LACEA Alive Feb05 7.Qxd
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City Employees Club of Los Angeles Vol. 8 No. 3 Mar. 2009 Serving over 18,000 City and DWP Employees Sgts. From Port Police Save Jumper Sgts. Cobos and Ferrara Larry Fukuhara, Program Director, Cabrillo Marine save a jumper on the Aquarium, arriving on the dock in Redondo Beach Vincent Thomas Bridge. after an educational whale- watching excursion. Story and photo courtesy Harbor HARBOR — Two Port Police Sergeants rushed to the aid of man in apparent duress and, by grabbing him by the pant leg, prevented him from jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Their heroism took place Oct. 28. The man was uninjured and was taken to a local hospital for observation. Both officers have been commended by the Port Police Dept. for their act of courage in the line of duty without regard to their own personal y safety. it Alive! congratulates Sgts. Cobos and Ferrara for their bravery in saving a life. C For more information, see the story on page 21. es! arti From left: Sgt. Rosario Ferrara and Sgt. Daniel Cobos. The Vincent Thomas Bridge is in the background. P Black Association Honors 6 Who AA Blazed Trails WhaleWhale Black Personnel Assn. honors ofof aa six City Employees during African ProgramProgram American Heritage Month. Alive! goes whale-watching Story by Yvonne Liu, Finance with City Employee Larry LAABP — Six exceptional City Employees Fukuhara of the Cabrillo were honored Feb. 18 for being Trailblazers Marine Aquarium. Larry’s and providing clear leadership for others to follow. They were honored by the Los Angeles programs educate more than Association of Black Personnel (LAABP). 100,000 people each year This year’s honorees were Detrich Brown Allen, General Manager, Environmental Affairs; on the joys of the ocean. Cheryl Chisolm, Senior Electrical Inspector, Building and Safety; Michael Holmes, Lot Cleaning Superintendent, Public Works/Street Services; Miriam Scott Long, Deputy Mayor See page 32. overseeing youth and education; Rashad Mfume, Senior Systems Analyst, ITA; and Jeffery Whitmore, Revenue Manager, Finance. Congratulations to the honorees, and to the LAABP for another successful reception. photo by Tom Hawkins See all the details on page 58. Alive! City Employees Club of Los Angeles PRSRT STD 350 S. Figueroa St., Suite 700 US POSTAGE Los Angeles, CA 90071 PAID LOS ANGELES, CA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PERMIT NO. 447 St. Pat’s A inparade, the an afters City party … and the buzz of St. Baldrick! See page 43. 32-39 Feat 1 Main March v10.qxd 2/28/09 9:45 AM Page 32 32 March 2009 City Employees Club of Los Angeles, Alive! Rec and Parks AAWhaleWhale ofof aa ProgramProgram AAlliivvee!! ggooeess whhaallee-- wwaattcchhiinngg wiitthh Ciittyy EEmmppllooyyeeee Laarrrryy FFuukkuuhhaarraa ooff thhee CCaabbrriilllloo Maarriinnee AAqquuaarriiuumm.. LLaarrrryy’’ss pprrooggrraammss eedduuccaattee mmoorree thhaann 10000,,000000 ppeeooppllee eaacchh yeeaarr oonn thhee jjooyyss ooff thhee occeeaann.. 32-39 Feat 1 Main March v10.qxd 2/28/09 9:45 AM Page 33 www.cityemployeesclub.com March 2009 33 The Alive! Interview 32-39 Feat 1 Main March v10.qxd 2/28/09 9:45 AM Page 34 34 March 2009 City Employees Club of Los Angeles, Alive! Rec and Parks Bringing L.A. Oceanto the Larry Fukuhara helps educate more than 100,000 people each year on the wonders of the Pacific Ocean. Alive!: Thanks for taking us on the boat the director of the Cabrillo Marine Museum to San Diego State. “What’s your and pointing out all the great sea life out in 1949 and remains as Director Emeritus. major?” “I don’t know.” Finally, they said there, including the three whales. – Ed.] And I said, “When?” He would that I was going to have to tell them my major. So I looked at my transcripts and Larry Fukuhara: always say, “Soon.” So the following Sure! It was a great year, he would say, “I’m going to retire said, wow, I sure took a lot of biology day out there! soon.” I say, “When?” He would say, classes. All right, I think I’ll take biology, “Soon.” And that kept going. It took him just to get the degree. I never thought I This is your 27th year with the City, about six years to finally retire but, you was going to use it. So I got it. On Feb. 11, Club CEO John is that right? know, it worked out. I just hung in there. When I finished, I worked at a family Hawkins and Alive! editor John Larry: Yes. In 1981, I started out as a nursery for four years, but it was tough Burnes went on a whale-watch docent, a volunteer here. And then, What’s your education? work. Finally I couldn’t take it any more, excursion with Cabrillo Marine after I guess maybe six months, they Larry: I got my degree in biology at so I just quit, and I was unemployed. Aquarium Program Director asked me if I wanted to work part-time. San Diego State, and it just worked out. Then my brother said that they were Larry Fukuhara, and then I said of course because I didn’t really I enjoy what I’m doing. looking for volunteers at the aquarium. So I got over to the aquarium and said, interviewed him about his have a job at that time. And then, final- ly, it took quite a few years until I wow, this would be neat to get a job educational programs. Last What made you want became a full-timer. here. I called to see if there was a oppor- year, more than 235,000 people to do this for a living? tunity here to work, but they said no. visited the aquarium, and more I started out as a volunteer and then I Larry: Sometimes you fall into things. Then, all of the sudden, I started volun- teering. I just fell into it. That’s how I than 108,000 experienced one became a part-timer. Then, I remember When I was going to Long Beach City College, they would ask me, “What’s came here. of his programs. John Olguin was saying that he was going to retire soon. [John Olguin became your major?” “I don’t know.” So I went —Ed. And you’re from Long Beach? Larry: Yes. Born and raised in Long Beach. Now I live here in San Pedro. And your entire City career has been here in one place? Larry: Yes. Right here at Cabrillo. Cabrillo is a very special place, and there’s so much that we do. This is a family. We all work together, helping each other. Most places, they start at eight and then they quit at five. But you come here at eight, and there are people here already. Come here after five, and there are people who are going to stay. We just do what we have to do here, which is great. Club CEO John Hawkins (right) chats with Larry Fukuhara (center) and Cabrillo Whalewatch Certified Naturalist Bobbie Hedges, who has been a docent at Cabrillo for 12 years. 32-39 Feat 1 Main March v10.qxd 2/28/09 9:45 AM Page 35 www.cityemployeesclub.com March 2009 35 The Alive! Interview From the top deck of the Voyager, Larry Fukuhara explains to a group of tourists about marine mammal behavior. The aquarium’s been around different smell, a different feel, inside that’s perfect. Today, we got to see three whale swimming. But then again, you here for how long? and outside. It’s just great. whales, and they were all together. can’t beat the real life experience, to get out there and see them in the open. Larry: We say we started in 1934. As Also, when I was a kid, my father would When you have three, if you noticed, it’s When I see that, it’s just the neatest you came into the area here, you prob- always take me fishing. He loved to just like a calliope, popping up, blowing, feeling in the whole wide world, to see ably saw the bathhouse. That was the fish. I started fishing when I was five popping up, blowing and going down, pop- that that they’re really enjoying it. You original Cabrillo Marine Museum. In years old or even younger. Not that I ping up and blowing … so it’s very, very hear about boys and girls where they 1981, we moved over here, and it must would always fish; I would play with the easy to see. We got to see the flukes … think they’ve seen it all. They have that have been about 12 years ago when we fish he would catch and so forth. But to attitude that you can’t impress them. changed the name to aquarium. So, this day, I still love to fish. What’s neat The flukes? Well, we impressed them today. believe it or not, next year, 2010, we’ll working at the aquarium is that I get to Larry: The tails of the whale, the flukes. be celebrating our 75th anniversary. be around fish all the time. That’s what they’re called. Cabrillo’s Programs We have such a variety of things here at And then, on the way back, we got to The Love of the Sea Cabrillo. We’re right on the beach itself. see two different types of dolphins. We Let’s talk about the programs. Do you What do you love about marine life? We have a sandy beach environment, got to see the common dolphins and differentiate between programs for we have a marsh real close by; we have Larry: then some Pacific white-sided dolphins students and programs for adults or the There are many things.