SIGNAL TRIBUNE Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
VOL. XXXVIII NO. 2
January 8, 2016
A place to ‘escape’ Heralded as a venue that serves laughter as the best medicine, the Long Beach Playhouse will tell 87 years of its history starting Friday. Denny Cristales Editorial Assistant
In its 87-year existence, the Long Beach Playhouse has featured renowned performers and been around through many phases of history since the theatre’s creation in 1929. Starting Jan. 8, it will take all of five acts in one theatrical production to convey close to a century’s worth of its story. The Long Beach Playhouse will host Tales from the Playhouse, a production of the theatre’s history, on Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 9 in performances that will detail the eras of the Great Depression, the 1933 Long Beach earthquake and many other moments that had “great success while offering comedies to a war-weary city during the 1940s,” according to the theatre. Community players, as they were called, were involved in planning
Photo courtesy LB Playhouse
The Long Beach Community Playhouse Theatre exterior in 1966.
for theatrical productions during the 1930s era. They knew that individuals caught up in day-to-day labor needed a type of “escape,” and that comedy was the best solution. “It’s been a pretty simple equation throughout history– laughter is the
best medicine,” said Andrew Vonderschmitt, executive director of the Long Beach Playhouse. “The financial success during that time enabled them to save significant money. I also believe it was good planning. They bought the land and within two years
had a new theatre space.” Eighty-seven years later, and that theatre space is now the Long Beach Playhouse. The production on Friday will feature five actors, which include Vonderschmitt; Madison Mooney,
business and operations manager; Sean Gray, technical director and production manager; and Phie Mura and Liliana Carrillo, who are both volunteers. This is not the first time this Playsee LBPH page 11
New police organization to emphasize community ties
CJ Dablo | Signal Tribune
A display case at the Signal Hill Police Station offers a short snapshot of the department’s history with the city.
SHPF aims to improve relationships between law enforcement and the public. CJ Dablo Staff Writer
There are many positive stories that Sparkle Peterson, principal of
the Jessie Elwin Nelson Academy, can tell you about the Signal Hill Police Department. In a phone interview this week, Peterson shared how DeAngelo Gossett, the academy’s former school-resource officer, had become a welcome presence on campus. He was the kind of policeman who forged deep friendships with
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the kids and offered gold “police badge” stickers to anyone who asked. Peterson described how she was surprised that middle-school kids, who usually liked to be cool, didn’t mind the association with the police. “It’s a very positive relationship,” Peterson said, “so they proudly wanted to wear [the badges].” Gossett would have frank conversations with kids about bullying, drugs and gang activities, but he would also make sure in special ceremonies at City Hall that he would recognize the kids who exemplified integrity and leadership. Some would earn a certificate from the City as well as a $100 gift card. Gossett has now been promoted to a senior police officer assignment away from her campus, and Peterson praised his
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work during his time there. “He was really seen as a confidante…and also really a mentor, especially to some of the boys,” she said. It’s Gossett’s contribution to the tiny world of sixth through eighth graders that exemplifies what Police Chief Michael Langston and the Signal Hill Police Foundation are trying to accomplish– community ties, especially with young people in the city. In just a few short weeks, the new Signal Hill Police Foundation will be hosting a kick-off event. The ceremony will take place on 6:30pm on Thursday, Jan. 28 at the Betty Reckas Cultural Center at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church located at 5761 E. Colorado St. in Long Beach. The event will also include an awards ceremony for the department. January 8 through January 12, 2016
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Happy 81st Birthday, Elvis! Relive his music with Donny Edwards, See page 7 for advertisement.
Langston explained in an interview that the purpose of this new foundation is not simply to raise money for projects that aren’t funded by city funds. “This one’s a little bit different,” Langston said of the foundation, “in that its real focus is just to help create community and relationships amongst the residents and businesses here in Signal Hill with the Signal Hill Police Department.” The department already hosts various events throughout the year, including the National Night Out and its own open-house events during the summer. The foundation will also help organize these events and is hoping individuals and community members will join the organization. The police chief stressed that, see SHPF page 15