S IGNA L T R IBU N E Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill VOL. XXXVIII NO. 52
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
December 23, 2016
Iconic Bixby Knolls diner temporarily closes after fire Cory Bilicko
Managing Editor
The iconic George’s ‘50s Diner in Bixby Knolls is temporarily closed after a two-alarm fire broke out Friday, Dec. 16. Jeffrey Ohs, Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) battalion chief, said the fire was reported around 10:30pm. He said the first arriving firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the front of the building and called for a second alarm. When all firefighting resources had arrived, firefighters conducted a forceful entry and were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, Ohs said. On Wednesday afternoon, a note on the door of the diner provided some further information. “Thanks to the efforts of the Long Beach Fire Department, the damage was limited,” the note states. “Unfortunately, there was still an extensive amount of damage sustained inside [...] We look forward to reopening in the near future.” In an emailed statement to the Sig-
George’s ‘50s Diner in Bixby Knolls has temporarily closed after a two-alarm fire broke out around 10:30pm on Friday, Dec. 16.
According to owners George and Helen Alvarez, George’s ‘50s Diner had to close temporarily because of extensive damage inside the eatery.
nal Tribune, Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, expressed regret about the incident but support for the business. “I was really upset to hear the sirens and get the news about George’s,”
tic Avenue, was declared a Long Beach historic landmark in 2004, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. Media requests made to the LBFD for further information had not been answered by press time. ✦
Photos by Denny Cristales | Signal Tribune
Cohn said. “We had had such a great week with three grand openings in the district. I was at home relaxing and happy with the district’s progress when the heartbreaking news got to me. I do hope that [owners] George and Helen [Alvarez] will be
able to get the property cleaned and repaired quickly so they can be back in full swing. It’s an iconic building and business, so we all are cheering them on.” The diner, located at the corner of San Antonio Drive and Atlan-
LGBTQ Center hosts public outreach to elderly in community Locals discuss need for better services, transportation and access for seniors. Denny Cristales Editorial Assistant
A low attendance at a discussion series event on Wednesday didn’t stop local seniors– many of whom are affiliated with the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach– from voicing their opinions on the organization’s involvement with the elderly community. The group of seniors went into detail about issues such as public transportation, socialization and support systems. The Center hosted the event as part of its discussion series to receive feedback on current resources available for its programs and services. In the past week, the Center hosted a total of four conversation events: a kick-off discussion with transgender and gender non-conforming people on Dec. 16; a community conversation at Vice Mayor Rex Richardson’s office on
Denny Cristales | Signal Tribune
Lester Pincu, a volunteer at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach and a former professor at Fresno State University (right), moderates a senior meeting on Dec. 21 at the Center as part of the organization’s conversation series to get feedback from the community about resources and services.
Dec. 19; a dialogue with LGBTQ with the exception of the Dec. 19 people of all ages on Dec. 20; and meeting, which took place at Richa final event with LGBTQ seniors ardson’s field office at 6509 Gunthis past Wednesday. dry Ave. The series focused on north Long The events were moderated by Beach residents. All discussions the Center’s Executive Director took place at the LGBTQ Center Porter Gilberg and Board Chair of Long Beach, 2017 E. 4th St., and President LaDawn Best.Page 1 Bundts_JB_Layout 1 12/1/14 1:42 PM
Lester Pincu, a volunteer at the Center and a former professor at Fresno State University, moderated the senior meeting on Dec. 21 and posed a series of questions to the group that featured no more than nine people– including Center representatives. Attendees cited the holidays, late start time– 7pm– and poor outreach as reasons for the low turnout. Tom Lawson, a volunteer with the Senior Services Committee at the Center, brought up the issue of transportation, adding how there might have been a full house if there was better access for elder citizens who are intimidated by public travel or being out late at night. “I’m not sure how exactly we’d go about it, but if there were a van or telephone network that you could use to stop by and pick somebody up,” Lawson said, “or any number of things [...] then we can bring people to talk and hear voices that we may have never heard.” Andrew Romero, a volunteer who is also with the Senior Ser-
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vices Committee at the Center, said most attendees were “the usual suspects” and already affiliated with the organization or the committee. He emphasized the importance of empowering elders. “Seniors are not ready to drop dead,” Romero said. “But they are hesitant of trying something new– venturing out and just to get them moving [...] It’s not that they are not mobile; it’s that they are afraid of being mobile [...] I just think there’s a lot of potential in the older generation.” Romero said that the public transportation schedules could be intimidating for seniors, who might not know how the system works. He added how seniors sometimes just need someone to talk to. Romero suggested creating a senior directory and reaching out to individuals to check up on them. Pincu chimed in by saying that as people get older, and their loved ones begin to pass, life can get lonely. see CONVERSATIONS page 19