NEWS
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Former LB councilmember chosen as director of Contreras Foundation Former 7th District Long Beach City Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga has been chosen to lead the Miguel Contreras Foundation as its first executive director. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to increase educational access and provide opportunities for immigrant integration while focusing on increasing civic participation in underserved communities. The Miguel Contreras Foundation was named after the labor leader who changed the political landscape of Los Angeles and California. Contreras was the first Latino to lead the
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NOvEMBER 11, 2011
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and now his widow, Maria Elena Durazo, the first woman to lead the Federation, is the present executive secretary treasurer of the Labor Federation. Durazo also serves as president of the board for the Miguel Contreras Foundation. “The Miguel Contreras Foundation is training the next generation of economic and social justice leaders, and ensuring a better future for tomorrow’s workers,” said Reyes Uranga, whose position was confirmed by the board last Monday. “This is a vision I am proud to be a part of.”
The Campaign Trail This week Bonnie Lowenthal announced her intention to run for reelection to her Assembly seat. A former Long Beach City Council and School Board member, Lowenthal was first elected to the Assembly in 2008. This would be her final term. “After serious deliberation, I’ve decided I can better serve my constituents and the people of California in the State Assembly,” Lowenthal said. “I will continue my longtime commitment to creating jobs, improving our schools, and protecting the environment in this final term, and hope I can contribute in whatever way possible to getting our state back on track.” Lowenthal currently serves as the chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Management and Select Committee on Ports. Lillian Kawasaki, Los Cerritos/ Bixby Knolls area resident, this week
announced her candidacy for Long Beach City Council’s 8th District. Kawasaki currently serves as the board director of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) and is chair of the WRD’s Committee on Workforce and Economic Development. “Now is the time for serious leaders with the knowledge and experience to tackle the challenges facing our city,” she said. “I want to bring my three decades of experience in public service to promote local economic development, improve neighborhood quality of life, and increase the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of our local government.” In 2006, Kawasaki was elected to represent Long Beach and six surrounding cities in WRD’s Division 3, and since then has overseen the management of the area’s groundwater to ensure to a clean, safe and reliable water supply, according to her emailed announce-
ment Wednesday. Previously, Kawasaki has served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Community Development Department, where she oversaw job training and workforce development programs dedicated to economic and community revitalization, and as the head of the Port of Los Angeles’s Environmental Management Division, supporting the Port’s green growth. Kawasaki currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the Long Beach Historical Society and as the co-chair of Friends of Manzanar. She has also served on the Long Beach Water Commission, California Bay Delta Public Advisory Committee, the Small Business Development Center Network Advisory Council, and the California Sustainability Alliance. She holds a bachelor’s of science in zoology and a master’s of science in biology from California State University, Los Angeles.
17-year-old Wilmington resident dies after being shot in LB On Monday, Nov. 7, at approximately 7:14pm, officers from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) were dispatched to a “shots fired” call in the 400 block of West Anaheim Street that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old male. When officers arrived, they located the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body. The paramedics were summoned and transported the victim to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Long Beach Police Homicide investigators responded to the scene. Investigators believe the victim was
standing near an apartment complex when he was confronted by an unknown person who fired multiple shots at him. The shooting is being investigated as possibly gang-related. There is no suspect information at this time. The victim has been identified as 17-year-old Christian Gomez, a Wilmington resident. Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact homicide detectives Malcolm Evans or Todd Johnson at (562) 5707244. Anonymous information can be submitted via text or email by visiting tipsoft.com.
Arrests made in stabbing that resulted in murder The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) has made two arrests in the murder of a 34-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man, and charges have been filed. On Oct. 11, 2011, at approximately 8:05am, LBPD officers responded to a “shots fired” call in the 400 block of West Anaheim Street. When officers arrived, they found 34-year-old Antwan Johnson of Rancho Cucamonga, who had been stabbed. Johnson was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased two days later as a result of injuries sustained in the attack. Based on the preliminary investigation, Johnson had been walking down the street with a female companion when he was confronted by three male Hispanic subjects in their 20s who proceeded to assault him. During the attack, he was stabbed with an unknown object before the suspects fled on foot. Homicide detectives diligently worked the case attempting to identify the attackers. Through their investiga-
tion, detectives learned that the suspects were local gang members and subsequently identified two of the three as follows: Michael Contreras, 23, of Long Beach; and Guillermo Parra, 21, of Long Beach. Both suspects were arrested at their Long Beach residences on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011, during the execution of search warrants. The third suspect remains outstanding. Last Monday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged both suspects with the murder of Johnson. Both are being held on $1,000,000 bail at the Los Angeles County Jail. Detectives do not believe that Johnson was a gang member; however, they are investigating this incident as a gang-related incident, and the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact homicide detectives Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous information can be submitted via text or email by visiting tipsoft.com.