Your Weekly Community Newspaper February 15, 2013VOl. 34 NO. 37SERVING BIXBY KNOLLS, CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS, LOS CERRITOS, WRIGLEY AND THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

Partly sunnyand warm

79°Lo 50°

Low clouds,then sun

63°Lo 48°

February 15 throughFebruary 19, 2013

This week’s Weekly Weather Forecast sponsored by:

Sunny, verywarm

80°Lo 49°

Mostly sunnyand not as warm

68°Lo 49°

Showerspossible

60°Lo 47°

Weekly Weather Forecast

T R I B U N ESignal

“The Messengers”mixed media on paperby Annie Stromquist

See page 13 for more informationand works by this artist.

577 E. Wardlow Rd. @ Atlantic • 562-595-6666

Bixby Knolls Car Wash& Detail Center

Shell & Sheldon GrossmanOwners for 35+ years

We have the mostpolite and friendliest

employees, & best of all...

THE BESTCUSTOMERS

IN THE WORLD!

Full service wash • Fast exterior wash6 self-serve wash bays with air dryers (3)

Nick DiamantidesStaff Writer

At a community workshop conducted dur-ing its Wednesday evening meeting, the Sig-nal Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioninched the City closer to installing a monu-ment sign with an electronic message center,but the location of the device may not be closeto the corner of Hill Street and Cherry Avenueas was originally planned. The workshop’spurpose was to give residents and businesspeople the opportunity to voice their opinionsabout the sign. Toward the end of the discus-sion, even Vice Mayor Mike Noll told thecommissioners that, in his opinion, installingthe sign there was “unacceptable.”

After about two hours of staff reports and

comments from residents, the commissionvoted unanimously to direct staff to furtherstudy certain aspects of the billboard, takinginto account the concerns expressed at themeeting. A second community workshop,which will include an updated staff report,will probably take place at the commission’sApril meeting.

During the Wednesday meeting, whichtook place at the Signal Hill Park CommunityCenter, nobody opposed the City’s plan toinvest about $49,000 to install the high-techmonument. The only bone of contention wasthe proposed location near northeast corner ofSignal Hill Park.

At the opening of the workshop, Pilar

Reinventing City HallConcerns over earthquake readiness spawn talk

of major overhaul for LB Civic CenterCJ DabloStaff Writer

The Long Beach City Coun-cil has taken a small but signifi-cant step towards overhaulingthe Long Beach Civic Center. Atthe Feb. 12 meeting, the CityCouncil voted 7-2 (Coun-cilmembers James Johnson andAl Austin dissenting) to moveforward with a staff recommen-dation that extends an invitationto the development communityto overhaul the city’s civic cen-ter. City Hall is approximately36 years old, and a 2006 seis-mic study that analyzed howthe building would fare under amoderate earthquake revealedmajor problems.

The 15-story city hall build-ing has four wings on each cor-ner that house the elevators,stairwells and restrooms, andDirector of Public WorksMichael Conway reported thatwhile the core of that city hallbuilding is “structurally sound,”there are still major safetyissues. He said that the fourwings have “weak connections,”that there are deformedcolumns, and that the wings’concrete panels create excessiveweight. Conway concluded thatthese problems, among others,would hamper those trying toexit the building in the event ofa major earthquake.

The seismic study deter-mined that it would cost about$119 million to retrofit the build-ing, including the soft costs torelocate City Hall employeesand services while the buildingis undergoing construction.Since that study is now severalyears old, those costs have beenestimated to be closer to $170million.

Assistant City ManagerSuzanne Frick stressed the

urgency of moving forward witha plan.

“So Mayor, Members of theCouncil, we need to do some-thing about this,” Frick saidTuesday. “We can’t just let thisbuilding go unattended. We haveto be making some decisionsabout how to deal with the seis-mic issues.”

Frick explained to the Coun-cil that the recommended RFQ(Request for Qualifications) willprimarily see if the development

community is at all interested inpartnering with the City to pro-vide a new Civic Center facility.She acknowledged that devel-opers could propose to simplyrehabilitate the current facili-ties.

Before he voted against theaction to move forward with theRFQ, Councilmember Johnsonasked if the Council couldexplore the possibility ofadding a structure to the

CJ Dablo/Signal TribuneView of Long Beach’s City Hall building. A report from the publicworks department found that one 2006 study determined that CityHall needs “substantial seismic remediation.”

see COURTHOUSE page 19

Sean BelkStaff Writer

For years, Signal Hill city officials havesuggested that four city blocks of land alongSpring Street between Atlantic and Californiaavenues is prime real estate for a hotel orother commercial uses.

The acreage owned by the State afterbeing transferred from the now defunct SignalHill Redevelopment Agency (RDA), how-ever, remains undeveloped.

Changes to state regulations and risingcosts associated with cleaning up old, aban-doned oil wells, a procedure known as oil-well re-abandonment, continues to be a majordeterrent for economic growth in Signal Hilland other cities in the region, leaving the oncerevenue-producing properties to remain bar-ren wastelands, according to city officials andoil-industry experts.

Vacant land between Willow and Spring

Rising costs, state regulations for oil-well cleanupsimpede development in Signal Hill, other cities

see SIGN page 16

see OIL WELLS page 18

PRESIDENTS’ DAYWEEKEND

S A L E

See page 23

Sean Belk/ Signal TribuneAn abandoned oil pump located on vacant land between Willow and Spring streets is an example ofmany 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 continuesto hinder development in the city.

Noll opposes locating electronic message boardat SH Park; commission asks for further study

FebRuaRy 15, 20132 SigNal TRibuNe

,

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 NeWS SigNal TRibuNe 3

At a press conference Tuesdaythat offered gun-violence survivorsand family members of victims anopportunity to voice their calls forstrong government action to reducegun violence, CongressmemberAlan Lowenthal introduced LongBeach resident Peggy McCrum,the Chapter leader of the LongBeach Area Brady Campaign toPrevent Gun Violence. McCrumhad been invited by Lowenthal toattend President Barack Obama’sState of the Union address Tuesdayevening. Lowenthal, along withmore than a dozen of his Congres-sional colleagues, have given theirone ticket to the President’saddress to someone affected by agun tragedy.

McCrum lost her brotherRobert Kelley, a Long Beach resi-dent and graduate of Cal State-Long Beach, when he was shot andkilled while leaving a store in LosAngeles at the age of 29. The killerwas never found.

“I am here today not just for mybrother Robert,” McCrum said,“but for the thousands of innocentmen, women, and children who arevictims of gun violence. There aremany avenues we can take to stopgun violence in our country, but wecertainly cannot choose the avenueof inaction. Now is the time forCongress to act. Now is the time todemand a plan.”

Lowenthal, a member of theGun Violence Prevention TaskForce and a proponent of PresidentObama’s policy recommendationsto reduce gun violence in our com-munities, said he was proud tohave McCrum as his guest andglad she was able to speak out.

“For every person like Peggy,and for every person like Robert,there are a thousand more untoldstories of pain and agony causedby gun violence,” Lowenthal said.“We must take every opportunityto give them a voice, to listen totheir stories, and to accept theirchallenge to take action.”

The Congressmember has

already become co-sponsor ofthree bills directed at reducing gunviolence in schools by improvingaccess to mental health care andproviding additional resources formental healthcare professionals.

“I am honored to stand herewith Congressman Lowenthal,”McCrum said, “who is part of thesolution, joining his colleagues inCongress to propose common-sense solutions to this issue whichhas caused too many heartaches,too many tears, and simply notenough action.”

On Wednesday, the day afterthe State of the Union address,Lowenthal issued a statementpraising President Obama’sspeech. “I believe that we havereached a watershed moment whenwe can either look forward and dowhat is right or look back andrepeat the mistakes of our past,”Lowenthal said. “I, like the Presi-dent, choose to move forward witha plan that spurs sustainable eco-nomic growth, creates high-payingjobs, promotes equality for all, andresponsibly reduces our deficit,while protecting the middle class.By increasing investments in ourinfrastructure and by focusing on

becoming the global leader ingreen energy technologies, we willbe successful in reinvigoratinggrowth and consumer confidence,while at the same time addressingthe important issue of climatechange.”

Lowenthal also said he waspleased that the President focusedon the need for comprehensiveimmigration reform, calling for abetter-built system that personifiesthe opportunities and promises ofthe American Dream for all newAmericans. “This is a pivotalmoment in our nation’s history,and I am ready to work with bothparties to get our country movingdown the path to real economicsecurity and global competitive-ness,” the Congressmember said.“Finally, I was moved when thePresident said ‘tonight matters lit-tle if we don’t come together toprotect our most preciousresource– our children.’ I agreewith him when he called for acomprehensive approach to gunsafety, and I am looking forward topursuing that plan with my col-leagues in Congress.”

Source: Lowenthal’s office

Congressmember lowenthal invites lb resident to speakabout gun violence before State of the union address

Courtesy Lowenthal’s officeCongressmember Alan Lowenthal (center) looks on as his guest at the State ofthe Union address, Peggy McCrum, calls for action on gun violence at Tues-day’s press conference at the Capitol.

AID HEARING LOSSWhat Hearing device exhibitWho The Hearing Loss Association of America Long Beach/Lake-wood ChapterWhen Friday, Feb. 15 from 10am to noonWhere Weingart Senior Center, 5220 Oliva Ave. in LakewoodMore info Local residents can view a free hands-on display ofdevices that help with hearing difficulties and receive information onhow the devices work and where they can be purchased. Call (562)630-6141.

ONCE UPON A TIMEWhat Marathon Reading of Grimm’s Fairy TalesWho ArtExchangeWhen Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9am to 9pmWhere ArtExchange, 356 E. 3rd St.More info ArtExchange will host a free family event to celebrate the200th anniversary of the first publication of fairy tales by the Broth-ers Grimm with a marathon reading of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Theevent will include readings by a local book illustrator, a librarianfrom the Long Beach Public Library, a professor from CSULB’s The-atre Department, and representatives from East Village businesses.Call (562) 999-1482.

CLEAN UP YOUR ALLEYWhat Alley cleanupWho Cal Heights Clean Streets (CHCS) teamWhere The alley between California and Myrtle avenuesWhen Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9:30am to 11:30amMore info The public may join the CHCS team as they clean upalleys and free them from weeds and trash. Light snacks, bags andgloves will be provided. The CHCS team would appreciate partici-pants bringing their own shovels, brooms, weed cutters and othertools. Call Stacey at (562) 981-3257 or email newsletter@cal-heights.org .

A DAY OF TRIBUTEWhat Black History Month tributeWho Long Beach Branch of the NAACPWhen Sunday, Feb. 17 at 3pmWhere McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr.More info In honor of Black History Month, the Long Beach Branchof the NAACP will recognize the contributions that African-Ameri-cans have made in the community and nation’s history. Call (562)856-7586 or email mnaacp@gmail.com .

BIXBY KNOLLS BY THE NUMBERSWhat State of the DistrictWho Bixby Knolls Business Improvement AssociationWhen Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 7pm to 9pmWhere Long Beach Petroleum Club, 3636 Linden Ave.More info The event will include food, entertainment, and newsabout the latest projects and progress in Bixby Knolls. $5 entry feeat the door. Call (562) 595-0081 or email info@bixbyknollsinfo.com.

GARNISHING YOUR GARMENTSWhat General meetingWho Long Beach Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of AmericaWhere California Heights United Methodist Church, 3759 OrangeAve.When Friday, Feb. 22 beginning at 10:30amMore info The Chapter meets the fourth Friday of every month. Call(714) 345-2338.

TOUR WILLOW SPRINGS PARKWhat Monthly tourWho Friends of Willow Springs ParkWhere 2745 Orange Ave. When Saturday, Feb. 23 at 9amMore info The tour, held on the fourth Saturday of each month, isled by volunteers and focuses on the history, wildlife, plants, and newdevelopments of the property. Call (562) 570-7777 or visit face-book.com/willowspringslb.com .

A LOFTY EXPERIENCEWhat Loft Walk 2013Who Long Beach HeritageWhere Insurance Exchange Building on East Broadway and otherdowntown buildings When Saturday, March 2 at 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pmMore info Tours start with hosted appetizers at Congregation AleHouse, then moves to the Big Red Bus for a tour of Downtown LongBeach with Art Deco Historian John Thomas and then the Loft Walkat the Insurance Exchange building before making it to the penthousefor wine tasting and appetizers. Tickets are $55 ($50 members, $35students). Call (562) 493-7019 or visit lbheritage.org .

BOOKWORMS, UNITEWhat Monthly community book clubWho The Bixby Knolls Literary SocietyWhere Elise’s Tea Room, 3924 Atlantic Ave.When Wednesday, March 13 at 7pmMore info Next month, the club will delve into The Big Sleep byRaymond Chandler. Parking is available along Atlantic Avenue.Refreshments will be provided. Call (562) 595-0081 or emailinfo@bixbyknollsinfo.com .

FebRuaRy 15, 2013

PubliSHeR/eDiTOR-iN-CHieFNeena R. Strichart

aDVeRTiSiNg CONSulTaNTS Jane Fallon Stephanie Raygoza

aDMiNiSTRaTiVe aSSiSTaNT/WebSiTe MaNageRTanya Paz

CulTuRe WRiTeRSDaniel Adams Vicki Paris Goodman Gregory Spooner

COluMNiSTSJennifer E. Beaver Carol Berg Sloan, RD Shoshanah Siegel

STaFF WRiTeRSCJ Dablo Nick Diamantides

aSSOCiaTe PubliSHeRStephen M. Strichart

DeSigN eDiTORLeighanna Nierle

MaNagiNg eDiTORCory Bilicko

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. TheSignal 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 printthose 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 theSignal 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 theyare 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 lettersto 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 submittedby 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 rea-sonable 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.

939 e. 27th St., Signal Hill, Ca 90755 (562) 595-7900 www.signaltribune.com newspaper@signaltribune.com

CONTRibuTiNg PHOTOgRaPHeRMatt Sun

eDiTORial iNTeRN

Ariana GastelumDeSigN iNTeRN

Kaelyn Bruno

CONTRibuTiNg WRiTeRRachael RifkinaSSiSTaNT eDiTOR/STaFF WRiTeR

Sean Belk

4 SigNal TRibuNe OPiNiON

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

w w w . s i g n a l t r i b u n e . c o m

A feeding tube not only saved my life but allows hundredsof thousands of Americans to live their lives. I invite you to askme about my experience.

Tube feeding has saved my life. In May of 2011, I was diag-nosed with severe gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach).Way before I was diagnosed, I was having an unusual fullnessafter I ate only a small portion of food, extreme weight loss,distention in the abdomen, heartburn, gastroesophageal refluxand nausea throughout the day. I lost weight over a course of8–9 months and went from 130 pounds to 98 pounds. I couldno longer teach my 7th graders at Mayfair Middle School. Islept on the couch, wrapped up in blankets. I was starving todeath.

On Sept. 30, 2011, I had a feeding tube placed into mysmall intestine. I began tube feeding for 12 hours a day, sevendays a week. Before I got my feeding tube, I was unable towork or enjoy everyday activities like going for a walk. Now,I am back teaching (feeding tube and all). I rode my bike in theTour of Long Beach, the Los Angeles Firecracker Ride, theLong Beach Marathon Bike Tour and the Beach Babe Bicy-cling Classic. I now have the energy to live my life.

Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of what a feedingtube is or why they are used. Please help me and thousands ofothers who rely on this life-sustaining therapy to educate thepublic as to what tube feeding is about. Ask me about my expe-rience!

Tube feeding, also known as home enteral nutrition (HEN),is a life-saving therapy for people who for various reasons can-not obtain adequate nutrition orally. Common reasons for afeeding tube include severe food allergies, swallowing disor-ders, gastroparesis, cancer, mitochondrial disease, short bowelsyndrome, Celiac disease, Parkinson’s disease, inflammatorybowel disease, and traumatic intestinal injuries. People of allages are fed using feeding tubes placed in the digestive tract.

Dodie Carmichael can be reached at dodierae@gmail.com .

MORE INFORMATIONfeedingtubeawareness.com

COMMENTARYA personal story behind Feeding Tube Awareness Week

by Dodie Carmichael

Hallelujah! The Sweetheart Sweepstakes is over foranother year! Congratulations to all the lucky winners,and a big thank-you to all the advertisers and generousprize sponsors. This year we received a total of over500 entries. With that kind of participation, I know thatwe accomplished what we set out to do, and that wasto encourage our readers to visit local businesses. Dur-ing the process of prize pick-up and bucket drop-off/retrieval, we at the Signal Tribune did someValentine’s Day shopping of our own. Now that’s whatI call practicing what we preach!

I hope all of our readers are doing what they can tokeep our local economy moving forward. Buyingonline and out of the area are the status quo for some,but those of us who want to keep our local businesseslocal spend our dollars in our own neighborhoods.Whether it’s buying a gift at Bella Cosa, flowers atSignal Hill Florist or baked goods at Alsace Lorraine,please do your best to keep your shopping as close tohome as possible. Same goes for dining out. We havesome nice dining spots in Bixby Knolls, CaliforniaHeights and Signal Hill. Whether you’re in the moodfor chili at Curley’s, Mexican food at Patricia’s orGuadalupe’s or sushi at Kashiwa or Bamboo Teri,please think twice before leaving the area; these restau-rateurs want and need your business.

Getting back to the subject of Sweetheart Sweep-stakes…I hope those who did enter enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed putting it all together. Winners werecontacted by phone Wednesday evening and Thursdayafternoon. Who won? I’ve included their names andwhat they won below!

ULTIMATE PRIZE– Jan PeacockHigh on Love! • Fly the skies on this Beaches Day Tour for two, cour-tesy of Sunset Flying (Fly over: Queen Mary, LosAngeles Airport, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes,Trump Golf Course & the Horseshoe, Catalina Island,Ports of Los Angeles & Long Beach, Vincent ThomasBridge & Sea Launch) $399 value! • $100 gift card for dinner from Delius Restaurant • One-time-use camera, film developing and surprisesfrom 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 GriceRiding Romance • Pediwagon Belmont Shore excursion for party of 14!($370 value!)

• Energy snack basket from Jumpstarter Bodyfuel Bars • Dozen cupcakes from Alsace Lorraine Bakery • 14 bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

SUPREME PRIZE – Kim ClarySpa-like Splendor • One-hour couples massage in your home while a chefprepares 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 theSignal Tribune

Cupid’s Choice – Roy VidalOvernight stay at Quality Inn Signal Hill (with conti-nental breakfast) • Champagne basket from WineCountry 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

Beary Cozy Valentine Package– Jill FialaBreakfast For Two from Black Bear Diner ($25 BearBucks) • Two Black Bear Diner Coffee Mugs Black Bear Diner His & Hers Fleece Jackets • BlackBear Diner Teddy Bear Dinner For Two from Black Bear Diner ($50 BearBucks)

Romance On Your Mind?– Sam ChaysavangDinner for two at Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria • Pair oftickets for Long Beach Playhouse Couples photography sitting plus print courtesy ofVangie Ogg Photography Custom couples framing courtesy of Andazola’sGallery Fluffy, red, heart-shaped pillow from About U • Twobags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

Oh-So Utterly Romantic! – Betty LeeTwo $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 • Twobags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

Sleepytime Loving – Janet AndersonAll courtesy of The Undershirt in Signal Hill: Cozyplush throw for 2 & Spa Set 2 Mugs & Sleepytime Tea • Ladies’ Bamboo nightshirt& Men’s Bamboo T-shirt Romance Novel, Candle & Bath Salts (packaged in alarge zippered tote bag) –Value $180

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 ofcandy

Tasty Lovin’ for Two – Marc Welder$25 gift card courtesy of Blackbird Café • Pair of tick-ets for Long Beach Playhouse Bottle of wine and 4 wine glasses from the SignalTribune • Cuddly Teddy bear from the Signal Tribune• Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy • Twobags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

So Happy to be in LOVE! – Kirkdell JoeDinner for two at Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria • Twotickets for Long Beach Playhouse Cuddly Stuffed Tiger from Signal Tribune • Three-month 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 MayPancake Mix, Maple Syrup & Hot Cocoa Mix fromFresh & Easy • $50 gift certificate for Donato’s HairSalon Coffee basket courtesy of Starbucks/Signal Hill • Pairof tickets for Long Beach Playhouse Dinner for two at Le Yen Restaurant • Box of trufflesfrom Signal Hill Fresh & Easy Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

For A Delightful Duo –Cade KlockPancake Mix, Maple Syrup & Hot Cocoa Mix fromFresh & Easy His and Hers gift certificate for Goldhill Hair Salon •Coffee basket courtesy of It’s A Grind/Signal Hill Pairof tickets for Long Beach Playhouse • $25 gift card atBamboo Teri House Box of truffles from Signal HillFresh & Easy • Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry LoversCandies

So Utterly In Love! – Nelson ColeDinner for two from Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant •Two passes for Museum of Latin American ArtScented candle from Capital Investment Advisers •Box of truffles from Signal Hill Fresh & Easy Choco-late-Scented Teddy Bear from Signal Tribune • Twobags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

Loving You Is SO Easy! – Dianna WoodsDinner 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 Choco-late-Scented Teddy Bear from the Signal Tribune •Two bags of Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candies

Thoughts from the Publisherby Neena Strichart

GATEWAY CITIESMetro Briefs

13-1

361p

s_g

at-n

e-13

-00

9 ©

2013

lac

mta

If you’d like to know more, visit metro.net.

A Better Commute? It’s About TimeStarting 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.

Metro Buys 550 New BusesThe 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 ConnectorMetro 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 IncreasedThe 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.

!"#!$%!&'!

(!)*!$+,%#

%&-!.$%-/

$!+0(-+

$!1!(!'-2 2!((!&23)$*

!"#$%&'("&&'')"*+'),-$)"&

4)$',2562789:

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 5NeWS

On Monday, Feb. 11 at approximately 1pm, a detec-tive from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD)was parked on Orange Avenue at 45th Way when he wasinvolved in an officer-involved shooting, according tothe LBPD.

While the detective was parked, a male Asian pulledup next to him and began throwing gang signs. Thedetective, who was in plain clothes and identified him-self as a police officer, then observed the subject pullout a handgun. The subject started to drive away butthen stopped and pointed the handgun at the detective.

At that point, the shooting occurred. The suspect fledthe area in a light-colored BMW traveling northboundon Orange Avenue.

Anyone with information regarding this incident isasked to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives MalcolmEvans and Todd Johnson at (562) 570-7244. Anony-mous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), texting TIPLA plus tip to CRIMES (274637), orvisiting lacrimestoppers.org .

Source: LBPD

Plain-clothes detective, suspected gangmember engage in officer-involved shooting

The Campaign TrailThe Campaign Trail

Long Beach Fire Department(LBFD) units responded to a struc-ture fire in the 5000 block of Gar-ford Street on Monday, Feb. 11,according to Matthew Dobberpuhl,public information officer for theLBPD.

Initial calls were received by

LBFD dispatch at 4:32pm. Engine22 was first on the scene and founda fully involved fire in a first-floorunit of a two-story apartment com-plex, according to Dobberpuhl. Thefire caused severe damage to theunit of origin with smoke damageaffecting the unit above. Two fami-

lies were displaced and assisted bythe American Red Cross.

One firefighter sustained minorburns to the top of both ears and wastreated at Saint Mary's Hospital. Nocivilian injuries were reported.

Source: LBFD

Firefighter sustains minor burns in apartment fire

Long Beach Fire Department(LBFD) units responded to areported structure fire in the 5400block of Las Lomas Street at10:24pm Monday, Feb. 11,according to Matthew Dobber-

puhl, public information officerfor the LBPD.

Upon arrival, Engine 22 founda well-involved kitchen fire andsmoke coming from the attic,according to Dobberpuhl. The res-

ident was home and exited thestructure safely. The resident wasdisplaced as a result of the fire,but will be staying with family.

Source: LBFD

Resident displaced as result of kitchen fire

The Concerned Citizens ofSignal Hill (CCSH) and the Sig-nal Hill Chamber of Commercewill co-host a Signal Hill CityCouncil candidate forum at theSignal Hill Police DepartmentCommunity Room, 2745 WalnutAve., on Monday, Feb. 25.

The forum will begin with a“public-candidate meet-and-

greet” period from 6:30pm to7pm, and the actual forum willbegin at 7pm and end at 8:30pm.

Each candidate will beallowed two minutes for anintroductory statement and twominutes for a closing statement.Signal Hill Chamber of Com-merce members and CCSH willprovide questions. Each candi-

date will be asked the same ques-tion and given two minutes toanswer, allowing for a total ofabout four prepared questions foreach candidate. This session willbe followed by a limited numberof written questions from theaudience, as time allows. Formore information, call (562)375-0761 or (562) 494-6215.

Sean BelkStaff Writer

Two long-awaited affordable-hous-ing projects in north Long Beach areadvancing with one breaking groundnext month after being held up fornearly two years due to the State’smove to abolish redevelopment agen-cies.

In a letter sent in December 2012,the California State Department ofFinance (DOF) had denied the City theright to use $18.3 million in bond pro-ceeds for projects to develop seniorhousing and upgrade existing affordablehousing in the ninth council district. Thebonds were issued through the afford-able-housing function of the now dis-solved Long Beach RedevelopmentAgency (RDA).

Of the total bond proceeds, $5.9million are earmarked for revitalizingthe Belwood Arms Apartments, at 6301Atlantic Ave., while the remaining$12.4 million helps pay for the con-struction of the Ramona Park Senior

Apartments at 3290 E. Artesia Blvd.,expected to break ground on March 6during a ceremony at the site.

The Ramona Park apartment proj-ect, expected to cost a total of $22.5 mil-lion, consists of demolishing the nowclosed Farmers & Merchants Bank tomake way for an apartment complexwith 61 units for seniors with low tomoderate incomes. The two-story struc-ture is expected to come with amenities,including a community center, a swim-ming pool, a circuit-training course,and open space for recreation.

William Leach, vice president ofpublic finance for the developer Irvine-based Palm Communities, said thecompany has been in the process ofclosing on the construction-periodfinancing for the past four to fivemonths as the process has been delayeddue to the Sate’s dissolution of redevel-opment. He said the former LongBeach Housing Development Com-pany also loaned funding for the proj-ect and the developer was able to uselow-income housing tax credits.

Leach added that the passage of theSate’s “cleanup” legislation, known asAssembly Bill 1484, was a major factorin the state relinquishing the bond pro-ceeds for the project, adding that thebill makes it clear that “during the RDAdissolution affordable-housing bondproceeds are authorized to be used tobuild affordable housing.”

Robert Zur Schmiede, deputy direc-tor of Long Beach Development Serv-ices, said the DOF initially objected tothe expenditure, claiming that the Citydidn’t provide adequate informationthat the money was available eventhough the funding was clearly held bya trustee. He said city officials then senta letter with additional information andenlisted local legislators and dignitariesrequesting that the DOF reconsider.

Zur Schmiede said that on Jan. 10,the DOF sent a letter back, reversingtheir initial decision. “It’s just amazingto me that they reached the initial con-clusion that they did, but they didreconsider it and did reverse their deci-sion,” he said.

Courtesy Palm CommunitiesA two-dimensional elevation shows the exterior of the proposed Ramona Park Senior Apartments, a $22.3-million projectexpected to replace the now closed Farmers & Merchants Bank at 3290 E. Artesia Blvd. to make way for 61 units for seniorswith low to moderate incomes. The project is expected to break ground during a ceremony at the site on March. 6.

Ramona Park Senior apartments tobreak ground in north lb on March 6

6 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013MeeT yOuR CaNDiDaTeSThe 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 challengersRobert Mendoza, Nancy Sciortino, Elizabeth Wise and Lori Woods. Below is information about each of them, providedby the candidates themselves, the content of which the Signal Tribune has not edited, unless indicated by brackets.

Bob Mendoza

Years residing in Signal HillI move to Signal Hill in 1986

Occupation Business owner

Personal InformationI'm married to Gloria Navatogether we have 6 adult childrenand 11 grand childen

Education UCLA AdministratorDevelopment Institute 1994

Goals if elected/PlatformI will give the community a voice.I will serve the entire community.I will bring polling places back toour neighborhoods.I will ensure that resources arealways there for public safetykeeping our Police and Firedepartments adequately staffedas our city continues to grow.I will establish a 10 year plan forfunding in view of federal andstate cuts to our city example theloss of the RDA.Implement an IndependentAudit Committee and a two yearbudget as recommended by theLos Angeles Grand Jury.I will work to implement the Tax-payers Right to Know and Vote toprotect hidden property taxesand fees.I appreciate the support the resi-dents have given me when Iknock on doors to ask for theirsupport and vote.

Endorsements (limit to six)Endorsements 960 residents asof 2.9.2013

Michael Noll

Years residing in Signal Hill I have livedand owned property in Signal Hill for over 40years

Occupation Business Management/ retired

Personal InformationBorn and raised and schooled in Long Beachand received a scholarship to USC

Education Degree from USC in Business andFood Distribution

Nonprofit/professional affiliationsFormer Chair of Aids Walk, Former Chair ofTHE Center, Director on the Sanitation Board ofL.A. County.I devote time to the League of Cali-fornia Cities. I am involved with The NationalAnimal Rights groups,as well as the Sierra Club.

Nonprofit/professional affiliationsIf reelected I would continue my commitment tohave sound management, a balanced budget,prudent emergency reserves and continue toprovide services residences want without cut-backs or interruption. As a city we have suc-ceeded where other cities have failed . SignalHill lives within it's means. I BELIEVE MY EXPIERANCE IS INVALU-ABLE TO MAINTINING VITAL SERVICESWITHOUT RAISING TAXES OR EMPLOYEELAYOFFS. THATS WHY I AM RUNNING FORONE MORE TERM ON CITY COUNCIL. I amproud of the accomplishments during the reces-sion times...new business...new senior, youth,and adult programs. I am also proud that SignalHill has no Utility Tax...and a Pledge from theCouncil....No New Taxes.I ask for your vote on Tuesday March 5th..for aneven better Signal Hill

Goals if elected/re-elected My goals are to continue bring business into Sig-nal Hill. New business continue to recognize ourcity and want to locate here I am proud of ournewest business such as, Black Bear, Diner, In-And-Out and a new Applebee's restaurants, Plusthere is a new Cadillac and Fiat dealership con-tributing to our sales tax base. I would like tomove ahead on the New Library paid with for-mer Redevelopment bonds, as we have beenstudying it for the last 15 years, and know whatthe residents have asked for. Signal Hill has noutility 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 LowenthalCalifornia Senator Ricardo LauraAssembly Member Bonnie LowenthalLos Angeles County Supervisor Don KnabeLong Beach Mayor Bob FosterL.A. County Fire Fighters Local 1014

Nancy Sciortino

Years residing in Signal Hill 24 years inSignal HillOccupation Account Business ManagerEducation Graduate of Youngstown StateUniversity

Nonprofit/professional affiliationsCounty Central Committee Member Represen-tative and Treasurer of the 54th AssemblyDistrict for 6 years and just won another termfor the newly created 70th Assembly District,President of Casa De Colina #4 Association,Member of the Long Beach Women's Republi-can Federated Club, Member of the Signal HillHistorical Society, and Member of the SignalHill Community First. I participated in the2013 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Itwas a very interesting evening and somethingI care immensely about- especially the home-less children. I donate every year to the backpack program for homeless children on one ofthe radio stations, either 790 or 640AM.

Goals if elected/re-elected Improve our quality of life, transparency,review all contracts, develop a strategic planfor the city with citizens being able to partici-pate. The election is not just about me but about ourResidents and where we are headed in SignalHill. It is about opening up lines of communi-cation and getting the public to participate.The public has a right to know and deal withCity Government, when we close that door weshut out the people and their voice.

PlatformPublic Safety- We need to implement a Neigh-borhood Watch Program throughout the City.More than half the residents I spoke to walk-ing the Hill are concerned with the rising num-ber of crimes throughout our City. The Northend of the Hill has one, we need to help thePolice Dept., for they can't be everywhere. Restoring our "Right to Know and Vote" onany property tax increases. I have beenactively involved with this petition for 6 longmonths. We received 871 validated signa-tures, the Residents have spoken. It be greatto have a Win win solution with the Council. Ifthere are certain parts they are not comfort-able with let's work it out to avoid anotherlegal battle.Residents not feeling listened to by City Hall.I have heard it over and over from Residents Ihave been meeting that they will not bother tocome to City Hall to address their concerns.Too many times they have seen Citizenshumiliated on live camera and broad casted tothe entire City. I am asking for your vote to preserve our qual-ity of life with fiscal responsibility and trans-parency. If you care as much about Signal Hillas 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 LosAngeles County

Ellen Ward

Years residing in SignalHill 28 years

Occupation Present – SignalHill City Councilmember

Personal InformationMarried, 2 sons-in-law, 6nephews and nieces, 5 greatnephews and nieces

EducationBS in Recreation at CSULA

Nonprofit/professionalaffiliationsRetired Executive Director ofAIDS Walk LB (9 years)Past BOD at One in LongBeach (GLBT), now The Cen-terPresent – Member of SignalHill Historical Society

Goals and PlatformTo build a new library withoutusing city fundsTo assist Signal Hill HistoricalSociety in building a museumTo continue to increase retailfacilities; generate additionaltax revenuesTo pass and adhere to a bal-anced budget each yearTo continue increasing generalreservesTo work with City and Stateofficials to find a less costlyway abandon oil wellsTo not raise taxesTo continue to support envi-ronmentally friendly projectsTo continue to support ourlocal businesses

EndorsementsCongress member, AlanLowenthalAssembly member, BonnieLowenthalLA County Supervisor, DonKnabeState Senator, Ricardo LaraSignal Hill Chamber of Com-merce President, [TerryRogers]LA County Fire Fighters, Local1014

The three polling placesfor the election will be:

Signal Hill Park Community Center

1780 E. Hill St. Voting precinct 6450001A

Family Churchof Signal Hill 2094 Cherry Ave.

Voting precinct 6450004A

Discovery Well Park Community Center

2200 Temple Ave.Voting precinct 6450005A

All three polls will offer Spanishand Khmer assistance and willbe handicapped-accessible.

The polls will be open from 7am to 8pm.

For more information, visitcityofsignalhill.org and click on “2013 General Municipal Election.”

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 MeeT yOuR CaNDiDaTeS SigNal TRibuNe 7Edward 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 Uni-versity of Southern California

Nonprofit/professional affiliationsPresident, Gateway Cities Council of Govern-ment and LA Division of CA League of Cities;Board member, Miller Children’s HospitalAdvisory Board, LBCC Board of Foundation,CA League of Cities, LA County Commissionfor Local Government Services, Signal HillSustainability Committee, LA EconomicDevelopment Corporation, Watershed Con-servation Authority and the River’s andMountain Consevancy.

Goals if re-elected I am very honored andexcited to be listed as candidate in the upcom-ing election and hope that I have your supportas you cast your vote. My pledge to the resi-dents over the next four years are as follows:Always listen and represent the people first!Enhance residents’ quality of life. AdvancingSignal Hill Premier City status! Maintain gov-ernment accountability & transparency.Maintain balanced budgets never spendingmore than we have. Invest in Signal Hill’sfuture. Diversify city revenues. Transition torenewable energy sources. Maintaining andstrengthening community, business and citypartnerships both within and outside of SignalHill. To always have residents vote for anyproposed increase or new tax.

Platform I am proud of my contributionstowards positive changes in our communityduring my last term. No new taxes; live videostreaming of all council meetings; new policestation powered by solar; increased cityreserves, paved streets and sidewalks, andtrimmed trees despite the recession; newbusinesses (Cadillac, Black Bear, Fresh andEasy, Best Buy); new housing powered bysolar; working with the chamber to promoteshopping in Signal Hill; insuring that the bas-ketball courts remain part of the park; just toname a few. Many people tell me that they areproud to have me as a council member as Itruly represent the people. I actively seek outpeople’s opinions listening to their needs andaddressing them in council meetings. Askyourself: Are you proud to live in Signal Hill?Are you proud that we are now considered aPremier City in Southern California? Do youagree with the overall direction of the City?Do you want Signal Hill to stay a vibrant eco-nomically stable city? Do you like the fact thatthe City has not imposed any new taxes inover 16 years? If you answered yes, let’s keepthe momentum going! Signal Hill is notwhere it is today by happenstance. Let’s con-tinue to progress not regress! Knowledge andexperience matters!

Endorsements (limit to six)Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Congress-woman Janice Hahn, State Senator RicardoLara, Supervisor Don Knabe, Signal HillMayor Tina Hansen, LA County FirefightersLocal 1014

Elizabeth WiseYears residing in SignalHill 2010

Occupation Business ownerof EES Paralegal Services andImperial Occidental ResourceRecovery, Inc. (Paralegal andIntermediary) Imperial Occidental, Inc.:(Husband’s Partner) SignalHill oil producer/servicingcompany. Elizabeth is the VP,CFO and Administrator of thecompany. An oil producerand oil servicing company, ithas its own personal machineshop located in Lakewood(will be moved to Signal Hill inthe future). Our oil businessprovides insight into Signal Hill’s greatest resources and challenges.

EES Paralegal Services/Owner & Degreed Paralegal: Intermediary betweenmy clients and City/County officials, OSHA/Workers’ Comp/Labor BoardHearings and Attorneys resulting in resolutions; review client’s attorneyinvoices for duplicate/overbilling; estate planning for Police/Fire Associa-tions and Notary Public since 1996.

Personal Information Elizabeth Wise was born and raised in San Diego County. Elizabeth mar-ried at 16 and was widowed at 28 after 11 years of marriage. She was leftto raise her 8 and 10 year old children. Elizabeth earned her AS Degreewith a minor in paralegal studies from National University in San Diego.Her son Erick, put himself through college and earned two bachelordegrees, a Masters and a MD from University of Pittsburg. His wife, Jen-nifer has a PHD from John Hopkins and they have a son. Her daughterMishelle, is a mother of 4 and her husband, Jason is a Beverly Hills attor-ney. In 2002 and 2007, Elizabeth survived two bouts of breast cancer. Sheis passionate about giving back and serving her community.Elizabeth married Al Wise, Jr. (an oil well “wildcatter”) in 2010 and movedto make her home with Al in Signal Hill. Al purchased about an acre of oilwell property at 2749 California Avenue in Signal Hill in 2005. Al and Eliz-abeth are residents and businessowners who own and operate ImperialOccidental Resource Recovery, Inc. in Signal Hill.

Education Associate of Science with a minor in Paralegal Studies.

Nonprofit/professional affiliationsMember of Signal Hill Historical Club, Member of Signal Hill Rotary Club,Long Beach Salvation Army Planning Committee

In the City of Chula VistaCity Charter Commissioner (former), Parks/Recreation Commissioner(former), Kiwanis Club President (2007-2009), American Cancer SocietyEvent 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 & HandsWorking Together)

Goals if electedCouncil Transparency and Accountability to the Taxpayers & Residents ofSignal Hill by voting for an Independent Auditor that was recommendedby 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 Redevel-opment Agency.A Fresh Outlook and Diversity that accurately represents the community.Community Inclusiveness in City decision making with round tables withcommunity leaders from the Oil Industry, Businesses and Residents.Good Neighbor Ethics between the Industry, Businesses and Residents tocreate a true and thriving “Signal Hill Community”.

PlatformI AM STEPPING UP TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY. I SAY IT'S TIME FORA CHANGE AND ITS TIME FOR CITY COUNCIL TERMS OF 15 TO 20YEARS TO COME TO AN END. I WANT TO THANK THE INCUMBENTSFOR THEIR SERVICE BUT ITS TIME FOR A NEW GENERATION.ITS TIME FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DECISIONPROCESS OF SIGNAL HILL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONEIS ENGAGED, INFORMED AND RESPECTED.MY VISION IS A DYNAMIC CITY WITH UNLIMITED POTENTIAL TODEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW JOBS, NEW BUSINESSES, AUNIQUE COMMUNITY AND A HISTORIC DESTINATION THAT CANAND WILL BE A WORLD FAMOUS PART OF CALIFORNIA HISTORY.I WILL BRING DIVERSITY, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND BEYOUR TENACIOUS ADVOCATE AND INTERMEDIARY, KEEPING YOUINFORMED AND PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS RESIDENTS, PROP-ERTY AND BUSINESS OWNERS.

Endorsements (please limit to six) Former Signal Hill Mayor Keaton KingFormer Signal Hill Mayor Carol Churchill.Former Signal Hill Parks & Recreation Commissioner Robert TickellJohn McCann, Former Chula Vista City CouncilmanMayor of Chula Vista Cheryl CoxEmanuel Mendoza, Past President Chula Vista Police Officers' Association

Lori Woods

Years residing in Signal Hill 15 years

OccupationWife / Mother / Community Vol-unteer / Small Business Owner

Personal InformationMarried to Lance 25years, We have four children: Skyler 20, Celeste18, Sierra 14, Savannah 12

EducationBachelor of Science, Secretarial Sci-ence / Office Administration

Goals if electedCouncil members need to think about how theirdecisions effect our daily lives, impact residents,business owners, and the community as a whole.Over the last 20 years the current council hasbuilt infrastructure like streets, sewers, parksand a new police station. They have used statefunds to remove blight and create an incomestream from sales tax revenues. These revenuescome from shoppers who buy cars and productsat our auto mall and retail stores.Now that we have this foundation, Let’s continueto do what is necessary to maintain it, & buildupon it when we can, BUT lets get new leader-ship on the council that can start getting creativeto build an engaged close-knit community.With your help I want to actively seek capableleaders in each neighborhood…encourage themto complete the Community EmergencyResponse Training (CERT) ---I have taken theCERT course here in Signal Hill myself. It is anexcellent nationally recognized training designedfor neighbors to take care of each other and aidour excellent police / fire & medical servicesshould we encounter a major or local disasterthat could stretch our resources.There are many programs already designedready to ‘plug-in’ to our neighborhoods makingus all more resilient and better prepared. I wantto seek out these programs, find the ones thatbest fit our needs and then aggressively imple-ment these plans city-wide…neighborhood byneighborhood. We’l all feel safer because we’llall be better prepared…and guess what…..We’llall get to know each other better in the process.

PlatformBuild a community where my children want tobuy a home and raise their children Develop emergency preparedness plans for eachneighborhood Implement scheduled Police Patrol for bothgated & non- gated neighborhoods Encourage public participation at all CouncilMeetings Commit to put residents & existing businessinterests first in all decision-making Capitalize on the natural terrain & beauty of Sig-nal Hill - A great destination for families & com-munity building activities Create term limits I want to be part of a “New Generation Of Lead-ers” to serve on the City Council.

EndorsementsMy endorsements are easy to find and under-stand. My endorsements are in every area ofthe city. The endorsements that matter mostto me and the endorsements that should mat-ter most to the residents of Signal Hill arefound in every front yard or every place ofbusiness where you see one of my campaignsigns. Each sign you find on a private resi-dence or in the window of a shop was placedthere with the permission of that Signal Hillneighbor or that Signal Hill business owner.

FebRuaRy 15, 20138 SigNal TRibuNe COMMuNiTy

Rachael RifkinContributing Writer

On Nov. 20, 2012, Long Beachresident and longtime golfer LenKennett added the Lifetime Achieve-ment Award from the Los AngelesCounty Board of Supervisors to hisalready extensive list of accolades,which include All-American GolferAward at USC, winner of the 1950Southern California CollegiateChampionship, recipient of theSouthern California PGA’s Distin-guished Service Award, CIF South-ern Section’s Golf Professional of theYear Award, and 1998 inductee intothe Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame.Beyond his own career, Kennett isalso known for his contributions tojunior golf, in particular, the LenKennett Junior Golf Championship,now going into its 58th year.

Kennett discovered golf at ayoung age.

“I got into golf because I was 13and they built a very nice golf coursenear my house in Arcadia,” Kennettsaid. “I was in my 9th grade Latinclass, when the guy in front of mesaid, ‘I made a dollar yesterday.’ In

1940, that was a fair amount ofmoney. He explained that if youwent over to the new golf course andcarried a guy’s clubs around for awhile, he’d pay you 75 cents. If youwere on your toes, you’d get a quar-ter tip. So I said, let me at it!”

It wasn’t long before he was bit-ten by the golf bug. “Once the bugbites, it really gets you. You watchguys you’re caddying for, and think,‘Hey, I ought to try that myself.’That’s the way it started,” Kennettsaid. “It’s a challenging game, a bitlike bridge. Bridge is a hard game todo well at, so there’s a lot of pleasurein doing well. Golf is not unlikethat.”

He honed his skills throughouthigh school and, after a brief stint inthe Marines, continued playing atUSC, which he attended under theG.I. Bill.

“My senior year, I was captain ofthe Trojans, and I won the SouthernCalifornia Intercollegiate, which atthe time was the premiere golfchampionship in the state of Califor-nia,” Kennett said. “I was alsoselected to play in the East-West

matches. That was exciting. Then Igot back from Nationals and knew Ihad to go to work.”

Back then, as Kennett explainedit, pro golf wasn’t as lucrative as it istoday. He could make more moneypumping gas, selling insurance, orteaching golf lessons for $2.50.

A golf-professional friend of hisgot him a job as an assistant at a golfcourse. It was around this time thathis friend Paul Runyan, who was aprofessional at a well-known golfcourse in Pasadena, invited him toteam up to offer kids free golf les-sons.

“I only got one day a week off,but I did it,” Kennett said. “I’ve beenoffering kids free lessons eversince.”

It wasn’t long before he secured ajob as head professional at theMarine Memorial Golf Course inOceanside. He bought his first golfstore there in 1952, and over theyears acquired several more stores.All of his stores did well.

“I have always felt that if youfound the right club for people,they’d play better,” Kennett said. “It

was something that I spent sometime on for myself, and it seemed tohelp. I helped others do the samething.”

Then in 1955 he began the LenKennett Junior Golf Championship.

“There aren’t really many goodtournaments for junior golf players,”he said. “I make sure to greet eachkid and tee them off like you wouldat any other golf tournament. Golf isa good game for them. The gamehas honor, and it teaches character.It’s also a good family game.There are very few games that a10-year-old will play with his par-ents, so it has the ability to bringfamilies together.”

He and his wife Marie, whowill be celebrating their 61stanniversary on February 10th,lived in Oceanside until 1957,when he was selected as the headprofessional at the San GabrielCountry Club.

“I stayed at the San GabrielCountry Club until 1964,” he said.“The smog was getting pretty badup there, so the county decidedthey were going to open the LosVerdes Golf Course in PalosVerdes. I applied for the job on abid and stayed there 34 years.”

The Lakewood Country Clubgolf course was in danger of beingshut down when they called inKennett in the late 1970s.

“Lakewood had run into trou-ble,” he said. “Their sprinkler sys-tem was bad; they were talkingabout subdividing it and sellingthe land. They asked me to help,so I managed it as well as LosVerdes. I stayed there for 22years.”

He helped fix up the golfcourse and then started giving

away free golf lessons to kidsagain. He announced the free les-sons in a local daily newspaper,and they immediately became pop-ular.

“The kids started going, and theparents followed,” Kennett said.“Then I put on my junior golf tour-nament for kids between 9 and 17.Tiger Woods played in one of thetournaments. Visitors would comeand see Lakewood, and they’d say,‘Hey this isn’t so bad.’ We finallygot the clubhouse open and it’sbeen going ever since.”

The octogenarian father of twodaughters and five grandchildrenretired when he was 75. Nonethe-less, he still gives free golf lessonsfor kids as well as veterans. Healso helps organize his junior golfchampionship every year. On July2, 2013, he’ll be on the first teefrom 6:30am until 3pm, greetingeach kid and teeing them off inofficial fashion.

“Len is a brilliant golf mind,visionary, retailer, and mentor, buthe’s an even better human being,”said Jorge Badel, Senior GolfDirector for Los Angeles CountyDept. Parks and Recreation. “Hetaught me as much about life as hetaught me about golf. He had aprofound impact on all SouthernCalifornian golfers– juniors,women, and seniors– both profes-sional and amateur. That’s a prettywide swath.”

For Kennett, it was just all in aday’s work.

“It sounds a little corny, but Iworked because I was interested inwhat I was doing,” Kennett said. “Imade a living at it, but I didn’treally do it for money. I did itbecause I liked what I was doing.”

Living Legends, Unsung Heroes

long beach golf Hall of Famer len Kennettreceives lifetime achievement award

Courtesy Len KennettLen Kennett, at the age of 24, at the Marine Memorial Golf Course in Oceanside

File photoLen Kennett received the So Cal PGA’s Bill Bryant Award for Distinguishedgolf in 1991.

ExperienceMatters

PartIaL LIStoF SUPPorterS:congreSSManaLan LowenthaL

congreSSwoManJanIce hahn

State SenatorrIcarDo LaraLa coUnty SUPerVISorDon KnabeLa coUnty FIreFIghterSLocaL 1014Sh coUncILMeMberSMIKe noLL & tIna hanSen

Sh PLannIng coMMISSIonerJane FaLLon

Sh ParKS & rec coMMISSIonergary DUDLey

WilsonFor Signal Hill City CouncileD

Re-elect

orthyntuitiveoyalincerepen-mindedoble

Vote March 5

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

Paid for by Committee to Re-elect Ed Wilson | ID#940841

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

WILSON

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 9COMMuNiTy

* AS SPACE PERMITSExpert Care • Gentle Grooming • Walk-Ins Welcome*

$2OFFNot valid with any other offer. Expires

3/2 /13. One per customer. BK store only.

$ 5OFF

4102 Orange Ave.#113

at Carson St.Open Tues–Sun562-427-2551

Full-ServiceGrooming

Self-ServicePet Wash

On first visit or $3 off next visit. $25 min. Not valid with any other offer. Expires

3/2/13. One per customer. BK store only.

GROOMING • FOOD • SUPPLIES • SELF-SERVICE WASH

Seeking answers?

Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist3629 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach (562) 424-5562

Visit www.Spirituality.com,a website based on the ideas in this book.

“A REFERENCE BOOK F

OR LIFE”

OVER 9 MIllION COPIES SOlD!

all are welcome!Sunday morning service.......9:30 aMSunday School..........................9:30 aMNeW Sunday Service..................5 PM

the reading room/Libraryis open to visitors:

Mon. - Fri...................................10 aM - 5 PM

Christ Jesus’ spiritual foundation of healingbrings answers as you discover more aboutGod’s power and presence in your daily life.

You are invited to learn moreabout God and His Beloved Son:

NeW 5 PM SuNDaySuNSeT SeRViCe

Hughes Middle School andLongfellow Elementary Schoolwill team up with Goodwill, Serv-ing the People of Southern LosAngeles County (GoodwillSOLAC) to host a used-clothingdrive on Saturday, Feb. 23 atHughes, 3846 California Ave. from10am to 1pm.

The schools will collect oldclothing and household goods to bedonated to Goodwill SOLAC dur-ing the event, which is open to thecommunity and will take place onthe Longfellow upper playgroundon California Avenue between

Bixby and Roosevelt roads. Items accepted include: cloth-

ing, accessories (pocketbooks,backpacks, hats, gloves, ties,scarves, belts, etc.), shoes, andhousehold fabrics (bedding, cur-tains, towels, bath mats, etc.).Donated items will go to GoodwillSOLAC for resale to support edu-cation, skills training and job-placement services for individualswith barriers to employment andother disabilities. Donors willreceive a donation receipt for theirtaxes.

For more information regarding

this event, contact Hughes GreenTeam Adviser Cathy Procopio at(562) 989-0970.

Source: Hughes Middle School

Schools and goodwill SOlaC teaming up to host used-clothing drive

Ocean Boulevard between down-town Long Beach and the GeraldDesmond Bridge will be closed duringthe day on Saturday, Feb. 16 for re-striping to complete a repaving project.Both directions will be closed, but atdifferent times.

The closures are scheduled as fol-lows:

• From 7am to noon, workers willclose eastbound Ocean Boulevard andthe on-ramp from Pico Avenue to thewestbound Gerald Desmond Bridge.The connection from eastboundDesmond Bridge to the northbound

710 Freeway will remain open.• From noon to 5pm, workers will

close westbound Ocean Boulevard.The connection from the southbound710 Freeway to westbound DesmondBridge will be closed.

The project had been planned forthe previous weekend, but rainfall pre-vented its completion.

For updated traffic information, goto polb.com/traffic or follow @portof-longbeach on Twitter, hashtag #polb-traffic.

Source: Port of LB

Portion of Ocean boulevard to close this Saturday

Why someone would choose to name one ofthe “man’s best friends” species Nemesis isanyone’s guess, but there you go—a perfectreason for renaming him and taking him to a

forever home. He’s an owner drop-off—which shows you who is whose best friend—is nearly 2 years old, and is a confident and

balanced pet for an experienced owner. Com-panion Animal Village at 7700 East SpringSt., (562) 570-PETS. Ask for ID#A453311.

Pet of the Week:

Nemesis

Sponsored by:

F O L B A

Sean BelkStaff Writer

A mishap that caused significantwater damage last month to thenorth section of the Expo Arts Cen-ter in Bixby Knolls, including in theBack Room Theatre, is now pre-senting new opportunities for reno-vating the entire portion of thefacility.

Although some parties areimpacted financially by the waterdamage that city officials and com-munity leaders say was caused by aroofing contractor not securely pro-tecting the inside space from rain-fall, some affected individuals arelooking on the bright side of the sit-uation.

“It’s so silly, you just have tolaugh about it,” said Aaron Morgan,director and co-founder of the smalltheater group Chrysalis Stage,which had planned to make its LongBeach debut at the Expo last monthwith Oscar Wilde’s The Importanceof Being Earnest but had to cancelthe production after rain flooded thefacility.

According to city officials, thenorth portion of the Expo, which islocated on Atlantic Avenue in BixbyKnolls, has to be gutted and entirelyrebuilt due to substantial waterdamage caused by rain that floodedthe facility in late January.

Douglas Orr, the building’s man-ager, has stated that Long BeachRoofing, Inc. was replacing thefacility’s roof as part of a $200,000overhaul but didn’t secure plasticover the top of the structure prop-erly, allowing rain to deluge theupstairs and downstairs areas. Cityofficials confirmed that the contrac-tor’s insurance company is expected

to cover the total cost of all dam-ages, and the City won’t have to payfor any renovations through its Gen-eral Fund.

Jonathan Kraus, chief of staff for8th District Long Beach City Coun-cilmember Al Austin, said via emailon Feb. 13 that work and discus-sions between the City and theinsurance company were still under-way this week and no completenumbers of the assessed water dam-age were available yet.

Orr, however, has stated that therain soaked sound equipment,gallery art pieces, an electrical con-duit, floors, walls, scenic materialsand storage. As part of the overhaulpaid for by funding through the for-mer Long Beach RedevelopmentAgency, new tiles on cement floors,a light-dimming system and a sprin-kler system were to be installed, butnow the entire portion of the build-ing has to be renovated.

Blair Cohn, executive director ofthe Bixby Knolls BusinessImprovement Association, alsocouldn’t confirm the entire damage,but he added that the portion of thebuilding has to be taken down to thestuds. “Ultimately, they’re going tohave to put all the walls back up andreplace the electrical,” he said,adding that, fortunately, a kids the-ater group was able to salvage someequipment.

On the bright side, he said, theproject will now provide major ren-ovations to the building and addedthat the City’s public works depart-ment acted promptly to help cleanup the situation. “It’s a drag… It’s areal bummer,” Cohn said. “Thegood news is the City acted imme-diately.”

Morgan addedthat the water damagealso caused floors tobuckle and becomeweak in spaces. “Itseems like somebodywas responsible, andthere was a fairamount of damage,”he said. “It really wasa mess.”

The nonprofit the-ater group, which hasbeen producing playsin Whittier since2008, decided tomove to Long Beachthis year, planning totake up space in theExpo’s Back RoomTheatre that was pre-viously used for pro-ductions by the LongBeach ShakespeareCompany and Long Beach Opera.

Morgan said the company wasable to salvage dozens of old seatsfrom the historic Atlantic Theater,which is being demolished to makeway for a new library. However, hesaid, after the water damage, he’snot sure if the seats are recoverableat this point.

“It’s certainly disappointingbecause the idea was to rescue thispart of history in Long Beach,” Mor-gan said. “We were hoping to justclean them, and they still would beold and charming, but now I don’tknow … it doesn’t look good.”

He said, however, that the groupfounded by Morgan and his wifeAndrea still plans to stay in the Expocenter. “We felt that, given the cir-cumstances of being a new move forus, there would be too many obsta-

cles trying to restart and move to anew location given this whole roof-ing and flooding fiasco,” he said.“We really wanted to start our LongBeach experience there at the Expoand wanted to make that our newhome.”

Morgan said the group is plan-ning to now come back with a seriesof free play readings for the FirstFridays Art Walk in Bixby Knollsstarting in March, to take place inthe main hall of the Expo Arts Cen-ter. He said he would be using thedown time as an opportunity forfundraising and to introduce the the-ater group to Long Beach.

Morgan said it would be nice toeventually have a 70-seat to 99-seattheatre venue. “Hopefully, we canrecover some time, do somefundraising and give the Expo build-ing time to put itself back together toput on the type of production wewanted,” he said.Junior league to host 8th annual Kids in the Kitchen event

Junior League of Long Beach(JLLB) will offer local families thechance to have fun while learningabout healthy eating and exercise atthe eighth annual Kids in theKitchen. Co-sponsored by The Cityof Long Beach Department of Healthand Human Services Healthy ActiveLong Beach Project, the event is freeand will take place on Saturday,March 9 from 10am to 2pm at MartinLuther King, Jr. Park, 1950 LemonAve.

This event will include children-oriented health and nutrition activi-ties such as fitness challenges,

kid-friendly snack recipes, healthscreenings, dance, martial arts, sportsand youth club sign-ups, a bicyclerodeo, games, music, and hourly raf-fle prizes. There will be free healthscreenings from St. Mary MedicalCenter, free bike helmets from MillerChildren’s Hospital and Kid Tribewill perform Hoop-apalooza.

“Kids in the Kitchen is a commu-nity outreach program that teacheschildren and families to choosehealthful foods and to make exercisea regular habit. Junior League ofLong Beach recognizes that goodnutrition plays a vital role in a child’s

well-being,” said Trinka Rowsell,JLLB president. “Now in the eighthyear, the 2013 Kids in the Kitchen isset to be the largest yet with morethan 1,300 children and familiesexpected to attend.”

For more details about the 8thAnnual JLLB Kids in the Kitchen,visit jllb.org or call (562) 989-6400.

Local businesses and organiza-tions who would like to participatethrough cash contributions and raffleitems should contact Ashleigh Ruhlat (303) 229-6878 or kitk@jllb.org.

Source: JLLB

Courtesy Chrysalis StageChrysalis Stage, a small theater group, was planning to use dozens of old seats from the historicAtlantic Theater for productions in the Back Room Theatre at the Expo Arts Center on AtlanticAvenue in Bixby Knolls. However, it’s unclear whether the seats can be recovered after sustainingsubstantial water damage last month.

Theater group hopes to rebuild act as expoarts Center undergoes major renovations

10 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

!! !

!

!!

!

!

SAVE THE DATE!

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 NeWS SigNal TRibuNe 11

Sean BelkStaff Writer

Although the faded white- andpink-colored Atlantic Theater,built in the early 1940s with ArtDeco, Streamline Moderne-stylearchitecture, is slated to be demol-ished and replaced by a newlydesigned library, architects haveassured local residents that the his-toric structure’s famous tower willstill live on, at least in concept.

Final designs of the proposedNorth Neighborhood Library wereunveiled to a crowd of more than80 people during a communityassembly at Houghton Park onFeb. 2. Envisioned by city officialsas a state-of-the-art “focal point”for the North Village Center, thelibrary being proposed on a morethan 25,000-square-foot site on the5800 block of Atlantic Avenuebetween South and 59th streets isexpected to take the place of thecurrent library on Orange Avenue.

Eighth District Long BeachCity Councilmember Al Austin,who co-hosted the presentationwith 9th District City Coun-cilmember Steven Neal, lauded theproject as a critical centerpiececontinuing the “revitalization” ofnorth Long Beach. “I see a renais-sance transpiring slowly butsurely,” Austin said.

Richard D’Amato, principalarchitect of LPA Inc., which hasdesigned nearly 22 libraries inCalifornia, saidexterior designsof the proposedlibrary in northLong Beachwere developedout of discus-sions from aseries of publicworkshops con-ducted nearlytwo years ago.He said interiordesigns are to befinished in thenext few months.

“What wereally tried to dowas understandthis communityand the site thatthe library isgoing toinhabit,” he said.“It’s not going tobe a library thatyou will see any-where else, evenin Long Beach oranywhere else inCalifornia. Thisis a library that’sdesigned specifi-cally for this areaand this neigh-borhood.”

Although it’sstill undeter-mined how muchof the existing spire that resemblesthe famous RKO-Radio Picturestrademark– and once flashed withneon lights– will be saved as partof the new building, D’Amato saidthe project would “preserve andensure the nature” of the tower.

He said the tower would beintegrated as a “focal point” of thelibrary instead of being used asjust a freestanding element, addingthat the “re-envisioned” tower willbe lit at night, and people will beable to look from under it througha glass ceiling as part of a chil-dren’s reading room.

“What we really wanted to dowas create a sense that this was anarchitectural statement that hap-

pened in the north Long Beacharea,” D’Amato said. “Now itbecomes the heart of the building,not just standing on the plaza.”

As a longtime Long Beach res-ident, D’Amato said he has a per-sonal appreciation for the project.“Driving past this site on a dailybasis, I always see that towerthere, and it’s really wonderful tobe able to bring something back tothe community I live in,” he said.

The new designs, however,come years after local historic-resource preservationists foughtbut failed to save the now con-demned and seismically outdatedtheater building that is considereda city landmark harkening back tothe golden era of local “moviepalaces” and has sat vacant fordecades next to an abandoned fur-niture warehouse. According tohistorical references, the theaterwas designed by prominent LosAngeles architect Carl Boller andbuilt by the Stivers Brothers, firstopening in 1942 after a year ofconstruction. The theater has beenclosed and vacant since the 1970s.

John Thomas, past president ofLong Beach Heritage and pastboard member of the now dis-solved Long Beach Redevelop-ment Agency (RDA), said thegroup first pushed for the newlibrary and community center tobe built as an “adaptive reuse”project that he said would haveincorporated more of the “charac-

ter-defining features” of the build-ing’s architectural time period. ACity study, however, concludedthat such an undertaking wouldhave added delays and increasedcosts to the project, he said, whilearea residents collectively decidedthey wanted the project to “moveforward faster.”

In addition, Thomas said it wasdetermined that “from a seismicand facility standpoint,” the exist-ing theater structure wouldn’t haveworked. In the end, the LongBeach RDA board agreed in 2010that the design would spare thetower, along with terrazzo tilesand other architectural features

that would be “preserved, pro-tected and reused.”

Thomas said it appears thearchitect is “moving in the direc-tion” originally agreed upon, how-ever he couldn’t entirely confirmwhether that was the case. He saidmuch of the theater has already

Design for new north lb libraryincludes integrating historicatlantic Theater tower

Sean Belk/ Signal TribuneLocated at 5870-5874 Atlantic Ave. in north Long Beach, the historic 1940s Atlantic Theater, considered a historic landmarkfor the city, is being torn down to make way for a new library and community center. However, architects have assured localresidents that the structure’s Art Deco spire, resembling the famous RKO-Radio Pictures trademark, will be integrated intothe proposed structure.

Courtesy City of LBAn illustration shows the outline of the proposed newlibrary, depicting a promenade leading out to AtlanticAvenue, about 5,000 square feet of retail space and anotherspace for on-site parking.

Mike NollSignal Hill City Council

Mike NollExperienced Leadership Working for You!

RE-ELECT Vice Mayor

VOTETuesday,March 5

Paid for by the committee to re-elect Mike Noll #902714

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, WEATHER PERMITTING

Don’t forget...Yourcar needs love, too!

Happy Valentine’s Dayfrom BK Car Wash!

Sheldon & Shell, making your driveenjoyable for over 35 years

Give acar wash/detailGIFT CARD toyour sweetie!

10% more added value w/each purchase.Expires 3-1-13

Bixby Knolls

CAR WASH

gift Card

577 E. Wardlow Rd. @ Atlantic Avenue • 562-595-6666

Bixby Knolls Car Wash& Detail Center

see LIBRARY page 22

12 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013COMMuNiTylbPD announces promotions during ceremony

The Long Beach Police Departmentconducted a ceremony in the city’sCouncil Chambers on Feb. 11 duringwhich 17 employees were promoted.The employees and their new ranks areas follows:

Deputy Chief: Commander DavidHendricks

Commander:Lieutenant William Paul LeBaronLieutenant Elizabeth GriffinLieutenant Donald Wood

lieutenant:Sergeant Wally HebeishSergeant Steven LauricellaSergeant Joseph GaynorSergeant Dina Zapalski

Sergeant:Officer Louis PerezOfficer Michael SolomitaOfficer Timothy OlsonOfficer Carlos NavaOfficer Kiaran Crawford

administrative analyst iii:Asst. Admin. Analyst Eileen Hunter

Special Services Ofc. iV:SSO III David PrenticeSSO III Steve Covarubias

Senior Records Clerk:Clerk Cynthia Lua

Deputy Chief David HendricksDeputy Chief David Hendricks was

hired by the City of Long Beach in

1992 as a part-time dispatcher for theMarine Patrol, while completing hisstudies in criminal justice at CaliforniaState University Long Beach.

He graduated from CSULB inDecember of 1993 and was hiredshortly thereafter as a police officer forthe City of Long Beach. As a LongBeach police officer, he worked assign-ments in patrol, community policing,field training, support bureau, gang-enforcement section and as chief ofstaff. His prior commands includeYouth Services, North Patrol Divi-sion, and Internal Affairs.

Hendricks is a member of theInternational Association of Chiefs ofPolice and the California Peace Offi-cers Association, and he is currentlythe chair of the Board of the Long

Beach Police Historical Society. Heis a past president of the Long BeachPolice Command Officers Associa-tion. He holds a bachelor’s of sciencedegree in criminal justice from Cali-fornia State University Long Beachand a master’s in public administra-tion from Andrew Jackson Univer-sity, and he is a graduate of the 229thsession of the FBI's National Acad-emy.

Hendricks currently oversees theLBPD Investigations Bureau.

Commander Paul lebaronCommander Paul LeBaron is a

20-year veteran of the Long BeachPolice Department. As a patrol offi-cer, supervisor, and watch com-mander, he has worked on all

watches and in each of the depart-ment’s geographical patrol divisions.His previous assignments includeworking as a bicycle officer, a fieldtraining officer, Internal Affairs, andvice investigations. As a supervisor,he was assigned to the field trainingofficer program, media relations, anddrug investigations.

LeBaron holds an associate’s inarts degree from Santa Ana Collegeand a bachelor’s of arts degree incommunication studies at CaliforniaState University, Long Beach.LeBaron is a graduate of the ShermanBlock Supervisory Leadership Insti-tute (SLI), Class #177. He is also aninstructor for DARE International,PTA organizations within the LongBeach Unified School District andthe Simon Wiesenthal Museum ofTolerance.

LeBaron is currently assigned tothe Patrol Bureau’s East Division.

Commander elizabeth griffinCommander Elizabeth Griffin is a

20-year veteran of the Long BeachPolice Department. During hercareer, she has been assigned to allfour patrol divisions and has workedspecial assignments that include theNorth Division bike detail, fieldtraining officer program, Police Ath-letic League, and as a detective in theviolent crimes detail. Supervisoryassignments have included patrol,patrol bureau administration, InternalAffairs, and the field support divi-sion. She most recently served as theadministrative lieutenant under thedirection of the patrol bureau deputychief.

Griffin holds a bachelor’s of sci-ence degree in criminal justice fromCalifornia State University Fullertonand a master’s degree in EmergencyManagement Services from CSULB.She is a graduate of the FBI NationalAcademy, the Sherman Block Super-visor Leadership Institute, USC’sDelinquency Control Institute andLAPD’s West Point Leadership Pro-gram.

Griffin is currently assigned to theEmergency Operations Division.

Commander Donald WoodCommander Donald Wood is an

18-year law-enforcement veteranwho was hired into the LBPD as alateral officer from the MaywoodPolice Department in 2000. Hispatrol assignments have included eastand west patrol and the field trainingofficer program. He was also a detec-tive assigned to the InvestigationsBureau and worked auto theft, bur-glary and domestic violence details.His supervisory assignments haveincluded patrol and Internal Affairs,and most recently he served as a lieu-tenant in the West Patrol Division.Wood also served as the acting com-mander of the West Division duringthe recent consolidation of the Southand West Patrol Divisions.

Wood is currently workingtowards his bachelor’s degree and iscurrently assigned to the Investiga-tion Bureau's Gangs and ViolentCrimes Division.

Source: LBPD

Photos courtesy LBPDDuring a Feb. 11 ceremony, LBPD employees who recently received promotions pose for a group photo as command staff look on in thebackground.

Sergeant Timothy Olson with his wife Detective Rubi Castropinning on his badge.

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 CulTuRe SigNal TRibuNe 13

The Most Trusted Shops

In Southern California

Atlantic Shop

3619 Atlantic Ave.Long Beach, CA 90807

562-427-4256

Long Beach Shop

3033 Long Beach Blvd.Long Beach, CA 90807

562-426-6322

Bellflower Shop

9681 Alondra Blvd.Bellflower, CA 90807

562-920-1871

for all your auto care needs

www.orozcosautoservice.com

hopSic lanttA

n her

hops

hopSic lanttA

vAAvic lanttA3619 90807ACh, eacBLong

562-427-4256

e.v90807

Long

3033 Long

d.

hopSh eacBLong

d.lvlv90807

Bh eacBLong 3033 90807ACh, eacBLong

562-426-6322

w9681

hopSerwloellfB

Ba londrA9681 ellf 90807AC, erer, wloloellfellf

562-920-1871BB

562-920-1871

hop

d.lv90807

562-920-1871

Ariana GastelumEditorial Intern

After a traumatizing experience withan art instructor, Annie Stromquistalmost completely eliminated art fromher life. However, it was not long beforeshe left her college-administration careerand returned to pursue her passion.

In school, Stromquist always had astrong interest in art. “Then I went to col-lege,” she said. “I was going to major inart, but it was a small school. The mainart instructor was a man who liked to yellat his students and intimidate them. I wasreally intimidated. So, I was like, ‘I’llshow him!’ and I quit. Really, I showedme.”

Stromquist found a different direc-tion and decided to major in sociologyand social work at the University ofIowa. “Then, I went into college admin-istration, working with students, and Iloved that,” she said. “It was great, butthere was always this feeling on theinside that I wanted to do art more than Icould.”

After 10 years, Stromquist left herjob as an associate dean at OccidentalCollege in Los Angeles and studied atCalifornia State University of LongBeach for a masters of fine arts in print-making. “I’ve been an active artist eversince,” she added. “I feel really goodabout that.”

The mediums Stromquist uses arecollage, prints, drawings and mixed-media works on paper. “I’m definitely atwo-dimensional artist in the way I see

things,” she explained. “My aestheticsense is two-dimensional. Paper is soreactive. When you work with paper, it’ssuch 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 influencedby Hon'ami Kōetsu, a 17th-centuryJapanese craftsman, potter, lacquerer andcalligrapher. “He used a lot of traditionalimagery– birds, flowers and landscapes,”she said. “But the processes that he used,he did nontraditionally. He experimenteda lot.”

Stromquist has a similar fascinationfor experimenting with her artwork.“Usually, I work with a lot of traditionalmethods, but I also use a lot of nontradi-tional methods,” she said. “I like work-ing with processed materials. Thatallows me to see the structure and createsomething spontaneously within thatstructure. And so, I have to develop myeye so that [I] could see what works andwhat doesn’t [work].

Another artist that intriguesStromquist is contemporary artist ZarinaHashmi. “She just works on paper– sim-ilar to me,” Stromquist said. “Her resultshave such a richness, and her work isminimalist. I like minimalist, and [shejust has] an aesthetic aliveness that isvery inspiring to me.”

Stromquist also incorporates mini-malism as well as formalism in herpieces. “I like to work with color andshape and position in abstract ways,” sheexplained. “Often, I’ll translate things

into unrecognizable shapes and compo-sition.”

For 13 years, Stromquist has taughtprint-making courses at Long BeachCity College. For her students, she wrotea book titled Simple Screen Printing:Basic Techniques and Creative Projects,which is available on Amazon.com . “Asa teacher, you give a [demonstration] forhow to do some things, and if you’regood at it, it looks easy,” she explained.“But it’s not as easy when you are doingit for the first time. The students oftenforget what to do first or how to do vari-ous things. And so, I think a text thatshows pictures step-by-step is very use-ful, and that’s what I got to do.”

Stromquist enjoyed writing the bookand hopes to write another. “I’ve beentoying the idea with two topics. Onewould be of a next-stage screen printingor experimental screen printing becauseI’ve enjoyed figuring out new ways tomake stencils for screens,” she said.“Another might be to deal with thewhole idea of creativity. What is creativ-ity? How to you make it work in thevisual arena but also other arenas?”

Currently, Stromquist is working onmultiple series. One is titled The MemoryLoss Series. It is dedicated to her motherwho experienced memory loss beforeshe passed away a year ago. “It is prob-ably one of the first times that I workedwith a serious topic,” she said. “Thework that is going to be a part of thatseries is far-ranging. [I’m] working withpoinsettia leaves, but now I’m workingwith series of numbers or numbers thatare out of sequence. And I’mworking with clock faces–things that kind of have anassociation with time, mem-ory issues.”

Stromquist is also mak-ing another series called TheBig Head Wars. “In thatseries, I’ve cut linoleumblocks into shapes of armieson horses,” she explained.“It goes in terms of how warwas conducted on horseslong ago, but also in terms ofthe artistic look that is verymuch an old-Eastern style.”

Stromquist says that shelikes to work on multipleprojects at once because shehas so many ideas. Theseideas are kept in a journal ofthoughts and a box that she

fills with cutouts of newspapers andmagazines. “It’s wonderful to have moreideas than you have time for,” she said.“There was a summer years ago where Iwas really exasperated. I couldn’t seem toget ideas or move forward. It was reallyfrustrating.”

Although Stromquist loves to sell herart, there are a lot of pieces that she prefersto keep. “I wouldn’t want to see them go,”she said. “So, I decided, at some point, Iwouldn’t release pieces [until] I wasready. [Artists] are all different.”

In the future, Stromquist aspires toshow her series and make her name morepublic. “I have been kind of quiet in recentyears or kind of a hermit in showing mywork, out of choice,” she noted. “I wantto get my own voice back [and]strengthen my own voice rather thanworry what other people might think.And so, now I am ready to go out intothe world again.”

MORE INFORMATIONanniestromquist.com

local artist who’s been ‘kind of a hermit’says she is ‘ready to go out into the world again’

“Flight” by Annie Stromquist; ink, watercolor, charcoal, screenprint andencaustic on paper mounted on wood

“Six by Six: Meditations (36)” by Annie Stromquist, screenprint collage

File photoArtist Annie Stromquist (center) explains her creative processes to participants of the LongBeach Open-Studio Tour last October, at her studio behind her home.

14 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013COMMuNiTy

Ariana GastelumEditorial Intern

From underground in the goldmines to the top of the GoldenGate Bridge, Huell Howsershowed every nook and cranny ofthis state in his numerous televi-sion series, most notably Califor-nia’s Gold. One place that caughthis eye in particular was ChapmanUniversity (CU) in Orange.

CU hosted Huell Howser Dayon Feb. 8 to remember the broad-caster and display his contribu-tions and collections.

In one of Howser’s lastspeeches, on Oct. 18, 2012, he dis-cussed his fascination with the CUcampus. “When I first walked onthe campus at Chapman, it was atransformational experience forme, literally,” he said. “This is

where I want to spend some time.This is where I want to donateshows. This is where I want tostart a scholarship fund. This iswhere I want to donate to Califor-nia. This is what I want to do. Thiswill be my legacy– Chapman.”

Howser passed away on Jan. 7at the age of 67 due to prostatecancer. In his will, he donatedmoney, a house, personal belong-ings and his art and artifact collec-tion to Chapman University.

The house, located in theMojave Desert, is known as “TheVolcano House.” It has become aunique center for CU students andfaculty to go on study trips and doresearch projects in environmentalscience, biosciences, astronomy,film, television and more.

More than 1,800 books on Cal-ifornia and its history weredonated, as well as approximately5,000 tapes of raw footage shot forthe show from which Howser andhis crew edited the finishedepisodes. These tapes are nowstored in a temperature-controlledvault in the Leatherby Libraries inCU.

In addition, the California’sGold Scholarship was established.“What will happen a hundredyears from now, long after peoplehave forgotten me and that televi-sion show and all of that stuff, isthat the words ‘California’s gold’will come to mean...those studentswho are the future of the worldand who appreciate those scholar-ships,” Howser said. “They willmean what California’s Goldalways truly has been…not thegold…the literal gold nuggets…not the riches that people got whenthey came here…but the dreamsthat brought people here and arestill bringing people here.”

Mayra Gonzalez, a junior fromGarden Grove, is the first recipientof the scholarship.

During president of CU JamesDoti’s welcoming presentation, heincluded Howser’s speech at CUduring the 2011 congregationwhen he accepted the president’smedal for broadcast journalismand television production. Howserexplained the significance of Cal-ifornia’s Gold.

“The most important thingwhen I look back on what theseyears have meant [has] not justbeen the geographical journeysI’ve taken around this state,” he

said. “But it’s the people I’ve met,the stories I’ve heard and the les-sons– the life lessons– I havelearned from these people.”

Howser kept a relationship withseveral of the individuals he met inhis travels. Some of the peoplewho were featured in episodes andattended Huell Howser Dayincluded: Dali Yu, owner of theSoap Kitchen in Pasadena; SlaterBarron, a Long Beach artist whouses lint as a medium; CaroleKaufman, a two-time world cham-pion musical whistler in Mon-

Chapman university hosts Huell HowserDay, presents California’s gold Scholarship

Candace Frazee, co-owner of the Bunny Museum in Pasadena and a previousinterviewee in an episode of California’s Gold, sells souvenirs during the Feb.8 Huell Howser Day event.

Photos by Ariana Gastelum/Signal TribuneTwo-time world champion musical whistler Carole Kaufman of Monrovia whis-tles to “Runaway” by Del Shannon during the Feb. 8 Huell Howser Day eventat Chapman University. Kaufman was one of numerous personalities inter-viewed by Howser for his program California’s Gold.

see HOWSER page 22

Jennifer E. BeaverColumnist

It all startedinnocently enough.

A packet ofwildflowers here,some specialty let-

tuce there. No problem.But next thing you know, I

craved more– the strange, exoticoddball stuff. Like wasabi arugalaand borage.

The seeds are taking over. Mylaundry room is crammed withtools of the addict: empty egg car-tons, clear plastic containers, mis-ters, special seed-starting mix.

I blame it all on my friendMarlene. She’s one of those gar-deners who doesn’t talk muchabout what she’s growing but thenshows up with the gift of a lus-cious Italian tomato plant…silky,delicious-but-durable lettuce…perfect artichokes…and then tellsme she started them all from seed.And would I like some? Whichexplains why I am also about tostart yard-long purple beans andLucky Lion soybeans.

Really, I was perfectly happywith the pre-planted vegetable six-pack from the nursery or big-boxstore. But now I’m hooked.

Just in case you’re grapplingwith a similar addiction, I thoughtI’d pass along a few thingslearned in my seedy journey tohelp you have success with yourown.

First, forget the egg cartonsand seeding trays with itty-bittyopenings. Yes, I know you canfind plenty of Internet techniquesfor using recycled objects to startseeds. Getting the seeds in– no

problem. Getting the seedingsout? Problem. The fragile plantyou’ve nurtured and hovered overwill disintegrate in your hand, andyou’ll be left with a couple of sadleaves and a filament of fragileroots. Better to use a small fiberpot– you’ll find them almost any-where gardening supplies are sold.Bury the whole thing. If you leavethe top rim exposed, it can dry outand prevent your little pot fromsuccessfully integrating itself intothe soil.

If you don’t have a mist settingon your hose attachment or arestarting seeds indoors, water themwith a child’s sippy cup or a waterbottle with a flexible, integratedstraw. If your seeds refuse to growand you’re about to give up, trytopping them with a clear plasticcover– leftover food containerswork great. They create a green-house effect that sometimes givesrecalcitrant seeds the right envi-ronment to actually do something.

Wondering what to plant when?Check out the GrowGuide SeedStarting Planner (chestnut-sw.com/growform.htm). Renee’sGarden (reneesgarden.com) hassome great seed-starting resources.Get inspired, and grow your own!

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident,is a master gardener and author ofContainer Gardening for California andEdible Gardening for California.

Garden VarietyCoping with a growing addiction

å

Decadent • Seductive • Addictive

“A Gourmet Gifting& Baking Company”

4147 Long Beach Blvd. at Carson St. in Bixby Knolls

(888) 9BUNDTSwww.bundtsonmelrose.com

Tues-Fri 11am-7pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-6pmClosed Mondays. Call in advance for catering!

Grandma Darling’sANTIQUE MALL

562-498-27041819 Redondo Ave., SHNorth of PCH - Next to Panini’s

Vintage & Retro • Furniture •Antiques • Jewelry • Collectibles

Presidents’ DaySTOREWIDE SALE

HOURS:Mon.-Fri. 11am-6pmSat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 11am-5pm

Bra fittings for all sizesSpecializing in

hard-to-find bra sizesfrom AAA to N cups

Fashion Lingerie - Sports BrasNursing Bras - ShapewearSwimwear - Bridal - Hosiery

3925 Long Beach Blvd.LB 562.997.8786

Tuesday - Friday 11am-6pmSaturdays 11am-5pm

Also open by appointmentw w w . l u c y b . c o m

A LINGERIEBOUTIQUE

Grandma Darling’sFurniture Annex & More1827 Redondo Ave.

Also visit

Feb. 15-18BARGAINSGALORE!� �

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 COMMuNiTy SigNal TRibuNe 15

A $19 million State traininggrant will help 2,497 Californiansin 13 counties move quickly off theunemployment rolls and into newcareers in high-wage jobs in grow-ing industries, according to theEmployment Development Depart-ment (EDD).

The $19,049,512 grant will pro-vide job training and job-searchassistance to laid-off workers inAlameda, Colusa, Contra Costa,Glenn, Imperial, Los Angeles,Orange, Sacramento, San Benito,San Joaquin San Luis Obispo, Sut-ter and Yuba counties. This assis-tance will be provided by theCalifornia Multi-Sector WorkforcePartnership, which is a statewidecollaborative of 14 WorkforceInvestment Boards.

“California is steadily adding

jobs as we work our way out of thedeepest economic downturn inmore than seven decades,” Califor-nia EDD Director Pam Harris said.“While we have taken great strides,we still have far to go. Many work-ers remain unemployed becausethey lack the skills needed in theeconomy of the 21st century. Thisgrant will provide them with thetools to find jobs in three primaryhigh-growth industries: healthcare, professional and businessservices, and transportation andwarehousing.”

The California Multi-SectorWorkforce Partnership has part-nered with the California Work-force Association and EDD toprovide comprehensive trainingand employment services forworkers across California who

have been displaced from theirjobs through no fault of their own.The Partnership will use the fund-ing to provide advanced education,basic skills training, job searchassistance, work experience andsupportive services.

Funding for the program isdrawn from the Governor’s 25-per-cent portion of Dislocated WorkerFunds from Title I of the federalWorkforce Investment Act and isunder the administrative authorityof the California Labor and Work-force Development Agency’sEDD.

For more information about thisproject, contact Jan Vogel, Directorof the South Bay WorkforceInvestment Board, at (310) 970-7700.

Source: EDD

State training grant expected to help nearly 2,500 people find jobs

16 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013NeWS

2951 CHERRYAVENUE, SIGNALHILL562.426.0694 • www.deliusrestaurant.com

Cooking DemoDishes will be demonstrated—

call for menu detailsDuring the hour and a half, you will see several dishesmade from beginning to end. One glass of wine isincluded and samples of each dish will be passedaround. Questions will be answered as we go along anda 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 advancefor a full refund. A cancellation with less than a week'snotice will not be refunded.)

Saturday,Feb. 23

2:30pm–4pm$40 per person

Alcivar-McCoy, director of commu-nity services, outlined the long historyof the City’s plan to install the elec-tronic sign. “The first mention of theelectronic message center occurredduring the FY2002/2003 budget work-shops,” she said. “The Parks andRecreation Commission submitted theelectronic message center as a projectthat was listed in the budget.” Alcivar-McCoy explained that the Signal HillCity Council did not fund the project10 years ago because of more pressingneeds in the budget, but the commis-sion has recommended the electronicmessage center in subsequent budgets

as the best way to inform residents ofrecreation programs, and importantlocal events.

“From August 2010 to March2011, the commission discusseddesign and location for a monumentsign at a number of public meet-ings,” Alcivar-McCoy said. “Theoriginal location was proposed forthe corner of Cherry Avenue and HillStreet.” She added that the originalplan would have placed the monu-ment parallel to Hill Street with adouble-sided reader board, visible totraffic in both directions, but inresponse to a resident’s concernsabout potential driver distractions,staff requested a review of the planby Bill Zimmerman, city trafficengineer.

After analyzing the monument’slikely impacts on motorists, Zimmer-man recommended installing theelectronic sign south of the corner ofHill Street and Cherry Avenue, nearthe existing park monument sign.According to Alcivar-McCoy, Zim-merman also recommended that thesign be installed 30 feet back fromthe street, and at a 45-degree angle soas not to distract drivers. Placing it atan angle precluded having a double-sided reader board.

At its March 2011 meeting, thecommission requested that the citycouncil approve the sign’s installa-tion as per Zimmerman’s recommen-dations. The council did so on April5, 2011, and on June 19, 2012awarded the contract to manufactureand install the sign.

In recent months, however,according to Alcivar-McCoy, resi-dents have expressed concerns aboutthe City’s public outreach effort, thelocation of the sign and traffic safetyconsiderations. “The mayor directedthe city manager to schedule a com-munity workshop before the Parksand Recreation Commission toreview the sign proposal and takeinto consideration additional publiccomments,” Alcivar-McCoy said.“The mayor also directed that thesign installation be placed on hold,

pending the workshop and re-reviewby the commission.”

During the workshop, Zimmer-man said that he analyzed the inter-section of Hill Street and CherryAvenue using a Federal HighwayAdministration formula. “Using thismeasure, the accident rate for thisintersection is much lower than therate that could be expected for anintersection of this type,” heexplained, adding that according toannual reports submitted to the Cali-fornia Highway Patrol by the SignalHill Police Department, during thepast three years, only four accidentshave occurred at that intersection.

Zimmerman added that his analy-sis indicated that installing the elec-tronic sign just south of theintersection and at a 45-degree anglewould not significantly distract driv-ers. He did, however, recommend alist of mitigation measures includinglengthening the display time for eachmessage, reducing the illumination atcertain times to minimize light pollu-tion and limiting the hours of opera-tion to be only from 6am to 10pm.

After Zimmerman’s comments,the commission gave residents theopportunity to voice their opinions.Those favoring the sign were askedto speak first. About seven peoplewent forward to express their strongsupport for the sign and the proposedlocation.

Terry Rogers, Signal Hill Chamberof Commerce president, expressed sup-port of the sign. “Almost every city thatI know of has one of these electronicsigns somewhere in their city,” she said.“This sign will help local businesses,and it is much better than putting upbanners in the park. I think it is a won-derful thing to do.”

Signal Hill Councilmember LarryForester, who is also a board memberon the Conservation Corps of LongBeach, said the electronic sign is a bet-ter way than banners to publicize Con-certs in the Park. “What a perfect wayfor the Conservationi Corps of LongBeach to advertise,” he said. “This willhelp us in our efforts to help at-risk and

disadvantaged youths.” Then, Gary Dudley, commission

chair, asked those who had concerns tospeak. About eight people took turns atthe microphone. None of them spokeagainst the City installing an electronicmessage board somewhere in SignalHill, but all of them strongly opposedplacing it on Cherry Avenue near HillStreet. “The only entrance to ourhomes is that intersection,” said LisaGary, a member of the PromontoryWest Bluff Skyline Estates Homeown-ers Association. “Placing the sign therewill increase the likelihood of one of usbeing injured by someone who is dis-tracted by that sign.”

Other speakers talked about lightpollution and reduced property valuesthat would impact homes across thestreet from the proposed sign. Severalresidents suggested that the electronicmessage board be installed close to thecorner of Willow Street and CherryAvenue where no residences would be

impacted.Noll was one of the last speakers.

He said that the City should have donemore outreach earlier in the process,and he was not aware of residents’ con-cerns until recently. “I am not opposedto the sign, but the location is notgood,” he said. “When you’re going toaffect the lives of residents, you have totake that into consideration. In myopinion, the location is not acceptable.”

At the end of the workshop, all fivecommissioners agreed that the resi-dents’ concerns about traffic safety,light pollution and property valuesmust be considered. “We’ve heardenough today to know that we need todo more study and then come back,”Dudley said.

The commissioners voted unani-mously to direct staff to undertake astudy that addresses the residents’ con-cerns and to plan a second communityworkshop for the April commissionmeeting.

Open Tuesday through Sunday11am-10pm for food

Crooner’s Lounge open until 2am!

12911 Main StreetHistorical Downtown Garden Grove

(714) 638-3790aztecaoc.org

CROONER’SLounge

“Where the King lives”

Home of Aunt Connie’sfamous garlic sauce

and the originalGARLIC TACO!

AZTECAMEXICAN RESTAURANT

From the family thatbrought you Mexico CityRestaurant in Long Beach–Azteca Mexican Restauranthas been offering authenticMexican cooking for over

50 years!

Signcontinued from page 1

File photoThe Signal Hill Parks and Recreation Commission is inching the City closer toinstalling a monument sign with an electronic message center, but the location ofthe device may not be at the corner of Hill Street and Cherry Avenue (shown) aswas originally planned.

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 17NeWS

3405 Orange AvenueLong Beach 562.490.2473Facebook.com/BlackbirdCafeLB

Dogs welcome!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKBreakfast & Lunch

7am to 3pmBenedicts, Omelets,

Wraps, Salads,Chili, and more!

We now serve Mimosasand Bloody Marys,

as well as beer and wine!

Celebrating over 25 years in business!

Open Saturday noon-9pm, Sunday noon-8pmTues.-Fri. Lunch 11am-3pm, Dinner 4:30pm-9pm; Closed Mon.

HOW TO AVOID PROBATE

eliZabeTH aRNeTT VOZZellaattorney at law • (562) 426-9876 www.Vozzella4law.com

Probate is a very costly and long process that can last from 9 to 18months in most cases. Fortunately, there are several alternatives availablethat remove the asset from one’s probatable estate while that person is stillalive. Naming a beneficiary on life insurance policies, IRA’s, 401(k)’s, andannuities before your death assures the asset is transferred straight to thechosen beneficiary. Joint Tenancy is where the owner of the asset namesa co-owner of an account or real property. Caution: Joint tenancies haverisks as the co-owner has the same rights to the asset as the original ownerand a loss of Stepped-up valuation.

Pay-on-death accounts are similar to naming a beneficiary in that thebank account owner completes banking paperwork which names the person(s)

who will receive the bank account upon the bankowner’s death.

lifetime gifts given during your life avoids probatebecause probate only applies to those assets owned attime of death. a living Trust is very beneficial whendealing with titled real property and other assets. A com-plete estate plan included in the Living Trust includesmany ancillary documents that protect you financially, phys-ically and allows for peace of mind.

EYE ON CRIME

Crimes reported by SHPD – Citywide

Crimes reported by lbPD – Council Districts 6, 7 & 8

Thursday, Feb. 7Residential burglary10:09am– E. 19th St./Stanley Ave.

Residential burglary2:32pm– 2500 block Palm Dr.

Friday, Feb. 8Grand theft (property)7pm– 1800 block St. Louis Ave.

Saturday, Feb. 9DUI causing injury1:59am– 3300 block Orange Ave.

Sunday, Feb. 10DUI12:11am– Cherry Ave./E. Pacific CoastHwy.

Assault with firearm9:34pm– Orange Ave./E. 28th St.

Monday, Feb. 11Stolen vehicle (recovered)1:52am– 700 block E. Spring St.

Stolen vehicle7:29am– 2600 block Raymond Ave.

Forgery3pm– 1500 block E. 33rd St.

Grand theft from auto6:30pm– 2800 block E. 19th St.

Firearms (discharge prohibited)11:10pm– 2800 block Walnut Ave.

Tuesday, Feb. 12Auto burglary1:50pm– 2200 block E. Willow St.

Non-injury hit-and-run4:02pm– 2500 block Cherry Ave.

Auto burglary5:15pm– 2600 block E. 19th St.

Wednesday, Feb. 13Auto burglary10:20am– 2200 block E. Willow St.

Saturday, Feb. 9Commercial burglary5am– 1800 block Long Beach Blvd.

Residential burglary8:30am- 2700 block Golden Ave.

Monday, Feb. 11Assault (not with firearm)4:30am– 300 E. Willow St.

Tuesday, Feb. 12Residential burglary9:50am– 4500 block Elm Ave.

18 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013NeWS

streets, for instance, could have about100 abandoned wells on it, whichcould cost millions of dollars just toclean up the property to comply withState regulations before any develop-ment breaks ground.

“It’s just not cost-effective for acompany to come and build houseswhen it costs them half a million dol-lars to get the land legal to buildover… so they just sit vacant,” saidMick Beyer, operations manager forAllenco Energy, Inc., referring tovacant property in Huntington Beach,which, like Signal Hill, has a long his-tory of oil production.

Last year, the Signal Hill CityCouncil approved a one-year extensionof a moratorium that prohibits devel-opers from building over abandonedoil wells, regardless of whether thewells are properly cleaned up or not.The moratorium, which expires inAugust, allows city staff to conduct astudy on updating the City’s oil codedue to the impacts of recent changesimplemented by the State Division ofOil, Gas and Geothermal Resources(DOGGR), which is the lead agencythat certifies oil well abandonmentprior to the City issuing grading orbuilding permits to ensure gases andtoxins don’t continue to seep up fromthe ground.

In November 2010, the DOGGR ter-minated its methane-leak testing ofwells and its development review,abruptly ending a 22-year-old program,which City staff has said creates “ambi-guity” and “a major lack of guidance.”City officials said the State has taken amore hands-off approach to the aban-donment procedure, leaving cities anddevelopers to go through the process ontheir own and requiring that they hirethird-party petroleum geologists.

What has made matters worse is theState’s decision to dissolve redevelop-ment, which, at least for Signal Hill, hadbeen a major economic-developmenttool to acquire property and assist in oilwell re-abandonment, soil remediation,installation and operation of vaporrecovery systems, pipeline removal,demolition and clearing contaminatedproperties.

Replacing redevelopmentSince the early 1990s, the now dis-

mantled Signal Hill RedevelopmentAgency (RDA) has invested $15 millionin cleaning up properties, making possi-ble much of the commercial develop-ment that exists today, including theSignal Hill Auto Center, Town CenterEast, Home Depot and Costco. Redevel-opment has enabled the City to acquire

and clean up land that otherwise wouldhave remained empty since much of theproperty is owned by various individualproperty owners who bought shares dur-ing the oil-speculating days of the 1920sand 1930s.

Now, a combination of rising costs,changes to state regulations and the lossof redevelopment have created a perfectstorm that continues to be “a huge con-straint” for new development in the city,said Scott Charney, Signal Hill’s directorof community development.

“The bottom line is we have a largeinventory of undeveloped property com-pared to the surrounding community ofLong Beach, but there’s a reason forthat,” Charney said. “There are a lot ofconcerns for development in the com-munity. We’ve got earthquake faults.We’ve got active oil operations. We’vegot well-abandonment issues and soil-remediation issues… There are a wholehost of things.”

According to Signal Hill City staff,an environmental consultant estimatesthat costs for oil-well re-abandonmenton properties previously owned by theSignal Hill RDA could range from$784,000 to $3.5 million. In addition,city staff estimates that there are about2,000 abandoned oil wells in Signal Hill,many of which could be turned intofuture development.

But, without the infusion of redevel-opment funding, City officials are nowforced to look for new, creative ways toreplace redevelopment, such as cuttingback costs for building or applying forfederal or state grants, in hopes of entic-ing developers to build on land that oth-erwise would be too expensive todevelop.

Rising costsBeyer said oil-well re-abandonment,

considered the most common and mostexpensive part of developing on oil-richproperty, starts at a cost of about$120,000 per well. “Anybody who tellsyou they’re cheaper than that, then theyreally don’t know all the information,”he said. Beyer confirmed that the pro-cedure could even cost as much as$800,000 per well, depending on thecondition of the well.

Re-abandonment of a well ofteninvolves clearing out debris from oldwells, cleaning-up contaminated soilsaround the wells, breaking out concreteplugs and installing plugs to preventmethane gas and fluids from leaking.

Beyer said abandoning an activewell is less complicated and can runabout $60,000 to $80,000 per well.

Developers also often come across“junk” in well casings, includingcabling, broken pipes, wood, rocks andconcrete plugs that can prevent fullabandonment and complicating factors

for idle and previously abandonedwells. Seismic or geological forces alsocan crush casings, according to citystaff.

Beyer said, unlike some areas thathave shallow wells, Signal Hill mostlyhas deep wells that stretch 3,500 feet to5,500 feet below the surface, which canbe costly to plug up, he said.

According Kevin Laney, vice presi-dent of rig operations for Signal HillPetroleum, which owns the most prop-erty in Signal Hill, well-re-abandon-ment costs are higher than they were 15to 20 years ago, when the price tag wasanywhere from $30,000 to $40,000.Those days are “long since gone,” hesaid.

“There’s no doubt that costs ofabandonment have gone up,” Laneysaid. “Everything from the cost of rigtime, the cement, the mud and thelabor– all the costs have gone up overthe years. It’s just more expensive.”

He added that costs for oil-well re-abandonment vary significantly andhave been made even more complexdue to state regulations.

“You have to go back into a wellthat was previously abandoned beforesome of the modern-day regulationswere passed,” Laney said. “You have todrill plugs out that [were] put in it backin the day, and that gets expensive andtime consuming… Sometimes youmight have to drill out two or threeplugs to get down to an area thatDOGGR is requiring you to place aplug over now.”

Strict State regulationsCharney said a major problem for

large developments, however, is thefact that DOGGR has become stricterin their approval of oil-well re-aban-donment and has stopped issuingauthorization letters for wells that meetstandards “equivalent” to full certifica-tion

“Historically, developers got thoseequivalent letters, which is what hap-pens when DOGGR saysthey’ve done the work, butdidn’t achieve abandon-ment…. they’re no longerdoing that, which means mostwells, regardless of howmuch you spend, are going tobe classified as not to currentstandard,” he said.

Beyer said, however, insome cases re-abandoning awell up to the State’s currentcode, which requires thatdevelopers plug up new“zones” that go beyond previ-ous depths, can be almost“impossible,” which he saidis why some cities, such asLos Angeles and HuntingtonBeach, are providing devel-opers with allowances to

build over wells without full State cer-tification. In some cases, a regularhomeowner looking to add on to prop-erty that has previously abandonedwells on it may cost hundreds of thou-sands of dollars or even millions tobring wells up to State code, he said.

“The State’s requirements are a lit-tle extreme,” Beyer said. “Sometimesyou can’t get these wells up toDOGGR’s code, and, if you don’t, theywon’t give you a final letter… Certaincities are doing an allowance for that,letting you get a building permit eventhough [a developer] didn’t get to thatfinal depth that DOGGR wanted to getto… It’s still a safe well.”

Still, not receiving a certificationletter from the State can have conse-quences, he said. In some cases, theState may withhold $15,000 to $20,000in bonds for every well that isn’tbrought up to code, Beyer said. In addi-tion, banks may also withhold loanfunding for major construction compa-nies until a final letter is issued from theState. He added that the State alsorequires that any abandoned wellsaround new injections also must bebrought up to code, which can deterfurther drilling.

In the City of Huntington Beach,however, Bill Reardon, fire marshal forthe Huntington Beach Fire Depart-ment, which oversees well abandon-ment in Huntington Beach, said hefeels confident about the safety of theCity’s process of issuing building per-mits for development on oil wells, eventhough DOGGR is no longer taking asan active role in the process.

“With Huntington Beach’s long oil-production history dating back to asearly as the ‘20s and ‘30s, there’s con-siderable amount of development in thecommunity that has oil wells that areproducing or are currently abandoned,”he said. “I do feel confident on the locallevel that our residents are safe and it’sa safe process and don’t really have anyconcerns about what’s occurring at the

local level… We already had a systemin place internally when there wassomewhat of a change, so it didn’treally cause a significant concern onour part.”

Signal Hill oil-code studyThe City of Signal Hill, however,

decided in 2011 to stop issuing buildingpermits for developments with “foot-prints” over abandoned oil wells and isonly processing plans that avoid build-ing over wells, which has created“strange” configurations for some res-idential and commercial developments,Charney said.

He said the moratorium was imple-mented “out of an abundance of cau-tion” while the City studies the changesimplemented by DOGGR. Until then,he said, there aren’t expected to be anylarge developments moving forward.“There’s still a large inventory of unde-veloped parcels waiting to be devel-oped, but if we don’t have some sort ofstrategy on how to build over oilwells… it’s unlikely you will see thetypes of developments like Costco,Home Depot and the Gateway Center,because it’s much harder to position bigbuildings on a site,” he said. Charneysaid the City’s policy might changedown the road, based on mitigationstandards the City has incorporated inexisting contemporary developmentin the city, adding that there are prop-erties that have building footprintsover abandoned wells with “noknown health or safety issues.” But,until the results of the study arereleased, he said the City’s currentpolicy remains.

“The goals of the study are todetermine if we can go back and havea standard to have a developmentsafely over re-abandoned wells,”Charney said. “I would suspect wewould be able to be in a positionwhere we could do that, but I don’thave the studies to say that’s wherewe’re at.”

Photos by Sean Belk/Signal TribuneAn abandoned oil pump located on vacant land between Spring and Willow streets off of Cal-ifornia Avenue

This property at 2475-2485 Gardena Ave. behind the Fresh & Easy market off of Cherry Avenue is one of many vacantparcels of land in Signal Hill where additional remediation and oil well re-abandonment is needed for development tobe able to move forward.

5021 E. ANAHEIM, LB562-494-1014 - WWW.LBPLAYHOUSE.ORG

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pmSundays at 2pm

!ive Ar"

on the Mainstage

Final Weekend! Friday 2/15 & Saturday 2/16

Don’t miss this Mystery Classic

on the Mainstage!Seats are going fast!

Opens SaturdayMarch 2

The quintessential coming-of-age story.

The Graduate's disastrous and often

hilarious sexual odyssey is brought

vividly to life on stage.

!

on the Mainstage

!ive

on the Mainstage

ive! Ar""Ar

yardutSas nep2rchMa

dnkeeeWlaniF

2rchMalatinsseteniquehT.yrstogea-fog-nimco

s 'teaduarGehTntefod nas uostrsadi

lauxses uoiraliht ghuobrs iyssedyo

.gestanoefiltoydliv

EIAHANE.1205BPLL.WWW- 410-149-4265

asyadirFt asyadnSu

&

nd Saturd

51/2y adriF61/2y ardutSa

s ihtss mit’noDc ssialCry eMyst

!egastniMaehtno!stafgniogreas taSe

BLM,EIGROSE.UOYHABPL

mp2days at 8pm

Oil wellscontinued from page 1

building to help people get outsafely if the stairs aren’t available.He said that he understands that thebuilding is structurally sound butthat the elevators and stairwellswould split apart from the buildingand employees would not be able toget out safely.

City Manager Patrick Westwarned of the dangers to the peoplein the lobby and on the stairs if thestairwell and elevators fell. Johnsonstill maintained a position that theCouncil should explore otheroptions.

“I think everyone up here on thisdais, I think, needs to take ouremployees’ safety seriously,” John-son said, but he added that he wouldlike to see if the City has reviewedevery possible mitigation.

Frick, however, told Johnsonthat a major earthquake could ren-der the building “completely infea-sible.” She said that determininghow to exit the building was onlyone issue.

“What do we do after the earth-quake?” Frick asked. “We don’thave a building. We don’t have acity hall. So we need to be plan-ning, not just for the short term butfor the long term.”

Frick’s report also noted that theCity leases 112,000 square feet ofoffsite space because the City can’tfit everybody into the City Hallbuilding. The cost to lease that off-site space is about $2.13 million ayear. The total cost that the Cityspends to operate city hall is $12.57million a year, including the cost tolease offsite space.

Mayor Bob Foster stressed theimportance of entertaining ideasfrom the development communitynow. Recalling that the City of LosAngeles had seismic issues too,Foster said employees sued theCity because of the unsafe workspace.

“The danger of going down thatroad is that you lose a lot of the ini-

tiative and leverage, if you will,that you have,” Foster said. “If youare sued, and you have to changethings, you’re under the gun.Now…everyone knows you haveto change, and you’re not going toget the kind of great deal as youmight get if you do it voluntarily.So I want to point out that I don’tthink you ever want to get to thatsituation.”

He noted that the Port hasalready decided to change its head-quarters.

“I think that if this were possi-ble– to provide a new, seismicallysound, usable, attractive publicspace here for the civic center atabout the same level we’re payingtoday– it’s something that theCouncil should entertain,” Fostersaid.

Since the recommendationhinged on the findings of a seismicstudy that analyzed the civic centerbuildings in 2006, the Councildeliberated whether to ask for asecond opinion on earthquakesafety of the building or to moveforward with an RFQ that wouldseek out teams of developers. Theydiscussed Councilmember GerrieSchipske’s concern that the criteriahave changed for determiningearthquake safety and vulnerabili-ties and have become more restric-tive since 2006.

The assistant city manageracknowledged that the peer reviewof the study would likely reveal aworse picture.

“We’ll get the peer review andeverything,” Frick said, “but I wantto let you know that it’s likelygoing to be even more of a priorityand crisis based upon new method-ologies.”

Ultimately, when the Councilopted to move forward with thestaff recommendation, theyrequested in their action to contactthe firm responsible for the origi-nal seismic study and for the staffto request a peer review to deter-mine if the 2006 seismic study isstill valid given newer standards. Ifthe peer review reveals that the 2006seismic study was not enough in

light of contemporary standards andmethodologies, the Councilrequested that a second study be per-formed.

The possibility of completelyrebuilding the civic center alreadyattracted some attention from archi-tects who attended the Councilmeeting. Cameron Crockett, a localarchitect, presented one vision forthe library at the civic center. Headdressed some of the issues withthe library’s roofing problems. Hepraised the original design thatplaced part of the park over the roofof the library and proposed a designthat would fix the roof’s drainageissues. John Glasgow, another localarchitect, praised the original archi-tects responsible for the building ofthe civic center back in the 1970s.

“Personally, I’m a bit conflictedabout this whole direction becauseI personally have some affectionfor the design of the civic center,”Glasgow said, adding that “this isvery significant work for its time.”

Both Glasgow and Crockett saidin a follow-up interview that theyare primarily interested in address-ing the library building needs, notthe civic center earthquake needs.

Maureen Neely of Long BeachHeritage, an organization dedicatedto preserving buildings and histori-cal districts, emphasized the impor-tance of public participation.

“Long Beach Heritage wouldask that any decision to raze thesebuildings, develop these blocks orenter into any public-private part-nership be vetted out in the open,”Neely said. “These parcels weredeeded to the City strictly for use asa public park and Civic Center bythe original developers of LongBeach. So our members and sup-porters strongly advise adherenceto the public process as elected offi-cials and staff look into any restruc-turing at the civic center.”

Neely’s request for transparencywas not lost on Schipske. The fifthdistrict councilmember had circu-lated an email and posted a blogabout the city property a week ear-lier, warning that in a closed ses-sion of the Feb. 5 Council meeting,

the Council was scheduled to dis-cuss the potential sale of the cityhall building, library and old court-house building. Schipske said in heremail that she objected to havingthat item discussed in a closed ses-sion and that the item would be dis-cussed at that Feb. 12 Councilmeeting. According to the Feb. 12agenda, the Council was only set todiscuss both the seismic issues atthe civic center and the staff recom-

mendation that requested the citymanager to issue the RFQ surround-ing the development and construc-tion of a new civic center.

“You know, this agenda item issubstantially different than whatwas posted for closed session lastweek,” Schipske said at the Feb. 12Council meeting, noting that for theprior week, the Council was set todiscuss prices and terms for thecivic center.

Courthousecontinued from page 1

dnttxtndrvA reminderfrom the

Signal Tribune

Olympians dive right into rescue LB aquatics

CJ Dablo/Signal Tribune

Olympic diving star Greg Louganis (above left) with 2012Olympic diving athlete Cassidy Krug (above right) attended theLong Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12, alongwith several other diving athletes and scores of kids and adultswho packed City Hall, to show support for construction of apool complex that would accommodate diving. The BelmontPool was closed last month when it was deemed unsafe shoulda moderate earthquake strike.

On Wednesday, 4th District Councilmember Patrick O’Don-nell issued a statement extending thanks to those who offeredsupport and technical expertise for the project. “At last night'scity council meeting, a plan put forward by myself and GaryDeLong to rebuild and increase the size of the Belmont Poolpassed unanimously,” O’Donnell said. “There was great com-munity support, not to mention the Olympians, swimmers anddivers that showed up to offer support for the plan which willabout double the amount of pool space that the facilitypresently has for use. The Long Beach tradition of aquatics willcontinue.”

According to O’Donnell, the funds to reconstruct the facilitywill come from the Tidelands fund, which derives its revenuesfrom oil production. He said those funds may only be usedalong the beachfront area and that the plan approved Tuesdaynight will accommodate swimmers, divers and water polo.

CJ Dablo/Signal TribuneView of the Civic Center with City Hall on the right and the Main Library in the background. At last Tuesday’s Long BeachCity Council meeting, city officials discussed the need for “substantial seismic remediation” at City Hall.

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 19NeWS

3677 Atlantic Avenue562-988-8429WWW.THET I LEZONE.COM

TheThe

Tile ZoneTile ZoneCeramic & Porcelain Tiles

Custom Design& Installation

F LO O R I N G

P LU M B I N G

HUNDREDS OFLOCAL REFERENCES

OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCEBIXBY KNOLLS RESIDENT

FULLY INSUREDWorkman’s Comp • General Liability“A-rated”on angieslist.com

Contractor’s License #629882

P R E M I U M R O O F I N G

Call Dennis Bartlett:(562) 427-0688

• Residential • Commercial• Interiors • Exteriors• Woodworking• Faux Finishes

“YourNeighborhood

Painter”

PAINTING

Rich WardCALIC 864357

562.528.6258

Rent a portable photobooth for your next eventfor 1 hour for only $250!• Includes portable booth,

props, and one staff memberCALL FOR DETAILS

877-FOTOSTRIP

Put on an event they won’t forget!

MAKES A GREAT WEDDING OR PARTY FAVOR!

P H OTO B O OT H

PubliC NOTiCeSTST4281

TSG No.: 7354658 TS No.: CA1200248173 FHA/VA/PMI No.: APN:7148-001-030 Property Address: 3300 CALIFORNIA AVENUE SIG-NAL HILL, CA 90755 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE INDEFAULT 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 EXPLA-NATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINSTYOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 02/21/2013 at10:00 A.M., First American Title Insurance Company, as dulyappointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded09/22/2003, as Instrument No. 03 2782876, in book , page , , of Offi-cial Records in the office of the County Recorder of LOS ANGELESCounty, 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 FORCASH, CASHIER'S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form ofpayment authorized by 2924h(b), (Payable at time of sale in lawfulmoney of the United States) Behind the fountain located in CivicCenter Plaza, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA All right, title andinterest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust inthe property situated in said County and State described as: ASMORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEEDOF TRUST APN# 7148-001-030 The street address and other com-mon designation, if any, of the real property described above is pur-ported to be: 3300 CALIFORNIA AVENUE, SIGNAL HILL, CA 90755The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectnessof the street address and other common designation, if any, shownherein. 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 saidDeed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s),advances, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges andexpenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed ofTrust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligationsecured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs,expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of theNotice of Sale is $261,482.62. The beneficiary under said Deed ofTrust has deposited all documents evidencing the obligationssecured by the Deed of Trust and has declared all sums securedthereby immediately due and payable, and has caused a writtenNotice of Default and Election to Sell to be executed. The under-signed caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to berecorded in the County where the real property is located. NOTICETO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on thisproperty lien, you should understand that there are risks involvedin bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not onthe property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction doesnot automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the prop-erty. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off maybe a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you areor may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien beingauctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. Youare encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size ofoutstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting thecounty recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of whichmay charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either ofthese resources, you should be aware that the same lender mayhold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property.NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on thisnotice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mort-gagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g ofthe California Civil Code. The law requires that information abouttrustee sale postponements be made available to you and to thepublic, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish tolearn whether your sale date has been postponed, and if applicable,the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you maycall (916)939-0772 or visit this Internet Web http://search.nation-wideposting.com/propertySearchTerms.aspx, using the file numberassigned to this case CA1200248173 Information about postpone-ments that are very short in duration or that occur close in time tothe scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the tele-phone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to ver-ify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. If thesale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall beentitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shallhave no further recourse. First American Title Insurance CompanyFirst American Title Insurance Company 3 FIRST AMERICAN WAYSANTA ANA, CA 92707 Date: FOR TRUSTEE'S SALE INFORMA-TION PLEASE CALL (916)939-0772 First American Title InsuranceCompany MAY BE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPT-ING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAYBE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. NPP0212616 SIGNAL TRIBUNE02/01/2013, 02/08/2013, 02/15/2013

TST4293NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE TS No. 10-0141714 Doc ID#0001001886442005N Title Order No. 10-8-508633 Investor/InsurerNo. N/A APN No. 7215-020-021 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER ADEED OF TRUST, DATED 04/22/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKEACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT APUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THENATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULDCONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUSTCOMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed ofTrust executed by LATEEF T FRANKS, A SINGLE MAN, dated04/22/2005 and recorded 5/2/2005, as Instrument No. 05 1017867,in Book , Page , of Official Records in the office of the CountyRecorder of Los Angeles County, State of California, will sell on03/11/2013 at 9:00AM, Doubletree Hotel Los Angeles-Norwalk,13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, CA 90650, Vineyard Ballroom atpublic auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as describedbelow, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest con-veyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the propertysituated in said County and State and as more fully described in theabove referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other com-mon designation, if any, of the real property described above is pur-ported to be: 2244 SEA RIDGE DRIVE, SIGNAL HILL, CA, 90755.The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectnessof the street address and other common designation, if any, shownherein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereonof the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonableestimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initialpublication of the Notice of Sale is $1,316,617.72. It is possible thatat the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebt-edness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashier'schecks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a stateor federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal sav-

ings and loan association, savings association, or savings bankspecified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized todo business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an ''AS IS'' con-dition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regard-ing title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebtednesssecured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interestas provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by saidDeed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plusfees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts createdby said Deed of Trust. If required by the provisions of section 2923.5of the California Civil Code, the declaration from the mortgagee,beneficiary or authorized agent is attached to the Notice of Trustee'sSale duly recorded with the appropriate County Recorder's Office.NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS If you are considering biddingon this property lien, you should understand that there are risksinvolved 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 auctiondoes not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of theproperty. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned offmay be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, youare or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lienbeing auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property.You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and sizeof outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting thecounty recorder's office or a title insurance company, either of whichmay charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either ofthese resources, you should be aware that the lender may holdmore than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICETO PROPERTY OWNER The sale date shown on this notice of salemay be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary,trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California CivilCode. The law requires that information about trustee sale post-ponements be made available to you and to the public, as a cour-tesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whetheryour sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the resched-uled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 1-800-281-8219 or visit this Internet Web site www.recontrustco.com, usingthe file number assigned to this case TS No. 10-0141714. Informa-tion about postponements that are very short in duration or thatoccur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately bereflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site.The best way to verify postponement information is to attend thescheduled sale. RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 TapoCanyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800)281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By: - Trustee's Sale Offi-cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attemptingto collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that pur-pose. A-4358276 02/15/2013, 02/22/2013, 03/01/2013

TST4295Title No. 6451274 ALS No. 2012-4157 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'SSALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT OF A LIEN, DATED MARCH 6, 2012.UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, ITMAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANA-TION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU,YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENTHAT: On March 13, 2013, at 9:00 AM, ASSOCIATION LIEN SERV-ICES, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to a certainlien, recorded on March 9, 2012, as instrument number20120376768, of the official records of Los Angeles County, Califor-nia. WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FORLAWFUL MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES, OR A CASHIERSCHECK at: Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza, 400Civic Center Plaza, Pomona CA 91766. The street address andother common designations, if any, of the real property describedabove is purported to be: 2506 E Willow #303, Signal Hill, California90755 Assessor's Parcel No. 7214-009-108 The owner(s) of the realproperty is purported to be: Anthony Castro and Myriah B. Castro,husband and wife as joint tenants The undersigned Trustee dis-claims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address andother common designations, if any, shown herein. Said sale will bemade, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied,regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to pay the remainingprincipal sum of a note, homeowner's assessment or other obliga-tion secured by this lien, with interest and other sum as providedtherein: plus advances, if any, under the terms thereof and intereston such advances, plus fees, charges, expenses of the Trustee andtrust created by said lien. The total amount of the unpaid balance ofthe obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonableestimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initialpublication of the Notice of Sale is $17,887.58. Payment must be incash, a cashier's check drawn on a state or national bank, a checkdrawn by a state bank or federal credit union, or a check drawn bya state or federal savings & loan association, savings association,or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code andauthorized to do business in this state. The real property describedabove is being sold subject to the right of redemption. The redemp-tion period within which real property may be redeemed ends 90days after the sale. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you areconsidering bidding on this property lien, you should understand thatthere are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will bebidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bidat a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free andclear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that thelien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highestbidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying offall liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receiveclear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the exis-tence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on thisproperty by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insur-ance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this infor-mation. If you consult either of these resources, you should beaware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage ordeed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER:The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed oneor more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pur-suant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requiresthat information about trustee sale postponements be made avail-able to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present atthe sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been post-poned, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the saleof this property, you may contact Priority Posting & Publishing forinformation regarding the trustee’s sale or visit its website www.pri-orityposting.com for information regarding the sale of this property.Information about postponements that are very short in duration orthat occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediatelybe reflected in the telephone information or on the website. The bestway to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduledsale. The beneficiary of said Lien hereto executed and delivered tothe undersigned, a written Declaration of Default and Demand forSale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The under-signed caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be

recorded in the County where the real property is located. Date:February 8, 2013 Association Lien Services, as Trustee P.O. Box64750, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (310) 207-2027 By: Alvin Okoreeh,Trustee Officer P1020357 2/15, 2/22, 03/01/2013

TST4282 / 2013 005551FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: MIKO'SSPORTS LOUNGE, 3550-B Long Beach Blvd., LongBeach, CA 90807. Registrant: ENAID'S WAY, INC., 622 E.37th St., Long Beach, CA 90806. This business is con-ducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information inthis statement is true and correct. Signed: DamitresseYancey, President. The registrant has not begun to transactbusiness under the fictitious business name or nameslisted herein. This statement was filed with the county clerkof Los Angeles County on January 9, 2013. NOTICE: Thisfictitious business name statement expires five years fromthe date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A newfictitious business name statement must be filed prior tothat date. The filing of this statement does not of itselfauthorize the use in this state of a fictitious business namein violation of the rights of another under federal, state, orcommon law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Pro-fessions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 1, 8,15, 22, 2013.

TST4283 / 2013 015788FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: BUILDINGBLOCKS FOR SUCCESS TUTORIAL SERVICES, 3808Hathaway Ave. Unit 632, Long Beach, CA 90815. Regis-trant: MARIA JOHNSON, 3808 Hathaway Ave. Unit 632,Long Beach, CA 90815. This business is conducted by: anIndividual. I declare that all information in this statement istrue and correct. Signed: Maria Johnson. The registranthas not begun to transact business under the fictitious busi-ness name or names listed herein. This statement was filedwith the county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 23,2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statementexpires five years from the date it was filed in the office ofthe county clerk. A new fictitious business name statementmust be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statementdoes not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitiousbusiness name in violation of the rights of another underfederal, 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 015776FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: ZIZILU, 2322Monte Verde Dr., Signal Hill, CA 90755. Registrant: RAZANALJABBAN, 2322 Monte Verde Dr., Signal Hill, CA 90755.This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declarethat all information in this statement is true and correct.Signed: Razan Aljabban. The registrant has not begunto transact business under the fictitious business nameor names listed herein. This statement was filed with thecounty clerk of Los Angeles County on January 23,2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statementexpires five years from the date it was filed in the officeof the county clerk. A new fictitious business name state-ment must be filed prior to that date. The filing of thisstatement does not of itself authorize the use in thisstate of a fictitious business name in violation of therights of another under federal, state, or common law(see section 14411 et seq., Business and ProfessionsCode). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 1, 8, 15, 22,2013.

TST4285 / 2013 014780FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: PLUMBINGBY EDWARD, 1016 Concord St., Costa Mesa, CA92626. Registrant: EDWARD HERNANDES, 1016 Con-cord St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. This business is con-ducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information inthis statement is true and correct. Signed: Edward Her-nandez. The registrant has not begun to transact busi-ness under the fictitious business name or names listedherein. This statement was filed with the county clerk of LosAngeles County on January 23, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitiousbusiness name statement expires five years from the date itwas filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious busi-ness name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filingof this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this stateof a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of anotherunder 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 016949FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: GARTH'S JELLYDONUT, 3350 E. 7th. St. #128, Long Beach, CA 90804. Reg-istrant: 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 istrue and correct. Signed: Christopher Kramme. The registranthas not begun to transact business under the fictitious businessname or names listed herein. This statement was filed with thecounty clerk of Los Angeles County on January 24, 2013.NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires fiveyears from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior tothat date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorizethe use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation ofthe rights of another under federal, state, or common law (seesection 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub.The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.

TST4287/ 2013 019221FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as:BEACHCRAFTERS, 4350 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA90807. Registrant: MICHELE WILLIAMS, 36 Gaviota Ave.,Long Beach, CA 90802. This business is conducted by: an Indi-vidual. I declare that all information in this statement is true andcorrect. Signed: Michele Williams. The registrant has begun totransact business under the fictitious business name or nameslisted herein. The registrant began using this fictitious businessname on December 7, 2012. This statement was filed with the

county clerk of Los Angeles County on January 29, 2013.NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires fiveyears from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior tothat date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorizethe use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation ofthe rights of another under federal, state, or common law (seesection 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub.The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.

TST4288 / 2013 020238FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following persons are doing business as: 1. CHERRY-WOOD PROPERTY SERVICES, 2. CHERRYWOODPROPERY 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. Thisbusiness is conducted by: a Married Couple. I declare that allinformation in this statement is true and correct. Signed:Steve Lewis/June Lewis. The registrants have not begun totransact business under the fictitious business name ornames listed herein. This statement was filed with the countyclerk of Los Angeles County on January 30, 2013. NOTICE:This fictitious business name statement expires five yearsfrom the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. Anew fictitious business name statement must be filed prior tothat date. The filing of this statement does not of itself author-ize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in viola-tion 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 024386FICTITIOUS 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. Ideclare that all information in this statement is true and cor-rect. Signed: Phillip Sigman, President. The registrant has notbegun to transact business under the fictitious business nameor names listed herein. This statement was filed with the countyclerk of Los Angeles County on February 5, 2013. NOTICE:This fictitious business name statement expires five years fromthe date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new ficti-tious 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 rightsof another under federal, state, or common law (see section14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Sig-nal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March 1, 2013.

TST4292 / 2013 024887FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: PROFIT BUSI-NESS 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 Indi-vidual. I declare that all information in this statement is true andcorrect. Signed: Mitchell Barney. The registrant has not begunto transact business under the fictitious business name ornames listed herein. This statement was filed with the countyclerk of Los Angeles County on February 5, 2013. NOTICE:This fictitious business name statement expires five yearsfrom the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. Anew fictitious business name statement must be filed prior tothat date. The filing of this statement does not of itself author-ize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in viola-tion of the rights of another under federal, state, or commonlaw (see section 14411 et seq., Business and ProfessionsCode). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 8, 15, 22, & March1, 2013.

TST4294 / 2013 021829FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

The following person is doing business as: 1. DDR PROJ-ECTS, 2. DEVIL DOLL RECORDS, 3546 Gaviota Ave., LongBeach, CA 90807. Registrant: JOHN GELDBACH, 3546Gaviota Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is con-ducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in thisstatement is true and correct. Signed: John Geldbach. The reg-istrant has begun to transact business under the fictitious busi-ness name or names listed herein. The registrant began usingthis fictitious business name in January, 1996. This statementwas filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on Jan-uary 31, 2013. NOTICE: This fictitious business name state-ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the office ofthe county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement mustbe filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does notof itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious businessname in violation of the rights of another under federal, state,or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Pro-fessions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: February 15, 22, &March 1, 8, 2013.

562.989.46664047 long Beach Blvd

C O M P U T E R S E R V I C E S

Genus Computer Services LLCA Full-Service Computer Company - Home or Office• Computer Sales • Repair & Installation

• Website Design & Hosting • Network Setup, Support, Cabling & Wireless

• Internet Installation & Configuration • Remote Back-up & Data Recovery

• Camera Surveillance Security SystemsMEMBERbetterbusiness bureau

Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisors/Training

Cambodian & Spanish SpeakingBusiness & Personal Bookkeeping

CTEC Registered Tax Preparers

B O O K K E E P I N G / TA X E S

Bookkeeping & Tax Services

1640 e. burnett StreetPhone: 562-264-5114

www.MadKatinc.com

20 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013buSiNeSSeS & SeRViCeS

CiTy OF SigNal HillTST4290

NOTICE OF POllING PlACES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the General Municipal Elec-tion to be held in the City of Signal Hill on Tuesday, March 5,2013, there shall be three (3) voting precincts that the pollingplaces for the respective precincts shall be the places desig-nated below, and the language other than English in which

assistance will be provided.

Voting Precinct: 6450001APolling Place Description: Signal Hill Park

Community Center1780 E. Hill St.

Accessible to Handicapped: YesAssistance will be provided in: Spanish & Khmer

_________________________________________

Voting Precinct: 6450004APolling Place Description: Family Church of Signal Hill

2094 Cherry Ave.Accessible to Handicapped: YesAssistance will be provided in: Spanish & Khmer

______________________________________________

Voting Precinct: 6450005APolling Place Description: Discovery Well Park

Community Center2200 Temple Avenue

Accessible to Handicapped: YesAssistance will be provided in: Spanish & Khmer

The polls will be open between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Kathleen L. PachecoCity Clerk

(562)208-1853

TuNiNg &RePaiR

ChristineKay

Call for a free estimateRecommended by many localmusic teachersAssociate Member of the PianoTechnicians Guild

PIANO TUNING/REPAIRI N K & TO N E R

Declares WAR on high ink & toner prices!

562-912-4657InkPeace.com

50% OFFon HP reman

toner cartridgesWith this ad. New clients.

Discount based on HP OEM pricing.

M E D I C I N E

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 21buSiNeSSeS & SeRViCeS

PLUMBING

FOR RENTBanquet Room available for parties or events at

Bellflower-Long Beach Elks Lodge, 16426 Bellflower Blvd.Call Steve at (562) 925-5750 for details.

DECORATING & DESIGNlost CatHoward aka Howie has been missing

since 1/24. He was last seen at36th/Olive. He is a 14 year old male,

orange Tabby. The tip of his tail is bentand he is quite thin due to illness.

If you have seen him pleasecall 562-761-9856.

Apartment Rental2 BD/1.5 BA.in Signal Hill

Remodeled interior,pet friendly

with pet dep.,1 yr. lease,

water and trash paid,huge walk-in closet,

private yard.Call 310-831-7020

for appt.

562.997.4111www.kathyalford.com

alFORD’SEnglishgaRDeNS

...where your garden begins

Landscape & Garden• Design

• Installation• Maintenance

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

TST4296BID INVITATION FOR HUD SECTION 3

SUBCONTRACTORS IN THElOS 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 intoeconomically feasible units to facilitate and encourage Section 3

participation. We are requesting quotes on the following, includingbut 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 ofexisting trees, traffic control and trucking. Plans and specificationsare 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 asrequired by contract. Must be properly licensed for the type of workperforming 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)

ADVERTISE WITHTHESE PROFESSIONALSFOR AS LOW AS $20 PER WEEK

CALL THE SIGNAL TRIBUNE AT 562-595-7900

Start shopping locallythis year andsupport yourneighborhoodbusinesses!

22 SigNal TRibuNe FebRuaRy 15, 2013NeWS

Courtesy City of LBA rendering shows the proposed North Neighborhood Library that will replace the historic landmark Atlantic Theater on amore than 25,000-square-foot site. Designs call for a “re-envisioned” tower that will be lit at night, and where people will beable to look underneath through a glass ceiling as part of a children’s reading room.

been gutted. “I would hope all theplayers at the table… wouldembrace the original agreement,”Thomas said.

Still, he said preserving historicstructures is vital and importantfor Long Beach, adding that neigh-borhood theaters were once preva-

lent in the city but now have dwin-dled down to only the Art Theatreon 4th Street.

“The key here from a historicpreservation standpoint is we needto do a better job of protecting ourhistoric assets so we don’t get tothe point where there isn’t anyother recourse financially but todemo them,” he said.

Meanwhile, D’Amato pre-

sented other design aspects of thenew library, including: glass walls;spaces for public art; a 3,800-square-foot community center thatwill feature an outdoor patio; aplaza and promenade leading tothe main entry of the library;about 5,000 square feet of retailspace and another space for on-site parking.

He said the library would alsofeature an atrium space that willhave filtered natural daylightstreaming through and will con-nect to various reading areas forchildren, teens and adults. “You

will be able to see every part of thelibrary if you’re standing in thatatrium space,” D’Amato said. “Itwill be a bright, lively and activespace.”

Glenda Williams, director ofthe Long Beach Public Library,who presented program elements,said plans for the proposed libraryinclude Wi-Fi accessibility, studyrooms for research, spaces foreducational workshops and shelfspace to add books as needed.She said the library will alsoinclude anywhere from 16 to 20computers.

Construction of the nearly $8-million project is being fundedthrough proceeds from BuildAmerica Bonds issued by the for-mer RDA and should be allocatedsometime in April, once the Stateapproves a “finding of comple-tion” in the ongoing redevelop-ment-dissolution process, saidRobert Zur Schmiede, deputydirector for Long Beach Develop-ment Services. He added that theproject is expected to return to theLong Beach Planning Commissionfor final approval in either lateMarch or early April.

Librarycontinued from page 11

3626 Atlantic Ave. • Bixby Knolls562-426-7547 • Fax: 562-426-0684

Authentic Mexican Food

Patricia’sMexican Restaurant

HOURS:Mon-Sat 8:30am-10:30pm

Sunday 8:30am-9pm

DineIn

TakeOut

Fish Fillet Dinnerand Medium Drinkonly $8.99

Ariana Gastelum/Signal TribuneChapman University hosted Huell Howser Day on Feb. 8 to remember thebroadcaster and display his contributions and collections. At the event, fans ofthe show joined together and signed posters dedicated to Howser.

rovia; Candace Frazee, co-ownerof the Bunny Museum inPasadena; and Joe Rinaudo, col-lector and restorer of early-movie-music machines in La Crescenta.Luis Fuerte, Howser’s long-timecamera man, was also present.

Yu met Howser after she wrotea letter to Howser in 2006. “Iwrote a letter to him and describedto him what we do here at theSoap Kitchen– how we make soapfrom scratch the old-fashioned

way,” she said. “The very nextday, he called me…and he wasvery interested in what we did.”

The Soap Kitchen episode wasproduced in 2007. Yu describedhim as a “big kid.” “He was acharacter,” she added. “[He was]fascinated by many things.”

To help the shop, Howser pur-posefully aired the episode everyChristmas. “Of course, it wascrazy every time he played ourshow,” she said. “The next day, wewould have people waiting out-

side.”After every time the episode

was broadcasted, Howser wouldcall Yu and check up on their busi-ness. “He would personally giveme a call on the phone and ask ushow things were going,” she said.“He would always tell me to say hito my mom and [ask] how she wasdoing. He was just a really greatguy.”

MORE INFORMATIONhuellhowserarchive.com

Howsercontinued from page 14

4340 Atlantic Avenue, Uptown Bixby Knolls(310) 200-0298 Dealer Spaces Available!

www.facebook.com/aboutuboutique

bring this ad & receive 20% off a purchase of $25 (one per customer)

••••••Unique, Handmade, Creative••••••

Exclusive Murano Italian Glass Jewelry, Shabby Chic,Rustic, Collectibles, Home Elements, Fine Art,

Sterling Silver Jewelry, Spiritual Iconic Art, and accessories

About "U" Boutique offersgreat gifts...or treat yourself!

Celebrating

our newlocation!

To r e a d o r d o w n l o a d f u l l i s s u e so f t h e S i g n a l Tr i b u n e , v i s i t

w w w . s i g n a l t r i b u n e . c o m

From the creator of

By Jeraldine Saunders

A beautiful hard-boundbook filled with

cruising tips, trivia,space for diary entries,

port lecture notes, names& addresses of your new

shipboard friends, and photos!

CruiSe DiAryThe Perfect ‘Bon Voyage’ Gift

$10AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT

urbAn COttAge4121 LOng beACh bLvD.

562-997-4121

CRUISE DIARY

PRESIDENTS’ DAYWEEKEND

S A L E

PLUS

TAX FREESTOREWIDE

�

50% OFFALL MATTRESSES

4 DAYS ONLY!FRI, SAT, SUN, MONFEBRUARY 15-18

*

**

Family Owned & Operated

2198 lAKEWOOD BlVD.(Corner of Stearns) lONG BEACH

562-597-3225www.house-to-home-furniture.com

VISIT OUR ClEARANCE CENTERSAVE 50% - 90%

FlOOR SAMPlES, ClOSEOUTS, DISCONTINUEDAND 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 alltaxable transactions. Event good through February 18, 2013.This offer does not apply to open or prior sales and cannot becombined with any other offer. Excludes Ekornes products.

**Off M.S.R.P.

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 23

FebRuaRy 15, 2013 SigNal TRibuNe 24

© Port of Long Beach

Thinking outside the docks

Our Breathe Easy Mobile Clinicdrives home the importance of respiratory health.

Our Port makes it go.

From air-fi ltration 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 e! orts aimed at reducing air pollution and lessening its health impacts. So we can all breathe easier.www.POLB.com/CommunityGrants

— Drew A. Gagner, President, St. Mary Medical Center Foundation