February 2010 Archives

The Navy's newest warship will arrive Friday at Anaheim Bay in Seal Beach in preparation for her commissioning next week.

The USS Dewey -- under the escort of a ceremonial fire boat -- will be the first time that a warship has been commissioned in Orange County, according to Naval Station spokesman Gregg Smith.

A short welcome ceremony will follow the ship's arrival. However, the USS Dewey is the Navy's newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer (DDG 105), and it will be formally  commissioned at the base on March 6.

 It will be the first time a U. S. Navy warship has been commissioned in Orange County.

The new destroyer honors Adm. George Dewey (1837-1917) who commanded the Asiatic Station from the cruiser Olympia.

Shortly after the onset of the Spanish-American War, Dewey led his squadron of warships into Manila Bay on April 30, 1898. The next morning, his squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in only two hours without a single American loss. It made him a hero.
 
Dewey was commissioned admiral in March 1903.

Two previous ships have also carried his name, according to Smith.

The first was a destroyer (DD 349) that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and went on to receive 13 battle stars for World War II service.  The second was a destroyer ommissioned as a guided-missile frigate (DLG 14) before being reclassified as a guided-missile destroyer (DDG 45).

The 11th Military Police Brigade has officially relocated from Ashley, Penn. to the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.

Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Robert Kenyon will address the unit during a relocation ceremony scheduled for Friday.

Members of the community are invited to join in the ceremony at the Hilton Irvine, 18800 MacArthur Blvd.

Two armed men robbed two pedestrians late Saturday night in Seal Beach's Old Town area, police said Monday.

The incident, at Fourth Street and Central Avenue, occurred at about 11:45 p.m., said police spokesman Sgt. Steve Bowles.

Two male victims told patrol officers they were forced to surrender their personal possessions during the robbery by two men with handguns, Bowles said, adding the victims were not injured.

The suspects fled from the scene on foot.

They were described as African-American, about 20 years of age, wearing dark pants and dark hooded jackets or sweatshirts.

Any persons with knowledge of the incident should contact police Det. Gary Krogman at 562. 799-4100, Ext. 1108.

 A new Local Assistance Center will open Tuesday to serve victims of recent winter storms as a one-stop resource to file insurance claims and apply for assistance.

 The Local Assistance Center -- at the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department, 2400 E. Spring St. -- is scheduled to be open from to Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
 
The program is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Operational Area, in coordination with the federal Small Business Administration and the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) will open Local Assistance Centers.

On Jan. 21, Acting Gov. Jerry Brown signed a State of Emergency proclamation for Los Angeles County, and the Board of Supervisors ratified a local emergency on Jan. 26.

Blaine Verde, an environmental educator from Breathe California of Los Angeles, will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance ( WANA ) Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at  Veterans Park Community Center, 101 East 28th Street. Verde will talk about household energy use and ways to minimize consumption and save money,

 Information is available by calling Joan Greenwood 562-599-0812 or via email at wrigleyalliance@msn.com

The Rossmoor Homeowners Association announced it will award a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior this year.

 The scholarship is appreciation for the homeowners' support. Any Rossmoor resident -- with an RHA membership -- can qualify a senior for this scholarship opportunity by paying the association annual dues of $20.

The winner will be selected by the RHA based upon a point system -- with 40 percent for grade point average and school achievements, 40 percent for school and community service and 20 percent for a short essay of no more than two pages, or about 500 words, on "What Rossmoor Means to Me."

 Applications will be available in March and must be submitted by the end of May. The award will be made by the end of June.

For more details, visit www.Rossmoor-RHA.org or call   562-799-1401.

A lone suspect entered a Starbucks coffee cafe in Seal Beach on Wenesday nght, brandishing a firearm and forcing several employees to the floor before emptying a cash register_.

 No customers were present at the time of the 8:20 p.m. robbery, at 2311 Seal Beach Blvd., near Westminster Avenue, and no employees were injured, according to police spokesman Sgt. Steve Bowles.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, 37-50 years of age, 6 feet, 200-250 pounds., dark or black colored hair and with a mustache.

No vehicle was seen, Bowles said.

Anyone with information about the incident should  contact Seal Beach police Detective Gary Krogman at 562. 799-4100, Ext.1108.

The Central Facility Center in Long Beach will host a Black History Month luncheon Friday.

The 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. event, at King Park, 1950 Lemon Ave., has been organized by 6th District Councilman Dee Andrews.

The event includes an open house and African-American cultural display to 11:30 a.m. The luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m.

 "The history of my ancestors is great and very meaningful. We have overcome many obstacles to find our place in society and to claim our history, which is rich with inspiration and hope. This luncheon brings
us together to appreciate our accomplishment," said Andrews.

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A "Tenant Rights" workshop has been set for Feb. 24 at the Neighborhood Resource Center.

The free 6-7:30 p.m. workshop, at 425 Atlantic Ave., will feature representatives from the Fair Housing Foundation and the Long Beach office of Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. They will provide a summary of fair housing laws that protect tenant rights and duties.

Residents also can learn how the Fair Housing Foundation can help address specific concerns; get additional resources to address tenant/landlord issues and provide input to the Long Beach draft "Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice."

The workshop will be presented in English with Spanish and Khmer translations available. Free parking is available behind the building. To RSVP or for more details, call 562.570.1010.

Concerned about your child's health?

The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma is reaching out to the community Saturday to ensure they are educated on environmental issues that affect their quality of life.

This will be an opportunity for residents to ask questions and engage openly in expressing their concerns and obtaining facts from experts.

Officials from Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma, USC, UCLA, the Quality Management District and the Coalition for Clean Air.

</CF><CF12>Saturday's forum begins at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast, and the program starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m., at the Cesar Chavez Park Community Center, 401 Golden Ave.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a $15.57 million to expand community clinic capacity.

Seven clinics in the Fourth District will receive almost $5 million for expansion.

The total allocation to Fourth District clinics -- represented by Supervisor Don Knabe -- is $4,795,653, of which $4,016,808 will go to expanding primary care services and $778,845 will go to new and improved infrastructure at the clinics, a spokesperson for Knabe said.

  The following list of the Fourth District community clinics will receive funding:

• Harbor Community Clinic in San Pedro
• Northeast Community Clinic in Wilmington
• Norwalk Regional Health Center in Norwalk
• Sacred Heart Family Health Clinic in Paramount
• The Children's Clinic in Long Beach
• Westside Neighborhood Clinic in Long Beach
• Wilmington Community Clinic in Wilmington

"With all of the overcrowding issues we are facing throughout the County, community clinics are more important than ever," Knabe said in a prepared statement. "By expanding clinic capacity, we are not only allowing more residents to access low-cost healthcare services, but we are alleviating strain on an emergency care system that is in a very fragile state."

 Temple Israel Long Beach volunteers will paint The Children's Clinic at 1057 Pine Ave. Sunday, Feb. 21, as part of its Hands and Hearts in Motion community service day.
 "A mitzvah is a good deed.  Every year our temple has mitzvah day where congregants do good deeds throughout the community," Dr. Mark Dressner, a doctor at TCC, said in an e-mail release.  "It's an opportunity for young and old to extend a helping hand to others."

 The painting will begin at 10 a.m.

"The Children's Clinic is very appreciative of Temple Israel and Mitzvah co-Chair Andrea Friedenthal for thinking of us for a Mitzvah Day project," Dr. Elisa Nicholas, CEO of The Children's Clinic, said in a release.

The Children's Clinic, Serving Children and Their Families, is a nonprofit health provider with three locations in Long Beach that annually serves more than 22,500 medically underserved, low income and high-risk children and families.

Long Beach's Human Dignity Assistance Team will host an educational forum Thursday about discrimination issues for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, transgenders and questioning youths.

The 5 to 8 p.m. forum -- at Immanuel Center for Conscious Living, 3215 E. Third St. -- is free, and in coordination with The Center Long Beach, youth and numerous local partners.

Prejudice and discrimination can escalate into dire circumstances, organizers assert.

"Let's stop it now for a safer school campus for every single student," said King Chan, a student from Reid High School.

The Human Dignity Assistance Team is a group of volunteers who help to educate the community about the diversity of Long Beach.

Stephen Jimenez, with the Los Angeles Unified School District Educational Equity Compliance Office, will provide a workshop on school safety laws and help teachers and administrators understand the often confusing statutes surrounding education and LGBTQ youth.

Dr. Kevin O'Grady, Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League, will discuss hate crimes.

"This is a call to action," said the Rev. Jane Galloway,spiritual director at Immanuel Center for Conscious Living. " Our youth must be loved and supported to reach their full potential in safety."

For more details, call the California Conference for Equality and Justice, at 562.435.8184.

Pull back the curtains of five decades and enjoy aerial maps of Los Alamitos' early years.

A free Open House is being held Feb. 21 and March 7 at 2 p.m. at Los Alamitos Museum, 11062 Los Alamitos Blvd.

In the 1960ss, when the town was entering cityhood, the mayor of the city was Dale Kroesen -- then, the publisher and editor of the local newspaper.

Kroesen took his own pictures for the newspaper with a 4 x 5 Speed Graphic Camera, and he also flew a private plane.

The mayor/publisher took aerial shots of Los Alamitos, sure the city would change dramatically.

A friend, Charles Milam, will share the photos for the museum's Open House.

Los Alamitos High School's nationally recognized Varsity Song team -- with 11 songleaders -- placed third in pom and second in jazz in the recent United Dance Association National Finals.

The team traveled to Orlando Florida over Super Bowl weekend to compete against 67 teams in pom and 71 teams in jazz.

The team can be seen in action in the high school gym during their annual exhibition March 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5.

The team is comprised of senior captains Kaitlin Flagg and Ashley Frize; juniors Brittany Beckham, Valerie Enciso, Kristen Fukuto and Adrienne Javier; sophomores Lauren Frize and Sasha Samodouroff; and freshmen Juliana Carbonaro, Alexia House and Niki Thomason.

The team is coached by Jennifer and Leo Ramirez.

A contingent of parents and grandparents also made the journey to Florida.<CF11>

The Seal Beach Police Department conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, resulting in seven Driving Under the Influence arrests, 15 citations and 10 stored vehicles.

The checkpoint at Pacific Coast Highway and First Street was an effort to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, as well as insuring drivers have a valid driver's license -- in part, by increasing awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers, according to police spokesman Sgt. Steve Bowles.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method for achieving this goal, the sergeant added.

Funding for th checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Khmer Arts Salon Series continues at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 with the screening of  "Dancing Nation: The Royal Ballet of Cambodia" at the  Khmer Arts Academy Studio, 1364 Obispo Avenue.

After gaining independence from France, Cambodia sought ways to reintroduce its culture and traditional arts in a postcolonial world. This led to a golden age for many Khmer arts, from architecture to pop music to classical dance.

Robam Apsara and Robam Tep Monorom, two popular classical dance pieces were created during the postcolonial flourish between 1953 to 1970. Although they are frequently presented on international stages, they have rarely been seen on film.

Curator Prumsodun Ok and the Khmer Arts Academy will air "Dancing Nation" a 1967 filim shot in color with English subtitles.

According to Ok, the film "serves as valuable documentation of the art of Cambodian classical dance in and out of performance and exemplifies well the nationalistic fervor of the day."

As with all Salon shows, admission is free and the presentation will be followed by a discussion period.

Long Beach will play host to the area's first United States Census 2010 Festival, on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.

The 2010 Census is a Constitutionally required count of all living in the United States. Data is used to detemine Congressional seats and in the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funds each year, much of which is earmarked to cities solely on population.

The 2010 Census consists of just of just 10 questions and answers are kept strictly confidentional by law.

This Census Festival is the first in Southern California. Free hot dogs and refreshments will be provided along with multicultural entertainment, information on Census job opportunities and services provided by an array of agencies.

More information is available by calling 562-433-2490.

 Los Angeles County officials are urging residents and businesses to sign up for emergency alerts.

They should register cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses on the http://alert.lacounty.gov website, county officials said.

The county's emergency mass notification system, called Alert LA County, has the capability to use phone, text and e-mail messages to alert residents and businesses when there is an emergency situation needing actions, including possible evacuations.

The system was activated 25 times between January 18 - 22 due to rain, flooding and mudslides, with some warnings going to as few as 34 people and some to as many as 513, county officials said.

All landlines are already included in the system, but people must register their cell phone numbers, Voice over IP phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. This information can be added on the http://alert.lacounty.gov website.

Because the Alert LA County system uses geomapping, each telephone number and/or e-mail address can only be associated with one street address in the system.

The Sheriff's Emergency Communications Center uses the system to issue local and regional alerts. Recorded alerts provide information on the nature of the emergency and necessary actions.

If calls are picked up by an answering machine, the system will leave a recorded message. If the number called is busy or does not answer, the system will redial the number in an attempt to deliver the message. The system is TTY/TDD compatible.

More rainfall is forecast through Saturday,   and Long Beach officials are offering free sand and sandbags to assist residents and businesses.

The materials are available at the following five fire stations:

Station No. 5 7575 E. Wardlow Road (El Dorado Park)
Station No. 7 2295 Elm Ave.
Station No. 12 6509 Gundry Ave.
Station No. 13 2475 Adriatic Ave.
Station No. 14 5200 Eliot St.

In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
To report flooding or a clogged or blocked storm drain, or a fallen tree or limbs, call 562.570.2700.

Fallen power lines are extremely dangerous. Report any downed lines to SCE immediately by calling 1.800.611.1911. Do not touch a downed line or anyone in contact with the line. Always assume a downed line is live. For more information, visit http://www.sce.com/ and click on the "Safety" tab.

Long Beach Gas & Oil Department, 562.570.2140
Long Beach Water Department, 562.570.2390
City Street Lights/City Light & Power Co., 888.544.4868
Preparation for the Storm

Sandbags will last as long as they don't have a hole. If the bags are reusable, residents should keep them for the next major rainstorm. To discard, distribute sand in a flowerbed or over a lawn, and then throw away the empty bags.

Do not take sand from the beach. It is illegal to dump sand at the beach, in the gutter or in the storm drain system.

For information on how to fill sandbags, visit www.publicaffairs.water.ca.gov/information/sandbag.cfm
Sand can also be obtained for free at the Public Works/San Francisco Yard, 1601 San Francisco Ave. (outside, next to the gate, on the Esther Street side).

Exercise a great deal of caution and patience when driving, and allow yourself plenty of time to get where you are going. Avoid large puddles and do not attempt to cross running water.

Stay out of the LA and San Gabriel Rivers and Flood Control Channels due to possible high waters.

Beach-goers are advised to avoid local waters for at least 72 hours after the end of rainfall due to the high bacteria and pollution levels from urban runoff.

Monitor the weather on television news, including the Weather Channel 76 on Charter Cable; radio news stations such as KFI 640 AM or KFWB 980 AM; and websites such as http://www.noaa.gov/. In the left hand column, insert a Long Beach zip code, and a local map and report will appear.

American Red Cross, Greater Long Beach Chapter, http://www.greaterlongbeachrc.org/, 562.595.6341

Long Beach Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), www.longbeach.gov/fire/cert, 562.570.LBFD

Southern California Edison
www.sce.com/Safety</CF>.

Seal Beach's Recreation and Parks Commission has decided to pursue a grant to fund a small community center at Heather Park.

The grant program -- headed by the Department of Parks and Recreation Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program  --  is a competitive process based on the creation of new parks and new recreation opportunities in proximity to the most critically underserved communities.

The state Parks Department has currently made $368 million available to projects that will benefit the health of families, youth, senior citizens and others by meeting their recreational, cultural, social, educational and environmental needs, according to Seal Beach City Manager David Carmany.

Grant funds do not require matching city revenues, Carmany added.

The City Council will consider authorizing the grant application submission at its regular Feb. 8 meeting.

Do you have a criminal record that needs clearing?

If so, there's a free Expungement Education Workshop, on Feb. 17, from 4 to 5 p.m., at the Center for Working Families, 1900 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach.

At the workshop, people will be given details from experts on certificate of rehabilitation, on expungement of adult convictions and sealing of juvenile records, along with assistance with completing required expungement forms.

For a very straightforward self-help tool for those wishing to file a petition on a Long Beach case, visit http://www.longbeach.gov/citypros/expungements.asp.

For more details, call 562.570.WORK.

Learn about Long Beach's Animal Care Services on Feb. 10 in a 90-minute forum hosted at the Neighborhood Resource Center.

During the 6 to 7:30 p.m. session, at 425 Atlantic Ave., Animal Care Services Bureau Manager John Keisler, and Chief of Operations Michelle Quigley will outline strategies for public safety and the humane treatment of animals, responsible pet ownership, community engagement and improvements to the Animal Care Service Bureau's investigations and enforcement.

 Participants will also learn about local laws to make neighborhoods safer for people and animals.

There will also be a pet food drive, and residents are encouraged to donate items to benefit the Multi-Service Center to help low-income pet owners who need assistance.

This free workshop will be presented in English with Spanish and Khmer translations also available. Free parking is available behind the Neighborhood Resource Center building and on the street. To RSVP or for more details, call the Neighborhood Resource Center at 562.570.1010.