Signal Tribune Your Weekly Community Newspaper
VOL. XLIII NO. 45
New student data shows that one-third of LBUSD students are three grade levels behind in math and reading see page 3
Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill
Friday, November 5, 2021
VETERANS DAY SPECIAL ISSUE COMMUNITY
VACCINE
This group of veterans is using community service, exercise to heal trauma and build bonds
Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune
An anti-vaccine protester holds signs outside the LBUSD headquarters building during a Board of Education meeting on Oct. 6, 2021.
Kristen Farrah Naeem
A
tS aff Writer
fter graduating in 2019, members of Cal State Long Beach’s Veterans Network wanted to continue supporting each other and helping their community outside of school. The club’s pillars include mental health and so-
cial interaction.
“When we all got out, it was my idea to continue with the club
pillars,” said Jesse Soria of People of the Earth Krew. “And so a bunch of us got together and we’ve been slowly organizing community events here in Long Beach.” The People of the Earth Krew gets together to clean up natural spaces like the beach, and to participate in physical activities together as a way to support their mental health. Soria described a recent outing People of the Earth Krew members participated in together: members cleaned a section of Crystal Cove beach, went on a hike and had lunch and talked together afterward. “The most important part was just being able to recollect our experience for that day when we were having lunch at the end,” Soria said. Like many veterans across the nation, members of the People of the Earth Krew suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Soria explained that PTSD in veterans can come from a myriad of contributing factors. “Some of us have been primarily affected by our service,” Soria said. “Some of us were in infantry, we experienced combat. Some of us have experienced kind of like the aftermath of getting out of see PEOPLE OF THE EARTH page 5
Images Courtesy Jesse Soria
(Above) Jesse Soria (far left), and People of the Earth Krew members pose with their medals after a marathon. (Below) Jesse Soria (bottom left) and Krew members pose after another marathon.
LA County ready to start vaccinating kids 5-11, as final federal OK nears City News Service o S uthern California o L a c l News
Los Angeles County received its first shipment of pediatric doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Nov. 2, the same day the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final approval to the shots for kids aged 5-11. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the pediatric shots last week, and a CDC advisory committee OK’d them Tuesday morning. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave final approval Tuesday afternoon, making the shots immediately available to those aged 5-11. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said there are 900 providers in the county that are ready to administer see VACCINE page 11