September 2009 Archives
LONG BEACH -- A man was shot and injured Wednesday near Poly High School, but police do not believe the victim was a student there.
Officers responded to a 1 p.m. call to New York Street and Atlantic Avenue about a possible fight, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
Finding a large group of people gathered at the scene, officers then heard rounds fired and quickly found the victim.
The victim, described as about 18 to 19 years old, was shot in the upper torso in the 500 block of New York, just west of Atlantic.
The man was conscious as Long Beach paramedics loaded him into a truck. He was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that were described as not life-threatening.
"He's going to live," Zapalski said.
Gang detectives investigating the case are fairly certain the victim is not a Poly student, police said.
No one was in custody and detailed descriptions of the shooter and victims were not immediately available.
None of the students at the scene were injured in the conflict.
Poly let out at 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, a shortened day because of back-to-school night events, district officials said.
Many students had gathered at an area burger stand.
Before the shooting, a large group of African Americans crossed Atlantic to New York, where a group of Hispanics had gathered, witnesses told the Press-Telegram shortly after the shooting.
Words were exchanged before shots rang, but it was unclear where the gunfire came from, said the witnesses, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons.
After the shots were fired, students gathered at the burger restaurant quickly scattered.
Zapalski said investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.
Additional police officers will be assigned to patrol the area around Poly today and for the remainder of the week.
Caltrans is using a mix of different types of asphalt to smooth out the bone-rattling Long Beach (710) Freeway. The Los Angeles Time has the story.
Rep. Linda Sanchez plans to testify Wednesday in Washington, D.C., about a bill that would give prosecutors greater ability to prosecute online harassment and bullying.
The Lakewood Democrat will discuss her "Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act" before the Congressional Judiciary Subcommittee.
The act would create a federal law that gives prosecutors greater ability to prosecute those who engage in "repeated, hostile, and severe communication made with an intent to harm" online.
The legislation is named after a 13-year old girl who hung herself after a woman posing as her online boyfriend on MySpace broke up with her. The girl's family would later learn that the boy, "Josh," was actually Lori Drew, 49, who had pretended to be a teenage boy.
Finding no laws had been broken, Drew was not prosecuted. However, a California man filed a lawsuit contending that Drew broke the online agreement with MySpace by falsifying her identity.
Drew was convicted, but a judge set aside the verdict, arguing that it was too broad and ran the risk of making it illegal to post criticism online.
"The crimes she was found guilty of, essentially violating the MySpace Web site's rules, are too vague to be constitutional," the New York Times wrote in an editorial.
Some critics, such as the Cato Institute, have said the bill could go too far, penalizing negative, but free, speech.
However, Sanchez said that the bill, as written, should alleviate those concerns.
"I believe that we can protect our right to free speech and victims of cyberbullying at the same time," she said. "I want the law to be able to distinguish between an annoying chain e-mail, a righteously angry political blog post, or a miffed text to an ex-boyfriend -- all of which are and should remain legal; and serious, repeated, and hostile communications made with the intent to harm.
"When the latter rises to a criminal level, as it did in the case of Lori Drew, prosecutors should have a tool at their disposal to allow them to punish the perpetrator."
Some states, such as Missouri, have laws addressing cyber-bullying and harrassment; California does not.
Meredith Reynolds, coordinator for the city's Office of Sustainability, will discuss Long Beach's environmental efforts at the 6 p.m. Oct. 8 meeting of the Belmont Shore Residents Association at the Bay Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Ave.
In addition, the BSRA will introduce its recently elected board of directors. This is the neighborhood group's first regular meeting since its Sept. 10 election.
The BSRA represents homeowners and renters in the Belmont Shore area.
The Salvation Army Thrift Store on Sixth Street and Pacific Avenue in San Pedro, has closed after 25 years in business, according to the Daily Breeze. The reason - wait for it - the economy.
The Cunningham Report weighs in on proposals to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge, which port officials have made a priority, since it is, after all, "the bridge to everywhere." The main problem: the $1.1 billion cost.
Former Press-Telegram real estate writer/expert Don Jergler writes at the Long Beach Post today that condo conversions, unemployment and other factors are driving down rents. Check out his piece at http://www.lbpost.com/don/6709
Maintenance workers at Los Alamitos Medical Center have agreed to organize, union representatives said Tuesday.
Workers voted 35 to 7 in favor of joining the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Those seeking representation are employees of a medical center subcontractor, Hospital Housekeeping Systems.
According to a news release, the workers want greater job security and medical benefits from their employer.
Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, had tried to block the election, but the move was rejected by the National Labor Relations Board.
The SEIU represents other employee groups at the hospital.
Founded in January, the National Union of Healthcare Workers represents more than 100,000 members nationwide.
I just read this nice piece on the city's book clubs in this week's edition of the Grunion Gazette. Especially cool was seeing Catrina Hanna, the kids' librarian at the Bay Shore branch, quoted. Catrina, Ms. Cat to those who know her, is great with kids, especially mine.
Nice to see book salons are alive and well in the digital age.
Gavin McKiernan, vice president of the Wrigley Association, sent me the following e-mail about neighborhood concerns about the refinery explosion and fire in nearby Wilmington:
The smoky cloud in the sky this morning was from the Tesoro refinery where an explosion caused a large fire.
Officials from Tesoro contacted the 7th District council office of Tonia Reyes Uranga, which in turn contacted the Wrigley Association, among others, to spread the word that people within a mile of the fire at 2101 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Wilmington should stay indoors as much as possible as a precautionary measure.
A 1-mile radius from the fire covers much of the Westside up to the 710 and the L.A. River but stops short of Wrigley.
They didn't expect any air problems but of course (my comment not theirs) when chemicals and buildings burn it isn't always obvious what has been released into the air until later.
Belmont Shore community activist Justin Rudd -- bringing along his bulldog Rosie -- will serve as grand marshal in Saturday's Wag n' Walk fund-raiser at 10 a.m. Saturday in Old Town Seal Beach.
The fund-raiser, now in its 14th year, is sponsored by the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a no-kill shelter.
The parade begins at Eisenhower Park next to the pier, heads down Main Street to Electric Avenue and returns to the pier area.
Events will take place near the pier from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To register online, visit http://www.sbacc.org/RP_WebDoc.asp?ttid=92
Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate, expects 1,000 students to attend the 17th annual Southeast College Conference at Bell Gardens High School, 6119 Agra St.
Southeast-area cities have some of the lowest college attendance statewide.
"The college conference aims to close the gap in college and university attendance among students living in one of Los Angeles County's neediest communities," says a news advisory from the assemblyman.
Less than 5 percent of the residents in South Gate, Bell, Bell Gardens and Lynwood have bachelor's degrees, according to Census figures cited by De La Torre.
About 26 percent of residents statewide have an undergraduate degree.
Fifty postsecondary institutions, including the University of California and the California State University systems, Columbia University, USC are scheduled to participate in the college fair, where students will be given access to admissions and financial aid experts.
The event is free.
Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews plans to host a womens' health seminar from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.
Breast cancer, mammograms, menopause, thyroid issues and incontinence are some of the medical issues that will be addressed.
Free flu shots will be given. There will be a question and answer session between each presentation.
"Our health is so important and sometimes we neglect it due to lack of insurance," Andrews said in a prepared statement. "So what better way to get free information concerning the body, especially for women, than by attending a free health seminar?"
Parking is free and light refreshments will be served. Participants must RSVP by contacting Kimberly Dodson at 562-570-6816.
A luncheon in honor of American Gold Star Mothers, women who have lost children in war, combat and other military operations, will begin at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the Captain Leonard Recreation Hall, 3021 No. Goldstar Drive, Long Beach. Food will be served at noon.
The event is taking place in honor of American Gold Star Mothers Day.
Those who would like to attend are asked to call 562-426-7652.
You may have seem my earlier item about Assembly Bill 943, which would ban the practice of checking job candidates' credit histories for most positions. The bill, which was written by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk, is headed to the governor's desk.
The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce copied me on a letter it sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposing the bill. A Schwarzenegger spokesman said that the governor has not yet taken a position on AB 943 and has until Oct. 11 to review it.
The letter appears in full below:
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce OPPOSES AB 943 (Mendoza), which restricts employers from using legitimate information related to employment issues and exposes employers to undue liability.
AB 943 prohibits employers from using consumer credit reports for employment purposes unless the information is "substantially job related," as defined, including positions that handle cash, other assets, or personal information, and at least one of the following conditions: managerial, municipal, sworn peace officer or other law enforcement, or as otherwise required by law.
Current law allows for the procurement and use of these reports under the following conditions:
Prior to requesting a consumer credit report, an employer must provide a written notice stating the source of the information and how it will be used.
Provide a copy of the consumer credit report to the consumer, if desired.
If an adverse employment action is taken against a person due to the information contained in a consumer credit report, the user must provide the name and contact information for the reporting agency to the consumer.
While a person's credit history by itself is not predictive of potential theft, access to credit information can reveal patterns that may present an unreasonable risk to businesses. Employee theft is a growing problem. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce rates the annual cost at $40 billion. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this is the fastest growing crime in the United States and many experts estimate that it increases at a rate of 15 percent annually. On average, businesses lose as much as two percent of sales to employee theft.
In small businesses, many employees perform a wide variety of duties that may not be part of their normal daily routine and may include access to cash, other assets, or confidential information. By restricting access to this important information, AB 943 may expose the business' customers and employees to an increased risk. Such risks include identity, financial, and asset theft. For instance, an employee with high consumer debt who handles cash or assets may be more likely to steal, but this bill prohibits an employer from accessing this important information as a part of their hiring process.
Employers strive to recruit and retain the best employees who they trust and will help grow their businesses. Consumer credit reports provide important insight into one aspect of a potential employee's ability to handle responsibility for cash, other assets, and personal information. These reports also provide information that allows for verification of employment history.
AB 943 prohibits employers from performing their due diligence in screening applicants, thus subjecting employers to a greater risk of inadvertently violating the law or being subject to frivolous employment litigation. This risk is compounded by the fact that, in most situations, employers are liable for the actions of employees in the performance of their job duties, so an employee may take actions that bring an unacceptable level of liability on their employer.
For any employer the risk created by AB 943 represents a major liability that discourages business growth in California. For small businesses, every little bit counts and it is their right and responsibility to protect the business within reason. We believe this bill unduly restricts the ability of businesses to use all legally available information in employment decisions.
We respectfully request your "VETO" AB 943 (Mendoza) when it comes before you.
Sincerely,
Randy Gordon
President and CEO
A bill by a Norwalk assemblyman would bar employers from checking the credit histories of most job applicants.
Legal in California when prospective employees grant consent, credit inquiries are an increasingly common component of pre-employment background checks.
But the bill by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza would limit credit screenings to law enforcement and managerial slots, as well as positions that handle large amounts of cash, jewelry or valuables or those that deal with sensitive financial information.
Opposed by the business lobby, which argues that credit checks can weed out financially irresponsible employees, Assembly Bill 943 recently cleared the Legislature and is headed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mendoza, a Democrat, plans to stage a rally and news conference in support of the bill at 1 p.m. Thursday in Room 82 at the Southeast Regional Occupation Program, 12940 E. Foster Road in Norwalk.
"He's going to urge the governor to break down the barriers that currently exist for the thousands of Californians denied a chance for gainful employment," said Richard Garcia, spokesman for Mendoza.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has not taken a public position.
"He typically waits for the bill to reach his office," said Mike Naple, a spokesman for the governor, who has until Oct. 11 to sign or veto the bill.
Garcia said that Mendoza does not see a correlation between a person's borrowing and employment histories, particularly in the current climate of foreclosures, layoffs, divorces, high student loan debt and identity theft.
Without jobs, those harmed by the financial crisis cannot pay their bills and repair their credit.
"These people deserve a fair chance at recovery and the only way they can do that is through gainful employment," he said.
The California Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill. Denise Davis, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento-based organization, referred a call to the chamber's position paper, which argues that job candidates' suitability for a position does not always show up on resumes.
"Adverse credit situations that go unexplained could raise a red flag of the applicant's suitability for some job responsibilities that involve access to employer or client assets or confidential information," according to the position paper.
About 43 percent of employers check credit, according to a news release from Rep. Steve Cohen, a lawmaker from Tennessee who examined the issue in July.
Despite credit wrecked by outstanding medical bills, Debra Banks said she is a good worker, one who has been offered jobs in the toughest employment market in a generation.
The Hawthorne resident has been doing temporary data entry for about five years. Employers have offered her full-time positions -- one after 20 months of temping, another after six months.
"I had already proven that I was trustworthy," she said.
But she didn't get the jobs.
K-9 Corner, a new downtown dog park on Ninth Street and Pacific Avenue, will host a grand opening event at noon Sunday.
The park's lights and other amenities are solar-powered, making it the "first off the grid" park, according to a news release from Councilman Robert Garcia.
Garcia and the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance plan to host the event, which will feature a block party with an animal adoption fair, a barbecue hosted by the Police Officers' Association, and visits from police K-9 units.
The alliance -- Garcia is a past president -- proposed the park two years ago to then-Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal, who is now in the state Assembly.
The park was designed with help from the city Redevelopment Agency.
In the wake of a suspected drunken driver killing 1-year-old Kaylee Alvarez in a crosswalk on 10th Street and Redondo Avenue, Mothers Against Drunk Driving plans to host a 5K walk at 9 a.m. Saturday in Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach. All the details about the "Walk Like MADD" event are at the LBPost and on the event Website.
Long Beach Police Chief Tony Batts plans to give his "final LB TV interview" at 7 tonight on "Straight Talk with Art Levine," the long-running public affairs program. Batts is leaving the LBPD to run the Oakland Police Department.
The show is on Channel 3 for those with Charter Communications cable and can be viewed on www.straightTalkTv.com, as well as YouTube, iTunes and Facebook.
A weekend police checkpoint led to the arrest of two suspected drunken drivers, Long Beach police said.
Officers also impounded 22 cars because drivers were unlicensed or driving with suspended licenses and issued 14 citations for various other offenses.
The Saturday night to Sunday morning checkpoint was conducted at Anaheim Street and Daisy Avenue as part of the department's 2009 campaign to arrest drunken drivers, according to a news release.
About 1,290 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, and 370 were screened for various violations.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will allow Long Beach police to continue using DNA analysis to investigate so-called "cold cases."
The $286,402 award will fund detective hours and DNA testing for unsolved cases through Sept. 31, 2011, the last day of that fiscal year.
Retired and active detectives have identified about 300 unsolved cold cases -- many of them homicides and sex crimes -- that date to 1991, when investigators started collecting DNA samples with greater regularity.
"We want to follow cases and bring closure to families," said Long Beach Police Department Cmdr. Laura Farinella.
Budget cuts forced elimination of the LBPD's cold case unit in 2007, but it was re-established with grant money in January 2009.
The DOJ grant was secured with help from U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, and prevents the program from expiring, as expected, in June 2010.
"She was integral to getting those funds," Farinella said of Richardson, a former Long Beach councilwoman.
With the Long Beach Police Department funding shortfalls, it is unlikely that the cold-case program would have survived on its own, Farinella said.
"While state and local governments continue to face tough budget cuts, it is a relief for all the people of Long Beach that their police department is able to continue the vital work of solving cold cases, thus ensuring justice is served, criminals are off the street and closure for victims is achieved," Richardson said in a prepared statement.
Farinella said the cold-case program relies on two retired detectives who work about two days a week, one active homicide detective who contributes when not otherwise occupied by active cases, and clerical workers. Other detectives, officers contribute when they have knowledge that can help with an investigation.
In order for police agencies to qualify for the funding, the federal award required a DNA testing component to help solve the cases. The LBPD sends its samples to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crime Lab and private labs that contract with the city.
Forty-two of the 300 identified cold cases are under review. DNA samples have been sent out for lab work in 13 of the cases.
In eight of the cold cases under review, the victims were raped or sexually assault before being murdered.
The remaining 34 cases are homicides.
The date of an unsolved crime does not necessarily make a case cold. An investigation is generally considered cold when detectives have exhausted all possible leads, the commander explained.
We Love Long Beach is hosting a Belmont Shore breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in Livingston Park, the greenbelt at Park Avenue and Livingston Drive. The organization seeks to connect those who care about the community and want to improve it.
All the details are on the WLLB site.
The founders of Tesla Motors, who were embroiled in a nasty lawsuit, have settled their case, the Los Angeles Times reports. The story has nothing to do with whether Tesla will build electric sedans in Downey or Long Beach -- the two cities that are finalists for a production line -- but it does provide an interesting window into the high-watt personalities behind the scenes.
Long Beach City College Trustee Roberto Uranga plans to host a networking reception for the California Association of Latino Community College Trustees at Café Sevilla from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
State Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, will serve as the guest speaker.
The event is open to anyone interested in networking with community college trustees from throughout California.
Uranga is a candidate for the 7th District City Council seat his wife, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, is vacating because of term limits in 2010. The college event is not tied to Uranga's campaign.
For information, call Roberto Uranga at 562-883-3813.
Council members Robert Garcia and Gerrie Schipske will be named man and woman of the year at the Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club's Human Rights Banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday on the Queen Mary.
Lambda recognizes achievement in the gay and lesbian civil rights movement.
Garcia, who represents downtown's 1st District, and Schipske, who represents the Eastside's 5th District, are the only -- but not the first -- openly gay members on the nine-member City Council.
"I do hope that people understand the importance of this organization being on the forefront of really supporting and advocating on behalf of people's human rights," Schipske said of Lambda. "So on that basis I am really honored that this organization would name me woman of the year.
"And I'll be sharing that honor with my partner of 30 years, Flo Pickett, because you don't do these things by yourself. If I am getting honored it has a lot to do with the support that I've had from my partner and my family."
Garcia, who was contacted by email, said, "I am honored to be recognized by Lambda, a group that has been fighting for equality and progressive values for over 30 years."
"Out of the Rainbow and Into the Streets" is the theme of this year's banquet.
To that end, Lambda will give its president's special recognition award to Tom Crowe, the activist who sparked the Nov. 7 march down Broadway after voters banned same-sex marriage in California by approving Proposition 8.
The Franklin Cook Memorial Award will go to Jennifer C. Pizer, senior counsel for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and national coordinator of "The Marriage Project."
Other honorees include Larry Golubski, Herbert "John" Barry III, and St. Luke's Episcopal Church and the Rev. Gary Commins. At least one more winner has yet to be announced.
Tickets to the event are $95 per person for Lambda members and $100 for non-members. Ten-seat tables are $900 for members and $950 for non-members.
For information or tickets, call Reba Birmingham at 562-756-4998 or visit http://www.lblambdademocratic.org/events.html
If you go to the new Fresh & Easy grocery store on Seventh Street and Nebraska Avenue, or the older location on Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue, don't plan on paying with a check. The stores accept only cash and credit or debit cards. Whole Foods may soon follow the trend.
The Los Angeles Times explains
State Sen. Roderrick, who represents a sliver of Long Beach and Compton in the Legislature, may not live in his 25th District, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is investigating.
LONG BEACH -- Seventh District City Council candidate Doug Seagraves said Monday that he is withdrawing from the race and supporting opponent Jack Smith.
"I am bowing out since I have health issues that may interfere with my duties and feel Mr. Smith has the name recognition and wherewithal to make the right changes at City Hall," Seagraves wrote in an email to the Press-Telegram.
The candidate, whose resume describes him as a contract administrator with Stat Registry Service in Long Beach, has said that he is recovering from cancer.
Seagraves wrote that he shares much in common with Smith, including homeless advocacy, and did not want to split the vote with him.
Smith works as a Hollywood line producer on TV shows and in movies. He has an Academy Award for technical achievement, but is perhaps best known in Long Beach for volunteer efforts on behalf of the homeless and inner-city youth.
Seagraves also aimed a parting shot at City Hall.
"I had entered the race because I was tired of getting the same inept responses from city government because the same people get used to feeding at the public trough over and over even though the people explicitly voted for term limits," he wrote.
There are now three declared candidates in the 7th, which includes the Wrigley District, California Heights and the Westside.
Also in the race are Assistant City Auditor James Johnson; Jill Hill, co-president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Association; and Long Beach City College Trustee Roberto Uranga.
All are hoping to fill the seat held by Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, who is termed out in 2010.
Former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill has endorsed Vice Mayor Val Lerch's campaign for reelection in the 9th Dstrict, Lerch announced Monday.
"Val Lerch has shown outstanding leadership and representation for the 9th Council District," O'Neill said in a prepared statement. "His first concern has always been the 9th District and its residents. He has many projects started that need to be completed. He has my continued support."
O'Neill's endorsement carries considerable heft with voters. She is arguably the most popular politician in modern Long Beach and is the only in recent years to pull off what Lerch is trying to do: run a successful write-in campaign for a third term.
Election law prevents council members from putting their names on the ballot when seeking a third term unless they make it to a runoff.
O'Neill won her third term using images of pencils to remind voters that they needed to write in her name against former Vice Mayor Dan Baker, the only name on the ballot. Former 5th District Councilwoman Jackie Kell also ran a write-in campaign in 2006, but lost to now-Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who is up for reelection in 2010.
Lerch is adopting a strategy similar to O'Neill's, stressing that hie is a write-in candidate on his campaign literature.
Lerch already has three challengers: Dan Pressburg, a financial consultant and Lerch's former staff member; Steve Neal, a social worker who lost to Lerch by 132 votes in 2006; and Brad Shore, a therapist and airline employee.
In Long Beach, the vice mayor title is an honorarium.
In addition to the endorsement, Lerch announced an upcoming fund-raiser.
The event, hosted by The INCO Co., will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 30 in the real estate firm's offices, 6621 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 280.
Seventh District City Council candidate James Johnson plans to meet with members of the public at 6 p.m. Thursday. Former 7th District Councilman Mike Donelon and former Mayor Eunice Sato are hosting what is being described as informal "campaign coffee" with Johnson, who is currently the assistant city auditor.
This event is open to interested 7th District residents. Because of space limitations, the address of the gathering will be provided when guests RSVP to (562) 997-3707.
Another candidate, Jill Hill, is hosting an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. the same evening. Information on that event is in this earlier post.
Attorney Stephanie Loftin has ended her bid in the 3rd District race against Councilman Gary DeLong, according to this article on LBReport. Her decision was said to be personal rather than political. Loftin faced DeLong in a runoff in 2006. There are no other declared candidates in next year's contest.
EverythingLongBeach.com is sponsoring an essay contest. Read the details here.
City Auditor Laura Doud will address the next meeting of the Long Beach Taxpayers Association at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Ecco's Pizza, 2123 N. Bellflower Blvd. Doud is seeking reelection in 2010.
"A discussion regarding fiscal and financial reform in Long Beach will follow Ms. Doud's talk," according to a news release.
The association advocates for public employee pension reform and other issues.
Seventh District City Council candidate Jill Hill is hosting a meet-and-greet from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Phil Trani's Restaurant, 3490 Long Beach Blvd. The candidate is seeking to replace Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga in 2010.
The Seafarers Center in Long Beach, where sailors from overseas commiserate and communicate with loved ones at home, could close, the Los Angeles Times reports on today's business page.
The center near the Long Beach (710) Freeway is largely dependent on donations from shipping companies, which have struggled during the recessionary plunge in demand for consumer goods.
Century 21 Success and the Signal Hill Police Department plan to hold a blood drive for the City of Hope from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Signal Hill Community Center, 1780 Hill St.
Those who donate blood will receive a free 6 oz. frozen yogurt certificate from Tutti Frutti in Signal Hill.
To make an appointment, or for more information, please contact Tanya Bermudez at 562-818-7334 or Tanya.Bermudez@Century21.com
Councilman Gary DeLong, the Naples Island Business Association, and the Naples Improvement Association (NIA) are hosting an electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Sea Scouts Parking Lot, 5875 Appian Way.
Volunteers will help unload items from donors' cars.
Acceptable items include TVs, computer monitors, hard drives, ink cartridges, printers, fax machines, cell phones, and business and consumer electronics.
Organizers ask that no one bring appliances, lighting or batteries.
Community activist Justin Rudd said his 30-Minute Beach Cleanup crew will join the California Coastal Cleanup Day effort this weekend in Belmont Shore.
Rudd has asked volunteers to meet him at 10 a.m. Saturday at 1 Granada Ave. His team will provide bags and gloves, though volunteers can bring their own.
There will be door prizes, including Aquarium of the Pacific tickets, as well as coupons for free drinks at It's a Grind on Second Street and appetizers at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. at the Pike. Duthie Power Services will provide refreshments.
Visit www.BeachCleanup.org for details.
Councilman Robert Garcia, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and local skaters will attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 14th Street Skate Park, which is between Pine and Pacific Avenues, at 11 a.m Saturday.
The event will include appearances by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and former Councilman Mike Donelon, a longtime skate park advocate. There will also be refreshments and music.
In addition, Garcia plans to discuss plans for other open parcels along the greenbelt.
The existing skate park is heavily used and was badly in need of new equipment, skaters and their supporters have said.
Construction is expected to take about three months. The park will be closed until work is complete.
Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, helped lead the rebuke of Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who interrupted President Obama's health-care speech by shouting, "You lie!"
The Bloomberg news agency interviews Richardson in this report and explains that she met privately with Democrats after Wilson's outburst and argued that something needed to be done.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently wanted to move on from the remark, but Richardson urged action, according to Bloomberg.
It was "the elephant in the room that we had not dealt with," Richardson said, according to Bloomberg.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal joined a delegation of state lawmakers this week who advocated for California's interests in Washington, D.C.
"It's important to keep California in everybody's mind," Lowenthal said by phone from her hotel room after meetings on Capitol Hill. "It would be unwise to stay home and hope for the best."
The delegation of about two dozen legislators led by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass had this agenda: attract federal spending to California.
The delegation is fighting for what Lowenthal termed "a wide spectrum of needs," including healthcare, transportation infrastructure, high-speed rail, drought-relief and military contracts.
On local issues, the former Long Beach councilwoman said she is arguing for funding to continue building the Boeing C-17 cargo plane here and to repair the ailing Gerald Desmond Bridge in the harbor.
"Basically, I am here to make sure that nobody talks about California infrastructure without talking about our ports," Lowenthal said. "I am very excited about letting people know it's a good time to invest in our ports."
Lawmakers also discussed California's drought and the court ruling limiting water supply from the Sacramento Delta.
The ruling is in place to protect an endangered smelt, but it, combined with dry conditions, has driven up water prices statewide.
The delegation also met with Obama administration officials and members of the House of Representatives.
"We're hoping to bring as much funding home to the people in our district as humanly possible," Lowenthal said.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington, D.C., watchdog group known by the acronym CREW, has placed Rep. Laura Richardson on its "most corrupt members of Congress list." CREW put Richardson on the same list last year.
An independent Congressional committee is looking into the an agreement that allowed the Long Beach Democrat to get back her Sacramento house after losing it in foreclosure. Richardson bought the home while serving in the Assembly but later fell behind in her payments.
The congresswoman has maintained that she did nothing wrong in winning back her home from a man who bought it auction, blaming the lender for making an error in selling it in the first place. She has also said she is making the payments now and maintaining the home.
Though CREW has placed Richardson on its list, it should be noted in fairness to Richardson that the ethics committee has not reached a conclusion in its investigation. In fact, the committee will not even confirm that it is looking into the home sale, though sources recently told the Los Angeles Times they received calls from the panel about Richardson.
DOWNEY -- The illegal demolition of Johnie's Broiler on the first days of 2007 drew a record number of protesters to City Hall.
"We like our burgers in Downey," City Manager Gerald Caton said of a city that can back up that claim as home of the world's oldest McDonald's.
Constituents' enthusiasm for ground patties served with a side of mid-century nostalgia, brought the City Council and city managment to a Tuesday walk-through of what will soon reopen as a Bob's Big Boy on Firestone Boulevard near Old River School Road.
This is no Johnie's-come-lately. Built from the original 1958 plans of Harvey's Broiler, the predecessor to Johnie's, the 185-seat Big Boy will closely resemble the Googie restaurant Downey residents loved, albeit it serving a new menu.
Jim Louder, who holds the diner's franchise, hopes to open the restaurant in mid-October. He has hired 185 employees to cover 6,500 square feet inside, as well as the parking lot carhop.
City Hall committed about $900,000 in redevelopment money, which came from a federal grant, to help cover some of the costs over a number of years, said Gilbert Livas, deputy city manager.
The new owner used as much of the old materials as could be salvaged from Johnie's, including decorative rock walls, red support beams and some original signage.
Other touches resurrected from the poodle skirt era, but not the demolition site, include "popcorn" ceilings, linoleum floors and red-and-white checkerboard wall tiles.
The red cursive "Broiler" sign remains visible. It will advertise Bob's Big Boy instead of Johnine's.
Big Boy's familiar logo -- a chubby chef in suspenders hoisting a burger on a plate -- was unveiled Tuesday by Louder and the council.
Though steeped in nostalgia, there are plenty of modern touches, including a stainless steel kitchen, where a worker's dust-covered radio blared "The Logical Song" by Supertramp.
It is unlikely future diners will hear the 1979 hit when the greasy spoon reopens.
"I've got a jukebox coming, a 1958 jukebox," said Louder, who also owns a Big Boy in Torrance. "It plays records."
Louder has a tall order in restoring a beloved fixture that dates to Downey's Space Age heyday, making it an authentic setting in "Pulp Fiction" and other films.
The restaurant, which had tall windows allowing diners a great view of Firestone, closed in 2002 and later became a used car lot.
Then, in 2007, Ardas Yanik, who leesed the 2-acre property from owner Christos Smyrniotis -- a cook at the original Harvey's -- demolished most of the building before the city stepped in and forced the workers to stop.
Lucky thing. The demolition crew failed to turn off the power, said Mario Guerra, the current mayor.
Yanik pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges.
Louder signed a lease agreement with Smyrniotis to rebuild Johnie's as a Bob's Big Boy, incorporating Johnie's surviving architectural elements.
Preservationists, as well as classic car buffs who loved gathering at the diner, lauded the decision.
Fans are going to have to idle a bit longer. Still a work in progress, there is plenty to do before next month's opening.
For one thing, the tables haven't been installed. Even so, Guerra has already picked a corner spot by the door.
"This is going to be the City Council booth, right here," he said.
The Los Angeles Times visits Island Village, a Long Beach enclave near the Orange County line, in today's edition. Residents in the gated community off of Second Street are weighing whether to pursue joining Seal Beach, where property values are generally higher.
Some residents, however, aren't so sure seeking annexation makes much sense. The Times points out one concern in Long Beach's favor -- receiving the residents' discount on local golf courses.
Not long ago, the District Weekly explored the issue as well.
Lakewood city spokesman Don Waldie, a trusted source and gifted writer, is retiring from City Hall after 32 years, according to this report on LAObserved.
Waldie plans to focus on his writing; he's already authored books and frequently pens think pieces that put Southern California in context for the Los Angeles Times' op-ed page.
On a personal level, he's guided me through numerous stories carefully and accurately, never spinning too hard, even if there was no doubt he was a Lakewood booster (and resident).
Waldie is one of the white hats in government PR, but I am glad to see he is going to focus on writing because I've always wanted to read more of his work.
California first lady Maria Shriver on Monday released the names of four women who will be honored for their humanitarian efforts at the annual Women's Conference in Long Beach.
The Minerva Awards will be given by Shriver and corporate sponsor Target Oct. 27 at a separate event within the larger conference.
The recipients are:
- Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, conservationist and author.
- Kathy Hull, founder of the George Mark Children's House in San Leandro, a residential center that seeks to relieve the symptoms of children with terminal illnesses.
- Agnes Stevens, founder of School on Wheels, which tutors Southern California homeless children ages 6 to 18.
- Helen Devore Waukazoo, co-founder of the Bay Area-based Friendship House, which provides residential substance-abuse treatment for Native Americans.
Shriver introduced the awards named for the Roman goddess on the California state seal in 2004 to honor women "who serve on the front-lines of humanity."
Past recipients include former first lady Betty Ford, feminist Gloria Steinem, tennis ace Billie Jean King, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, astronaut Sally Ride, and Maria Shriver's mother, the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Singer Alicia Keyes and author and attorney Caroline Kennedy will make remarks at the awards ceremony. Shriver will hand out the awards.
The larger Women's Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center and Arena is sold out, but tickets to the Minerva Awards and the Night at the Village are still available at www.WomensConference.org. Tickets are $40.
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has invited residents to a "Chalk It Up!" sidewalk art contest as part of the Sept. 26 Good Neighbor Festival and Picnic.
Those who would like to draw a picture at the event are asked to call the 5th District councilwoman at 562-570-6932 by Sept. 20 and pre-register, a requirement to participate in the free event. Chalk will be supplied.
The sidewalk chalk contest and the picnic will take place at El Dorado Park, 2800 N. Studebaker Road. Drawing starts at 10 a.m. with awards and prizes awarded at 2:30 p.m.
"Judging is based on creativity, originality, skill and use of color," according to a news release.
Bestselling author Lisa See plans to discuss her new book, "Shanghai Girls," as well as early California history, at 11 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St.
Long Beach Heritage invited the author of "On Gold Mountain," "Peony in Love," "The Secret Fan" and "Snow Flower" to speak and sign books at the historic cinema on Retro Row.
See has an interesting background that includes family ties to Long Beach and Signal Hill.
The author was born in Paris and raised in Los Angeles. Her family's chain of antique stores had five locations, including one at The Pike in Long Beach. Her great-grandfather owned property in Signal Hill in the 1920s.
On Sunday, "Shanghai Girls" ranked 34th on the New York Times' Bestseller List for hardcover fiction and No 7 on the Los Angeles Times' regional list.
See's work is often steeped in history. Her new book begins in 1937, "when Shanghai was the Paris of Asia." The protagonists are sisters Pearl and May Chin, whose father owns a successful rickshaw business.
Things are going great until the Japanese bomb Shanghai, forcing the sisters to escape to the Chinese countryside and eventually to the United States.
In addition to See's lectures, Naples historian Stan Poe will show slides of old Long Beach while brunch is being served.
See will lecture and allow questions and answers prior to signing copies of her new book. "Shanghai Girls" will be sold for $25.
The cost to attend the lecture, which includes brunch, is $30 for Heritage members and $35 for non-members.
For tickets, send a self-addressed envelope to Long Beach Heritage, PO Box 92521, Long Beach, CA 90809 or use PayPal at www.lbheritage.org.
Tickets will be mailed if the order is received by Sept. 22.
For questions and will call tickets, call 562-493-7019.
No tickets will be available on the day of the event.
The Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association will discuss public safety and code enforcement during a forum at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Horace Mann Elementary School auditorium, 257 Coronado Ave.
Members of the Long Beach Police Department plan to address graffiti, home, auto and personal property burglaries and other issues.
The Fire Department will go over its emergency-response program.
And the city's Neighborhood Services Bureau will address code-enforcement issues.
Information: www.bluffheights.org
Congressional candidate Peter Mathews, a college professor from Belmont Heights, said his weekend town hall meeting on health-care reform drew about 90 people to Sipology Coffee Shop in the East Village Arts District. Mathews, who is challenging Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, in the 37th District's 2010 Democratic Primary, argued in favor of a public option to complete with private insurers during the session. This is Mathews' second forum on the issue in recent weeks.
Los Alamitos High School is inviting parents, students and the general public to back to school night at 6:15 p.m. Sept. 30. The evening will begin with a performance by the Los Alamitos High School Dance Program - Advanced Dance. A principal's welcome and Parent Teacher Student Association update will follow. Classroom visitations will begin at 7 p.m. The Media Center, College/Career Center, and Counseling Offices will be open from 7p.m. - 8:50 p.m.
The Los Angeles Times' Valli Herman reviewed the new Maya Hotel in Long Beach this weekend. The critic enjoyed the ambiance, particularly the modern rooms and inviting open spaces, but found the service wanting.
Multimedia artist Brian Eno's much-anticipated art installation in the Cal State Long Beach University Art Museum opens at noon today. The Los Angeles Times has a nice advance on the opening in today's edition and interviews Eno. This exhibition is quite a coup for my alma mater and the already-happening Long Beach art scene.
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Lakewood, on Friday lauded four summer interns who worked in her Cerritos office.
Sanchez issued a statement praising the work of Tiffany Ho of Cerritos High School; Nicole Osako, a recent Cerritos High graduate headed for UC Irvine this fall; Ashley Ramos of Whittier College; and Nancy Negrete of Firebaugh High School in Lynwood.
The Belmont Shore Residents Association elected Aileen Colon and a slate of new officers today, according to an e-mail from the BSRA's Jeff Miller.
Colon follows BSRA President Mike Ruehle, who will remain an at-large member.
The election was conducted with help from the League of Women Voters.
The entire slate of nominees was elected by a near-unanimous vote on 113 ballots, according to Miller. In addition to the slate of nominees, there were two write-in candidates, who each received one vote.
In addition to Colon, the winners are:
- Vice President: Terence Endersen
- Recording Secretary: Jeff Miller
- Treasurer: Bob O'Connor
- Member at Large: John Forstrom
- Member at Large: Adam Hattan
- Member at Large: Marvin Jones
- Member at Large: Jim Lazarus
- Member at Large: Mike Ruehle
- Member at Large: Erik Spence
- Member at Large: Christopher Van Horn
It was hard not to bump into a city official, well-known businessperson or media type at tonight's grand opening party for the Hotel Maya on Queensway Bay.
Members of the City Council, Board of Supervisors and Harbor Commission could be seen rubbing elbows with travel and leisure industry hipsters clutching sangria, grilled shrimp and ceviche.
The real attraction, however, was the view of downtown from the Maya.
More information is on the hotel's website.
Congressional candidate Peter Mathews plans to stage a town hall meeting on healthcare reform from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Sipology Coffee Shop, 448 E. Broadway.
Mathews is challenging Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, for the 37th District's Democratic nomination in 2010.
Mathews, a Cypress College professor who lives in Belmont Heights, staged a similar forum -- prior to President Obama's address to Congress -- on Aug. 29.
The newly built dog park addition to Lincoln Park downtown will be, um, unleashed from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday.
The park is in the Civic Center, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.
Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine will formally open the park.
"The Downtown Dog Park is intended to meet the increasing need of downtown residents to have places where they can play with their dogs," according to a news release from the 2nd District councilwoman. "It will also serve to activate a historic open space in our downtown Civic Center."
Representatives from the city's Animal Care Services Departments will be on hand to discuss responsible pet ownership, spaying and neuter services, licensing, microchiping and other services offered to residents.
Owners are welcome to bring their dogs.
PJ's Pet Café will serve treats to dogs in attendance. It's a Grind will serve coffee and refreshments to people.
The park will feature spaces for large and small dogs along with benches for their owners.
The dog park will be daily from 8 a.m. to dusk.
The California Senate approved a bill today by Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, targeting so-called bandit taxicabs.
Senate Bill 201 cleared its final legislative hurdle with a 21-16 vote. The bill has already passed in the Assembly and is headed to the governor.
SB 201 would set a $1,250 penalty for taxicabs operating without a city license.
The measure was written in response to what Oropeza calls a festering problem of unlicensed taxicabs usurping business from legitimate players in the industry.
"The free market only works when everyone plays by the rules," Oropeza said. "These bad actors repeatedly evade background checks, insurance requirements, vehicle inspections and customer service standards."
SB 201 is sponsored by the city of Los Angeles, which made 1,427 arrests related to bandit cabs in 2008.
The governor has 30 days to sign or veto the measure once it reaches his desk. If he does nothing, the bill still becomes a law.
Be you Latino, African American, gay -- or a member of pretty much any other ethnic or cultural group -- Long Beach seems to have an annual festival for you.
But what if you're recovering from alcoholism or drug abuse and partying means gathering with like-minded souls and not tying one on?
Andrew Martin plans to address this omission in the cultural events schedule by organizing the first Taste of Recovery from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 26 under and around the Band Shell at Recreation Park, 5000 E. Seventh St.
"The recovery community in Long Beach is gigantic," said Martin, president of the Serene Center Long Beach recovery homes. "And I figured with a city this size we ought to have a festival."
Though alcohol will not be served, Martin said the event will have a party-like atmosphere.
"It's going to be a blast," Martin said. "It's a festival. There's massage chairs. There's face-painting. There's three-legged races for the kids, those costumed characters. It's a family thing."
There will also be bands whose members are in recovery, food and gift booths, raffles and carnival-style games.
Because recovery is a serious matter, there will also be about 30 information vendor booths offering information on addiction treatment facilities, sober-living homes, psychological services and government programs.
The event is being organized by Serene Center Long Beach, the Serene Foundation, the Substance Abuse Foundation, the Sober Living Network, the Long Beach South Bay Substance Abuse Coalition. Sponsors include Doctor Sober and College Hospitals.
Organizers expect at least 500 people to attend the free event. Word has been spreading in treatment facilities, Alano Clubs, sober-living homes and in 12-step meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
Though those expected to attend will mostly be those in recovery and their families, Martin said anyone in throes of addiction or alcoholism and wants help is welcome.
Also welcome are residents free of addiction issues and children.
"One thing about the recovery community, and the individuals within it, they're very chatty with one another," Martin said. "They're very friendly. It's almost a small-town feel in the way they interact with one another. It's a wonderful community. It's a fellowship."
A proposed law by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza would give local governments more time to review liquor-license applications.
Senate Bill 415, written by the Long Beach Democrat, has cleared both houses in the state Legislature and is headed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
Under existing state law, local agencues are allowed 30 days to review applications for new license or licenses transfers. Law enforcement agencies can request an additional 20 days from the state to assess the merits of an application.
However, SB 415 would extend that extra review period from 20 to 30 days.
"This helps solve a problem I encountered while I worked in city government," said Oropeza, who served six years on the Long Beach City Council. "Any tool we can give local governments to help them build safer neighborhoods by further reviewing troublesome alcohol distributors is critical."
The bill now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has 30 days to sign or veto the bill. If he does nothing, SB 415 would automatically become law.
Fitch Ratings today assigned the city of Long Beach a high rating, "F+1," and called the city's financial outlook "stable." The city is set to sell $56 million in notes on Wednesday.
The rating summary contains a few red flags for investors, given the city's budget gap, but also states that the city has gone to great lengths to reduce spending.
Finance geeks or anyone who wants more details can check out an online story here.
A bill by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal's that would automate the process for California foster children to receive food stamps for one year after they turn 18 is headed to the governor's desk.
Assembly Bill 719 automatically grants food stamps when foster children "age out" of the system and no longer qualify for help from the state.
Though all qualifying adults can apply for food stamps, the Long Beach Democrat argued that safety-net services for foster children in transition should be more automated.
"One day, the state is paying for their care. The next day, they're on their own," Lowenthal said. "It's a very harsh transition and many young people have a hard time dealing with it."
Studies show that less than 40 percent of foster youth have even $250 of their own when they become independent and more than half have failed to graduate from high school, according to state data provided by Lowenthal's chief of staff, Will Shuck.
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that about 65 percent of the foster children have nowhere to live when they turn 18 and, on average, earn poverty-level wages, about $6,000 a year if they can find work at all. Unemployment is highest among teens.
Lowenthal has said the bill would not cost the state money because food stamps are federally funded. In fact, she views it as a return of taxes paid by Californians to Washington, D.C.
Her bill cleared the Assembly with a 78-0 vote.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 30 days to sign or veto the the bill or do nothing, allowing it to become law.
I was a bit surprised by a letter to the editor today in which Long Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Gordon applauds Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach. Gordon writes that he has been keeping track of Richardson's voting record and believes that much of the time her "yays" favor business.
In an interview, Gordon said Richardson's pro-business voting record is higher than most Democrats.
Also, Gordon said that it is a myth that the Chamber doesn't back Democrats. He says that in more than half of Long Beach-area races, the Chamber has supported Dems. And, he points out, many of those candidates have won.
Here's the text of Gordon's letter:
Re "A report from Washington" (Editorial, Sept. 4), which highlighted Rep. Laura Richardson's interview with your editorial board.
It is important for Long Beach to understand more than just her personal life. At the top of that list is the fact that Richardson is a relatively strong voice for business in Congress.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently announced 260 pro-business lawmakers with their annual Spirit of Enterprise Award. The yearly award is based on voting performance and was given to 19 members of Congress from California.
Although Rep. Richardson fell short of winning the award, she does vote favorably in support of job creation more often than many of her colleagues. She votes in favor of pro-jobs legislation 63 percent of the time. A 70 percent rating is needed to qualify for the award. We are proud of her commitment to supporting job-creation legislation so far, and we look forward to her winning the award next time if she crosses the 70 percent mark.
Randy Gordon
President and CEO
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
The Bay City Rodders' annual Belmont Shore Car Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on Second Street.
The event is nice for car buffs because guests can walk around and view more than 700 cars and, in many cases, talk to the proud owners.
From classic Detroit steal to interesting imports, there is also plenty of variety.
The rodders have all the details on their Website.
Car accidents, partly because of the improper use of car seats, are the No. 1 cause of death among children ages 2 to 14.
The Long Beach Neighborhood Services Bureau will offer information on how to properly install car seats and boosters at the following Child Passenger Safety Week events:
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in the lobby of the Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Ave.
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the lobby at Miller Children's Hospital, 2801 Atlantic Ave.
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at Miller Children's Buffum Medical Pavilion, 455 E. Columbia St.
Parents will receive information on car-seat laws, types of safety seats, choosing the correct booster seats for older children and installation.
There will also be information on how to schedule a car-seat inspection.
"It's the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained -- every trip, every time," says Angela Reynolds, manager of the Neighborhood Services Bureau. "We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."
Materials will be presented in English, Spanish and Khmer.
For more information on information for keeping children safe, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration www.nhtsa.gov/cps.
In addition, as a parent who is primarily responsible for shuttling our toddler to childcare, I recommend looking at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Website, which not only has crash-test data but "losses by make and model," which offer pretty telling data about the injury rates in specific vehicles.
The information is valuable because it is used by the insurance industry to help set rates, but consumers can benefit from itas well to find out which cars are tied to the most injury wrecks. You'll be surprised at how many family sedans and SUVs billed as safe actually score poorly.
Though my last car scored five stars in the NHTSA crash tests, for example, it had significantly higher-than-average injury rates.
I traded it in for a car with well-below average scores.
Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, released a statement tonight in response to President Obama's health-care reform address before Congress.
Her entire statement appears below:
"As Congress returns after a month long district work period, hundreds of town hall meetings, and thousands of constituent contacts, what is needed -- what Americans need -- is not a patchwork of insurance reforms that everyone agrees to; rather what the insured, uninsured, underinsured and our wheezing economy need is real affordable healthcare.
"Sixty years ago this fight began, and although we made progress with Truman, Johnson and Clinton, America cannot wait six more decades to finish the job. In my home state of California, the most populous state in the nation and the eighthlargest economy in the world, one-in-five residents lack health insurance completely, hospitals are losing $11 billion annually from non-payment or underpayment of medical bills, five community hospitals have closed, and trauma centers have become an endangered species. The President and the Congress will not be judged on how much we debate change,but rather whether we deliver a health care system that works for all Americans.
"I will continue to reach out and work with the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are committed to comprehensive health care reform. Health care reform that is affordable and accessible to seniors, families, children, small businesses, corporations, the unemployed, and the sick. Health care reform that pays doctors fairly for services rendered. Health care reform that takes the excess out of prescription costs and creates a truly competitive system that strengthens our economy, stabilizes costs, and improves the quality of life for Americans.
"Today, I participated in more than eight hours of discussion on health care. We have heard the President. The hour is late, the need is great and we cannot wait. The time has come for Congress to stop playing politics and to come together to focus on improving people's lives by reforming the health care system. It must provide quality coverage that cannot be taken awayand at a cost that will not threaten a family's finances or burden businesses trying to compete.
"The American people have risen, the President has responded. Now Congress must get to work and finish the job."
LONG BEACH -- Three men and women known for work on behalf of struggling families, social causes and promoting greater understanding among races and religions will be feted next week by the California Conference for Equality and Justice.
The organization formerly known as the National Conference for Community and Justice, or NCCJ, will give its Gene Lentzner Human Relations Award to three people who have made "exceptional contributions to improving human relations at a grass-roots level in Long Beach."
The honorees are Chan En Hopson, founder and president of the Khmer Parent Association; Dora Jacildo, executive director of the Children Today; and the Rev. Sunshine Daye, a community activist.
Hopson founded the Khmer Parent Association in 1995 to help motivate Cambodian youth to pursue higher education. A survivor of Cambodia's Killing Fields era, she is also involved in health-related awareness campaigns in the Cambodian community.
"It's very meaningful because the CCEJ is a prestigious organization that is quite well known," Hopson said. "I am very honored and very humbled to receive this award."
Jacildo's work with Children Today focuses on running child-care centers for homeless children in North and West Long Beach.
"She is an amazing example of someone who not only works tremendously hard to oversee the curriculum, staff and programs that Children Today provides, she also works tirelessly in the Long Beach community to create awareness and partnerships that enrich the lives of homeless children in Long Beach," Theresa Bixby, a board member of Children Today, said of Jacildo.
Daye identifies as "a human advocate" who focuses on drug and alcohol recovery, HIV and AIDS awareness, gay and lesbian rights like marriage equality, and other social causes. She works with the Eastside's Namaste Science of Mind Center.
"It's one of the highest honors to get a Lentzner Award," Daye said of the laurel named for the man who has promoted tolerance through his work with the Jewish Federation of Long Beach and West Orange County. "Gene has been a local icon and an advocate. For me to get an award with his name on it is truly an honor for me."
Narong Ngeth and Francisco Rodriguez are to receive the CCEJ Anthony B. Rogers volunteer of the year award for CCEJ service. The award is named for the late Tony Rogers, who taught at Poly High School.
The CCEJ will also introduce its new board officers: Eleanor G. Aguilar, Bank of America; James Normandin, Memorial Medical Center Foundation; Avygail Sanchez, HDR Engineering Inc.; Jim Zehmer, TABC Inc.
The CCEJ's stated missions is to eliminate bias, bigotry and racism by promoting understanding and respect among races, religions and cultures through education, conflict resolution and advocacy.
The CCEJ's 46th dinner begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. -- dinner is an hour later -- at the Hyatt Regency, 200 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach. Guests are asked to RSVP by Friday.
Tickets are $75. For information, call 562-435-8184.
The Legislature has moved a proposal that would provide the public with greater notice of faulty mammogram machines to the governor's desk.
The state Senate recently voted to OK a proposal by Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, that would require medical providers who operate mammogram machines to post notices of serious violations where patients and staff can see them. The bill had already won Assembly approval.
"If there's one thing that a patient should be able to count on it's the accuracy of such a critical diagnostic tool," Oropeza said after Senate Bill 148 passed. "We need to be sure that the patient, who is counting on the exam to protect her health, knows if there is any problem with this equipment."
Oropeza is a cancer survivor.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 30 days from the end of the legislative session, Sept. 11, to sign or veto the bill. If he does nothing, the bill automatically becomes a law without his signature.
The Los Alamitos Unified School District is among the districts nationwide that refused to let students watch President Obama's back-to-school address, the Orange County Register reports. Long Beach Unified was not in session.
Former Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook, who is known in Long Beach for challenging Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in 2008, has endorsed Brad Shore in the 9th District City Council race.
"Brad Shore will make a great councilman," Cook said in a statement. "He truly cares about the well-being of the people in his district. He has a real drive to bring positive change to the 9th District and Long Beach."
Though Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, easily beat Cook, a Democrat, in the election she had a strong showing in Long Beach, where she garnered a majority of the vote.
Shore is a therapist at St. Mary Medical Center, serving geriatric patients, and works at American Airlines. Both positions are part-time.
This is the second significant endorsement Shore has picked up in a week.
Former Councilman Doug Drummond, who served the 3rd District, backed him last week.
Also in the race for the 9th in 2010 are Councilman Val Lerch, who is running a write-in campaign in hopes of a third term, Lerch's former staffer, Dan Pressburg, a financial consultant, and Steve Neal, a social worker.
A town hall meeting on health risks associated with high school sports, such as concussions, dehydration and heat stroke, is the subject of a town hall meeting at 7 tonight in the Los Alamitos High School Performing Arts Center. Players, parents, teacher and coaches are invited to attend. The Los Angeles Time has the story.
A for-and-against discussion on the proposed Long Beach Unified property tax measure will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 26 at Los Altos Library, 5614 E. Britton Drive.
The League of Women Voters, Long Beach Chapter, is presenting the discussion on the Nov. 3 ballot measure.
The tax would assess property owners a $92 a year for five years to pay for instruction-related programs.
For more information, contact Bea Antenore at 562-431-2206.
The Long Beach Yacht and Boat Show will take place Thursday to Sunday at Shoreline Village Marina from September. The event is in its 41st year. Reuters has all the details.
Just when you thought the issue of whether to complete the last stretch of the Long Beach (710) Freeway was gone for good, it's back. A private proposal suggests tunneling under South Pasadena -- ideally mitigating concerns about pollution and historic preservation -- to complete the freeway. However, politicians in South Pasadena, Glendale and La Canada-Flintridge, are not so sure about the idea, as this editorial in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune illustrates.
The Tribune is a sister paper of the Press-Telegram.
Signal Hill Petroleum plans to host a meet-the-candidate reception with Roberto Uranga, who is running for City Council in the 7th District.
Uranga, a Long Beach City College trustee and Health Department employee, wants to follow his wife, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, on the council. The incumbent is termed out in 2010.
The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Trattoria Limone, 3405 Orange Ave.
If you want to know more about Uranga, check out my Saturday column on the candidate.
"Love in the Time of Cholera," Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 1985 coming-of-age masterpiece, is the subject of the next Bixby Knolls Literary Society's monthly salon. The bookworms will gather at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Richard Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave. For information, call 562-997-1494.
The first Taste of the Wrigley event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at Buono's, 401 W. Willow St.
Sponsored by the Wrigley Association, the plan is to eat at a different restaurant each month.
Buono's is offering half-price beverages, including beer and wine, to Wrigley residents.
RSVPs are not required, but are appreciated by the organizers.
For information, or to RSVP, write wrigleyvillage@att.net or call 562-234-6821 and ask for Gavin McKiernan.
Several current and former public officials have endorsed 7th District City Council candidate Roberto Uranga's bid for City Council. The Long Beach City College trustee is seeking the seat held by his wife, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, who is termed out in 2010.
Assemblyman Warren Furutani, D-Long Beach, Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero, former Councilwoman and Harbor Commissioner Doris Topsy Elvord, former Mayor Ernie Kell and former Councilwoman Jackie Kell are among those who back Uranga.
Uranga's four LBCC board colleagues -- Jeff Kellogg, Doug Otto, Tom Clark and Mark Bowen -- are in his corner as well.
The 7th District contest looks competitive. Also in the race for a district that includes the Wrigley, the Westside and California Heights, are Jill Hill, co-founder of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance; James Johnson, the assistant city auditor; Jack Smith, a homeless advocate; and Doug Seagraves, a public relations professional.
Uranga will be the subject of my next Canalis Report column, which should be online Friday night and in print Saturday morning.
And my colleague Greg Mellen recently did a piece on Smith.
Former Councilman Doug Drummond has endorsed Brad Shore in the 9th District City Council race.
Campaign consultant Tracy Kittinger, who is representing Shore and has worked for Drummond in the past, said Drummond is supporting Shore.
Shore is a therapist at St. Mary Medical Center, serving geriatric patients, and works at American Airlines. Both positions are part-time.
Drummond is a Republican who now desrcribes himelf as a fiscal conservative and social liberal. Shore is a Democrat.
Also in the race are Councilman Val Lerch, who is running a write-in campaign in hopes of a third term, Lerch's former staffer, Dan Pressburg, a financial consultant, and Steve Neal, a social worker.
The Long Beach Greek Festival, noon to 9 p.m. Friday to Monday at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church off Pacific Coast Highway, is marking its 60th year. The festival is always rich with plate-breaking food, music and entertainment. All the details are on the event website.
Despite the heat, Long Beach set a 10-year record low for water consumption during the month of August, according to a Thursday announcement from the Long Beach Water Board.
Citywide water demand last month was 19.2 percent below the city's historical 10-year average, making this the second consecutive August that water use in Long Beach has been almost 20 percent below the historical average.
The Water Department has stepped up conservation efforts in the last two years, as the state struggles with supply problems, and also increased water rates earlier this year.
In honor of its NASA roots, Downey is considering renaming a stretch of Clark Avenue, the area north of the Century (105) Freeway, after the Columbia Space Shuttle. Components of the Columbia and other shuttles, along with Apollo program capsules, were built at the old NASA site where Clark meets Lakewood Boulevard. Downey Mayor Mario Guerra says community support for the issue is growing.
The Long Beach Public Library system needs volunteers to serve at all 12 branches. They are looking for volunteers with various skills - college students to professionals to retirees. Check out the notice on the library website.
I tooled around with Downey Mayor Mario Guerra today and got a preview of some of the new businesses and public projects coming to town.
Guerra, of course, has his fingers crossed that Tesla Motors, the electric car company, will choose his city to build a new plant. Long Beach is hoping the same thing.
With or without Tesla there's a lot going on in Downey:
- A new Kaiser Permanente Hospital at the former NASA site on Lakewood Boulevard and Clark Avenue. The full-service hospital will replace the aging facility in Bellflower.
- A new Fresh & Easy market coming soon to Firestone Boulevard.
- A Koll's in Stonewood Center.
- A new sports park on the old NASA site
- An aerospace learning center coming this fall, also at the NASA site.
It was a homecoming of sorts for me, as my first job at the Press-Telegram 10 years ago was serving as Downey Bureau chief.
The Press-Telegram's editorial board met with U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, to discuss issues involving her Sacramento home, the one that was foreclosed upon and then won back, as well as issues related to her performance in Washington, D.C. The news side was not in the meeting but you'll get the idea by reading the editorial, which will appear in print Thursday.
Labor Day Weekend may seem early to start thinking about Turkey Day.
But the Long Beach Basket Brigade is getting a head start on plans to deliver food baskets to 600 needy families on Nov. 21, the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
Food Finders, churches and other helping organizations will identify families in need of a free meal. Then the Basket Brigade's volunteers will deliver laundry baskets full of food to the homes.
Recipients are not told who is giving them the food, says Jeff Livesay, 41, who started the annual effort with his wife, Kym Livesay, 39.
"This basket comes to you from someone who cares," states a card placed in each basket. "All we ask is that someday, when you are able, you help someone else."
The idea behind the anonymous gifts is to emphasize the act of giving, not the giver, says Kym Livesay.
Inside the baskets are a gift card for a turkey at Ralph's, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce and other fixings.
"Everything's useful," Kym Livesay says, adding that even the basket is meant to be reused for laundry.
The Livesays, who live in Eastside not far from Cal State Long Beach, started the Long Beach Basket Brigade in 2005 after four years of participating in a similar effort in Orange County.
They were inspired after hearing motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins talk about his efforts to feed the needy.
"Then we just decided we should do our own in Long Beach," Kym Livesay recalls. "We agreed to start it right here on this couch with about five people."
Now a committee of five and about 40 volunteers operate the organization.
Each basket costs about $40 to assemble, so the goal is to raise $24,000 this year's effort, Jeff Livesay says.
The organization recently qualified for non-profit status. Donations to the Basket Brigade are tax-deductible.
Aside from a handful of sponsors -- Starbucks provides coffee for volunteers, Christ Lutheran Church donates space to assemble the baskets and S&M Moving lends delivery trucks and D&E Casino in Lakewood provides the gaming tables for fundraisers -- the money for the effort comes from donations and fundraisers.
The Basket Brigade's upcoming fund-raiser, a Texas hold'em and bunco tournament, will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Jewish Community Center, 3801 E. Willow St.
There is a $50 buy-in for poker and a $20 entry fee for bunco. Prices include appetizers, beer, wine, soda and water. There are prizes for the top four winners, as well as a 5/50 raffle drawing and a silent auction.
For more information, visit www.LongBeachBasketBrigade.org, write kym@LongBeachBasketBrigade.org or call 562-900-3574. The group is also on Facebook.
Sunset magazine and the California Coastal Commission have named state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, a "coastal hero," according to a news release from the magazine.
Here's what Sunset, which is based in the San Francisco Bay area, has to say about Lownethal in advance of its Sept. 17 issue:
Over the course of his political career, Senator Lowenthal has distinguished himself as a thoughtful, substantive legislator who commands the respect of his colleagues--especially when it comes to protecting the California coast. Lowenthal has helped pass numerous coastal-protection acts and received a perfect 100 percent voting score from the California League of Conservation Voters in 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2008.
Long Beach band Sublime plans to reunite with a new singer, according to Relix, a music magazine. Singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell, a Wilson High School graduate, died of a drug overdose in 1996.
From the article:
The new version of Sublime will feature remaining members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums), as well as a 20-something singer named Rome. The three musicians first performed at Cantina Los Tres Hombres in Sparks, Nevada this past February. As of press time, Sublime's only upcoming performance is at the Smoke Out Festival. The event will take place in San Bernardino, CA on October 23 and 24, featuring performances by Cypress Hill, Slipknot, Pennywise, Deftones and many others.
Though the members of Sublime where cult heroes around the Los Angeles-area, the group did not achieve international fame until its self-titled third album went multi-platinum after Nowell's death. Almost immediately after, remaining members Wilson (bass) and Gaugh (drums) formed the Long Beach Dub All-Stars with a host of Sublime collaborators and sidemen. Long Beach Dub All Stars focused primarily on original material--though occasionally threw in some Sublime covers--until parting ways in 2002. Wilson and a number of former Long Beach Dub All Stars members continued on as Long Beach Shortbus until 2007.
Children Today, which provides free daycare services to homeless youth so their parents can work or look for work, plans to host a 5K run and walk event at 9 a.m. Oct. 10 at Long Beach College's Pacific Coast Campus.
The cost is $15. Proceeds benefit Children Today's preschools in North and West Long Beach.
In addition, runners and walkers will receive free admission to the LBCC Reggae Festival following the race as well as vendor gifts, a goodie bag and a T-shirt. First, second and third place winners will receive cash prizes.
Long Beach-based Freeconferencecall.com is sponsoring the race, the first in what organizers hope will become an annual event, according to an email from Theresa Bixby, a Children Today board member.
Those who wish to support the event can give in two ways: By signing up to walk or run or by creating a personal fund-raising page and obtaining online sponsorships.
Visit www.active.com/donate/childrentoday5k to complete either registration process.
The event is open to all ages. The course is kid- and pet-friendly and handicap accessible.
For information, write Miles Nevin at miles@childrentoday.org or by calling 562-761-4109.
Not sure what it was like in your neighborhood, but when I went out to get my newspapers this morning in Belmont Heights the sky was dark gray and smoke from the still-raging fires was blocking the sun. Ash was falling on our cars.
Fresh & Easy plans to open its second grocery store in Long Beach at 10 a.m. Sept. 16, the Long Beach Post reports today. A third store, to be located in CityPlace, does not yet have an opening date. The original store is on Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue.
Fresh & Easy is somewhat similar to Trader Joe's in that it offers gourmet-style food at budget prices. Most of the house-brand offerings do not contain artificial ingredients and dyes. To save costs, the stores require shoppers to use a self-checkout system. The staff comes around and helps if you have a problem using the register.
The chain is owned by Tesco, the U.K.'s answer to Wal-Mart, but the American stores are much smaller and simpler than their European counterparts.
