Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill VOL. XXXVIII NO. 12
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Assessing a threat
The NAACP has launched an investigation regarding a student with a knife at Cal State Long Beach.
There is no new 275-home townhome development in Wrigley Heights, and some neighbors want to keep it that way.
Sebastian Echeverry Staff Writer
CJ Dablo Staff Writer
The possibility of having a large, new residential development so close to an already established Wrigley Heights community has several neighbors ready for a fight, if there really is a fight to be had. This story is far from complete and does need further investigation. The Signal Tribune has received several emails from concerned Wrigley Heights residents who have expressed deep fears that Integral Communities, an Irvine-based developer, is serious about creating a 275-unit residential community in their neighborhood. The property in question is located at 712 Baker Street. Wrigley Heights resident Lo-
Cory Bilicko | Signal Tribune
A few Wrigley Heights residents have expressed deep concerns against any plans for a housing development on property (above) owned by Oil Operators, Inc. located at 712 Baker St. They worry that the proposal could involve relocation of the nearby dog park on Golden Avenue. Long Beach city officials say that no application for a residential development has been filed.
relei Hermann said she worried about the traffic and housing congestion that any proposed development on the site would bring. Additionally, she feared that the proposal would also relocate the nearby dog park located on Golden Avenue. “Our concern as a neighborhood is that some things [are] just going to be done to us here, without us having any word in it,” the 58-year-old concluded. Hermann
acknowledged that there may not be a formal proposal filed, but she expressed concerns about the safety of building on the property. She said the land is abandoned now, but it had been polluted years ago from former oil-industry related activity. “When we first moved in here, there were these big black holes over there like tar,” Hermann said, adding that the substance had eventually seeped deep into the
ground and that there have been attempts to remediate the land. The property is currently owned by Oil Operators, Inc. Its spokesman, Kevin Laney, confirmed in a phone interview that the land has not been sold, but he did add that he hoped that would change. “We hope to sell and have somebody develop it someday,” he see DEVELOPMENT page 15
Breaking down the breakwater An ecosystem study is currently evaluating the feasibility of tearing down the 8.5-mile long structure. Denny Cristales Editorial Assistant
A healthier ecosystem could mean a healthier economy. At least that’s the thinking with the East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Study that began earlier this year. The ongoing study is currently researching the feasibility of removing the Long Beach breakwater, an 8.5mile man-made structure that stretches along San Pedro and Long Beach. The purpose of the restoration study, funded and led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is to evaluate feasible ecosystem restoration, recreational opportunities and general improvements on the shore in parts of Long Beach within East San Pedro Bay.
March 18, 2016
Part of the study includes inspecting the Long Beach breakwater and researching for data to determine whether or not it is beneficial to remove parts of the structure, the entire breakwater or keeping it intact altogether. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia has been a strong advocate of “improving the coastal experience.” He said the LA River directly flows into the bay in Long Beach, resulting in trash and sediment often getting stuck in the breakwater. Restoring access to the coastlines would not only generate interest with residents and tourists, but also boost the economy, the mayor said. “I think there would be more people coming to the beach,” Garcia said in a phone interview with the Signal Tribune. “It would be a more desirable place to be because of the restored coast. People are naturally going to have more interest and go see BREAKWATER page 14
Courtesy Historical Society of LB
The Long Beach breakwater, pictured here at an unknown date, was split into three parts– the San Pedro, Middle and Long Beach portions, which were completed in 1912, 1942 and 1949, respectively. The East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Study, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently evaluating the feasibility of removing the breakwater.
Citing student safety as the reason, the Long Beach branch of the NAACP has launched an investigation into an incident involving a student in possession of a small knife in a Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) classroom on Thursday, Feb. 25. According to a statement from CSULB, during a sociology class lecture, the professor in the room asked the student with the knife to leave, because the professor grew concerned about the weapon. The student cooperated, and shortly thereafter, the class was dismissed. The student in question is male, and he is half black and half white. He is still enrolled in the university. The professor, who remains unidentified, has since gone on leave. There is no official statement from school officials that can confirm or deny any connection between the knife incident and the professor’s time on leave. University Police Department handed over the criminal-side investigation to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) because of a conflict of interest. The student is employed by university police, and he is related to a member of the campus law enforcement, according to media reports. The Long Beach NAACP launched its investigation on March 9 to specifically determine if the situation posed a serious threat to student safety and learning. According to a statement attributed to CSULB Associate Vice President Of Government and Media Relations Terri Carbaugh, the incident posed no ongoing threat to the students and staff on campus. Therefore, no emergency message was mass-distributed throughout the school. After local newspapers released information on the incident, in see INCIDENT page 10