ST3449 by Signal Tribune

ST3449 - May 10_Layout 1 5/10/13 1:53 PM Page 4

4 SIGNAL TRIBUNE

Thoughts from the Publisher

by Neena Strichart

While getting ready to write my column this week, I found that everything I wanted to write about regarding Mother’s Day felt like a giant déjà vu. In doing a search through my computer, I found an article that I wrote three years ago on the subject. Rather than to try to just move the same words around for this week’s message, I am re-running that particular column below. For those of you who haven’t read it before, I hope you enjoy it. For those of you who read it back then, I’m sorry for repeating myself, but hey, why reinvent the wheel? I offer a big Happy Mother’s Day wish to all of you grandmothers, mothers, mothers-to-be, stepmothers or those who have “been like a mother” to someone in need of mothering. In doing a bit of research about Mother’s Day I ran across the website mothersdaycentral.com . There I learned many things about the history of the day we celebrate every year on the second Sunday of May. Here is what I discovered… It appears that Americans can thank Julia Ward Howe, the author of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” for starting the ball rolling toward a day dedicated to mothers. As the story goes, Ms. Howe was so dreadfully upset by the deaths of so many young men during the Civil War that she asked our country’s mothers to unite and publically oppose the senselessness of sons killing other mother’s sons– an act which left our country’s mothers inconsolable. Doing her best to stop the bloodshed, Ms. Howe declared

OPINION

MAY 10, 2013

the need for an international Mother’s Day with the following message:

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears Say firmly:

“We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage, For caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

“We women of one country Will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with Our own. It says, “Disarm, Disarm!” The sword of murder is not the balance of justice! Blood does not wipe out dishonor Nor violence indicate possession. As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.

Let women now leave all that may be left of home For a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dog’s best friend

To all of the beautiful people who responded to my plea for help in the case of the three neglected and abandoned pit bulls, here is the update that you have requested: You are a constant reminder that more people are good than bad. We had an overwhelming response of love [and] care, and an outpouring of concern for these sweet and innocent animals. Thanks to the Long Beach Animal Care Services and the treatment that they provided while in their custody, the three pit bulls will never look like they first did upon being rescued. Because of you, they have all left the shelter in good hands. Many of you asked me to update their story, and requested where donations may be sent for their care. All three dogs have a long road ahead of them to recovery and require a lot of medical attention. The female dog was adopted by a lovely lady in San Diego. For both person and dog, it was love at first sight. I had been visiting the dogs in the shelter up to now, and assuring the female that one day she would be beautiful. As she was led on a leash into the shelter lobby, everyone gaped at her, and even in her state of drying sores, new hair sprouting in random spurts, and her wrinkled mouth, onlookers expressed that she was convincingly gorgeous. She will be receiving medical care at: Rancho Mesa Veterinary Hospital, 8710 Miramar Rd., San Diego, CA 92126, (858) 566-0422. You can donate directly to the hospital, by either sending a check in the mail, or calling the hospital with a credit or debit transaction. Specify that it is for the care of Roseanne’s pit bull. The two brothers were thrilled to finally be reunited. We thank Ruffles Rescue organization for taking both and not just one of them. One of the brother dogs is hardier and larger. The other is smaller, possibly more underdeveloped, and will struggle more for renewed vitality. He was anxious and confused, but Christina, the impassioned founder of Ruffles, knew exactly what she was doing to provide the comfort and reassurance that he needed for the car ride back to Exeter, California. She assured us that they will be fostered in a home, not a kennel– something these dogs have probably never known. Their medical care will be provided by Lacey Animal Hospital, 12181 West Lacey Blvd., Hanford, CA 93230, (559) 584-9251. You can donate directly to the hospital, if you prefer, by either sending a check in the mail, or calling the hospital with a credit or debit transaction. Specify that it is for the care of the two pit bull brothers, or the Ruffles Rescue organization. I promise all of you that I will not send you a letter like this every week. But on that promise, and on one of my recent visits to the shelter, a small Cairn terrier was brought in, after being stabbed 12 times, by someone who must have been insane. Yet, the small dog survived and waits for what comes next. This is one more example of the arduous tasks that every animal shelter faces every single day. The shelters are overrun by the tragedy of pet overpopulation, ignorance regarding how to be a responsible pet owner, and the outright abuse of animals. Simultaneously, they are dealing with severe financial cuts and economic constraints that make it very difficult to do everything that is required to change this situation. Thank you all for your generous help in the care of these three dogs, whose lives will get better now, thanks to, for them, a whole new world of kindness. Deborah Turner Long Beach deborah@wheelywilly.com wheelywilly.com

These three pitbull mix puppies were abandoned in a fenced area in a dog park on the west side of Long Beach. Photo by Deborah Turner

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neena R. Strichart

Stephanie Raygoza

ASSISTANT EDITOR/STAFF WRITER

Sean Belk

STAFF WRITERS

CJ Dablo

COLUMNISTS

Jennifer E. Beaver Carol Berg Sloan, RD

Nick Diamantides

Shoshanah Siegel

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask That a general congress of women without limit of nationality May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient And at the earliest period consistent with its objects To promote the alliance of the different nationalities, The amicable settlement of international questions. The great and general interests of peace.

In 1914, six years after Howe’s death, President Woodrow Wilson signed the holiday into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. For more details on the history of Mother’s Day go to your local library, visit mothersdaycentral.com or check out a host of other informational websites. Today we celebrate the day with greeting cards, dinners, long-distance phone calls, visits and sweets for moms. Those who have lost their mothers visit cemeteries and bring flowers by the armfuls. I am lucky to still have my mother well and kicking. She is a true blessing to me and to the rest of our family– we think everyday should be Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, and a huge thank-you for all you do for us. With much love. Your kid, Neena Rose

Is it safe?

Pacific Avenue in Los Cerritos is one of the safest streets on which to ride a bicycle in Long Beach. It’s wide and has clear sightlines at every intersection. Those who do not feel comfortable riding their bikes in Los Cerritos now may as well put those bikes on Craig’s List immediately as they will not feel any more comfortable (nor will they be safer) if the traffic light and roundabouts are installed. The City should be using the bike grant money to introduce bike lanes or sharrows to Atlantic Avenue like they did on Second Street in Belmont Shore. Even though there have been scores of bike racks installed on this thriving business corridor over the years, no one in their right mind rides a bike on Atlantic in Bixby Knolls because it isn’t safe. This is where the focus should be and where the money should go. La Vonne Miller Long Beach

A roundabout invitation to speed demons?

Hayim Zadaca [Letters to the Editor: “Bicycle-unfriendly?,” May 3, 2013] says that two roundabouts on Pacific Avenue in Los Cerritos will reduce speeds on that street and make him feel safer riding his bicycle. They may make him “feel safer,” but as far as slowing traffic, roundabouts there won’t be effective– in spite of what Long Beach claims. The two intersections where roundabouts are proposed already have stop signs at all approaches. So a driver going south on Pacific Avenue must stop at Bixby Road before accelerating away, next stopping at 37th Street where there is a stop sign. With a roundabout at Bixby Road having yield signs at the approaches instead of stop signs, a driver wouldn’t have to stop at all– just continue on around the roundabout, hopefully slowly, to the other side of the intersection and then accelerate on down the street. What makes anyone think a driver who likes to speed will go down Pacific Avenue significantly slower than before? The width of Bixby Road is a small fraction of the total distance from Bixby Road to 37th Street. All that’s actually changed is that during the first small part of the drive, instead of taking off in a straight line across Bixby Road, the driver must go around a little curve first, then accelerate. With cars accelerating as quickly as almost all do, this is essentially a meaningless change. Roundabouts may be useful in some places, but Pacific Avenue isn’t one of them. I’ve known people who would find it a real challenge and lots of fun to drive down a nice, wide residential street such as Pacific Avenue and see just how fast they could make it around a roundabout. If the City goes through with this ill-advised plan, I’ll bet the residents on Pacific Avenue will meet some people like that. Jeannie Hoffman Long Beach

Mea culpa

The individual mentioned in the May 3 story “Local real-estate market shows signs of improving” should have been identified as Jerry Bowley. MANAGING EDITOR

Stephen M. Strichart

DESIGN EDITOR

Cory Bilicko

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Jane Fallon

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace, Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.

Leighanna Nierle

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/WEBSITE MANAGER

CULTURE WRITERS

Tanya Paz

Daniel Adams Vicki Paris Goodman Gregory Spooner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Matt Sun

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Ariana Gastelum Leonardo Poareo Brandy Soto

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rachael Rifkin

DESIGN INTERN

Kaelyn Bruno

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