloessman is still is attempting to land Dodger Stadium its first all-star game since 1980, but L.A. has secured the NHL all-star game in 2017 and record sixth NBA all-star game in 2018.

45. Darryl Sutter, 57, L.A. Kings Head Coach

Despite a talented roster with young coerstones, Sutter hasn’t followed championships in 2012 and 2014 they way the hockey world thought he might as the Kings missed the playoffs in 2015 and exited in the first round this season.

46. Patrick Soon-Shiong, 63, Doctor and Lakers Minority Owner

The billionaire is one of the most obvious candidates to purchase a professional sports team in L.A., were one to come available - he bid on the Dodgers and AEG when both were recently up for sale - but when that will happen is anyone’s guess.

47. John Force, 66, NHRA Driver

The 16-time NHRA champion has lost some sponsors and switched from Ford to Chevy in the last two years, but retirement is not his vocabulary, despite the fact that he tus 67 in May.

We love our Facebook friends. Every one of them. We had a bit of a brain-snag on Wednesday and were temporarily unable to come up with a column idea, so we asked our friends to give us an idea. No big deal. Eventually the muse resurrects herself and we’re back in business.

A few of the commenters alluded to our “writer’s block.” We don’t get writer’s block. Our problem is we tend to consume more history than we produce. We’ve strip-mined our past to the point where about the only thing in our life we haven’t written about was the time back in 1970 when we were backpacking with our friend Beard somewhere near Mammoth Lake and Beard spent the day trying to catch a trout and he finally caught one and we let it go because we suddenly felt sorry for the trout and its wife and children waiting anxiously for him to come home after a hard day of work. Beard was really mad at us, but that was more than offset by our imagined tearful gratitude of the trout family.

And the only reason we recalled that was because one of the suggestions from our FaceFriends was to write about “waterfalls of Yosemite,” and Mammoth was the closest thing to Yosemite we could find in our bag of experiences.

“How about why men die earlier than women?” suggested John Mauger. Men don’t go to the doctor as often, that’s one reason. Probably because of the prostate exam. Also, women advance their causes regarding medical issues and research better than men do. A man could never get the entire NFL to wear pink, for instance.

Michael Kevin Ceyar, suggested “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The chicken came first. It says in the bible, probably, that God invented animals. The Easter Buy invented eggs.

“Dogs,” was Aie Casey’s idea for a column.

“Cats,” was Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia’s suggestion. Specifically “mayoral cats.”

“If all else fails, coyotes,” wrote Eileen McCarthy.

Our by-far favorite co-worker Richard Guzman wrote, “How about a column on the heavy responsibility of being the shadow we all live under? Or the best ways one can go about getting tickets to your house.”

The shadow idea is a good one, and the responsibility would kill most men. As for the ticket to my house, we gave those out one time a few years back to a couple of reporters and we all almost lost our jobs as a horrible result.

“I just wrote an article on writer’s block, bu out and rekindling the passion,” commented Nicolas Zart. “In the end, I revisited something I used to love that led me to write about the things I write now. I’m having fun again revisiting my first love and it’s giving me new ideas on what to do next, or what to tackle next. Hope this helps.”

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Well, it does, at least in terms of getting us closer to the end of this column, at last.

Another suggestion, this from Alan Tolkoff: “How do writers pick subjects when they don’t have ideas?”

In the old days it was a lot harder, and you’d occasionally find a guy like Hemingway blowing his head off to solve the problem. Nowdays, it’s easier. Facebook is the new shotgun.

Contact Tim Grobaty at 562-714-2116, [email protected], @grobaty on Twitter.

Residents may have noticed a few more Jehovah’s Witnesses knocking on their door recently. That’s because a door-to-door campaign is underway to invite multilingual people to the church’s aual convention — kicking off this weekend and ruing 14 weekends this summer in Long Beach.

Every year, 150,000 to 180,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses hold their conventions in Long Beach, generating an estimated $64.5 million in economic impact, according to a 2013 estimate from the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This year’s theme is “Remain Loyal to Jehovah.”

“Loyalty is a big factor in our lives,” spokesman Jorge Alvarado said. “And we teach how to display that.”

The free, three-day weekends begin Friday-Sunday this weekend, and the final weekend is Sept. 9-11. All will be at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s arena.

The aual convention is slated to attract about 10,000 people per weekend from all walks of life, Alvarado said. And no admission is charged, but voluntary donations are taken to offset expenses.

The event has been in Long Beach for almost two decades, as it’s a relatively central location for much of Southe Califoia, he said.

“People from all over are going to be in attendance,” Alvarado said.

Free parking is available at the convention center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. For more information, visit www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/conventions. To find a convention, click on the “find a location near you” button and select a language, date and place.

Emily Thoton is a staff writer with Gazette Newspapers. She can be reached at [email protected].

Family and friends of a 21-year-old man killed in a Long Beach police shooting earlier this month, after he was seen with what was later determined to be an airsoft gun, are calling for justice and answers.

Lionel Gibson was on his way to visit his girlfriend at the time of the May 7 shooting, his family said. Police were dispatched to the area of 21st Street and Locust Avenue at 4:46 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a person holding an “Uzi-style gun” speaking to three subjects in a vehicle. The shooting happened after officers gave several commands to put hands up, but “the suspect did not comply and reached his hand toward the butt of the gun in his waistband,” police said.

Gibson’s family and friends, however, say officers’ actions were unacceptable. They wondered why less lethal options were not used, how many officers were called to the scene and how many fired their weapons.

A call for justice

Friends and family gathered for a candlelight vigil and protest Wednesday evening at an alleyway off 21st Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Locust Avenue where Gibson died.

“He was no demon,” said Alice Corley, his mother, who drove to Long Beach from Atlanta, Georgia where she currently lives. “My son never hurt anyone and if he did, he begged their pardon. My son was doing nothing wrong that day. ... My son was loving and he was caring and he never deserved to be taken away from us three days before his birthday.”

Gibson was living with his grandmother, Marilyn Carter, a few blocks from the scene at the time of his death, family said.

Corley retained Peter L. Carr and Jason O. Sias, of the Beverly Hills based law firm Sias|Carr, and are reviewing their legal options.

“In this instance, it seems as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Carr said. “There’s no question as to whether or not he was engaged in any illegal activity [...] We’ve been asking questions from the police department and they haven’t given us any answers. We’re here for a call for justice, but also just a call for answers. What happened? Why did this happen? What needs to change so that this doesn’t happen anymore?”

Investigation

Gibson’s family contends that police had no cause to shoot, but preliminary information provided by police indicates that his airsoft gun was realistic and lacked an obvious indication that it was a replica firearm.

A full Los Angeles County Coroner’s report was not complete as of Thursday, but preliminary information from the coroner’s office shows that he was killed from gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

All officer-involved shootings undergo an inteal investigation as well as an independent investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attoey’s Office.

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A detailed description of the Long Beach Police Department’s officer-involved shooting investigative procedure is available on the department’s website.

Chief Robert Luna has been given what’s known as a “critical incident briefing,” said Marlene Arrona, a police spokeswoman, in an email. The investigation is ongoing and detectives are continuing to seek witnesses, video and other evidence before presenting the case to the District Attoey’s office.

“We train officers to use deadly force if a subject poses an immediate threat with what officers believe to be a deadly weapon,” Arrona said.

Police also arrested two of the three men Gibson was reportedly talking to before the shooting, Arrona said. German Gallardo Rios, 21, of Long Beach, was booked for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and is being held in Los Angeles County Jail. Erick M. Corrales, 23, of Long Beach, was booked for an outstanding warrant involving a vehicle code violation, she said.

The third individual present at the scene was not arrested.

Remembering a life

Gibson lived in the South Wrigley neighborhood since childhood, around the time he enrolled at Buett Elementary School, Corley said. He was giving and would give someone the shirt off his own back.

“He just wanted to love on people,” she said.

Several family members said he was not involved in gang life. His cousin, Kam Beaudoin, said the two of them spoke recently about future plans and Gibson was getting ready to find work.

Though he could be a knucklehead at times, everyone loved him and he always listened to his elders, Carter said.

“He was going to cook dier for me,” she said of the night of the shooting. “We were going to have tacos. He had just cleaned my kitchen [...] He was my heart.”

Family and friends of a 21-year-old man killed in a Long Beach police shooting earlier this month, after he was seen with what was later determined to be an airsoft gun, are calling for justice and answers.

Lionel Gibson was on his way to visit his girlfriend at the time of the May 7 shooting, his family said. Police were dispatched to the area of 21st Street and Locust Avenue at 4:46 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a person holding an “Uzi-style gun” speaking to three subjects in a vehicle. The shooting happened after officers gave several commands to put hands up, but “the suspect did not comply and reached his hand toward the butt of the gun in his waistband,” police said.

Gibson’s family and friends, however, say officers’ actions were unacceptable. They wondered why less lethal options were not used, how many officers were called to the scene and how many fired their weapons.

A call for justice

Friends and family gathered for a candlelight vigil and protest Thursday evening at an alleyway off 21st Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Locust Avenue where Gibson died.

“He was no demon,” said Alice Corley, his mother, who drove to Long Beach from Atlanta, Georgia where she currently lives. “My son never hurt anyone and if he did, he begged their pardon. My son was doing nothing wrong that day. ... My son was loving and he was caring and he never deserved to be taken away from us three days before his birthday.”

Gibson was living with his grandmother, Marilyn Carter, a few blocks from the scene at the time of his death, family said.

Corley retained Peter L. Carr and Jason O. Sias, of the Beverly Hills based law firm Sias|Carr, and are reviewing their legal options.

“In this instance, it seems as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Carr said. “There’s no question as to whether or not he was engaged in any illegal activity [...] We’ve been asking questions from the police department and they haven’t given us any answers. We’re here for a call for justice, but also just a call for answers. What happened? Why did this happen? What needs to change so that this doesn’t happen anymore?”

Investigation

Gibson’s family contends that police had no cause to shoot, but preliminary information provided by police indicates that his airsoft gun was realistic and lacked an obvious indication that it was a replica firearm.

A full Los Angeles County Coroner’s report was not complete as of Thursday, but preliminary information from the coroner’s office shows that he was killed from gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

All officer-involved shootings undergo an inteal investigation as well as an independent investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attoey’s Office.

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A detailed description of the Long Beach Police Department’s officer-involved shooting investigative procedure is available on the department’s website.

Remembering a life

Gibson lived in the South Wrigley neighborhood since childhood, around the time he enrolled at Buett Elementary School, Corley said. He was giving and would give someone the shirt off his own back.

“He just wanted to love on people,” she said.

Several family members said he was not involved in gang life. His cousin, Kam Beaudoin, said the two of them spoke recently about future plans and Gibson was getting ready to find work.

Though he could be a knucklehead at times, everyone loved him and he always listened to his elders, Carter said.

“He was going to cook dier for me,” she said of the night of the shooting. “We were going to have tacos. He had just cleaned my kitchen [...] He was my heart.”

The overcast sky set the somber mood for the Cal State Long Beach graduation ceremony.

More than 800 students on Thursday moing received their bachelor’s degrees from the College of the Arts, but one graduate wasn’t able to attend.

Beatriz Gonzalez and Jose Heandez accepted the diploma for their daughter, Nohemi Gonzalez, the 23-year-old student who was killed last November during the terrorist attack in Paris.

Nohemi, an El Monte resident, also was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Award, the same honor she received last week during the Cal State Long Beach Alumni Banquet.

‘Always in my heart’

“She will always be in my heart,” Beatriz said with tears in her eyes as she spoke backstage shortly after accepting her daughter’s diploma. “She was a strong woman who wanted a better life and a career. She was dedicated to her education.”

Gonzalez was an industrial design major and a student assistant in the design department.

In October, Gonzalez and fellow CSULB design students won 2nd prize in the 2015 Inteational Biomimicry Global Design Challenge in Austin. They designed a product called “Polli Snak,” a 100 percent biodegradable packaged snack pack with dried fruits and nuts that also included dehydrated soil and seeds for the user to plant after finishing the snack.

The package cover said “planting our community, one snack at a time.”

“Nohemi was an example of someone who was determined to be someone,” said Heandez, her step-father. “She’s an example of someone who could succeed and make it. It’s an honor to be here for her.”

About 10,000 students will collect diplomas this week at CSULB, a record at the CSU’s largest campus. That figure is about 700 more than last year, said university spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.

Graduation ceremonies from the university’s 10 colleges take place on the campus’ Central Quadrangle and will end Friday.

Lab to be named for Nohemi

The design department is in the midst of raising $150,000 to renovate and purchase new equipment for it’s lower division workshop, which also will be named in honor of Gonzalez.

About $90,000 has been raised, Herman said.

Online donations are being accepted at the Nohemi Gonzalez Shop Initiative, http://bit.ly/1Ugq8Fd.

“Nohemi spent so much time in that workshop. She was the first one in and the last person out,” Martin Herman, chairman of the design department, said recently. “She was like a tiger in the shop. Nohemi had a charismatic presence.

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“She was known as a toado, too. If things were not tidy or organized, she would let you know. We really appreciated that,” he said. “Nohemi loved design and we want to share that love,”

Gonzalez died Nov.u200912 while eating with friends at a popular bistro in Paris called La Belle Equipe. She was one of 17u2009CSULB students attending Strate College of Design in Paris as part of a study abroad program.

She was one of 129 u2009people who died in the coordinated attacks that erupted at the cafe, a soccer stadium and theater.

Nohemi’s brother, Juan Duran, who also attended the graduation ceremony, said he doesn’t want the terrorist attack to overshadow his sister.

“It’s important to stop thinking about the evil and remember her accomplishments,” he said. “Our hearts our heavy, we are very proud of her.”

Capping three years of negotiations, port officials on Thursday approved a landmark 50-year land lease for the developers who plan to transform aging Ports O’ Call Village into the San Pedro Public Market.

The approval calls for a $150 million development on 30 acres of the waterfront where the 1960s-era Ports O’ Call once packed in visitors before falling out of popularity in the late 1980s.

“Having a lease agreement approved by the harbor commission is an important step forward in this long-awaited transformation to L.A.’s waterfront,” said developer Wayne Ratkovich.

The lease signing opens the way for negotiations to begin in eaest with those existing Ports O’ Call tenants that hope to remain part of the new project, set to begin construction in 2017 and open in phases from 2019 to 2020.

It also was a key milestone that developers said was needed to seek investors and the interest of future tenants.

Negotiations began in 2013 with the LA Waterfront Alliance, made up of The Ratkovich Co. and San Pedro-based Jerico Development. Sticking points included how the costs of needed infrastructure improvements would be divided up and how to extend the lease period beyond the former 30-year limit imposed by the state.

Developers still hope to ensure extensions for the longer 50-year time period, explaining that projects can quickly fall into disrepair and, considering limited lease terms, investors would be hard to attract.

The agreement was approved by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners at its regular meeting Thursday moing and now must be approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

“Building the San Pedro Public Market is a key component in our ongoing, broader plan to revitalize and re-energize the L.A. Waterfront, and improve ocean-side access for both locals and tourists, said commission President Vilma Martinez.

Plans call for a first-phase hub of 16 acres with 168,600 square feet of restaurants, shopping, fresh markets, boutique-style office space and more than a half-mile of waterfront promenade to stroll.

A discovery sea park would be part of an event space, and attractions also could include a Ferris wheel and carousel. An amphibian-vehicle ride also has been discussed.

“The San Pedro Public Market will be the crown jewel of the LA Waterfront, reflecting the history, charm, flavor and spirit of the people who have called this town home for generations,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who developers said was instrumental in making sure the lease talks continued and that an agreement was signed.

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“Without Joe Buscaino’s impatience and constant calls and texts to us and the port staff, I doubt (we would be) here today, poised to execute a lease,” Ratkovich said.

Under the agreement, the port will build four public access infrastructure projects: the promenade, the intersection improvements at Sampson Way and Seventh Street, and the Town Square at Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard.

The question of whether Long Beach voters will pass a 10-year sales tax measure may boil down to whether voters trust their elected leaders, who have promised to spend the money on public safety and infrastructure.

A former and current member of the City Council presented opposing views to that question at a Wednesday night forum to discuss the merits of Measure A, which would raise the city’s sales tax by 1 percent for six years and a half cent for another four years. Former Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who wants voters to reject the measure, and Councilman Rex Richardson, who supports the proposal, addressed the audience at DeForest Park Community Center with less than three weeks to go before the June 7 election.

The DeForest Park Neighborhood Association hosted the gathering, which also featured informational presentations from Long Beach assistant City Manager Tom Modica, police chief Robert Luna and Fire Chief Mike DuRee. Although that trio had the ability to provide an overview of how past budget cuts have hindered city services, as city employees they are not allowed to advocate for a particular side.

Opposing views

Schipske and Richardson were not subject to the same restraints as city employees.

“They’re all my friends, and I love them dearly, but they’re full of crap,” Schipske said upon opening her remarks after Modica and the chiefs spoke.

The former councilwoman asserted said that although Modica told the audience Long Beach’s police and fire departments have seen their numbers fall by 208 police officers and 84 firefighters in recent years, City Hall achieved those cuts without actually having to fire anybody. She also cautioned that the tax proposal appearing on the ballot contains no formal mechanisms binding future spending to improving the police and fire departments, or to infrastructure spending.

Schipske dubbed the proposal as a “blank check” providing funds that officials could divert to other costs, such as employee pensions.

“There is no accountability within the measures,” she said.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia had been on tap to address Wednesday’s audience, but had a schedule conflict resulting from a Sacramento trip to lobby support for expanding the size Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s goveing board.

But shortly after Schipske lamented at the close of her remarks that no elected officials had been on hand to defend Measure A, Councilman Rex Richardson and Steven Neal, his council predecessor, walked into the room.

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In contrast to Modica and the chiefs, whom Richardson said had to address the audience with one hand tied behind their backs, the councilman delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Measure A.

Richardson’s 9th District encompasses a large portion of North Long Beach, and he said City Hall can use additional tax measures to build infrastructure and community facilities in a part of town that City Hall had previously neglected for years.

A proposed list of future community projects that may receive Measure A funding includes $4 million in improvements to the Houghton Park Community Center, and Richardson said additional tax revenues could allow the Public Works Department to accomplish as much street paving work in the next three years as has been completed during the past 15 years.

“Are you willing to bet and go big? You’re going to have to hold elected officials accountable,” Richardson said.

The proposal

Long Beach’s sales tax rate is currently set at 9 percent, so absent any other changes — such as another possible measure that may finance Los Angeles County MTA projects — sales taxes would rise to 10 percent before falling to 9.5 percent and then back to their current level.

Long Beach’s Measure A is set to appear alongside Measure B, which would dedicate 1 percent of new tax revenues to what Long Beach officials call a “rainy day” fund. The council has adopted a resolution declaring members’ intentions to spend new revenues on public safety and infrastructure, and Measure A also calls for the mayor and council to commission an advisory committee to examine how new tax dollars are spent, but otherwise, the measure does not mandate current or future Long Beach leaders to spend the dollars on any particular aspects of city govement.

The increase may generate an additional $48 million in aual revenues, according to City Hall projections.

Long Beach officials have produced a list of roughly $150 million worth of street repairs and other projects that may end up on City Hall’s to-do list if new money, such as what may come with a sales tax increase, ends up in the city’s general fund.

The mayor has also proposed that Measure A’s passage would enable the Police Department to have a patrol command dedicated to protecting the Long Beach’s southe neighborhoods. The police force’s southe and weste patrol divisions have been merged as a result of budget cuts.

Garcia has also said Measure A could allow for the restoration of a fire engine company that had been assigned to a Belmont Shore station.

LOS ANGELES — Authorities today said security has been heightened at Los Angeles Inteational Airport and other airfields in response to the crash of an EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo that may have been due to a bombing or terrorist attack.

• RELATED: Terrorism suspected in Egypt plane crash

“The safety and security of passengers, airport workers, and visitors is our No. 1 priority,” Airport Police Sgt. Belinda Joseph said. “In light of EgyptAir flight MS804, which disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea, we have heightened our security posture and enhanced our counter-terrorism security measures at our Los Angeles World Airport airports.”

LAWA is the City of Los Angeles department that owns and operates LAX, LA/Ontario Inteational Airport and Van Nuys Airport.

“We are constantly assessing intelligence and events, both domestically and abroad,” Joseph said. “We constantly review the security measures we have in place, and will enhance and improve security as needed. While we can’t discuss specific details, airport security is everyone’s responsibility, and we encourage people that if they ‘See something, Say something’ (by calling) 877-A-THREAT.”

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SACRAMENTO >> Democrats in the Califoia Senate made another attempt Thursday to outlaw the sale of assault weapons with easily detachable ammunition magazines as part of a wide-ranging slate of gun control bills that were approved.

Lawmakers also voted to require that people tu in magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds as they approved nearly a dozen measures that would significantly reshape Califoia’s gun laws, already among the strictest in the U.S. The move follows last year’s terrorist attack in San Beardino.

Democratic legislative leaders are rushing to head off a ballot measure advocated by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, which would ask voters to enact many of the same policies.

Califoia’s assault-weapon ban prohibits new rifles with magazines that can be detached without the aid of tools. To get around the law, gun makers developed so called bullet buttons that allow a shooter to quickly dislodge the magazine using the tip of a bullet or other small tool.

Outlawing bullet buttons and high-capacity magazines is a priority for gun control advocates, who hope that making it harder to reload would limit the caage a mass shooter can inflict. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013 vetoed the Legislature’s last attempt to ban bullet buttons, saying it was too far-reaching. A high-capacity magazine ban failed in the state Assembly that year.

“We caot stand by while our communities suffer from this horrific violence,” said Sen President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles.

The debate has fallen along familiar lines, with Democrats advocating a crackdown on guns in the name of safety and Republicans saying that tougher gun laws only hinder people intent on following the law.

“Gun ownership is a constitutional bedrock,” said Sen. Ted Gaines, R-El Dorado Hills. “We can’t smash the 2nd Amendment into a million pieces and expect America to be as free and strong as it’s always been.”

Senators approved 11 gun-related bills in total.

They include regulations for homemade firearms, background checks for ammunition purchases, a ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds, a mandate to report lost or stolen guns, a ban on loaning firearms to friends, and funding for a gun-violence research center.

The debate in the Senate comes as Newsom, a Democrat ruing for goveor in 2018, is advocating a November gun control ballot measure incorporating many of the policies the Senate backed Thursday. Some Democrats worry the initiative will fire up gun rights supporters, potentially increasing tuout of conservative voters who could impact the result in close districts.

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De Leon, the top Senate leader, wrote to Newsom last month asking him to hold off on his initiative and allow lawmakers to tackle the problem. Newsom declined.

The measures go to the state Assembly, where Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, and other Democrats have publicly backed similar policies.

“We raise our children in communities, not war zones,” said Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael. “Military assault weapons have no place on our streets and gun violence must not be tolerated.”

When Doug O’Neill trained the great Lava Man, one of only two horses to win the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic in the same year, he believed he’d never have another one like him.

Fast forward a few years to another O’Neill trainee, 2012 Kentucky Derby wier I’ll Have Another, who won the Preakness two weeks later and might have beaten American Pharoah to that elusive Triple Crown if not for a left front tendon injury that was discovered the day before the Belmont Stakes.

Another champion, back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile wier Goldencents, also resided in O’Neill’s ba. Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby, just like I’ll Have Another, and routinely ran away from his opposition.

Now comes a colt named Nyquist who, in eight races, five of them Grade I victories over five tracks, has surpassed them all in his trainer’s eyes.

“It hurts to ... I feel like I’m doing something wrong, but I never thought I’d ever say it, that I ever would’ve been blessed to be around a horse as good as Lava Man,” O’Neill said.

But Nyquist has tued out to be as good, if not better, than the gritty gelding who was O’Neill’s first signature horse. Lava Man will always hold a special place in O’Neill’s heart, but he’s no longer top dog.

“Nyquist is just, he’s so unique, and he just gives off a vibe like no other, and then he follows up that confident vibe with just amazing performances in the afteoons consistently,” O’Neill said. “So he’s the best horse I’ve ever been blessed to be around ... he’s just a special gift.”

Special enough that when the field of 20 was loading into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby on May 7, O’Neill had a quiet calm about him. He was confident Nyquist would get the job done. He felt his colt just needed a clean break.

“I just felt so much optimism,” he said. “I was so optimistic that we were going to see a good result ... we really were all quietly very confident that we had the best horse in the race. But, again, 20-horse field, the best horse doesn’t always win.

“I think seeing him break good and watching him come down the stretch the first time going into the first tu, seeing where he was positioned, God, I felt really, really good.”

Nyquist will square off against 10 other 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes as he tries to draw closer to joining Seattle Slew as the lone unbeaten Triple Crown champions. He’s been installed as the 3-5 moing-line favorite.

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One of the colts who will try to spring an upset is Exaggerator, wier of the Santa Anita Derby, ruer-up to Nyquist in Louisville and second choice at 3-1. He’s faced Nyquist four times, three with Kent Desormeaux aboard, and come up on the short end on each occasion.

Still, while lauding Nyquist as a true champion, Desormeaux hasn’t given up hope of beating him. He thinks he can get the job done with better racing luck.

“All three times that I’ve competed against him, they were hazardous trips,” he said. “One was a severe body blow at the quarter pole in the San Felipe (Santa Anita). I got stopped in the Kentucky Derby, and Exaggerator was very, very fresh in the Breeders’ Cup.

“I still have a chance.”

Only two of Nyquist’s 19 opponents in the Derby are back for a rematch in Baltimore, including Desormeaux’s colt and Lani, the Japanese invader who finished ninth, beaten 10 3/4 lengths by Nyquist, two weeks ago.

One of the eight new shooters who will try to slay the giant Saturday is Fellowship, a colt trained by Mark Casse who finished third behind Nyquist and Majesto in the Florida Derby on April 2. Casse knows what he’s up against. He admits a horse with the versatility of Nyquist will be tough to dethrone.

“The ability to make adjustments is very important, and you’ve seen that with Nyquist,” Casse said. “I’ve been a believer in him for a long time. I thought his race in the Breeders’ Cup was very good, and I think Doug’s done just a great job with him. But it definitely helps when you have a horse that can adjust to the scenario given to him.

“I think it’s what makes good horses great, and as for a rider, being able to position him wherever you want to be is definitely very important. We saw that with American Pharoah as well. American Pharoah, for the most part, would just go and run everybody off their feet, but he did have the ability to rate if necessary.”

A Wrigley-area pizza place was ordered to close earlier this month for lack of hot water and other problems, according to an inspection report from the Long Beach Health Department.

Papa John’s Pizza at 141 E. Willow St. was shut down May 5 and allowed to reopen the same day.

Inspectors observed no hot water available at hand washing stations (required to be at a minimum of 100 degrees), dish washing station (required to be at minimum 110 degrees) and sinks (120 degree minimum required).

Inspectors also noted that foods kept in a reach-in freezer were not cold enough; they are required to be kept at an inteal temperature of 41 degrees or cooler.

And the restaurant was also dinged for storing cleaning chemicals on a drain board of a hand washing sink.

The restaurant fixed the problems and was allowed to reopen about four hours after the inspection.

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WASHINGTON >> Donald Trump kept himself planted firmly in the political spotlight this week with one headline-grabbing move after another — launching a social media defense of his treatment of women, listing possible Supreme Court nominees, rapidly declaring an Egyptian plane crash an act of terrorism.

His likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, seemed content to hang in the background.

But Clinton’s stay-above-the-fray attitude masks unresolved questions that have gnawed at her campaign since Trump virtually locked up the Republican nomination. How can the wonkish Clinton counteract Trump’s finely-tuned ability to command attention? Can she win the White House by letting Trump run on his terms, hoping his unorthodox candidacy wears thin with voters by November?

Or does she need to make a positive case for her own candidacy, something she has struggled to articulate during the Democratic primary?

“She’s going to have to do things to keep her side motivated, to keep people excited, keep it aspirational,” said Steve Schale, a Florida Democratic strategist who advised President Barack Obama’s White House campaigns.

Clinton’s unexpectedly tough battle with Vermont Sen. Beie Sanders highlights her struggle to make that case thus far.

Sanders’ supporters can repeat whole sections of his campaign speech verbatim. Trump’s backers chime in on cue when he asks who will pay for his proposed border wall with Mexico.

The former secretary of state, by contrast, throws a policy-filled kitchen sink at voters. She pledges to break down barriers to progress, build on President Barack Obama’s priorities and implement lessons leaed from her husband’s economic stewardship in the 1990s.

And her ability to define the race on her own terms could only get harder in a face-off with Trump, the dominant force in this presidential contest and a master of defining his opponents before they can define themselves.

“He’s good at dominating the news cycle and changing the news cycle to fit his purposes,” said Rick Tyler, former communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s failed presidential campaign. “He has this ability to just change the trajectory of where the news is going by using amazing distractions that are just too delicious to pass up.”

To be sure, Clinton has overcome her messaging struggles in the primary and is close to clinching the Democratic nomination. But facing Trump will be another matter, with his capacity to set the tone for the day in the moing through frequent tweets and calls into news shows, catching his rivals off guard and leaving them scrambling to catch up.

The last days underscored Trump’s grip on the spotlight, and his willingness to stay there even when attention tus negative.

After a newspaper article detailing his behavior with women, Trump kept the story alive by repeatedly bashing the reporters and defending his actions. He shifted the conservation to his possible presidency by aouncing a list of judges he might nominate to the high court. He then said on Twitter the roll out went so well that he might add more names.

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In between, Trump said he could negotiate with North Korea’s leader. He called Ferguson, Missouri, and Oakland, Califoia, more dangerous than Iraq. And he used the word “rape” in speaking about Bill Clinton’s past indiscretions.

While Clinton’s campaign released paper statements responding to some of Trump’s statements, the candidate herself stayed quiet.

Clinton’s advisers and outside backers say they’re not making the same mistake as Trump’s Republican primary rivals. The GOP contenders spent months predicting the businessman’s collapse under the weight of a controversial comment — or collection of them — and tried to avoid alienating his supporters while they waited.

Clinton has made clear she won’t respond to Trump’s every move. “I’m going to let him run his campaign however he chooses,” she told reporters recently. Still, Priorities USA Action, a pro-Clinton super PAC is already ruing its first anti-Trump ads in battleground states as part of a $130 million general election advertising buy.

“Republican anti-Trump efforts were too little, too late,” said Justin Barasky, the group’s spokesman.

Clinton has another significant advantage compared to Trump’s previous opponents, many of whom were unknown to most Americans. Clinton can match Trump’s high profile, having spent nearly three decades in national politics, and is unlikely to be totally drowned out by the real estate mogul.

“She’s the only other candidate in this race who has the ability to break through,” said Mo Elleithee, director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service and a Clinton campaign adviser in 2008.

That will require more than just responding to perceived offenses, however.

“The road to the White House in 2016 is littered with the carcasses of candidacies that were equally as offended,” Elleithee added. “Being upset about him, being angry about him isn’t enough.”

CAIRO — An EgyptAir jetliner en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people aboard swerved wildly in flight and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday, authorities said. Egyptian and Russian officials said it may have been brought down by terrorists.

There were no immediate signs of survivors.

• PHOTOS: EgyptAir jet swerves wildly before crash, terrorism suspected

EgyptAir Flight 804, an Airbus A320 with 56 passengers and 10 crew members, went down about halfway between the Greek island of Crete and Egypt’s coastline after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle Airport, authorities said.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said the plane spun all the way around and suddenly lost altitude just before vanishing from radar screens around 2:45 a.m. Egyptian time.

He said it made a 90-degree left tu, then a full 360-degree tu toward the right, plummeting from 38,000 to 15,000 feet. It disappeared at about 10,000 feet, he said.

Hours later, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry said that life jackets, plastic items and other floating objects had been found, and authorities were trying to confirm whether the debris was from the plane.

Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi cautioned that the disaster was still under investigation but said the possibility it was a terror attack “is higher than the possibility of having a technical failure.”

Alexander Bortnikov, chief of Russia’s top domestic security agency, went further, saying: “In all likelihood it was a terror attack.”

The Egyptian military said it did not receive a distress call, and Egypt’s state-run daily Al-Ahram quoted an unidentified airport official as saying the pilot did not send one. The absence of a distress call suggests that whatever sent the aircraft plummeting into the sea was sudden and brief.

The plane’s erratic course raised a number of possibilities, including a catastrophic mechanical or structural failure, a bombing, or a struggle over the controls with a hijacker in the cockpit.

Egyptian security officials said they were ruing background checks on the passengers to see if any had links to extremists.

If it was terrorism, it was the second deadly attack involving Egypt’s aviation industry in seven months.

Last October, a Russian passenger plane that took off from an Egyptian Red Sea resort crashed in the Sinai, killing all 224 people aboard. Russia said it was brought down by a bomb, and a local branch of the Islamic State claimed responsibility.

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The disaster also raises questions about security at De Gaulle Airport, at a time when Weste Europe has been on high alert over the deadly Islamic extremist attacks in Paris and at the Brussels airport and subway over the past six months.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that airport security had been tightened considerably before the disaster, in particular because of the coming European soccer championship, which France is hosting.

Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Latiff, an expert on aerospace systems at the University of Notre Dame, said that while it is too early to tell for certain, a structural failure aboard the plane is “vanishingly improbable.”

He also cast doubt on the possibility of a struggle in the cockpit, saying the crew would have triggered an alarm.

Instead, he said, “sabotage is possible, and if there were lax controls at airports and loose hiring and security policies, increasingly likely.”

Similarly, John Goglia, a former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board member, said early indications point more to a bomb, since no mayday call was apparently issued during the abrupt tus. He said the aircraft’s black-box voice and data recorders should hold the answers.

Those on board, according to EgyptAir, included 15 French passengers, 30 Egyptians, two Iraqis, one Briton, one Kuwaiti, one Saudi, one Sudanese, one Chadian, one Portuguese, one Belgian, one Algerian and one Canadian.

Egyptian military aircraft and ships searched for debris and victims from the plane, whose passengers included two babies and a child, officials said. Greek, French and British authorities joined the operation. France also sent a team of accident investigators.

Whatever caused the crash, the disaster is likely to deepen Egypt’s woes as the country struggles to revive its ailing economy, particularly its lucrative tourism sector. It has been battered by the bloodshed and political turmoil in which the country has been mired since the 2011 overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.

French President Francois Hollande held an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace. He also spoke with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi by telephone and agreed to “closely cooperate to establish as soon as possible the circumstances” surrounding the disaster, according to a statement.

In Cairo, el-Sissi convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, the country’s highest security body. It includes the defense, foreign and interior ministers and the chiefs of the intelligence agencies.

In Paris, the city prosecutor’s office opened an investigation. “No hypothesis is favored or ruled out at this stage,” it said in a statement.

About 15 relatives of passengers arrived at the Cairo airport, and authorities brought doctors to the scene after several distressed family members collapsed.

In France, relatives started arriving at De Gaulle Airport outside the capital.

A man and a woman, identified by airport staff as relatives of passengers, sat at an information desk near the EgyptAir counter. The woman sobbed, holding her face in a handkerchief. The pair were led away by police.

The Airbus A320 is a widely used twin-engine plane that operates on short and medium-haul routes. Nearly 4,000 A320s are in use around the world.

The last deadly crash involving one of the planes was in March 2015, when one of the pilots of a Germanwings flight deliberately slammed it into the French Alps, killing all 150 people aboard.

Airbus said the aircraft in Thursday’s disaster was delivered to EgyptAir in 2003 and had logged 48,000 flight hours. The pilot had more than 6,000 hours of flying time, authorities said.

In March, an EgyptAir plane was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus. A man described by authorities as mentally unstable was taken into custody.

Becatoros reported from Athens and Charlton from Paris. Associated Press Writers Raphael Satter, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Hamza Hendawi in Cairo contributed to this report.

PARIS — Roger Federer has pulled out of the French Open, ending his record of appearing in 65 consecutive Grand Slam touaments dating back to 2000.

The 17-time major champion, who had a knee operation this year but retued to play at the Monte Carlo Masters in early April, has been dealing with a back problem that has limited his schedule in recent weeks.

Federer says “I am still not 100 percent and feel I might be taking an uecessary risk by playing in this event before I am really ready.”

Last week, Federer played at the Italian Open and lost to Dominic Thiem in the third round. He withdrew from the Madrid Open the previous week because of back pain.

The last major Federer missed was the 1999 U.S. Open.

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