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VoL. 34 No. 16
Artists hold annual fundraiser
Movie theater closes again
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APRIL 13 - 19, 2023
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Cops search for L.B. shooter Victim, Shawn Usher, 33, was father of twin boys, friends say day to offer prayers for the Usher family and to exchange condolences. Long Beach’s North Park secPolice would only say they tion has become hardened to were looking for the gunman, poverty, food insecurity and drug but they did not provide a abuse, but a shooting death last description. Shootings are rare Friday night rocked the mostly in Long Beach, with around Black neighborhood and had res- three or four occurring each idents on edge as year, police say. police searched for a Usher was degunman. scribed by friends as Nassau County the father of twin Police said that after 9-year-old boys. His a brief struggle late mother, Sylvia Gray, Friday night, 33is a minister at y e a r - o l d S h aw n Evangelical Revival Usher was shot and Community Church killed. Police said in Long Beach, not Usher had been shot far from where the “numerous times.” shooting took place. Officers did not say Family members did what had caused the RoN McHENRy not want to speak to shooting. Usher was the media, friends friend of taken to a local hossaid. pital, where he was shooting victim Ron McHenry, a pronounced dead. noted North Park Usher’s body was found at artist and a friend of the family, about 10:38 p.m. Friday at Syca- said Usher had been a rapper more Court at the Channel Park and was well known in the comhomes. munity. Others said that he had Last weekend, a makeshift worked as an oil technician, memorial of candles was placed spending a large amount of time on Sycamore Court, not far from traveling the country and the Usher’s home. A brief memorial world. service was held Saturday night, Community members said and several people gathered at Usher had been raised in Long the memorial site on Easter SunContinued on page 16
By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com
Courtesy City of Long Beach
Brushing up on their artistic skills Long Beach seniors painted the town red — as well as blue, green and lots of other colors — late last month. It was all part of Senior Sip and Paint, a special event presented by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. About 20 participants created a collaborative collage by combining smaller works, some of which they displayed above.
Women rise in city government as well as the MLK Center By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com
Women’s History Month is over, but women in Long Beach still have plenty to celebrate, as they rise in government and community organizations. Andrea Gauto, 35, has been named acting executive director of the Martin Luther King Center — the first Hispanic woman to hold that post — and Cindy Rogers, 66, has been appointed Long Beach’s new deputy city manager. “It’s no surprise that women are ascending to leadership positions in Long Beach,” Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El
of Long Beach, said earlier this week. “It reflects what is happening across the country and the world. Gender and age make no difference. “It’s the skill, talent and dedication that make a difference,” Zanerhaft added, “and these women exemplify that.” Born in Ecuador, Gauto came to the United States when she was 18 and worked for a family in Howard Beach, Queens, as an au pair. She moved to Long Beach in 2018 and became a teaching assistant at West Elementary School, where she met Cederic Coad, whose family has been associated with the MLK Center for years. Coad is now MLK’s board chairman. Continued on page 4
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he killing doesn’t stop, and what are we doing as a nation about it?