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Reinventing City Hall
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“The Messengers”
mixed media on paper by Annie Stromquist
See page 13 for more information and works by this artist.
February 15, 2013
SERVING BIXBY KNOLLS, CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS, LOS CERRITOS, WRIGLEY AND THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
Concerns over earthquake readiness spawn talk of major overhaul for LB Civic Center
Rising costs, state regulations for oil-well cleanups impede development in Signal Hill, other cities
CJ Dablo Staff Writer
The Long Beach City Council has taken a small but significant step towards overhauling the Long Beach Civic Center. At the Feb. 12 meeting, the City Council voted 7-2 (Councilmembers James Johnson and Al Austin dissenting) to move forward with a staff recommendation that extends an invitation to the development community to overhaul the city’s civic center. City Hall is approximately 36 years old, and a 2006 seismic study that analyzed how the building would fare under a moderate earthquake revealed major problems. The 15-story city hall building has four wings on each corner that house the elevators, stairwells and restrooms, and Director of Public Works Michael Conway reported that while the core of that city hall building is “structurally sound,” there are still major safety issues. He said that the four wings have “weak connections,” that there are deformed columns, and that the wings’ concrete panels create excessive weight. Conway concluded that these problems, among others, would hamper those trying to exit the building in the event of a major earthquake. The seismic study determined that it would cost about $119 million to retrofit the building, including the soft costs to relocate City Hall employees and services while the building is undergoing construction. Since that study is now several years old, those costs have been estimated to be closer to $170 million. Assistant City Manager Suzanne Frick stressed the
Sean Belk/ Signal Tribune
An abandoned oil pump located on vacant land between Willow and Spring streets is an example of many properties that could become future development. However, a combination of rising costs, changes to state regulations and the loss of redevelopment to properly abandon oil wells continues to hinder development in the city. Sean Belk Staff Writer
For years, Signal Hill city officials have suggested that four city blocks of land along Spring Street between Atlantic and California avenues is prime real estate for a hotel or other commercial uses. The acreage owned by the State after being transferred from the now defunct Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency (RDA), however, remains undeveloped. CJ Dablo/Signal Tribune
View of Long Beach’s City Hall building. A report from the public works department found that one 2006 study determined that City Hall needs “substantial seismic remediation.”
urgency of moving forward with a plan. “So Mayor, Members of the Council, we need to do something about this,” Frick said Tuesday. “We can’t just let this building go unattended. We have to be making some decisions about how to deal with the seismic issues.” Frick explained to the Council that the recommended RFQ (Request for Qualifications) will primarily see if the development
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community is at all interested in partnering with the City to provide a new Civic Center facility. She acknowledged that developers could propose to simply rehabilitate the current facilities. Before he voted against the action to move forward with the RFQ, Councilmember Johnson asked if the Council could explore the possibility of adding a structure to the
Changes to state regulations and rising costs associated with cleaning up old, abandoned oil wells, a procedure known as oilwell re-abandonment, continues to be a major deterrent for economic growth in Signal Hill and other cities in the region, leaving the once revenue-producing properties to remain barren wastelands, according to city officials and oil-industry experts. Vacant land between Willow and Spring
Noll opposes locating electronic message board at SH Park; commission asks for further study
Nick Diamantides Staff Writer
At a community workshop conducted during its Wednesday evening meeting, the Signal Hill Parks and Recreation Commission inched the City closer to installing a monument sign with an electronic message center, but the location of the device may not be close to the corner of Hill Street and Cherry Avenue as was originally planned. The workshop’s purpose was to give residents and business people the opportunity to voice their opinions about the sign. Toward the end of the discussion, even Vice Mayor Mike Noll told the commissioners that, in his opinion, installing the sign there was “unacceptable.” After about two hours of staff reports and
see OIL WELLS page 18
comments from residents, the commission voted unanimously to direct staff to further study certain aspects of the billboard, taking into account the concerns expressed at the meeting. A second community workshop, which will include an updated staff report, will probably take place at the commission’s April meeting. During the Wednesday meeting, which took place at the Signal Hill Park Community Center, nobody opposed the City’s plan to invest about $49,000 to install the high-tech monument. The only bone of contention was the proposed location near northeast corner of Signal Hill Park. At the opening of the workshop, Pilar
15 through February 19, 2013 Weekly Weather Forecast February PRESIDENTS’ DAY see COURTHOUSE page 19
Friday
80°
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
79° 68° 63° 60° This week’s Weekly Weather Forecast sponsored by: Sunny, very warm
Partly sunny and warm
Mostly sunny and not as warm
Low clouds, then sun
Showers possible
Lo 49°
Lo 50°
Lo 49°
Lo 48°
Lo 47°
see SIGN page 16
WEEKEND
SALE See page 23
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FebRuaRy 15, 2013
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Congressmember lowenthal invites lb resident to speak about gun violence before State of the union address At a press conference Tuesday that offered gun-violence survivors and family members of victims an opportunity to voice their calls for strong government action to reduce gun violence, Congressmember Alan Lowenthal introduced Long Beach resident Peggy McCrum, the Chapter leader of the Long Beach Area Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. McCrum had been invited by Lowenthal to attend President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening. Lowenthal, along with more than a dozen of his Congressional colleagues, have given their one ticket to the President’s address to someone affected by a gun tragedy. McCrum lost her brother Robert Kelley, a Long Beach resident and graduate of Cal StateLong Beach, when he was shot and killed while leaving a store in Los Angeles at the age of 29. The killer was never found. “I am here today not just for my brother Robert,” McCrum said, “but for the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who are victims of gun violence. There are many avenues we can take to stop gun violence in our country, but we certainly cannot choose the avenue of inaction. Now is the time for Congress to act. Now is the time to demand a plan.” Lowenthal, a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and a proponent of President Obama’s policy recommendations to reduce gun violence in our communities, said he was proud to have McCrum as his guest and glad she was able to speak out. “For every person like Peggy, and for every person like Robert, there are a thousand more untold stories of pain and agony caused by gun violence,” Lowenthal said. “We must take every opportunity to give them a voice, to listen to their stories, and to accept their challenge to take action.” The Congressmember has
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AID HEARING LOSS What Hearing device exhibit Who The Hearing Loss Association of America Long Beach/Lakewood Chapter When Friday, Feb. 15 from 10am to noon Where Weingart Senior Center, 5220 Oliva Ave. in Lakewood More info Local residents can view a free hands-on display of devices that help with hearing difficulties and receive information on how the devices work and where they can be purchased. Call (562) 630-6141.
Courtesy Lowenthal’s office
Congressmember Alan Lowenthal (center) looks on as his guest at the State of the Union address, Peggy McCrum, calls for action on gun violence at Tuesday’s press conference at the Capitol.
already become co-sponsor of three bills directed at reducing gun violence in schools by improving access to mental health care and providing additional resources for mental healthcare professionals. “I am honored to stand here with Congressman Lowenthal,” McCrum said, “who is part of the solution, joining his colleagues in Congress to propose commonsense solutions to this issue which has caused too many heartaches, too many tears, and simply not enough action.” On Wednesday, the day after the State of the Union address, Lowenthal issued a statement praising President Obama’s speech. “I believe that we have reached a watershed moment when we can either look forward and do what is right or look back and repeat the mistakes of our past,” Lowenthal said. “I, like the President, choose to move forward with a plan that spurs sustainable economic growth, creates high-paying jobs, promotes equality for all, and responsibly reduces our deficit, while protecting the middle class. By increasing investments in our infrastructure and by focusing on
becoming the global leader in green energy technologies, we will be successful in reinvigorating growth and consumer confidence, while at the same time addressing the important issue of climate change.” Lowenthal also said he was pleased that the President focused on the need for comprehensive immigration reform, calling for a better-built system that personifies the opportunities and promises of the American Dream for all new Americans. “This is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and I am ready to work with both parties to get our country moving down the path to real economic security and global competitiveness,” the Congressmember said. “Finally, I was moved when the President said ‘tonight matters little if we don’t come together to protect our most precious resource– our children.’ I agree with him when he called for a comprehensive approach to gun safety, and I am looking forward to pursuing that plan with my colleagues in Congress.” Source: Lowenthal’s office
ONCE UPON A TIME What Marathon Reading of Grimm’s Fairy Tales Who ArtExchange When Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9am to 9pm Where ArtExchange, 356 E. 3rd St. More info ArtExchange will host a free family event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first publication of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm with a marathon reading of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The event will include readings by a local book illustrator, a librarian from the Long Beach Public Library, a professor from CSULB’s Theatre Department, and representatives from East Village businesses. Call (562) 999-1482.
CLEAN UP YOUR ALLEY What Alley cleanup Who Cal Heights Clean Streets (CHCS) team Where The alley between California and Myrtle avenues When Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9:30am to 11:30am More info The public may join the CHCS team as they clean up alleys and free them from weeds and trash. Light snacks, bags and gloves will be provided. The CHCS team would appreciate participants bringing their own shovels, brooms, weed cutters and other tools. Call Stacey at (562) 981-3257 or email newsletter@calheights.org .
A DAY OF TRIBUTE What Black History Month tribute Who Long Beach Branch of the NAACP When Sunday, Feb. 17 at 3pm Where McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. More info In honor of Black History Month, the Long Beach Branch of the NAACP will recognize the contributions that African-Americans have made in the community and nation’s history. Call (562) 856-7586 or email mnaacp@gmail.com . BIXBY KNOLLS BY THE NUMBERS What State of the District Who Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association When Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 7pm to 9pm Where Long Beach Petroleum Club, 3636 Linden Ave. More info The event will include food, entertainment, and news about the latest projects and progress in Bixby Knolls. $5 entry fee at the door. Call (562) 595-0081 or email info@bixbyknollsinfo.com .
GARNISHING YOUR GARMENTS What General meeting Who Long Beach Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America Where California Heights United Methodist Church, 3759 Orange Ave. When Friday, Feb. 22 beginning at 10:30am More info The Chapter meets the fourth Friday of every month. Call (714) 345-2338.
TOUR WILLOW SPRINGS PARK What Monthly tour Who Friends of Willow Springs Park Where 2745 Orange Ave. When Saturday, Feb. 23 at 9am More info The tour, held on the fourth Saturday of each month, is led by volunteers and focuses on the history, wildlife, plants, and new developments of the property. Call (562) 570-7777 or visit facebook.com/willowspringslb.com . A LOFTY EXPERIENCE What Loft Walk 2013 Who Long Beach Heritage Where Insurance Exchange Building on East Broadway and other downtown buildings When Saturday, March 2 at 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm More info Tours start with hosted appetizers at Congregation Ale House, then moves to the Big Red Bus for a tour of Downtown Long Beach with Art Deco Historian John Thomas and then the Loft Walk at the Insurance Exchange building before making it to the penthouse for wine tasting and appetizers. Tickets are $55 ($50 members, $35 students). Call (562) 493-7019 or visit lbheritage.org .
BOOKWORMS, UNITE What Monthly community book club Who The Bixby Knolls Literary Society Where Elise’s Tea Room, 3924 Atlantic Ave. When Wednesday, March 13 at 7pm More info Next month, the club will delve into The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Parking is available along Atlantic Avenue. Refreshments will be provided. Call (562) 595-0081 or email info@bixbyknollsinfo.com .
OPiNiON
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Thoughts from the Publisher
by Neena Strichart
Hallelujah! The Sweetheart Sweepstakes is over for another year! Congratulations to all the lucky winners, and a big thank-you to all the advertisers and generous prize sponsors. This year we received a total of over 500 entries. With that kind of participation, I know that we accomplished what we set out to do, and that was to encourage our readers to visit local businesses. During the process of prize pick-up and bucket dropoff/retrieval, we at the Signal Tribune did some Valentine’s Day shopping of our own. Now that’s what I call practicing what we preach! I hope all of our readers are doing what they can to keep our local economy moving forward. Buying online and out of the area are the status quo for some, but those of us who want to keep our local businesses local spend our dollars in our own neighborhoods. Whether it’s buying a gift at Bella Cosa, flowers at Signal Hill Florist or baked goods at Alsace Lorraine, please do your best to keep your shopping as close to home as possible. Same goes for dining out. We have some nice dining spots in Bixby Knolls, California Heights and Signal Hill. Whether you’re in the mood for chili at Curley’s, Mexican food at Patricia’s or Guadalupe’s or sushi at Kashiwa or Bamboo Teri, please think twice before leaving the area; these restaurateurs want and need your business. Getting back to the subject of Sweetheart Sweepstakes…I hope those who did enter enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed putting it all together. Winners were contacted by phone Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon. Who won? I’ve included their names and what they won below! ULTIMATE PRIZE– Jan Peacock High on Love! • Fly the skies on this Beaches Day Tour for two, courtesy of Sunset Flying (Fly over: Queen Mary, Los Angeles Airport, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Trump Golf Course & the Horseshoe, Catalina Island, Ports of Los Angeles & Long Beach, Vincent Thomas Bridge & Sea Launch) $399 value! • $100 gift card for dinner from Delius Restaurant • One-time-use camera, film developing and surprises from Tuttle Cameras • Giant Teddy Bear from the Signal Tribune • Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
GRAND PRIZE– Vicki Sue Grice Riding Romance • Pediwagon Belmont Shore excursion for party of 14! ($370 value!)
FebRuaRy 15, 2013 Insuring Your Lasting Love – Larry Outland Jr. All courtesy of Brenda Soto Bryan Insurance Agency: $50 dinner gift certificate Two AMC movie tickets • Gift certificate for a box of candy
• Energy snack basket from Jumpstarter Bodyfuel Bars • Dozen cupcakes from Alsace Lorraine Bakery • 14 bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
SUPREME PRIZE – Kim Clary Spa-like Splendor • One-hour couples massage in your home while a chef prepares dinner! Courtesy of G-Spa Massage Clinic ($300 value!) (includes appetizer, main course, dessert, wine or champagne or love cocktails) • Cuddly Teddy bear with heart-shaped button from the Signal Tribune
Tasty Lovin’ for Two – Marc Welder $25 gift card courtesy of Blackbird Café • Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Bottle of wine and 4 wine glasses from the Signal Tribune • Cuddly Teddy bear from the Signal Tribune • Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
Cupid’s Choice – Roy Vidal Overnight stay at Quality Inn Signal Hill (with continental breakfast) • Champagne basket from Wine Country Two $25 gift certificates from Kashiwa Restaurant • Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse “Love in Bloom” original painting by Cory Bilicko • Scented candle from Capital Investment Advisers Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
So Happy to be in LOVE! – Kirkdell Joe Dinner for two at Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria • Two tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Cuddly Stuffed Tiger from Signal Tribune • Threemonth post office box rental at UPS Store #4466 • Scented candle from Capital Investment Advisers • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
A Day of Delight – Damion May Pancake Mix, Maple Syrup & Hot Cocoa Mix from Fresh & Easy • $50 gift certificate for Donato’s Hair Salon Coffee basket courtesy of Starbucks/Signal Hill • Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Dinner for two at Le Yen Restaurant • Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
Beary Cozy Valentine Package– Jill Fiala Breakfast For Two from Black Bear Diner ($25 Bear Bucks) • Two Black Bear Diner Coffee Mugs Black Bear Diner His & Hers Fleece Jackets • Black Bear Diner Teddy Bear Dinner For Two from Black Bear Diner ($50 Bear Bucks)
Romance On Your Mind?– Sam Chaysavang Dinner for two at Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria • Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Couples photography sitting plus print courtesy of Vangie Ogg Photography Custom couples framing courtesy of Andazola’s Gallery Fluffy, red, heart-shaped pillow from About U • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
For A Delightful Duo –Cade Klock Pancake Mix, Maple Syrup & Hot Cocoa Mix from Fresh & Easy His and Hers gift certificate for Goldhill Hair Salon • Coffee basket courtesy of It’s A Grind/Signal Hill Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse • $25 gift card at Bamboo Teri House Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
Oh-So Utterly Romantic! – Betty Lee Two $25 gift certificates from Kashiwa Restaurant • Pair of tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Chocolate-Scented Teddy Bear from Signal Tribune • Avon bubble bath from Kat Evans Box of Truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
So Utterly In Love! – Nelson Cole Dinner for two from Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant • Two passes for Museum of Latin American Art Scented candle from Capital Investment Advisers • Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy Chocolate-Scented Teddy Bear from Signal Tribune • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
Sleepytime Loving – Janet Anderson All courtesy of The Undershirt in Signal Hill: Cozy plush throw for 2 & Spa Set 2 Mugs & Sleepytime Tea • Ladies’ Bamboo nightshirt & Men’s Bamboo T-shirt Romance Novel, Candle & Bath Salts (packaged in a large zippered tote bag) –Value $180
Loving You Is SO Easy! – Dianna Woods Dinner for two from Guadalupe’s Grill Restaurant • Two passes for Museum of Latin American Art Scented candle from Capital Investment Advisers • Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy Chocolate-Scented Teddy Bear from the Signal Tribune • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies
CO M M EN TA RY
A personal story behind Feeding Tube Awareness Week A feeding tube not only saved my life but allows hundreds of thousands of Americans to live their lives. I invite you to ask me about my experience. Tube feeding has saved my life. In May of 2011, I was diagnosed with severe gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach). Way before I was diagnosed, I was having an unusual fullness after I ate only a small portion of food, extreme weight loss, distention in the abdomen, heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux and nausea throughout the day. I lost weight over a course of 8–9 months and went from 130 pounds to 98 pounds. I could no longer teach my 7th graders at Mayfair Middle School. I slept on the couch, wrapped up in blankets. I was starving to death.
by Dodie Carmichael
On Sept. 30, 2011, I had a feeding tube placed into my small intestine. I began tube feeding for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Before I got my feeding tube, I was unable to work or enjoy everyday activities like going for a walk. Now, I am back teaching (feeding tube and all). I rode my bike in the Tour of Long Beach, the Los Angeles Firecracker Ride, the Long Beach Marathon Bike Tour and the Beach Babe Bicycling Classic. I now have the energy to live my life. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of what a feeding tube is or why they are used. Please help me and thousands of others who rely on this life-sustaining therapy to educate the public as to what tube feeding is about. Ask me about my experience!
aSSOCiaTe PubliSHeR
PubliSHeR/eDiTOR-iN-CHieF
Stephanie Raygoza
aSSiSTaNT eDiTOR/STaFF WRiTeR
Sean Belk
COluMNiSTS
Jennifer E. Beaver Carol Berg Sloan, RD
DeSigN eDiTOR
Leighanna Nierle
aDMiNiSTRaTiVe aSSiSTaNT/WebSiTe MaNageR
STaFF WRiTeRS
CJ Dablo
MORE INFORMATION feedingtubeawareness.com
Cory Bilicko
aDVeRTiSiNg CONSulTaNTS
Jane Fallon
Dodie Carmichael can be reached at dodierae@gmail.com .
MaNagiNg eDiTOR
Stephen M. Strichart
Neena R. Strichart
Tube feeding, also known as home enteral nutrition (HEN), is a life-saving therapy for people who for various reasons cannot obtain adequate nutrition orally. Common reasons for a feeding tube include severe food allergies, swallowing disorders, gastroparesis, cancer, mitochondrial disease, short bowel syndrome, Celiac disease, Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and traumatic intestinal injuries. People of all ages are fed using feeding tubes placed in the digestive tract.
Nick Diamantides
Shoshanah Siegel
Tanya Paz
CulTuRe WRiTeRS
Daniel Adams Vicki Paris Goodman Gregory Spooner CONTRibuTiNg PHOTOgRaPHeR
Matt Sun
eDiTORial iNTeRN
Ariana Gastelum
CONTRibuTiNg WRiTeR
Rachael Rifkin
DeSigN iNTeRN
Kaelyn Bruno
The Signal Tribune welcomes letters to the editor, which should be signed, dated and include a phone number to verify authenticity. Letters are due by noon on the Tuesday before desired publication date. The Signal Tribune reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, language and space requirements. The Signal Tribune does not print letters that refer substantially to articles in other publications and might not print those that have recently been printed in other publications or otherwise presented in a public forum. Letters to the editor and commentaries are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Signal Tribune or its staff. Although the editorial staff will attempt to verify and/or correct information when possible, letters to the editor and commentaries are opinions, and readers should not assume that they are statements of fact. Letter-writers will be identified by their professional titles or affiliations when, and only when, the editorial staff deems it relevant and/or to provide context to the letter. We do not run letters to the editor submitted by individuals who have declared their candidacies for public office in upcoming races. This policy was put in place because, to be fair, if we publish one, we would have to publish all letters submitted by all candidates. The volume would no doubt eliminate space for letters submitted by other readers. Instead, we agree to interview candidates and print stories about political races in an objective manner and offer very reasonable advertising rates for those candidates who wish to purchase ads. The Signal Tribune is published each Friday with a circulation of 25,000. yearly subscriptions are available for $45.
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To r e a d o r d o w n l o a d f u l l i s s u e s o f t h e S i g n a l Tr i b u n e , v i s i t
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Ramona Park Senior apartments to break ground in north lb on March 6
Courtesy Palm Communities
A two-dimensional elevation shows the exterior of the proposed Ramona Park Senior Apartments, a $22.3-million project expected to replace the now closed Farmers & Merchants Bank at 3290 E. Artesia Blvd. to make way for 61 units for seniors with low to moderate incomes. The project is expected to break ground during a ceremony at the site on March. 6. Sean Belk Staff Writer
Two long-awaited affordable-housing projects in north Long Beach are advancing with one breaking ground next month after being held up for nearly two years due to the State’s move to abolish redevelopment agencies. In a letter sent in December 2012, the California State Department of Finance (DOF) had denied the City the right to use $18.3 million in bond proceeds for projects to develop senior housing and upgrade existing affordable housing in the ninth council district. The bonds were issued through the affordable-housing function of the now dissolved Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA). Of the total bond proceeds, $5.9 million are earmarked for revitalizing the Belwood Arms Apartments, at 6301 Atlantic Ave., while the remaining $12.4 million helps pay for the construction of the Ramona Park Senior
Apartments at 3290 E. Artesia Blvd., expected to break ground on March 6 during a ceremony at the site. The Ramona Park apartment project, expected to cost a total of $22.5 million, consists of demolishing the now closed Farmers & Merchants Bank to make way for an apartment complex with 61 units for seniors with low to moderate incomes. The two-story structure is expected to come with amenities, including a community center, a swimming pool, a circuit-training course, and open space for recreation. William Leach, vice president of public finance for the developer Irvinebased Palm Communities, said the company has been in the process of closing on the construction-period financing for the past four to five months as the process has been delayed due to the Sate’s dissolution of redevelopment. He said the former Long Beach Housing Development Company also loaned funding for the project and the developer was able to use low-income housing tax credits.
Leach added that the passage of the Sate’s “cleanup� legislation, known as Assembly Bill 1484, was a major factor in the state relinquishing the bond proceeds for the project, adding that the bill makes it clear that “during the RDA dissolution affordable-housing bond proceeds are authorized to be used to build affordable housing.� Robert Zur Schmiede, deputy director of Long Beach Development Services, said the DOF initially objected to the expenditure, claiming that the City didn’t provide adequate information that the money was available even though the funding was clearly held by a trustee. He said city officials then sent a letter with additional information and enlisted local legislators and dignitaries requesting that the DOF reconsider. Zur Schmiede said that on Jan. 10, the DOF sent a letter back, reversing their initial decision. “It’s just amazing to me that they reached the initial conclusion that they did, but they did reconsider it and did reverse their decision,� he said.
The Campaign Trail
The Concerned Citizens of Signal Hill (CCSH) and the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce will co-host a Signal Hill City Council candidate forum at the Signal Hill Police Department Community Room, 2745 Walnut Ave., on Monday, Feb. 25. The forum will begin with a “public-candidate meet-and-
greet� period from 6:30pm to 7pm, and the actual forum will begin at 7pm and end at 8:30pm. Each candidate will be allowed two minutes for an introductory statement and two minutes for a closing statement. Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce members and CCSH will provide questions. Each candi-
date will be asked the same question and given two minutes to answer, allowing for a total of about four prepared questions for each candidate. This session will be followed by a limited number of written questions from the audience, as time allows. For more information, call (562) 375-0761 or (562) 494-6215.
Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) units responded to a structure fire in the 5000 block of Garford Street on Monday, Feb. 11, according to Matthew Dobberpuhl, public information officer for the LBPD. Initial calls were received by
LBFD dispatch at 4:32pm. Engine 22 was first on the scene and found a fully involved fire in a first-floor unit of a two-story apartment complex, according to Dobberpuhl. The fire caused severe damage to the unit of origin with smoke damage affecting the unit above. Two fami-
lies were displaced and assisted by the American Red Cross. One firefighter sustained minor burns to the top of both ears and was treated at Saint Mary's Hospital. No civilian injuries were reported.
Metro Briefs
GATEWAY CITIES
A Better Commute? It’s About Time Starting February 23, Metro ExpressLanes will save you time in tra;c on the I-10 freeway, joining those already open on the I-110. The lanes are toll-free for carpools, vanpools and motorcycles. Solo drivers can use ExpressLanes by paying a toll. All vehicles need a FasTrak account and transponder to use the lanes. To get yours, visit metro.net/expresslanes. Ž
Metro Buys 550 New Buses The Metro Board of Directors approved spending $302 million to purchase 550 new 40-foot transit buses fueled by compressed natural gas. The new buses will replace vehicles that are past 12 years of age and 500,000 miles over the next three years.
Metro Looks For Bids On Regional Connector Metro has issued requests for proposals for construction of the $1.367-billion Regional Connector light rail line through Downtown LA. The two-mile, fully underground route will connect the Metro Gold, Blue and Expo lines. For more information visit metro.net/regionalconnector.
Gold Line Weekend Service Increased The frequency of Metro Gold Line trains is increasing from every 12 minutes to every 6 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Now you can enjoy Old Pasadena, Chinatown, Little Tokyo and East LA over the weekend all while making better connections and with less time spent waiting for the train.
Third Segment Launches On I-5 South Major work on Rosecrans, Bloom>eld and Shoemaker avenues in Norwalk kicked o= earlier this month as part of the I-5 South Widening project between the 605 Freeway and Orange County. The project is adding lanes in each direction to ease the bottleneck caused when it meets the 10-lane portion at the county line.
If you’d like to know more, visit metro.net.
Firefighter sustains minor burns in apartment fire
Resident displaced as result of kitchen fire
Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) units responded to a reported structure fire in the 5400 block of Las Lomas Street at 10:24pm Monday, Feb. 11, according to Matthew Dobber-
puhl, public information officer for the LBPD. Upon arrival, Engine 22 found a well-involved kitchen fire and smoke coming from the attic, according to Dobberpuhl. The res-
Source: LBFD
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Plain-clothes detective, suspected gang member engage in officer-involved shooting
On Monday, Feb. 11 at approximately 1pm, a detective from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) was parked on Orange Avenue at 45th Way when he was involved in an officer-involved shooting, according to the LBPD. While the detective was parked, a male Asian pulled up next to him and began throwing gang signs. The detective, who was in plain clothes and identified himself as a police officer, then observed the subject pull out a handgun. The subject started to drive away but then stopped and pointed the handgun at the detective.
Source: LBFD
At that point, the shooting occurred. The suspect fled the area in a light-colored BMW traveling northbound on Orange Avenue. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Todd Johnson at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting lacrimestoppers.org . Source: LBPD
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13-1361ps_gat-ne-13-009 Š2013 lacmta
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
6 SigNal TRibuNe
MeeT yOuR CaNDiDaTeS
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
The City of Signal Hill will conduct its municipal election on Tuesday, March 5. Seven candidates are seeking the two open seats on the Signal Hill City Council, including incumbents Michael Noll, Ellen Ward and Ed Wilson and challengers Robert Mendoza, Nancy Sciortino, Elizabeth Wise and Lori Woods. Below is information about each of them, provided by the candidates themselves, the content of which the Signal Tribune has not edited, unless indicated by brackets.
Bob Mendoza
Years residing in Signal Hill I move to Signal Hill in 1986 Occupation Business owner
Personal Information I'm married to Gloria Nava together we have 6 adult children and 11 grand childen
Education UCLA Administrator Development Institute 1994
Goals if elected/Platform I will give the community a voice. I will serve the entire community. I will bring polling places back to our neighborhoods. I will ensure that resources are always there for public safety keeping our Police and Fire departments adequately staffed as our city continues to grow. I will establish a 10 year plan for funding in view of federal and state cuts to our city example the loss of the RDA. Implement an Independent Audit Committee and a two year budget as recommended by the Los Angeles Grand Jury. I will work to implement the Taxpayers Right to Know and Vote to protect hidden property taxes and fees. I appreciate the support the residents have given me when I knock on doors to ask for their support and vote. Endorsements (limit to six) Endorsements 960 residents as of 2.9.2013 The three polling places for the election will be:
Signal Hill Park Community Center 1780 E. Hill St. Voting precinct 6450001A
Family Church of Signal Hill
2094 Cherry Ave. Voting precinct 6450004A
Discovery Well Park Community Center 2200 Temple Ave. Voting precinct 6450005A
All three polls will offer Spanish and Khmer assistance and will be handicapped-accessible. The polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. For more information, visit cityofsignalhill.org and click on “2013 General Municipal Election.”
Michael Noll
Nancy Sciortino
Years residing in Signal Hill 24 years in Years residing in Signal Hill I have lived Signal Hill and owned property in Signal Hill for over 40 Occupation Account Business Manager Education Graduate of Youngstown State years University Occupation Business Management/ retired Nonprofit/professional affiliations County Central Committee Member RepresenPersonal Information tative and Treasurer of the 54th Assembly Born and raised and schooled in Long Beach District for 6 years and just won another term and received a scholarship to USC for the newly created 70th Assembly District, President of Casa De Colina #4 Association, Education Degree from USC in Business and Member of the Long Beach Women's RepubliFood Distribution can Federated Club, Member of the Signal Hill Historical Society, and Member of the Signal Hill Community First. I participated in the Nonprofit/professional affiliations Former Chair of Aids Walk, Former Chair of 2013 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. It THE Center, Director on the Sanitation Board of was a very interesting evening and something L.A. County.I devote time to the League of Cali- I care immensely about- especially the homefornia Cities. I am involved with The National less children. I donate every year to the back pack program for homeless children on one of Animal Rights groups,as well as the Sierra Club. the radio stations, either 790 or 640AM.
Nonprofit/professional affiliations If reelected I would continue my commitment to have sound management, a balanced budget, prudent emergency reserves and continue to provide services residences want without cutbacks or interruption. As a city we have succeeded where other cities have failed . Signal Hill lives within it's means. I BELIEVE MY EXPIERANCE IS INVALUABLE TO MAINTINING VITAL SERVICES WITHOUT RAISING TAXES OR EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS. THATS WHY I AM RUNNING FOR ONE MORE TERM ON CITY COUNCIL. I am proud of the accomplishments during the recession times...new business...new senior, youth, and adult programs. I am also proud that Signal Hill has no Utility Tax...and a Pledge from the Council....No New Taxes. I ask for your vote on Tuesday March 5th..for an even better Signal Hill
Goals if elected/re-elected My goals are to continue bring business into Signal Hill. New business continue to recognize our city and want to locate here I am proud of our newest business such as, Black Bear, Diner, InAnd-Out and a new Applebee's restaurants, Plus there is a new Cadillac and Fiat dealership contributing to our sales tax base. I would like to move ahead on the New Library paid with former Redevelopment bonds, as we have been studying it for the last 15 years, and know what the residents have asked for. Signal Hill has no utility tax, low business licenses, low water, trash rates with a pledge not to raise taxes.
Endorsements (limit to six) My Endorsements are as follows: U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal California Senator Ricardo Laura Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster L.A. County Fire Fighters Local 1014
Goals if elected/re-elected Improve our quality of life, transparency, review all contracts, develop a strategic plan for the city with citizens being able to participate. The election is not just about me but about our Residents and where we are headed in Signal Hill. It is about opening up lines of communication and getting the public to participate. The public has a right to know and deal with City Government, when we close that door we shut out the people and their voice.
Platform Public Safety- We need to implement a Neighborhood Watch Program throughout the City. More than half the residents I spoke to walking the Hill are concerned with the rising number of crimes throughout our City. The North end of the Hill has one, we need to help the Police Dept., for they can't be everywhere. Restoring our "Right to Know and Vote" on any property tax increases. I have been actively involved with this petition for 6 long months. We received 871 validated signatures, the Residents have spoken. It be great to have a Win win solution with the Council. If there are certain parts they are not comfortable with let's work it out to avoid another legal battle. Residents not feeling listened to by City Hall. I have heard it over and over from Residents I have been meeting that they will not bother to come to City Hall to address their concerns. Too many times they have seen Citizens humiliated on live camera and broad casted to the entire City. I am asking for your vote to preserve our quality of life with fiscal responsibility and transparency. If you care as much about Signal Hill as I do, then please vote for me on March 5, 2013. Our community depends on it. Endorsements (limit to six) Endorsed by the Republican Party of Los Angeles County
Ellen Ward
Years residing in Signal Hill 28 years
Occupation Present – Signal Hill City Councilmember
Personal Information Married, 2 sons-in-law, 6 nephews and nieces, 5 great nephews and nieces Education BS in Recreation at CSULA
Nonprofit/professional affiliations Retired Executive Director of AIDS Walk LB (9 years) Past BOD at One in Long Beach (GLBT), now The Center Present – Member of Signal Hill Historical Society
Goals and Platform To build a new library without using city funds To assist Signal Hill Historical Society in building a museum To continue to increase retail facilities; generate additional tax revenues To pass and adhere to a balanced budget each year To continue increasing general reserves To work with City and State officials to find a less costly way abandon oil wells To not raise taxes To continue to support environmentally friendly projects To continue to support our local businesses
Endorsements Congress member, Alan Lowenthal Assembly member, Bonnie Lowenthal LA County Supervisor, Don Knabe State Senator, Ricardo Lara Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce President, [Terry Rogers] LA County Fire Fighters, Local 1014
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
MeeT yOuR CaNDiDaTeS
Edward H. J. Wilson
Years residing in Signal Hill 21
Occupation CPA(Inactive)/Business Owner
Personal Information Not married, Daughter Ashley Wilson (21) Education BS, Emphasis in Accounting University of Southern California
Nonprofit/professional affiliations President, Gateway Cities Council of Government and LA Division of CA League of Cities; Board member, Miller Children’s Hospital Advisory Board, LBCC Board of Foundation, CA League of Cities, LA County Commission for Local Government Services, Signal Hill Sustainability Committee, LA Economic Development Corporation, Watershed Conservation Authority and the River’s and Mountain Consevancy.
Goals if re-elected I am very honored and excited to be listed as candidate in the upcoming election and hope that I have your support as you cast your vote. My pledge to the residents over the next four years are as follows: Always listen and represent the people first! Enhance residents’ quality of life. Advancing Signal Hill Premier City status! Maintain government accountability & transparency. Maintain balanced budgets never spending more than we have. Invest in Signal Hill’s future. Diversify city revenues. Transition to renewable energy sources. Maintaining and strengthening community, business and city partnerships both within and outside of Signal Hill. To always have residents vote for any proposed increase or new tax.
Platform I am proud of my contributions towards positive changes in our community during my last term. No new taxes; live video streaming of all council meetings; new police station powered by solar; increased city reserves, paved streets and sidewalks, and trimmed trees despite the recession; new businesses (Cadillac, Black Bear, Fresh and Easy, Best Buy); new housing powered by solar; working with the chamber to promote shopping in Signal Hill; insuring that the basketball courts remain part of the park; just to name a few. Many people tell me that they are proud to have me as a council member as I truly represent the people. I actively seek out people’s opinions listening to their needs and addressing them in council meetings. Ask yourself: Are you proud to live in Signal Hill? Are you proud that we are now considered a Premier City in Southern California? Do you agree with the overall direction of the City? Do you want Signal Hill to stay a vibrant economically stable city? Do you like the fact that the City has not imposed any new taxes in over 16 years? If you answered yes, let’s keep the momentum going! Signal Hill is not where it is today by happenstance. Let’s continue to progress not regress! Knowledge and experience matters!
Endorsements (limit to six) Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, State Senator Ricardo Lara, Supervisor Don Knabe, Signal Hill Mayor Tina Hansen, LA County Firefighters Local 1014
Elizabeth Wise
Years residing in Signal Hill 2010
Occupation Business owner of EES Paralegal Services and Imperial Occidental Resource Recovery, Inc. (Paralegal and Intermediary) Imperial Occidental, Inc.: (Husband’s Partner) Signal Hill oil producer/servicing company. Elizabeth is the VP, CFO and Administrator of the company. An oil producer and oil servicing company, it has its own personal machine shop located in Lakewood (will be moved to Signal Hill in the future). Our oil business provides insight into Signal Hill’s greatest resources and challenges.
EES Paralegal Services/Owner & Degreed Paralegal: Intermediary between my clients and City/County officials, OSHA/Workers’ Comp/Labor Board Hearings and Attorneys resulting in resolutions; review client’s attorney invoices for duplicate/overbilling; estate planning for Police/Fire Associations and Notary Public since 1996.
Personal Information Elizabeth Wise was born and raised in San Diego County. Elizabeth married at 16 and was widowed at 28 after 11 years of marriage. She was left to raise her 8 and 10 year old children. Elizabeth earned her AS Degree with a minor in paralegal studies from National University in San Diego. Her son Erick, put himself through college and earned two bachelor degrees, a Masters and a MD from University of Pittsburg. His wife, Jennifer has a PHD from John Hopkins and they have a son. Her daughter Mishelle, is a mother of 4 and her husband, Jason is a Beverly Hills attorney. In 2002 and 2007, Elizabeth survived two bouts of breast cancer. She is passionate about giving back and serving her community. Elizabeth married Al Wise, Jr. (an oil well “wildcatter”) in 2010 and moved to make her home with Al in Signal Hill. Al purchased about an acre of oil well property at 2749 California Avenue in Signal Hill in 2005. Al and Elizabeth are residents and businessowners who own and operate Imperial Occidental Resource Recovery, Inc. in Signal Hill. Education Associate of Science with a minor in Paralegal Studies.
Nonprofit/professional affiliations Member of Signal Hill Historical Club, Member of Signal Hill Rotary Club, Long Beach Salvation Army Planning Committee
In the City of Chula Vista City Charter Commissioner (former), Parks/Recreation Commissioner (former), Kiwanis Club President (2007-2009), American Cancer Society Event Chair (2005-2007), Susan G. Komen Coalition (Member) , Hearts & Hands Working Together (501c3 Non Profit), San Ysidro Women's Club, First Five of San Diego (Grantwriter and recipient for Hearts & Hands Working Together)
Goals if elected Council Transparency and Accountability to the Taxpayers & Residents of Signal Hill by voting for an Independent Auditor that was recommended by the Final Report of the Grand Jury. Professionalism and Mutual Respect to the Community. A New Generation with New Ideas to deal with the closure of the Redevelopment Agency. A Fresh Outlook and Diversity that accurately represents the community. Community Inclusiveness in City decision making with round tables with community leaders from the Oil Industry, Businesses and Residents. Good Neighbor Ethics between the Industry, Businesses and Residents to create a true and thriving “Signal Hill Community”.
Platform I AM STEPPING UP TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY. I SAY IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE AND ITS TIME FOR CITY COUNCIL TERMS OF 15 TO 20 YEARS TO COME TO AN END. I WANT TO THANK THE INCUMBENTS FOR THEIR SERVICE BUT ITS TIME FOR A NEW GENERATION. ITS TIME FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DECISION PROCESS OF SIGNAL HILL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS ENGAGED, INFORMED AND RESPECTED. MY VISION IS A DYNAMIC CITY WITH UNLIMITED POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW JOBS, NEW BUSINESSES, A UNIQUE COMMUNITY AND A HISTORIC DESTINATION THAT CAN AND WILL BE A WORLD FAMOUS PART OF CALIFORNIA HISTORY. I WILL BRING DIVERSITY, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND BE YOUR TENACIOUS ADVOCATE AND INTERMEDIARY, KEEPING YOU INFORMED AND PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS RESIDENTS, PROPERTY AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
Endorsements (please limit to six) Former Signal Hill Mayor Keaton King Former Signal Hill Mayor Carol Churchill. Former Signal Hill Parks & Recreation Commissioner Robert Tickell John McCann, Former Chula Vista City Councilman Mayor of Chula Vista Cheryl Cox Emanuel Mendoza, Past President Chula Vista Police Officers' Association
SigNal TRibuNe
Lori Woods
7
Years residing in Signal Hill 15 years
Occupation Wife / Mother / Community Volunteer / Small Business Owner
Personal Information Married to Lance 25 years, We have four children: Skyler 20, Celeste 18, Sierra 14, Savannah 12 Education Bachelor of Science, Secretarial Science / Office Administration
Goals if elected Council members need to think about how their decisions effect our daily lives, impact residents, business owners, and the community as a whole. Over the last 20 years the current council has built infrastructure like streets, sewers, parks and a new police station. They have used state funds to remove blight and create an income stream from sales tax revenues. These revenues come from shoppers who buy cars and products at our auto mall and retail stores. Now that we have this foundation, Let’s continue to do what is necessary to maintain it, & build upon it when we can, BUT lets get new leadership on the council that can start getting creative to build an engaged close-knit community. With your help I want to actively seek capable leaders in each neighborhood…encourage them to complete the Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) ---I have taken the CERT course here in Signal Hill myself. It is an excellent nationally recognized training designed for neighbors to take care of each other and aid our excellent police / fire & medical services should we encounter a major or local disaster that could stretch our resources. There are many programs already designed ready to ‘plug-in’ to our neighborhoods making us all more resilient and better prepared. I want to seek out these programs, find the ones that best fit our needs and then aggressively implement these plans city-wide…neighborhood by neighborhood. We’l all feel safer because we’ll all be better prepared…and guess what…..We’ll all get to know each other better in the process. Platform Build a community where my children want to buy a home and raise their children Develop emergency preparedness plans for each neighborhood Implement scheduled Police Patrol for both gated & non- gated neighborhoods Encourage public participation at all Council Meetings Commit to put residents & existing business interests first in all decision-making Capitalize on the natural terrain & beauty of Signal Hill - A great destination for families & community building activities Create term limits I want to be part of a “New Generation Of Leaders” to serve on the City Council.
Endorsements My endorsements are easy to find and understand. My endorsements are in every area of the city. The endorsements that matter most to me and the endorsements that should matter most to the residents of Signal Hill are found in every front yard or every place of business where you see one of my campaign signs. Each sign you find on a private residence or in the window of a shop was placed there with the permission of that Signal Hill neighbor or that Signal Hill business owner.
8 SigNal TRibuNe
Living Legends, Unsung Heroes
COMMuNiTy
long beach golf Hall of Famer len Kennett receives lifetime achievement award Rachael Rifkin
Contributing Writer
On Nov. 20, 2012, Long Beach resident and longtime golfer Len Kennett added the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to his already extensive list of accolades, which include All-American Golfer Award at USC, winner of the 1950 Southern California Collegiate Championship, recipient of the Southern California PGA’s Distinguished Service Award, CIF Southern Section’s Golf Professional of the Year Award, and 1998 inductee into the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame. Beyond his own career, Kennett is also known for his contributions to junior golf, in particular, the Len Kennett Junior Golf Championship, now going into its 58th year. Kennett discovered golf at a young age. “I got into golf because I was 13 and they built a very nice golf course near my house in Arcadia,” Kennett said. “I was in my 9th grade Latin class, when the guy in front of me said, ‘I made a dollar yesterday.’ In
1940, that was a fair amount of money. He explained that if you went over to the new golf course and carried a guy’s clubs around for a while, he’d pay you 75 cents. If you were on your toes, you’d get a quarter tip. So I said, let me at it!” It wasn’t long before he was bitten by the golf bug. “Once the bug bites, it really gets you. You watch guys you’re caddying for, and think, ‘Hey, I ought to try that myself.’ That’s the way it started,” Kennett said. “It’s a challenging game, a bit like bridge. Bridge is a hard game to do well at, so there’s a lot of pleasure in doing well. Golf is not unlike that.” He honed his skills throughout high school and, after a brief stint in the Marines, continued playing at USC, which he attended under the G.I. Bill. “My senior year, I was captain of the Trojans, and I won the Southern California Intercollegiate, which at the time was the premiere golf championship in the state of California,” Kennett said. “I was also selected to play in the East-West
matches. That was exciting. Then I got back from Nationals and knew I had to go to work.” Back then, as Kennett explained it, pro golf wasn’t as lucrative as it is today. He could make more money pumping gas, selling insurance, or teaching golf lessons for $2.50. A golf-professional friend of his got him a job as an assistant at a golf course. It was around this time that his friend Paul Runyan, who was a professional at a well-known golf course in Pasadena, invited him to team up to offer kids free golf lessons. “I only got one day a week off, but I did it,” Kennett said. “I’ve been offering kids free lessons ever since.” It wasn’t long before he secured a job as head professional at the Marine Memorial Golf Course in Oceanside. He bought his first golf store there in 1952, and over the years acquired several more stores. All of his stores did well. “I have always felt that if you found the right club for people, they’d play better,” Kennett said. “It
eDWilson Re-elect
PartIaL LISt oF SUPPorterS: congreSSMan aLan LowenthaL congreSSwoMan JanIce hahn
State Senator rIcarDo Lara
La coUnty SUPerVISor Don Knabe
La coUnty FIreFIghterS LocaL 1014
Sh coUncILMeMberS MIKe noLL & tIna hanSen Sh PLannIng coMMISSIoner Jane FaLLon
Sh ParKS & rec coMMISSIoner gary DUDLey
Worthy I ntuitive Loyal S incere O pen-minded N oble
For Signal Hill City Council
eD WilSON PleDgeS TO:
• Represent the people first • Maintain government accountability & transparency • Maintain a balanced budget • Transition to renewable energy sources • Diversify city revenues • Enhance residents’ quality of life • Invest in Signal Hill • Promote sustainability
WilSON’S QualiFiCaTiONS:
• Father • Mayor 2000, 2005, 2010 • City Council 1997-present • Signal Hill Sustainable Committee 2009-present • President Gateway Cities 2004/05 • President LA Division CA League of Cities 2001/02 • Executive Board CA League of Cities 2002-2004 • Miller Children’s Hospital Advisory Board 2010-present • Board Member Rivers & Mountain Conservancy 2004-present • Board member LA County Board of Sanitation 1997-present • Board member LA Economic Development Corp 2001/03 • Board Member LBCC foundation 2002-present • SCAG– EEC & Audit Committees 2011-present • Chief Financial Officer Family Savings Bank, fsb • Comptroller State Street Bank • CPA 25+ years
Vote March 5 Paid for by Committee to Re-elect Ed Wilson | ID#940841
Experience Matters
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
Courtesy Len Kennett
Len Kennett, at the age of 24, at the Marine Memorial Golf Course in Oceanside
was something that I spent some time on for myself, and it seemed to help. I helped others do the same thing.” Then in 1955 he began the Len Kennett Junior Golf Championship. “There aren’t really many good tournaments for junior golf players,” he said. “I make sure to greet each kid and tee them off like you would at any other golf tournament. Golf is a good game for them. The game has honor, and it teaches character. It’s also a good family game. There are very few games that a 10-year-old will play with his parents, so it has the ability to bring families together.” He and his wife Marie, who will be celebrating their 61st anniversary on February 10th, lived in Oceanside until 1957, when he was selected as the head professional at the San Gabriel Country Club. “I stayed at the San Gabriel Country Club until 1964,” he said. “The smog was getting pretty bad up there, so the county decided they were going to open the Los Verdes Golf Course in Palos Verdes. I applied for the job on a bid and stayed there 34 years.” The Lakewood Country Club golf course was in danger of being shut down when they called in Kennett in the late 1970s. “Lakewood had run into trouble,” he said. “Their sprinkler system was bad; they were talking about subdividing it and selling the land. They asked me to help, so I managed it as well as Los Verdes. I stayed there for 22 years.” He helped fix up the golf course and then started giving
away free golf lessons to kids again. He announced the free lessons in a local daily newspaper, and they immediately became popular. “The kids started going, and the parents followed,” Kennett said. “Then I put on my junior golf tournament for kids between 9 and 17. Tiger Woods played in one of the tournaments. Visitors would come and see Lakewood, and they’d say, ‘Hey this isn’t so bad.’ We finally got the clubhouse open and it’s been going ever since.” The octogenarian father of two daughters and five grandchildren retired when he was 75. Nonetheless, he still gives free golf lessons for kids as well as veterans. He also helps organize his junior golf championship every year. On July 2, 2013, he’ll be on the first tee from 6:30am until 3pm, greeting each kid and teeing them off in official fashion. “Len is a brilliant golf mind, visionary, retailer, and mentor, but he’s an even better human being,” said Jorge Badel, Senior Golf Director for Los Angeles County Dept. Parks and Recreation. “He taught me as much about life as he taught me about golf. He had a profound impact on all Southern Californian golfers– juniors, women, and seniors– both professional and amateur. That’s a pretty wide swath.” For Kennett, it was just all in a day’s work. “It sounds a little corny, but I worked because I was interested in what I was doing,” Kennett said. “I made a living at it, but I didn’t really do it for money. I did it because I liked what I was doing.”
File photo
Len Kennett received the So Cal PGA’s Bill Bryant Award for Distinguished golf in 1991.
COMMuNiTy
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
SigNal TRibuNe
Theater group hopes to rebuild act as expo arts Center undergoes major renovations Sean Belk
A mishap that caused significant water damage last month to the north section of the Expo Arts Center in Bixby Knolls, including in the Back Room Theatre, is now presenting new opportunities for renovating the entire portion of the facility. Although some parties are impacted financially by the water damage that city officials and community leaders say was caused by a roofing contractor not securely protecting the inside space from rainfall, some affected individuals are looking on the bright side of the situation. “It’s so silly, you just have to laugh about it,” said Aaron Morgan, director and co-founder of the small theater group Chrysalis Stage, which had planned to make its Long Beach debut at the Expo last month with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest but had to cancel the production after rain flooded the facility. According to city officials, the north portion of the Expo, which is located on Atlantic Avenue in Bixby Knolls, has to be gutted and entirely rebuilt due to substantial water damage caused by rain that flooded the facility in late January. Douglas Orr, the building’s manager, has stated that Long Beach Roofing, Inc. was replacing the facility’s roof as part of a $200,000 overhaul but didn’t secure plastic over the top of the structure properly, allowing rain to deluge the upstairs and downstairs areas. City officials confirmed that the contractor’s insurance company is expected
to cover the total cost of all damages, and the City won’t have to pay for any renovations through its General Fund. Jonathan Kraus, chief of staff for 8th District Long Beach City Councilmember Al Austin, said via email on Feb. 13 that work and discussions between the City and the insurance company were still underway this week and no complete numbers of the assessed water damage were available yet. Orr, however, has stated that the rain soaked sound equipment, gallery art pieces, an electrical conduit, floors, walls, scenic materials and storage. As part of the overhaul paid for by funding through the former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, new tiles on cement floors, a light-dimming system and a sprinkler system were to be installed, but now the entire portion of the building has to be renovated. Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, also couldn’t confirm the entire damage, but he added that the portion of the building has to be taken down to the studs. “Ultimately, they’re going to have to put all the walls back up and replace the electrical,” he said, adding that, fortunately, a kids theater group was able to salvage some equipment. On the bright side, he said, the project will now provide major renovations to the building and added that the City’s public works department acted promptly to help clean up the situation. “It’s a drag… It’s a real bummer,” Cohn said. “The good news is the City acted immediately.”
Junior League of Long Beach (JLLB) will offer local families the chance to have fun while learning about healthy eating and exercise at the eighth annual Kids in the Kitchen. Co-sponsored by The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services Healthy Active Long Beach Project, the event is free and will take place on Saturday, March 9 from 10am to 2pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. This event will include childrenoriented health and nutrition activities such as fitness challenges,
kid-friendly snack recipes, health screenings, dance, martial arts, sports and youth club sign-ups, a bicycle rodeo, games, music, and hourly raffle prizes. There will be free health screenings from St. Mary Medical Center, free bike helmets from Miller Children’s Hospital and Kid Tribe will perform Hoop-apalooza. “Kids in the Kitchen is a community outreach program that teaches children and families to choose healthful foods and to make exercise a regular habit. Junior League of Long Beach recognizes that good nutrition plays a vital role in a child’s
Hughes Middle School and Longfellow Elementary School will team up with Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County (Goodwill SOLAC) to host a used-clothing drive on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Hughes, 3846 California Ave. from 10am to 1pm. The schools will collect old clothing and household goods to be donated to Goodwill SOLAC during the event, which is open to the community and will take place on the Longfellow upper playground on California Avenue between
Bixby and Roosevelt roads. Items accepted include: clothing, accessories (pocketbooks, backpacks, hats, gloves, ties, scarves, belts, etc.), shoes, and household fabrics (bedding, curtains, towels, bath mats, etc.). Donated items will go to Goodwill SOLAC for resale to support education, skills training and jobplacement services for individuals with barriers to employment and other disabilities. Donors will receive a donation receipt for their taxes. For more information regarding
Staff Writer
added Morgan that the water damage also caused floors to buckle and become weak in spaces. “It seems like somebody was responsible, and there was a fair amount of damage,” he said. “It really was a mess.” The nonprofit theater group, which has been producing plays in Whittier since 2008, decided to move to Long Beach this year, planning to Courtesy Chrysalis Stage take up space in the Chrysalis Stage, a small theater group, was planning to use dozens of old seats from the historic Expo’s Back Room Atlantic Theater for productions in the Back Room Theatre at the Expo Arts Center on Atlantic Theatre that was pre- Avenue in Bixby Knolls. However, it’s unclear whether the seats can be recovered after sustaining viously used for pro- substantial water damage last month. ductions by the Long Beach Shakespeare cles trying to restart and move to a Company and Long Beach Opera. Morgan said the company was new location given this whole roofable to salvage dozens of old seats ing and flooding fiasco,” he said. from the historic Atlantic Theater, “We really wanted to start our Long which is being demolished to make Beach experience there at the Expo way for a new library. However, he and wanted to make that our new said, after the water damage, he’s home.” Morgan said the group is plannot sure if the seats are recoverable ning to now come back with a series at this point. “It’s certainly disappointing of free play readings for the First because the idea was to rescue this Fridays Art Walk in Bixby Knolls part of history in Long Beach,” Mor- starting in March, to take place in gan said. “We were hoping to just the main hall of the Expo Arts Cenclean them, and they still would be ter. He said he would be using the old and charming, but now I don’t down time as an opportunity for fundraising and to introduce the theknow … it doesn’t look good.” He said, however, that the group ater group to Long Beach. Morgan said it would be nice to founded by Morgan and his wife Andrea still plans to stay in the Expo eventually have a 70-seat to 99-seat center. “We felt that, given the cir- theatre venue. “Hopefully, we can cumstances of being a new move for recover some time, do some us, there would be too many obsta- fundraising and give the Expo building time to put itself back together to put on the type of production we wanted,” he said. well-being,” said Trinka Rowsell, JLLB president. “Now in the eighth year, the 2013 Kids in the Kitchen is set to be the largest yet with more than 1,300 children and families expected to attend.” For more details about the 8th Annual JLLB Kids in the Kitchen, Christ Jesus’ spiritual foundation of healing visit jllb.org or call (562) 989-6400. brings answers as you discover more about Local businesses and organizaGod’s power and presence in your daily life. tions who would like to participate through cash contributions and raffle D! S SOl items should contact Ashleigh Ruhl COPIE N IO l 9 MIl at (303) 229-6878 or kitk@jllb.org. OVER
Junior league to host 8th annual Kids in the Kitchen event
Seeking answers? NeW 5 PM SuNDay SuNSeT SeRViCe
Source: JLLB
Schools and goodwill SOlaC teaming up to host used-clothing drive
Portion of Ocean boulevard to close this Saturday
Ocean Boulevard between downtown Long Beach and the Gerald Desmond Bridge will be closed during the day on Saturday, Feb. 16 for restriping to complete a repaving project. Both directions will be closed, but at different times. The closures are scheduled as follows: • From 7am to noon, workers will close eastbound Ocean Boulevard and the on-ramp from Pico Avenue to the westbound Gerald Desmond Bridge. The connection from eastbound Desmond Bridge to the northbound
710 Freeway will remain open. • From noon to 5pm, workers will close westbound Ocean Boulevard. The connection from the southbound 710 Freeway to westbound Desmond Bridge will be closed. The project had been planned for the previous weekend, but rainfall prevented its completion. For updated traffic information, go to polb.com/traffic or follow @portoflongbeach on Twitter, hashtag #polbtraffic. Source: Port of LB
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You are invited to learn more about God and His Beloved Son:
all are welcome!
this event, contact Hughes Green Team Adviser Cathy Procopio at (562) 989-0970.
Sunday morning service.......9:30 aM Sunday School..........................9:30 aM NeW Sunday Service..................5 PM
Source: Hughes Middle School
F O L BA
the reading room/Library is open to visitors:
Mon. - Fri...................................10 aM - 5 PM
E” K FOR LIF O O B E C N “A REFERE
Visit www.Spirituality.com, a website based on the ideas in this book.
Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist 3629 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach (562) 424-5562
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Design for new north lb library includes integrating historic atlantic Theater tower Sean Belk Staff Writer
pened in the north Long Beach area,” D’Amato said. “Now it becomes the heart of the building, not just standing on the plaza.” As a longtime Long Beach resident, D’Amato said he has a personal appreciation for the project. “Driving past this site on a daily basis, I always see that tower there, and it’s really wonderful to be able to bring something back to the community I live in,” he said. The new designs, however, come years after local historicresource preservationists fought but failed to save the now condemned and seismically outdated theater building that is considered a city landmark harkening back to the golden era of local “movie palaces” and has sat vacant for decades next to an abandoned furniture warehouse. According to historical references, the theater was designed by prominent Los Angeles architect Carl Boller and built by the Stivers Brothers, first opening in 1942 after a year of construction. The theater has been closed and vacant since the 1970s. John Thomas, past president of Long Beach Heritage and past board member of the now dissolved Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA), said the group first pushed for the new library and community center to be built as an “adaptive reuse” project that he said would have incorporated more of the “charac-
Although the faded white- and pink-colored Atlantic Theater, built in the early 1940s with Art Deco, Streamline Moderne-style architecture, is slated to be demolished and replaced by a newly designed library, architects have assured local residents that the historic structure’s famous tower will still live on, at least in concept. Final designs of the proposed North Neighborhood Library were unveiled to a crowd of more than 80 people during a community assembly at Houghton Park on Feb. 2. Envisioned by city officials as a state-of-the-art “focal point” for the North Village Center, the library being proposed on a more than 25,000-square-foot site on the 5800 block of Atlantic Avenue between South and 59th streets is expected to take the place of the current library on Orange Avenue. Eighth District Long Beach City Councilmember Al Austin, who co-hosted the presentation with 9th District City Councilmember Steven Neal, lauded the project as a critical centerpiece continuing the “revitalization” of north Long Beach. “I see a renaissance transpiring slowly but surely,” Austin said. Richard D’Amato, principal architect of LPA Inc., which has designed nearly 22 libraries in California, said exterior designs of the proposed library in north Long Beach were developed out of discussions from a series of public workshops conducted nearly two years ago. He said interior designs are to be finished in the next few months. “What we really tried to do was understand this community and the site that the library is going to inhabit,” he said. “It’s not going to be a library that you will see anywhere else, even in Long Beach or anywhere else in California. This is a library that’s designed specifiCourtesy City of LB cally for this area An illustration shows the outline of the proposed new and this neighlibrary, depicting a promenade leading out to Atlantic borhood.” Avenue, about 5,000 square feet of retail space and another Although it’s space for on-site parking. still undetermined how much of the existing spire that resembles the famous RKO-Radio Pictures trademark– and once flashed with neon lights– will be saved as part of the new building, D’Amato said the project would “preserve and ensure the nature” of the tower. He said the tower would be integrated as a “focal point” of the library instead of being used as just a freestanding element, adding that the “re-envisioned” tower will be lit at night, and people will be able to look from under it through a glass ceiling as part of a children’s reading room. “What we really wanted to do was create a sense that this was an architectural statement that hap-
NeWS
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Sean Belk/ Signal Tribune
Located at 5870-5874 Atlantic Ave. in north Long Beach, the historic 1940s Atlantic Theater, considered a historic landmark for the city, is being torn down to make way for a new library and community center. However, architects have assured local residents that the structure’s Art Deco spire, resembling the famous RKO-Radio Pictures trademark, will be integrated into the proposed structure.
ter-defining features” of the building’s architectural time period. A City study, however, concluded that such an undertaking would have added delays and increased costs to the project, he said, while area residents collectively decided they wanted the project to “move forward faster.”
In addition, Thomas said it was determined that “from a seismic and facility standpoint,” the existing theater structure wouldn’t have worked. In the end, the Long Beach RDA board agreed in 2010 that the design would spare the tower, along with terrazzo tiles and other architectural features
that would be “preserved, protected and reused.” Thomas said it appears the architect is “moving in the direction” originally agreed upon, however he couldn’t entirely confirm whether that was the case. He said much of the theater has already see LIBRARY page 22
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COMMuNiTy 12 SigNal TRibuNe lbPD announces promotions during ceremony
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
Photos courtesy LBPD Sergeant Timothy Olson with his wife Detective Rubi Castro During a Feb. 11 ceremony, LBPD employees who recently received promotions pose for a group photo as command staff look on in the pinning on his badge. background.
The Long Beach Police Department conducted a ceremony in the city’s Council Chambers on Feb. 11 during which 17 employees were promoted. The employees and their new ranks are as follows:
Sergeant: Officer Louis Perez Officer Michael Solomita Officer Timothy Olson Officer Carlos Nava Officer Kiaran Crawford
Commander: Lieutenant William Paul LeBaron Lieutenant Elizabeth Griffin Lieutenant Donald Wood
Special Services Ofc. iV: SSO III David Prentice SSO III Steve Covarubias
Deputy Chief: Commander David Hendricks
lieutenant: Sergeant Wally Hebeish Sergeant Steven Lauricella Sergeant Joseph Gaynor Sergeant Dina Zapalski
administrative analyst iii: Asst. Admin. Analyst Eileen Hunter
Senior Records Clerk: Clerk Cynthia Lua
Deputy Chief David Hendricks Deputy Chief David Hendricks was hired by the City of Long Beach in
1992 as a part-time dispatcher for the Marine Patrol, while completing his studies in criminal justice at California State University Long Beach. He graduated from CSULB in December of 1993 and was hired shortly thereafter as a police officer for the City of Long Beach. As a Long Beach police officer, he worked assignments in patrol, community policing, field training, support bureau, gangenforcement section and as chief of staff. His prior commands include Youth Services, North Patrol Division, and Internal Affairs. Hendricks is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the California Peace Officers Association, and he is currently the chair of the Board of the Long
Beach Police Historical Society. He is a past president of the Long Beach Police Command Officers Association. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from California State University Long Beach and a master’s in public administration from Andrew Jackson University, and he is a graduate of the 229th session of the FBI's National Academy. Hendricks currently oversees the LBPD Investigations Bureau.
Commander Paul lebaron Commander Paul LeBaron is a 20-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department. As a patrol officer, supervisor, and watch commander, he has worked on all
watches and in each of the department’s geographical patrol divisions. His previous assignments include working as a bicycle officer, a field training officer, Internal Affairs, and vice investigations. As a supervisor, he was assigned to the field training officer program, media relations, and drug investigations. LeBaron holds an associate’s in arts degree from Santa Ana College and a bachelor’s of arts degree in communication studies at California State University, Long Beach. LeBaron is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI), Class #177. He is also an instructor for DARE International, PTA organizations within the Long Beach Unified School District and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. LeBaron is currently assigned to the Patrol Bureau’s East Division.
Commander elizabeth griffin Commander Elizabeth Griffin is a 20-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department. During her career, she has been assigned to all four patrol divisions and has worked special assignments that include the North Division bike detail, field training officer program, Police Athletic League, and as a detective in the violent crimes detail. Supervisory assignments have included patrol, patrol bureau administration, Internal Affairs, and the field support division. She most recently served as the administrative lieutenant under the direction of the patrol bureau deputy chief. Griffin holds a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from California State University Fullerton and a master’s degree in Emergency Management Services from CSULB. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Sherman Block Supervisor Leadership Institute, USC’s Delinquency Control Institute and LAPD’s West Point Leadership Program. Griffin is currently assigned to the Emergency Operations Division.
Commander Donald Wood Commander Donald Wood is an 18-year law-enforcement veteran who was hired into the LBPD as a lateral officer from the Maywood Police Department in 2000. His patrol assignments have included east and west patrol and the field training officer program. He was also a detective assigned to the Investigations Bureau and worked auto theft, burglary and domestic violence details. His supervisory assignments have included patrol and Internal Affairs, and most recently he served as a lieutenant in the West Patrol Division. Wood also served as the acting commander of the West Division during the recent consolidation of the South and West Patrol Divisions. Wood is currently working towards his bachelor’s degree and is currently assigned to the Investigation Bureau's Gangs and Violent Crimes Division.
Source: LBPD
CulTuRe
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
local artist who’s been ‘kind of a hermit’ says she is ‘ready to go out into the world again’ Ariana Gastelum Editorial Intern
After a traumatizing experience with an art instructor, Annie Stromquist almost completely eliminated art from her life. However, it was not long before she left her college-administration career and returned to pursue her passion. In school, Stromquist always had a strong interest in art. “Then I went to college,” she said. “I was going to major in art, but it was a small school. The main art instructor was a man who liked to yell at his students and intimidate them. I was really intimidated. So, I was like, ‘I’ll show him!’ and I quit. Really, I showed me.” Stromquist found a different direction and decided to major in sociology and social work at the University of Iowa. “Then, I went into college administration, working with students, and I loved that,” she said. “It was great, but there was always this feeling on the inside that I wanted to do art more than I could.” After 10 years, Stromquist left her job as an associate dean at Occidental College in Los Angeles and studied at California State University of Long Beach for a masters of fine arts in printmaking. “I’ve been an active artist ever since,” she added. “I feel really good about that.” The mediums Stromquist uses are collage, prints, drawings and mixedmedia works on paper. “I’m definitely a two-dimensional artist in the way I see
things,” she explained. “My aesthetic sense is two-dimensional. Paper is so reactive. When you work with paper, it’s such an active part of the whole process, and it helps me see what I want to do. So, anything I could do on paper, I do.” Stromquist is particularly influenced by Hon'ami Kōetsu, a 17th-century Japanese craftsman, potter, lacquerer and calligrapher. “He used a lot of traditional imagery– birds, flowers and landscapes,” she said. “But the processes that he used, he did nontraditionally. He experimented a lot.” Stromquist has a similar fascination for experimenting with her artwork. “Usually, I work with a lot of traditional methods, but I also use a lot of nontraditional methods,” she said. “I like working with processed materials. That allows me to see the structure and create something spontaneously within that structure. And so, I have to develop my eye so that [I] could see what works and what doesn’t [work]. Another artist that intrigues Stromquist is contemporary artist Zarina Hashmi. “She just works on paper– similar to me,” Stromquist said. “Her results have such a richness, and her work is minimalist. I like minimalist, and [she just has] an aesthetic aliveness that is very inspiring to me.” Stromquist also incorporates minimalism as well as formalism in her pieces. “I like to work with color and shape and position in abstract ways,” she explained. “Often, I’ll translate things
“Six by Six: Meditations (36)” by Annie Stromquist, screenprint collage
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into unrecognizable shapes and composition.” For 13 years, Stromquist has taught print-making courses at Long Beach City College. For her students, she wrote a book titled Simple Screen Printing: Basic Techniques and Creative Projects, which is available on Amazon.com . “As a teacher, you give a [demonstration] for how to do some things, and if you’re good at it, it looks easy,” she explained. “But it’s not as easy when you are doing it for the first time. The students often forget what to do first or how to do various things. And so, I think a text that shows pictures step-by-step is very useful, and that’s what I got to do.” Stromquist enjoyed writing the book and hopes to write another. “I’ve been toying the idea with two topics. One would be of a next-stage screen printing or experimental screen printing because I’ve enjoyed figuring out new ways to make stencils for screens,” she said. “Flight” by Annie Stromquist; ink, watercolor, charcoal, screenprint and “Another might be to deal with the encaustic on paper mounted on wood whole idea of creativity. What is creativIn the future, Stromquist aspires to ity? How to you make it work in the fills with cutouts of newspapers and magazines. “It’s wonderful to have more show her series and make her name more visual arena but also other arenas?” Currently, Stromquist is working on ideas than you have time for,” she said. public. “I have been kind of quiet in recent multiple series. One is titled The Memory “There was a summer years ago where I years or kind of a hermit in showing my Loss Series. It is dedicated to her mother was really exasperated. I couldn’t seem to work, out of choice,” she noted. “I want who experienced memory loss before get ideas or move forward. It was really to get my own voice back [and] strengthen my own voice rather than she passed away a year ago. “It is prob- frustrating.” Although Stromquist loves to sell her worry what other people might think. ably one of the first times that I worked with a serious topic,” she said. “The art, there are a lot of pieces that she prefers And so, now I am ready to go out into work that is going to be a part of that to keep. “I wouldn’t want to see them go,” the world again.” series is far-ranging. [I’m] working with she said. “So, I decided, at some point, I MORE INFORMATION poinsettia leaves, but now I’m working wouldn’t release pieces [until] I was anniestromquist.com with series of numbers or numbers that ready. [Artists] are all different.” are out of sequence. And I’m working with clock faces– things that kind of have an association with time, memory issues.” Stromquist is also making another series called The Big Head Wars. “In that series, I’ve cut linoleum blocks into shapes of armies on horses,” she explained. “It goes in terms of how war was conducted on horses long ago, but also in terms of the artistic look that is very much an old-Eastern style.” Stromquist says that she likes to work on multiple projects at once because she File photo has so many ideas. These ideas are kept in a journal of Artist Annie Stromquist (center) explains her creative processes to participants of the Long thoughts and a box that she Beach Open-Studio Tour last October, at her studio behind her home.
COMMuNiTy 14 SigNal TRibuNe Chapman university hosts Huell Howser Day, presents California’s gold Scholarship Ariana Gastelum Editorial Intern
From underground in the gold mines to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Huell Howser showed every nook and cranny of this state in his numerous television series, most notably California’s Gold. One place that caught his eye in particular was Chapman University (CU) in Orange.
CU hosted Huell Howser Day on Feb. 8 to remember the broadcaster and display his contributions and collections. In one of Howser’s last speeches, on Oct. 18, 2012, he discussed his fascination with the CU campus. “When I first walked on the campus at Chapman, it was a transformational experience for me, literally,” he said. “This is
Candace Frazee, co-owner of the Bunny Museum in Pasadena and a previous interviewee in an episode of California’s Gold, sells souvenirs during the Feb. 8 Huell Howser Day event.
where I want to spend some time. This is where I want to donate shows. This is where I want to start a scholarship fund. This is where I want to donate to California. This is what I want to do. This will be my legacy– Chapman.” Howser passed away on Jan. 7 at the age of 67 due to prostate cancer. In his will, he donated money, a house, personal belongings and his art and artifact collection to Chapman University. The house, located in the Mojave Desert, is known as “The Volcano House.” It has become a unique center for CU students and faculty to go on study trips and do research projects in environmental science, biosciences, astronomy, film, television and more. More than 1,800 books on California and its history were donated, as well as approximately 5,000 tapes of raw footage shot for the show from which Howser and his crew edited the finished episodes. These tapes are now stored in a temperature-controlled vault in the Leatherby Libraries in CU. In addition, the California’s Gold Scholarship was established. “What will happen a hundred years from now, long after people have forgotten me and that television show and all of that stuff, is that the words ‘California’s gold’ will come to mean...those students who are the future of the world and who appreciate those scholarships,” Howser said. “They will mean what California’s Gold always truly has been…not the gold…the literal gold nuggets… not the riches that people got when they came here…but the dreams that brought people here and are still bringing people here.”
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
Photos by Ariana Gastelum/Signal Tribune
Two-time world champion musical whistler Carole Kaufman of Monrovia whistles to “Runaway” by Del Shannon during the Feb. 8 Huell Howser Day event at Chapman University. Kaufman was one of numerous personalities interviewed by Howser for his program California’s Gold.
Mayra Gonzalez, a junior from Garden Grove, is the first recipient of the scholarship. During president of CU James Doti’s welcoming presentation, he included Howser’s speech at CU during the 2011 congregation when he accepted the president’s medal for broadcast journalism and television production. Howser explained the significance of California’s Gold. “The most important thing when I look back on what these years have meant [has] not just been the geographical journeys I’ve taken around this state,” he
said. “But it’s the people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard and the lessons– the life lessons– I have learned from these people.” Howser kept a relationship with several of the individuals he met in his travels. Some of the people who were featured in episodes and attended Huell Howser Day included: Dali Yu, owner of the Soap Kitchen in Pasadena; Slater Barron, a Long Beach artist who uses lint as a medium; Carole Kaufman, a two-time world champion musical whistler in Monsee HOWSER page 22
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
COMMuNiTy
State training grant expected to help nearly 2,500 people find jobs
A $19 million State training grant will help 2,497 Californians in 13 counties move quickly off the unemployment rolls and into new careers in high-wage jobs in growing industries, according to the Employment Development Department (EDD). The $19,049,512 grant will provide job training and job-search assistance to laid-off workers in Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin San Luis Obispo, Sutter and Yuba counties. This assistance will be provided by the California Multi-Sector Workforce Partnership, which is a statewide collaborative of 14 Workforce Investment Boards. “California is steadily adding
Garden Variety
jobs as we work our way out of the deepest economic downturn in more than seven decades,” California EDD Director Pam Harris said. “While we have taken great strides, we still have far to go. Many workers remain unemployed because they lack the skills needed in the economy of the 21st century. This grant will provide them with the tools to find jobs in three primary high-growth industries: health care, professional and business services, and transportation and warehousing.” The California Multi-Sector Workforce Partnership has partnered with the California Workforce Association and EDD to provide comprehensive training and employment services for workers across California who
Coping with a growing addiction Jennifer E. Beaver Columnist
It all started innocently enough. A packet of wildflowers here, some specialty lettuce there. No problem. But next thing you know, I craved more– the strange, exotic oddball stuff. Like wasabi arugala and borage. The seeds are taking over. My laundry room is crammed with tools of the addict: empty egg cartons, clear plastic containers, misters, special seed-starting mix. I blame it all on my friend Marlene. She’s one of those gardeners who doesn’t talk much about what she’s growing but then shows up with the gift of a luscious Italian tomato plant…silky, delicious-but-durable lettuce… perfect artichokes…and then tells me she started them all from seed. And would I like some? Which explains why I am also about to start yard-long purple beans and Lucky Lion soybeans. Really, I was perfectly happy with the pre-planted vegetable sixpack from the nursery or big-box store. But now I’m hooked. Just in case you’re grappling with a similar addiction, I thought I’d pass along a few things learned in my seedy journey to help you have success with your own. First, forget the egg cartons and seeding trays with itty-bitty openings. Yes, I know you can find plenty of Internet techniques for using recycled objects to start seeds. Getting the seeds in– no
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problem. Getting the seedings out? Problem. The fragile plant you’ve nurtured and hovered over will disintegrate in your hand, and you’ll be left with a couple of sad leaves and a filament of fragile roots. Better to use a small fiber pot– you’ll find them almost anywhere gardening supplies are sold. Bury the whole thing. If you leave the top rim exposed, it can dry out and prevent your little pot from successfully integrating itself into the soil. If you don’t have a mist setting on your hose attachment or are starting seeds indoors, water them with a child’s sippy cup or a water bottle with a flexible, integrated straw. If your seeds refuse to grow and you’re about to give up, try topping them with a clear plastic cover– leftover food containers work great. They create a greenhouse effect that sometimes gives recalcitrant seeds the right environment to actually do something. Wondering what to plant when? Check out the GrowGuide Seed Starting Planner (chestnutsw.com/growform.htm). Renee’s Garden (reneesgarden.com) has some great seed-starting resources. Get inspired, and grow your own!
Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California and Edible Gardening for California.
have been displaced from their jobs through no fault of their own. The Partnership will use the funding to provide advanced education, basic skills training, job search assistance, work experience and supportive services. Funding for the program is drawn from the Governor’s 25-percent portion of Dislocated Worker Funds from Title I of the federal Workforce Investment Act and is under the administrative authority of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency’s EDD. For more information about this project, contact Jan Vogel, Director of the South Bay Workforce Investment Board, at (310) 9707700. Source: EDD
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Sign
continued from page 1
Alcivar-McCoy, director of community services, outlined the long history of the City’s plan to install the electronic sign. “The first mention of the electronic message center occurred during the FY2002/2003 budget workshops,” she said. “The Parks and Recreation Commission submitted the electronic message center as a project that was listed in the budget.” AlcivarMcCoy explained that the Signal Hill City Council did not fund the project 10 years ago because of more pressing needs in the budget, but the commission has recommended the electronic message center in subsequent budgets
AZTECA M R EXICAN ESTAURANT
From the family that brought you Mexico City Restaurant in Long Beach– Azteca Mexican Restaurant has been offering authentic Mexican cooking for over 50 years!
Home of Aunt Connie’s famous garlic sauce and the original GARLIC TACO!
CROONER’S
Lounge
“Where the King lives”
Open Tuesday through Sunday 11am-10pm for food Crooner’s Lounge open until 2am!
12911 Main Street Historical Downtown Garden Grove
(714) 638-3790
aztecaoc.org
as the best way to inform residents of recreation programs, and important local events. “From August 2010 to March 2011, the commission discussed design and location for a monument sign at a number of public meetings,” Alcivar-McCoy said. “The original location was proposed for the corner of Cherry Avenue and Hill Street.” She added that the original plan would have placed the monument parallel to Hill Street with a double-sided reader board, visible to traffic in both directions, but in response to a resident’s concerns about potential driver distractions, staff requested a review of the plan by Bill Zimmerman, city traffic engineer. After analyzing the monument’s likely impacts on motorists, Zimmerman recommended installing the electronic sign south of the corner of Hill Street and Cherry Avenue, near the existing park monument sign. According to Alcivar-McCoy, Zimmerman also recommended that the sign be installed 30 feet back from the street, and at a 45-degree angle so as not to distract drivers. Placing it at an angle precluded having a doublesided reader board. At its March 2011 meeting, the commission requested that the city council approve the sign’s installation as per Zimmerman’s recommendations. The council did so on April 5, 2011, and on June 19, 2012 awarded the contract to manufacture and install the sign. In recent months, however, according to Alcivar-McCoy, residents have expressed concerns about the City’s public outreach effort, the location of the sign and traffic safety considerations. “The mayor directed the city manager to schedule a community workshop before the Parks and Recreation Commission to review the sign proposal and take into consideration additional public comments,” Alcivar-McCoy said. “The mayor also directed that the sign installation be placed on hold,
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pending the workshop and re-review by the commission.” During the workshop, Zimmerman said that he analyzed the intersection of Hill Street and Cherry Avenue using a Federal Highway Administration formula. “Using this measure, the accident rate for this intersection is much lower than the rate that could be expected for an intersection of this type,” he explained, adding that according to annual reports submitted to the California Highway Patrol by the Signal Hill Police Department, during the past three years, only four accidents have occurred at that intersection. Zimmerman added that his analysis indicated that installing the electronic sign just south of the intersection and at a 45-degree angle would not significantly distract drivers. He did, however, recommend a list of mitigation measures including lengthening the display time for each message, reducing the illumination at certain times to minimize light pollution and limiting the hours of operation to be only from 6am to 10pm. After Zimmerman’s comments, the commission gave residents the opportunity to voice their opinions. Those favoring the sign were asked to speak first. About seven people went forward to express their strong support for the sign and the proposed location. Terry Rogers, Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce president, expressed support of the sign. “Almost every city that I know of has one of these electronic signs somewhere in their city,” she said. “This sign will help local businesses, and it is much better than putting up banners in the park. I think it is a wonderful thing to do.” Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forester, who is also a board member on the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, said the electronic sign is a better way than banners to publicize Concerts in the Park. “What a perfect way for the Conservationi Corps of Long Beach to advertise,” he said. “This will help us in our efforts to help at-risk and
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
File photo
The Signal Hill Parks and Recreation Commission is inching the City closer to installing a monument sign with an electronic message center, but the location of the device may not be at the corner of Hill Street and Cherry Avenue (shown) as was originally planned.
disadvantaged youths.” Then, Gary Dudley, commission chair, asked those who had concerns to speak. About eight people took turns at the microphone. None of them spoke against the City installing an electronic message board somewhere in Signal Hill, but all of them strongly opposed placing it on Cherry Avenue near Hill Street. “The only entrance to our homes is that intersection,” said Lisa Gary, a member of the Promontory West Bluff Skyline Estates Homeowners Association. “Placing the sign there will increase the likelihood of one of us being injured by someone who is distracted by that sign.” Other speakers talked about light pollution and reduced property values that would impact homes across the street from the proposed sign. Several residents suggested that the electronic message board be installed close to the corner of Willow Street and Cherry Avenue where no residences would be
impacted. Noll was one of the last speakers. He said that the City should have done more outreach earlier in the process, and he was not aware of residents’ concerns until recently. “I am not opposed to the sign, but the location is not good,” he said. “When you’re going to affect the lives of residents, you have to take that into consideration. In my opinion, the location is not acceptable.” At the end of the workshop, all five commissioners agreed that the residents’ concerns about traffic safety, light pollution and property values must be considered. “We’ve heard enough today to know that we need to do more study and then come back,” Dudley said. The commissioners voted unanimously to direct staff to undertake a study that addresses the residents’ concerns and to plan a second community workshop for the April commission meeting.
Cooking Demo Saturday, Feb. 23
2:30pm–4pm
$40 per person
Dishes will be demonstrated— call for menu details During the hour and a half, you will see several dishes made from beginning to end. One glass of wine is included and samples of each dish will be passed around. Questions will be answered as we go along and a full set of recipes will be yours to take with you. (Payment will be taken when the reservation is made. Cancellations must be made at least 1 week in advance for a full refund. A cancellation with less than a week's notice will not be refunded.)
2951 CHERRY AVENUE, SIGNAL HILL 562.426.0694 • www.deliusrestaurant.com
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
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EYE ON CRIME
Crimes reported by lbPD – Council Districts 6, 7 & 8
Saturday, Feb. 9 Commercial burglary 5am– 1800 block Long Beach Blvd.
Residential burglary 8:30am- 2700 block Golden Ave.
Monday, Feb. 11 Assault (not with firearm) 4:30am– 300 E. Willow St.
Tuesday, Feb. 12 Residential burglary 9:50am– 4500 block Elm Ave.
Crimes reported by SHPD – Citywide
Thursday, Feb. 7 Residential burglary 10:09am– E. 19th St./Stanley Ave.
Residential burglary 2:32pm– 2500 block Palm Dr.
Friday, Feb. 8 Grand theft (property) 7pm– 1800 block St. Louis Ave.
Saturday, Feb. 9 DUI causing injury 1:59am– 3300 block Orange Ave.
Sunday, Feb. 10 DUI 12:11am– Cherry Ave./E. Pacific Coast Hwy. Assault with firearm 9:34pm– Orange Ave./E. 28th St.
Monday, Feb. 11 Stolen vehicle (recovered) 1:52am– 700 block E. Spring St.
Stolen vehicle 7:29am– 2600 block Raymond Ave.
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HOW TO AVOID PROBATE
17
Probate is a very costly and long process that can last from 9 to 18 months in most cases. Fortunately, there are several alternatives available that remove the asset from one’s probatable estate while that person is still alive. Naming a beneficiary on life insurance policies, IRA’s, 401(k)’s, and annuities before your death assures the asset is transferred straight to the chosen beneficiary. Joint Tenancy is where the owner of the asset names a co-owner of an account or real property. Caution: Joint tenancies have risks as the co-owner has the same rights to the asset as the original owner and a loss of Stepped-up valuation. Pay-on-death accounts are similar to naming a beneficiary in that the bank account owner completes banking paperwork which names the person(s) who will receive the bank account upon the bank owner’s death. lifetime gifts given during your life avoids probate because probate only applies to those assets owned at time of death. a living Trust is very beneficial when dealing with titled real property and other assets. A complete estate plan included in the Living Trust includes many ancillary documents that protect you financially, physically and allows for peace of mind.
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Forgery 3pm– 1500 block E. 33rd St.
Grand theft from auto 6:30pm– 2800 block E. 19th St.
Firearms (discharge prohibited) 11:10pm– 2800 block Walnut Ave.
Tuesday, Feb. 12 Auto burglary 1:50pm– 2200 block E. Willow St.
Non-injury hit-and-run 4:02pm– 2500 block Cherry Ave.
Auto burglary 5:15pm– 2600 block E. 19th St.
Wednesday, Feb. 13 Auto burglary 10:20am– 2200 block E. Willow St.
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Oil wells
continued from page 1
streets, for instance, could have about 100 abandoned wells on it, which could cost millions of dollars just to clean up the property to comply with State regulations before any development breaks ground. “It’s just not cost-effective for a company to come and build houses when it costs them half a million dollars to get the land legal to build over… so they just sit vacant,” said Mick Beyer, operations manager for Allenco Energy, Inc., referring to vacant property in Huntington Beach, which, like Signal Hill, has a long history of oil production. Last year, the Signal Hill City Council approved a one-year extension of a moratorium that prohibits developers from building over abandoned oil wells, regardless of whether the wells are properly cleaned up or not. The moratorium, which expires in August, allows city staff to conduct a study on updating the City’s oil code due to the impacts of recent changes implemented by the State Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), which is the lead agency that certifies oil well abandonment prior to the City issuing grading or building permits to ensure gases and toxins don’t continue to seep up from the ground. In November 2010, the DOGGR terminated its methane-leak testing of wells and its development review, abruptly ending a 22-year-old program, which City staff has said creates “ambiguity” and “a major lack of guidance.” City officials said the State has taken a more hands-off approach to the abandonment procedure, leaving cities and developers to go through the process on their own and requiring that they hire third-party petroleum geologists. What has made matters worse is the State’s decision to dissolve redevelopment, which, at least for Signal Hill, had been a major economic-development tool to acquire property and assist in oil well re-abandonment, soil remediation, installation and operation of vapor recovery systems, pipeline removal, demolition and clearing contaminated properties. Replacing redevelopment Since the early 1990s, the now dismantled Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency (RDA) has invested $15 million in cleaning up properties, making possible much of the commercial development that exists today, including the Signal Hill Auto Center, Town Center East, Home Depot and Costco. Redevelopment has enabled the City to acquire
and clean up land that otherwise would have remained empty since much of the property is owned by various individual property owners who bought shares during the oil-speculating days of the 1920s and 1930s. Now, a combination of rising costs, changes to state regulations and the loss of redevelopment have created a perfect storm that continues to be “a huge constraint” for new development in the city, said Scott Charney, Signal Hill’s director of community development. “The bottom line is we have a large inventory of undeveloped property compared to the surrounding community of Long Beach, but there’s a reason for that,” Charney said. “There are a lot of concerns for development in the community. We’ve got earthquake faults. We’ve got active oil operations. We’ve got well-abandonment issues and soilremediation issues… There are a whole host of things.” According to Signal Hill City staff, an environmental consultant estimates that costs for oil-well re-abandonment on properties previously owned by the Signal Hill RDA could range from $784,000 to $3.5 million. In addition, city staff estimates that there are about 2,000 abandoned oil wells in Signal Hill, many of which could be turned into future development. But, without the infusion of redevelopment funding, City officials are now forced to look for new, creative ways to replace redevelopment, such as cutting back costs for building or applying for federal or state grants, in hopes of enticing developers to build on land that otherwise would be too expensive to develop.
Rising costs Beyer said oil-well re-abandonment, considered the most common and most expensive part of developing on oil-rich property, starts at a cost of about $120,000 per well. “Anybody who tells you they’re cheaper than that, then they really don’t know all the information,” he said. Beyer confirmed that the procedure could even cost as much as $800,000 per well, depending on the condition of the well. Re-abandonment of a well often involves clearing out debris from old wells, cleaning-up contaminated soils around the wells, breaking out concrete plugs and installing plugs to prevent methane gas and fluids from leaking. Beyer said abandoning an active well is less complicated and can run about $60,000 to $80,000 per well. Developers also often come across “junk” in well casings, including cabling, broken pipes, wood, rocks and concrete plugs that can prevent full abandonment and complicating factors
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This property at 2475-2485 Gardena Ave. behind the Fresh & Easy market off of Cherry Avenue is one of many vacant parcels of land in Signal Hill where additional remediation and oil well re-abandonment is needed for development to be able to move forward.
for idle and previously abandoned wells. Seismic or geological forces also can crush casings, according to city staff. Beyer said, unlike some areas that have shallow wells, Signal Hill mostly has deep wells that stretch 3,500 feet to 5,500 feet below the surface, which can be costly to plug up, he said. According Kevin Laney, vice president of rig operations for Signal Hill Petroleum, which owns the most property in Signal Hill, well-re-abandonment costs are higher than they were 15 to 20 years ago, when the price tag was anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. Those days are “long since gone,” he said. “There’s no doubt that costs of abandonment have gone up,” Laney said. “Everything from the cost of rig time, the cement, the mud and the labor– all the costs have gone up over the years. It’s just more expensive.” He added that costs for oil-well reabandonment vary significantly and have been made even more complex due to state regulations. “You have to go back into a well that was previously abandoned before some of the modern-day regulations were passed,” Laney said. “You have to drill plugs out that [were] put in it back in the day, and that gets expensive and time consuming… Sometimes you might have to drill out two or three plugs to get down to an area that DOGGR is requiring you to place a plug over now.”
build over wells without full State certification. In some cases, a regular homeowner looking to add on to property that has previously abandoned wells on it may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions to bring wells up to State code, he said. “The State’s requirements are a little extreme,” Beyer said. “Sometimes you can’t get these wells up to DOGGR’s code, and, if you don’t, they won’t give you a final letter… Certain cities are doing an allowance for that, letting you get a building permit even though [a developer] didn’t get to that final depth that DOGGR wanted to get to… It’s still a safe well.” Still, not receiving a certification letter from the State can have consequences, he said. In some cases, the State may withhold $15,000 to $20,000 in bonds for every well that isn’t brought up to code, Beyer said. In addition, banks may also withhold loan funding for major construction companies until a final letter is issued from the State. He added that the State also requires that any abandoned wells around new injections also must be brought up to code, which can deter further drilling. In the City of Huntington Beach, however, Bill Reardon, fire marshal for the Huntington Beach Fire Department, which oversees well abandonment in Huntington Beach, said he feels confident about the safety of the City’s process of issuing building permits for development on oil wells, even though DOGGR is no longer taking as an active role in the process. “With Huntington Beach’s long oilproduction history dating back to as early as the ‘20s and ‘30s, there’s considerable amount of development in the community that has oil wells that are producing or are currently abandoned,” he said. “I do feel confident on the local level that our residents are safe and it’s a safe process and don’t really have any concerns about what’s occurring at the
local level… We already had a system in place internally when there was somewhat of a change, so it didn’t really cause a significant concern on our part.”
Signal Hill oil-code study The City of Signal Hill, however, decided in 2011 to stop issuing building permits for developments with “footprints” over abandoned oil wells and is only processing plans that avoid building over wells, which has created “strange” configurations for some residential and commercial developments, Charney said. He said the moratorium was implemented “out of an abundance of caution” while the City studies the changes implemented by DOGGR. Until then, he said, there aren’t expected to be any large developments moving forward. “There’s still a large inventory of undeveloped parcels waiting to be developed, but if we don’t have some sort of strategy on how to build over oil wells… it’s unlikely you will see the types of developments like Costco, Home Depot and the Gateway Center, because it’s much harder to position big buildings on a site,” he said. Charney said the City’s policy might change down the road, based on mitigation standards the City has incorporated in existing contemporary development in the city, adding that there are properties that have building footprints over abandoned wells with “no known health or safety issues.” But, until the results of the study are released, he said the City’s current policy remains. “The goals of the study are to determine if we can go back and have a standard to have a development safely over re-abandoned wells,” Charney said. “I would suspect we would be able to be in a position where we could do that, but I don’t have the studies to say that’s where we’re at.”
Strict State regulations Charney said a major problem for large developments, however, is the fact that DOGGR has become stricter in their approval of oil-well re-abandonment and has stopped issuing authorization letters for wells that meet standards “equivalent” to full certification “Historically, developers got those equivalent letters, which is what happens when DOGGR says they’ve done the work, but didn’t achieve abandonment…. they’re no longer doing that, which means most wells, regardless of how much you spend, are going to be classified as not to current standard,” he said. Beyer said, however, in some cases re-abandoning a well up to the State’s current code, which requires that developers plug up new “zones” that go beyond previous depths, can be almost “impossible,” which he said is why some cities, such as Los Angeles and Huntington Photos by Sean Belk/Signal Tribune Beach, are providing develAn abandoned oil pump located on vacant land between Spring and Willow streets off of Calopers with allowances to ifornia Avenue
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
Courthouse
continued from page 1
building to help people get out safely if the stairs aren’t available. He said that he understands that the building is structurally sound but that the elevators and stairwells would split apart from the building and employees would not be able to get out safely. City Manager Patrick West warned of the dangers to the people in the lobby and on the stairs if the stairwell and elevators fell. Johnson still maintained a position that the Council should explore other options. “I think everyone up here on this dais, I think, needs to take our employees’ safety seriously,” Johnson said, but he added that he would like to see if the City has reviewed every possible mitigation. Frick, however, told Johnson that a major earthquake could render the building “completely infeasible.” She said that determining how to exit the building was only one issue. “What do we do after the earthquake?” Frick asked. “We don’t have a building. We don’t have a city hall. So we need to be planning, not just for the short term but for the long term.” Frick’s report also noted that the City leases 112,000 square feet of offsite space because the City can’t fit everybody into the City Hall building. The cost to lease that offsite space is about $2.13 million a year. The total cost that the City spends to operate city hall is $12.57 million a year, including the cost to lease offsite space. Mayor Bob Foster stressed the importance of entertaining ideas from the development community now. Recalling that the City of Los Angeles had seismic issues too, Foster said employees sued the City because of the unsafe work space. “The danger of going down that road is that you lose a lot of the ini-
tiative and leverage, if you will, that you have,” Foster said. “If you are sued, and you have to change things, you’re under the gun. Now…everyone knows you have to change, and you’re not going to get the kind of great deal as you might get if you do it voluntarily. So I want to point out that I don’t think you ever want to get to that situation.” He noted that the Port has already decided to change its headquarters. “I think that if this were possible– to provide a new, seismically sound, usable, attractive public space here for the civic center at about the same level we’re paying today– it’s something that the Council should entertain,” Foster said. Since the recommendation hinged on the findings of a seismic study that analyzed the civic center buildings in 2006, the Council deliberated whether to ask for a second opinion on earthquake safety of the building or to move forward with an RFQ that would seek out teams of developers. They discussed Councilmember Gerrie Schipske’s concern that the criteria have changed for determining earthquake safety and vulnerabilities and have become more restrictive since 2006. The assistant city manager acknowledged that the peer review of the study would likely reveal a worse picture. “We’ll get the peer review and everything,” Frick said, “but I want to let you know that it’s likely going to be even more of a priority and crisis based upon new methodologies.” Ultimately, when the Council opted to move forward with the staff recommendation, they requested in their action to contact the firm responsible for the original seismic study and for the staff to request a peer review to determine if the 2006 seismic study is still valid given newer standards. If the peer review reveals that the 2006 seismic study was not enough in
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light of contemporary standards and the Council methodologies, requested that a second study be performed. The possibility of completely rebuilding the civic center already attracted some attention from architects who attended the Council meeting. Cameron Crockett, a local architect, presented one vision for the library at the civic center. He addressed some of the issues with the library’s roofing problems. He praised the original design that placed part of the park over the roof of the library and proposed a design that would fix the roof’s drainage issues. John Glasgow, another local architect, praised the original architects responsible for the building of the civic center back in the 1970s. “Personally, I’m a bit conflicted about this whole direction because I personally have some affection for the design of the civic center,” Glasgow said, adding that “this is very significant work for its time.” Both Glasgow and Crockett said in a follow-up interview that they are primarily interested in addressing the library building needs, not the civic center earthquake needs. Maureen Neely of Long Beach Heritage, an organization dedicated to preserving buildings and historical districts, emphasized the importance of public participation. “Long Beach Heritage would ask that any decision to raze these buildings, develop these blocks or enter into any public-private partnership be vetted out in the open,” Neely said. “These parcels were deeded to the City strictly for use as a public park and Civic Center by the original developers of Long Beach. So our members and supporters strongly advise adherence to the public process as elected officials and staff look into any restructuring at the civic center.” Neely’s request for transparency was not lost on Schipske. The fifth district councilmember had circulated an email and posted a blog about the city property a week earlier, warning that in a closed session of the Feb. 5 Council meeting,
the Council was scheduled to discuss the potential sale of the city hall building, library and old courthouse building. Schipske said in her email that she objected to having that item discussed in a closed session and that the item would be discussed at that Feb. 12 Council meeting. According to the Feb. 12 agenda, the Council was only set to discuss both the seismic issues at the civic center and the staff recom-
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mendation that requested the city manager to issue the RFQ surrounding the development and construction of a new civic center. “You know, this agenda item is substantially different than what was posted for closed session last week,” Schipske said at the Feb. 12 Council meeting, noting that for the prior week, the Council was set to discuss prices and terms for the civic center.
Olympians dive right in to rescue LB aquatics
CJ Dablo/Signal Tribune
Olympic diving star Greg Louganis (above left) with 2012 Olympic diving athlete Cassidy Krug (above right) attended the Long Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12, along with several other diving athletes and scores of kids and adults who packed City Hall, to show support for construction of a pool complex that would accommodate diving. The Belmont Pool was closed last month when it was deemed unsafe should a moderate earthquake strike. On Wednesday, 4th District Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell issued a statement extending thanks to those who offered support and technical expertise for the project. “At last night's city council meeting, a plan put forward by myself and Gary DeLong to rebuild and increase the size of the Belmont Pool passed unanimously,” O’Donnell said. “There was great community support, not to mention the Olympians, swimmers and divers that showed up to offer support for the plan which will about double the amount of pool space that the facility presently has for use. The Long Beach tradition of aquatics will continue.” According to O’Donnell, the funds to reconstruct the facility will come from the Tidelands fund, which derives its revenues from oil production. He said those funds may only be used along the beachfront area and that the plan approved Tuesday night will accommodate swimmers, divers and water polo.
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View of the Civic Center with City Hall on the right and the Main Library in the background. At last Tuesday’s Long Beach City Council meeting, city officials discussed the need for “substantial seismic remediation” at City Hall.
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TST4281 TSG No.: 7354658 TS No.: CA1200248173 FHA/VA/PMI No.: APN: 7148-001-030 Property Address: 3300 CALIFORNIA AVENUE SIGNAL HILL, CA 90755 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 09/15/2003. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 02/21/2013 at 10:00 A.M., First American Title Insurance Company, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 09/22/2003, as Instrument No. 03 2782876, in book , page , , of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of LOS ANGELES County, State of California. Executed by: NICHOLAS L. LIDDI JR. AND DIANE P. LIDDI, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER'S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form of payment authorized by 2924h(b), (Payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States) Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEED OF TRUST APN# 7148-001-030 The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 3300 CALIFORNIA AVENUE, SIGNAL HILL, CA 90755 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $261,482.62. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust has deposited all documents evidencing the obligations secured by the Deed of Trust and has declared all sums secured thereby immediately due and payable, and has caused a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be executed. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (916)939-0772 or visit this Internet Web http://search.nationwideposting.com/propertySearchTerms.aspx, using the file number assigned to this case CA1200248173 Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse. First American Title Insurance Company First American Title Insurance Company 3 FIRST AMERICAN WAY SANTA ANA, CA 92707 Date: FOR TRUSTEE'S SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL (916)939-0772 First American Title Insurance Company MAY BE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. NPP0212616 SIGNAL TRIBUNE 02/01/2013, 02/08/2013, 02/15/2013 TST4293 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE TS No. 10-0141714 Doc ID #0001001886442005N Title Order No. 10-8-508633 Investor/Insurer No. N/A APN No. 7215-020-021 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 04/22/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by LATEEF T FRANKS, A SINGLE MAN, dated 04/22/2005 and recorded 5/2/2005, as Instrument No. 05 1017867, in Book , Page , of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Los Angeles County, State of California, will sell on 03/11/2013 at 9:00AM, Doubletree Hotel Los Angeles-Norwalk, 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, CA 90650, Vineyard Ballroom at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2244 SEA RIDGE DRIVE, SIGNAL HILL, CA, 90755. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $1,316,617.72. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashier's checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal sav-
Call Dennis Bartlett: ings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an ''AS IS'' condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. If required by the provisions of section 2923.5 of the California Civil Code, the declaration from the mortgagee, beneficiary or authorized agent is attached to the Notice of Trustee's Sale duly recorded with the appropriate County Recorder's Office. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on a property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder's office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 1-800281-8219 or visit this Internet Web site www.recontrustco.com, using the file number assigned to this case TS No. 10-0141714. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By: - Trustee's Sale Officer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. A-4358276 02/15/2013, 02/22/2013, 03/01/2013
TST4295 Title No. 6451274 ALS No. 2012-4157 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT OF A LIEN, DATED MARCH 6, 2012. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT: On March 13, 2013, at 9:00 AM, ASSOCIATION LIEN SERVICES, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to a certain lien, recorded on March 9, 2012, as instrument number 20120376768, of the official records of Los Angeles County, California. WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR LAWFUL MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES, OR A CASHIERS CHECK at: Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA 91766. The street address and other common designations, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2506 E Willow #303, Signal Hill, California 90755 Assessor's Parcel No. 7214-009-108 The owner(s) of the real property is purported to be: Anthony Castro and Myriah B. Castro, husband and wife as joint tenants The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designations, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of a note, homeowner's assessment or other obligation secured by this lien, with interest and other sum as provided therein: plus advances, if any, under the terms thereof and interest on such advances, plus fees, charges, expenses of the Trustee and trust created by said lien. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $17,887.58. Payment must be in cash, a cashier's check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state bank or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings & loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. The real property described above is being sold subject to the right of redemption. The redemption period within which real property may be redeemed ends 90 days after the sale. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may contact Priority Posting & Publishing for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit its website www.priorityposting.com for information regarding the sale of this property. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. The beneficiary of said Lien hereto executed and delivered to the undersigned, a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be
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recorded in the County where the real property is located. Date: February 8, 2013 Association Lien Services, as Trustee P.O. Box 64750, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (310) 207-2027 By: Alvin Okoreeh, Trustee Officer P1020357 2/15, 2/22, 03/01/2013
TST4282 / 2013 005551 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: MIKO'S SPORTS LOUNGE, 3550-B Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: ENAID'S WAY, INC., 622 E. 37th St., Long Beach, CA 90806. This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Damitresse Yancey, President. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 9, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 1, 8, 15, 22, 2013.
TST4283 / 2013 015788 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUCCESS TUTORIAL SERVICES, 3808 Hathaway Ave. Unit 632, Long Beach, CA 90815. Registrant: MARIA JOHNSON, 3808 Hathaway Ave. Unit 632, Long Beach, CA 90815. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Maria Johnson. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 23, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 1, 8, 15, 22, 2013.
TST4284 / 2013 015776 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: ZIZILU, 2322 Monte Verde Dr., Signal Hill, CA 90755. Registrant: RAZAN ALJABBAN, 2322 Monte Verde Dr., Signal Hill, CA 90755. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Razan Aljabban. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 23, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 1, 8, 15, 22, 2013. TST4285 / 2013 014780 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: PLUMBING BY EDWARD, 1016 Concord St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Registrant: EDWARD HERNANDES, 1016 Concord St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Edward Hernandez. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 23, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013. TST4286 / 2013 016949 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: GARTH'S JELLY DONUT, 3350 E. 7th. St. #128, Long Beach, CA 90804. Registrant: CHRISTOPHER KRAMME, 630 Magnolia Ave. Apt. 202, Long Beach, CA 90802. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Christopher Kramme. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 24, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.
TST4287/ 2013 019221 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: BEACHCRAFTERS, 4350 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: MICHELE WILLIAMS, 36 Gaviota Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Michele Williams. The registrant has begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. The registrant began using this fictitious business name on December 7, 2012. This statement was filed with the
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CiTy OF SigNal Hill TST4290 NOTICE OF POllING PlACES
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Signal Hill on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, there shall be three (3) voting precincts that the polling places for the respective precincts shall be the places designated below, and the language other than English in which assistance will be provided.
Voting Precinct: Polling Place Description:
6450001A Signal Hill Park Community Center 1780 E. Hill St. Accessible to Handicapped: Yes Assistance will be provided in: Spanish & Khmer _________________________________________
Voting Precinct: Polling Place Description:
6450004A Family Church of Signal Hill 2094 Cherry Ave. Accessible to Handicapped: Yes Assistance will be provided in: Spanish & Khmer ______________________________________________
Voting Precinct: Polling Place Description:
Accessible to Handicapped: Assistance will be provided in:
6450005A Discovery Well Park Community Center 2200 Temple Avenue Yes Spanish & Khmer
The polls will be open between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Kathleen L. Pacheco City Clerk
county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 29, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.
TST4288 / 2013 020238 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as: 1. CHERRYWOOD PROPERTY SERVICES, 2. CHERRYWOOD PROPERY HOLDINGS, 2201 E. Willow St. Suite D#185, Signal Hill, CA 90755. Registrants: 1. STEVE LEWIS, 2. JUNE LEWIS, 3265 Orange Ave., Signal Hill, CA 90755. This business is conducted by: a Married Couple. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Steve Lewis/June Lewis. The registrants have not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 30, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.
TST4291 / 2013 024386 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: DIAL PRINTING, 633 Terrylynn Place, Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: HMS INDUSTRIES, INC, 633 Terrylynn Place, Long Beach, CA 90807 This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Phillip Sigman, President. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on February 5, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use
in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.
TST4292 / 2013 024887 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: PROFIT BUSINESS BROKERS, 133 Argonne Ave., Long Beach, CA 90803. Registrant: MITCHELL BARNEY, 5318 E. 2nd St., Suite 640, Long Beach, CA 90803. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Mitchell Barney. The registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on February 5, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013. TST4294 / 2013 021829 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1. DDR PROJECTS, 2. DEVIL DOLL RECORDS, 3546 Gaviota Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: JOHN GELDBACH, 3546 Gaviota Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: John Geldbach. The registrant has begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in January, 1996. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 31, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 15, 22, & March 1, 8, 2013.
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Howard aka Howie has been missing since 1/24. He was last seen at 36th/Olive. He is a 14 year old male, orange Tabby. The tip of his tail is bent and he is quite thin due to illness. If you have seen him please call 562-761-9856.
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TST4296 BID INVITATION FOR HUD SECTION 3 SUBCONTRACTORS IN THE lOS ANGElES / lONG BEACH AREA
Bidding Wednesday February 27, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., City of long Beach Contract No. R6909, Ocean Blvd. Erosion and Enhancement Project, Phase 2
Condon-Johnson is willing to further break down items into economically feasible units to facilitate and encourage Section 3 participation. We are requesting quotes on the following, including but not limited to: Concrete saw cutting, concrete demo export & disposal, concrete sidewalk, grading, landscaping planting & irrigation, reinforced concrete grade beam, repair existing hot dipped galvanized steel hand railing, soil export & disposal, survey, temporary construction fencing, temporary relocation & irrigation of existing trees, traffic control and trucking. Plans and specifications are available on-line at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing/default.asp. We are available to assist in questions regarding the scope of work, bid preparation, obtaining bonds, lines of credit, or insurance as required by contract. Must be properly licensed for the type of work performing and may be required to furnish bonding for insurance, equipment, material and/or supplies. For assistance or if there are questions please contact us. Condon-Johnson & Associates, Inc., 9685 Via Excelencia, Suite 106, San Diego, CA 92126, Phone (858) 530-9165, Fax (858) 530-9171 (An Equal Opportunity Employer)
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22 SigNal TRibuNe
Library
continued from page 11
been gutted. “I would hope all the players at the table… would embrace the original agreement,” Thomas said. Still, he said preserving historic structures is vital and important for Long Beach, adding that neighborhood theaters were once preva-
lent in the city but now have dwindled down to only the Art Theatre on 4th Street. “The key here from a historic preservation standpoint is we need to do a better job of protecting our historic assets so we don’t get to the point where there isn’t any other recourse financially but to demo them,” he said. Meanwhile, D’Amato pre-
NeWS
sented other design aspects of the new library, including: glass walls; spaces for public art; a 3,800square-foot community center that will feature an outdoor patio; a plaza and promenade leading to the main entry of the library; about 5,000 square feet of retail space and another space for onsite parking. He said the library would also feature an atrium space that will have filtered natural daylight streaming through and will connect to various reading areas for children, teens and adults. “You
will be able to see every part of the library if you’re standing in that atrium space,” D’Amato said. “It will be a bright, lively and active space.” Glenda Williams, director of the Long Beach Public Library, who presented program elements, said plans for the proposed library include Wi-Fi accessibility, study rooms for research, spaces for educational workshops and shelf space to add books as needed. She said the library will also include anywhere from 16 to 20 computers.
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
Construction of the nearly $8million project is being funded through proceeds from Build America Bonds issued by the former RDA and should be allocated sometime in April, once the State approves a “finding of completion” in the ongoing redevelopment-dissolution process, said Robert Zur Schmiede, deputy director for Long Beach Development Services. He added that the project is expected to return to the Long Beach Planning Commission for final approval in either late March or early April.
Courtesy City of LB
A rendering shows the proposed North Neighborhood Library that will replace the historic landmark Atlantic Theater on a more than 25,000-square-foot site. Designs call for a “re-envisioned” tower that will be lit at night, and where people will be able to look underneath through a glass ceiling as part of a children’s reading room.
Howser
continued from page 14
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rovia; Candace Frazee, co-owner of the Bunny Museum in Pasadena; and Joe Rinaudo, collector and restorer of early-moviemusic machines in La Crescenta. Luis Fuerte, Howser’s long-time camera man, was also present. Yu met Howser after she wrote a letter to Howser in 2006. “I wrote a letter to him and described to him what we do here at the Soap Kitchen– how we make soap from scratch the old-fashioned
way,” she said. “The very next day, he called me…and he was very interested in what we did.” The Soap Kitchen episode was produced in 2007. Yu described him as a “big kid.” “He was a character,” she added. “[He was] fascinated by many things.” To help the shop, Howser purposefully aired the episode every Christmas. “Of course, it was crazy every time he played our show,” she said. “The next day, we would have people waiting out-
side.” After every time the episode was broadcasted, Howser would call Yu and check up on their business. “He would personally give me a call on the phone and ask us how things were going,” she said. “He would always tell me to say hi to my mom and [ask] how she was doing. He was just a really great guy.” MORE INFORMATION huellhowserarchive.com
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Chapman University hosted Huell Howser Day on Feb. 8 to remember the broadcaster and display his contributions and collections. At the event, fans of the show joined together and signed posters dedicated to Howser.
SigNal TRibuNe
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
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PRESIDENTS’ DAY WEEKEND
SALE
TA X F R E E
*
STOREWIDE PLUS
50% OFF ALL MATTRESSES
**
4 DAYS ONLY! FRI, SAT, SUN, MON
FEBRUARY 15-18
2198 lAKEWOOD BlVD.
562-597-3225
(Corner of Stearns) lONG BEACH www.house-to-home-furniture.com Family Owned & Operated
VISIT OUR ClEARANCE CENTER
SAVE 50% - 90%
FlOOR SAMPlES, ClOSEOUTS, DISCONTINUED AND SCRATCH & DENT, MATTRESSES, lIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, HOME OFFICE & ENTERTAINMENT 1703 E 17TH ST, SANTA ANA, CA 92705
*House to Home will pay and self-report all the sales tax on all taxable transactions. Event good through February 18, 2013. This offer does not apply to open or prior sales and cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes Ekornes products.
**Off M.S.R.P.
SigNal TRibuNe
FebRuaRy 15, 2013
24
Our Breathe Easy Mobile Clinic drives home the importance of respiratory health. Our Port makes it go. — Drew A. Gagner, President, St. Mary Medical Center Foundation From air-filtration systems at Miller Children’s Hospital, to solar panels at the Long Beach Rescue Mission, to St. Mary Medical Center’s mobile respiratory clinic, the Port funds a host of innovative community efforts aimed at reducing air pollution and lessening its health impacts. So we can all breathe easier. www.POLB.com/CommunityGrants
Thinking outside the docks
© Port of Long Beach