Dec. 21, 2018 | Vol. XL No. 52

SIGNAL TRIBUNE

HOLIDAY TV GUIDE See Pages 6 and 11!

Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday

VOL. XL NO. 52

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

www.signaltribune.com

IN THIS ISSUE

L​B City Council approves appointments to non-charter commissions

COMMUNITY Winter shelter open for homeless people

Council also signs off on 20-year agreement with Verizon.​

Long Beach emergency overnight shelter to bus in area homeless through March.

Page 3

Cory Bilicko Staff Writer

​At its Dec. 18 meeting​,​the Long Beach City Council​ heard a presentation about a day commemorating homeless residents, ​​accepted numerous appointments to several non-charter commissions​and approved a 20-year agreement with Verizon Communications​.​

Photos by Denny Cristales | Signal Tribune

A new ‘destination’ in Lakewood Village

New improvements make local business owners feel ‘safer.’

Page 7

NEWS

John Molina, founder of Pacific 6 Enterprises and partner of hospital operator Molina, Wu, Network, LLC., announced at the Community Hospital Long Beach Reopening Task Force meeting Dec. 19 at the Long Beach Yacht Club that the facility will not meet the team’s target opening date of Jan. 1. Delays include finalizing City negotiations and addressing financing, safety-standard and equipment issues.

Community Hospital reopening delayed to projected date of spring 2019 Hospital officials urge ‘patience’ for residents during planning process.

Denny Cristales Managing Editor

Sewage spill leads to temporary closure of LB coastal beaches

Although some beaches reopened as of press time, multiple remain closed due to health concerns.

Page 8

OPINION Commentary: Our new podcast

“The Byline” is a show about writer-on-writer conversations.

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December 21, 2018

When folks ring in the new year Jan. 1, eager residents and stakeholders won’t have a functioning, licensed or accessible Community Hospital at their disposal, as on-site officials at a recent task-force meeting announced that the facility will not reopen the first day of 2019 as anticipated.

At the Community Hospital Long Beach Reopening Task Force’s meeting Dec. 19 at the Long Beach Yacht Club, 6201 Appian Wy., John Molina–founder of Pacific 6 Enterprises and partner of hospital operator Molina, Wu, Network, LLC. (MWN)– and Virg Narbutas, CEO of Community Hospital, explained that a multitude of factors, including City negotiations, financing, safety standards and equipment necessities, are contributing to the delay.

“There has been no breakdown in communication, there is no impasse, there is no cog, there is no stall,” Molina said. “I dare even call this a negotiation. ‘Negotiation’ connotates one side over here and one side over there. We know where the middle is. see HOSPITAL page 15

Homelessness presentation Steve BeCotte, president of the Long Beach Area Coalition for the Homeless, gave a presentation in honor of Mayor Robert Garcia’s having proclaimed Friday, Dec. 21 as Homeless Persons Memorial Day. “Dec. 21 is the longest night of the year, and this date symbolizes the struggle persons experiencing homelessness face on the streets every night,” BeCotte said.

“Homeless Memorial Day, an annual event comm​em​​ orat​ed in over 150 communities​across the United States, is a call to action to address and alleviate homelessness in our nation. An important step in addressing homelessness is to acknowledge dignity of all persons who are in situations of homelessness or poverty and who work tirelessly to protect their basic and civil rights.”

BeCotte said communities often try to devise solutions to homelessness but having a special day to commemorate those in need is important for developing compassion for all individuals.

Commission appointments The council approved numerous appointments to several non-charter commissions, including the newly restructured Commission on Youth and Families, the Board of Health and Human Services, the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, the Taxes and Use Citizens Advisory Committee and the Marine Advisory Commission.

“I want to thank that whole group of incredibly impressive citizens that want to be engaged in their city,” see COUNCIL page 13

Virg Narbutas, CEO of Community Hospital Long Beach (pictured), displayed a timeline for the now delayed Community Hospital reopening date at the Long Beach Yacht Club. Officials said the Molina, Wu, Network, LLC (MWN). team is eyeing a spring 2019 date. However, meeting the new target date means efficiently addressing the myriad problems contributing to the delay in a short amount of time, said John Molina, founder of Pacific 6 Enterprises and partner of hospital operator MWN.

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Signal Tribune

December 21, 2018

December 21, 2018

COMMUNITY

Signal Tribune

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Winter shelter welcomes homeless people for the night Long Beach emergency overnight shelter to bus in area homeless through March.

Anita W. Harris Staff Writer

While “winter” connotes warm holiday relaxation for some, it can prove brutally cold, wet and lonely for others.

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHH) counted 1,208 “unsheltered” homeless persons in 2017 out of 1,863 total– or about 65 percent– according to its biennial census.

Though the City’s Multi-Service Center (MSC) provides daytime homeless assistance, the Long Beach City Council approved an ordinance in November decreeing a “shelter crisis,” which allows it to use the former Long Beach North Library at 5571 Orange Ave. as an overnight sheltering facility.

As it did last year, the City leased the facility’s 7,318 square feet of space to the nonprofit United States Veterans Initiative (USVI) to operate the shelter rent-free, except for $13,750 to cover utilities and incidental costs.

“U.S. Vets, the provider for this service last year, did an amazing job,” said 8th District Councilmember Al Austin in a press statement recently. “I am glad they are returning to partner with us on this program this year.”

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) funds the shelter’s costs along with seven other such facilities throughout the county.

LAHSA selected USVI through a competitive process to provide 150 beds for area homeless and two meals per person from Dec. 8 through the end of March.

“Overnight staffing shall further provide security and case-management services that link participants to additional programs aimed at establishing improved health and economic sufficiency,” LBDHH stated in its staff report about the shelter at the November city-council meeting.

While the shelter is intended to serve the South Bay region, most of the individuals making use of the facility originate in Long Beach, referred by the MSC and police department, according to LBDHH’s staff report.

The winter shelter is not a walkin facility. Instead, participants are picked up and dropped off by bus at three different locations– one in San Pedro and two in Long Beach, including the MSC, which also provides showers for shelter attendees.

The shelter operates from 5pm to 7am nightly. Bus pickups begin at 4:15pm in San Pedro and 5pm in Long Beach and return participants to those locations beginning at 5:30am the next day.

Restricted to single adults 18 years and over, participants are not allowed to exit once checked in.

They are further limited to one bag of belongings per person, with no carts or pets. Families are not allowed to participate and LBDHH asks them to call 211 for help instead.

According to the latest data compiled by LAHSA, 79 out of 150 beds at the shelter were occupied on Dec. 18. Since the shelter’s opening on Dec. 8, occupancy has averaged 34 percent, or about 51 beds per night.

The shelter’s goal is 95-percent occupancy.

Last year, the average occupancy rate was 69 percent for the season, see SHELTER page 14

Courtesy LAHSA

Chart showing demographic data for 789 individual participants of last year’s Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) winter-shelter program in Long Beach. This year’s shelter runs from Dec. 8 through March 31 at 5571 Orange Ave.– the former Long Beach North Library. “Priority score” refers to the severity of the individual’s need for secure housing.

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OPINION

Signal Tribune

December 21, 2018

COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY

How to lower your surgery costs

A journalism podcast about our reporting process

By Denny Cristales, Signal Tribune Managing Editor

By Greg Dill, Medicare regional administrator Imagine going to the grocery store, picking up the items you need for the week, but not knowing how much anything costs until the store sends you a bill two weeks later.

Sadly, that’s how our healthcare system works every day.

Healthcare costs now represent one in every $5 spent in our country. Patients’ deductibles and copays are rising. Prescription drugs are often unaffordable for many Americans.

We must do something about rising costs, and one key is to empower patients with the information they need to drive costs down and quality up by making the healthcare system compete for their business.

That’s why Medicare recently launched a new online tool that allows consumers to compare Medicare payments and patient co-payments for certain surgical procedures that are performed in both hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers.

The Procedure Price Lookup tool– located at medicare.gov/ procedure-price-lookup/– displays national averages for the amount Medicare pays the hospital or ambulatory surgical center.

It also shows the national average co-payment amount a beneficiary with no Medicare supplemental insurance would pay the provider.

Working with their doctors, people with Medicare can use the Procedure Price Lookup to consider potential cost differences when choosing among safe and clinically appropriate settings to get the care that best meets their needs. And cost differences can be substantial.

The lookup tool is needed because the law requires Medicare to maintain separate payment systems for different types of healthcare providers. That means Medicare pays sharply different amounts for the same service, depending on the locale of the care.

It also means that people with Medicare pay different co-pays for the same service, depending on where it’s delivered.

Unfortunately, this is a prime example of Medicare’s misaligned financial incentives, under which providers can make

more money if they treat patients at one location as opposed to another.

Here’s an example: A Medicare beneficiary needs knee surgery, and her surgeon offers her the choice to have the surgery in the local hospital’s outpatient department or at an independent surgery center. With the Procedure Price Lookup tool, the beneficiary can type in the type of surgery and see an estimate of the difference in out-of-pocket costs between the two settings.

It would take an act of Congress to change Medicare’s payment systems. In the meantime, patients have the right to at least know what they will be charged.

The Procedure Price Lookup makes that information easy to access.

Procedure Price Lookup is part of our eMedicare initiative and joins other patient-oriented transparency tools, including an overhauled version of our drug pricing and spending dashboards. These new tools provide patients with Medicare and Medicaid spending information for thousands more drugs than ever before and, for the first time, list the prescription drug manufacturers that were responsible for price increases.

We launched the eMedicare initiative to empower beneficiaries with cost and quality information.

Also offered with eMedicare is a mobile-optimized, out-of-pocket cost calculator to provide beneficiaries with information on overall health plan costs and prescription drug costs.

The case for price transparency throughout the healthcare system is clear. The need for consumers to comparison shop is growing as high-deductible plans become the norm. We also need to integrate quality information with price transparency so consumers are empowered to seek out high-value care among providers competing on both cost and quality.

Need something to listen to? Or, have you caught on with podcasting’s rise in popularity over the past five years and love hearing a show on the drive to and from work?

Well, the Signal Tribune is proud to put its name in the proverbial hat of podcasting shows with the creation of “The Byline,” a show for writer-on-writer conversations.

“The Byline” is a podcast on iTunes and Spotify that gives writers of the Signal Tribune newspaper an opportunity to provide background information about the stories they write.

Although we’ve had our share of audio stories in the past, we decided to create an ongoing series of episodes that focuses on our writers. Public interest has always been prevalent when it comes to how journalists gather information about certain articles.

Moreover, some articles are so impactful or significant, they warrant their own behind-the-scenes stories.

As more episodes get published, we hope to transform the formula of our podcast. Perhaps beyond just having our writers, we’ll find a way to include our sources in said stories to be on our show to get different perspectives.

I got into journalism because of my interest in radio.

Podcasting has proven itself to be an extension of that medium.

This year, I created a podcast network– “The Mr. Denny Podcast Network,” named after the way I identified

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Territories. Answers to Medicare questions can be accessed by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

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myself as a kid. On said network, I host my own personal show, “The Mr. Denny Podcast,” and “The Byline.”

The goal is to have a multitude of podcasting shows in one place. “The Byline” is perhaps not only one of many shows that will be a part of the network, but also one of many Signal Tribune podcasts.

The next page has descriptions of the three current episodes of “The Byline,” complete with QR codes to listen to them. Scan the images to access the episodes.

Search “Mr. Denny Podcast Network” on iTunes and Spotify to subscribe. And send an email to newspaper@ signaltribune.com for feedback and suggestions for our see PODCAST page 8

COMMENTARY

Holiday travel tips

By Long Beach Airport (LGB) Long Beach Airport (LGB) is prepared to make the holiday travel season as smooth as possible for travelers, from parking to the gate. December is one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

All passengers are encouraged to arrive at least 90 minutes to two hours before their scheduled departure.

Travelers are also urged to check their airline’s baggage rules and to verify flight schedules in advance.

Service dogs and pets are also welcome at LGB, with relief areas available to the north and south of the terminal. Travelers are encouraged to check their airline’s policies for traveling with animals in advance.

Tips for smooth travels through LGB this holiday season include:

• •

Keep an eye out for STARS, or Simple Therapy and Real Smiles, certified therapy dogs that are roaming the concourse for travelers to pet, hug and relax with before takeoff.

Drivers picking up passengers are suggested to wait at the free cell-phone waiting lot, located at 3401 N. Lakewood Blvd.

Use the center median located in front of the termi-

• • • • •

nal to access rideshare services, such as Lyft, MVN 2, Opoli, Uber and Wingz.

Self-parking is available in Structure A and B. The rate at all structures is $2 an hour, with a maximum of $19 in A and $17 in B. Valet parking is available at $24 a day with a complimentary car wash.

Electric-vehicle charging in structures A and B is available at a rate of $2 an hour.

Travelers can download the free LGB Airport app, which provides information on arrivals, departures, parking and shopping.

There are rules and exceptions for traveling with children. Please visit tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children for more information.

The holiday season is a merry one at LGB, with an assortment of decorations and lights throughout the airport to delight visitors, including a Christmas tree, Hanukkah menorah and Kwanzaa table. Travelers are welcome to take photos and share on social media using the hashtag #MerryLGB.

S IGNA L T R I BU N E PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neena R. Strichart

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Barbie Ellisen Katherine Green Sharon McLucas

STAFF WRITERS

Cory Bilicko CJ Dablo Anita W. Harris

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Stephen M. Strichart

CULTURE WRITERS

Adam Buchsbaum Ava Homa Rachael Rifkin

MANAGING EDITOR

Denny Cristales

EDITORIAL INTERN

Lissette Mendoza

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Sebastian Echeverry

COLUMNISTS

Claudine Burnett Blair Cohn

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE

Daniel Green

The Signal Tribune welcomes letters to the editor, which should be signed, dated and include a phone number to verify authenticity. Letters are due by noon on the Wednesday before desired publication date. The Signal Tribune reserves the right to edit l­etters for grammar, language and space requirements. Letters must be 500 words or fewer. The Signal Tribune will publish no more than one “pro” letter and one “con” letter on a particular topic in a single issue. The Signal ­Tribune does not print letters that refer substantially to articles in other publications and might not print those that have recently been printed in other ­publications or otherwise presented in a public forum. Letters to the editor and commentaries are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Signal Tribune or its staff. Although the editorial staff will attempt to verify and/or correct i­nformation when possible, letters to the editor and commentaries are opinions, and readers should not assume that they are statements of fact. Letter-writers will be identified by their professional titles or affiliations when, and only when, the editorial staff deems it relevant and/or to provide context to the letter. We do not run letters to the editor submitted by individuals who have declared their candidacies for public office in upcoming races. This policy was put in place because, to be fair, if we publish one, we would have to publish all letters submitted by all candidates. The volume would no doubt eliminate space for letters submitted by other readers. Instead, we agree to interview candidates and print stories about political races in an objective manner and offer very reasonable advertising rates for those candidates who wish to purchase ads. The Signal Tribune is published each Friday with a circulation of 30,000. Yearly subscriptions are available for $50.

1399 E. 28th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 595-7900 www.signaltribune.com newspaper@signaltribune.com

COMMUNITY

December 21, 2018

Signal Tribune

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A ro u n d Tow n A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS What Walking tour Who Hosted by Long Beach Heritage When Various dates and times until Dec. 22 Where 953 Park Circle (At the west end of 10th Street) More Info Event organizers with Bembridge House are hosting a “Far and Near” Victorian Christmas.

Docents will provide guided tours of the house. Several ticket options will be available, including daytime tours every Tuesday and Saturday from 1pm to 3pm, two evening events (Friday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 14, from 6pm to 8pm) for ages 21 and over. Tickets range from $15 to $20 and can only be purchased through Eventbrite. No cash or checks. Visit lbheritage.org for ticket info. All proceeds will support maintenance and operation of the Bembridge House.

TURTLE TREK What Walking tour Who Hosted by Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust and Tidal Influence When Saturday, Jan. 5 from 8am to 10am Where Los Cerritos Wetlands, 6720 Pacific Coast Hwy. More Info Walk with ecologists, learn about the flora and fauna of Los Cerritos Wetlands and search for green sea turtles who have taken up residence in the San Gabriel River. This two-hour nature walk is appropriate for ages 7 and up. Closed toes shoes are required. Parking is available on the inland side of the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 1st Street, at the border of Long Beach and Seal Beach. RSVP at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org. Visit lcwlandtrust.org.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSISTANCE What Support-group gathering Who Hosted by the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach

When Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 3pm to 5pm Where Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, Conference Room A1, 2801 Atlantic Ave. More Info The Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group invites attendees to come together to share their feelings, thoughts and experiences in a safe environment. Attendees will also learn ways to better cope and manage the challenges of dementia. To register, call (323) 930-6256.

CREATIVE COMMUNICATION What Writing workshop Who Hosted by the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute When Thursdays, beginning Jan. 10 from 11am to 1pm Where Meet at the Todd Cancer Pavilion, Group Rooms 1 and 2 in the 2nd Floor, 2801 Atlantic Ave. More Info This eight-week workshop for cancer patients and survivors will explore how writing can help with communication, mental health and stress through creative prompts and exploring different genres. The workshop is facilitated by cancer survivor and published writer, Margaret Towner. To register, call (562) 933-0971.

MEDICINE, MUNCHIES AND MOVIES What Health-education lecture Who Hosted by the Long Beach Medical Center When Friday, Jan. 11, at noon Where Meet Long Beach Medical Center, Houssels Forum, 2801 Atlantic Ave. More Info the MemorialCare Senior Plus Program at Long Beach Medical Center for a free health-education lecture. Desiree Thomas, medical expert, will host a lecture on how to stop a bleed to save a life.

The discussion will be followed by a screening of The Greatest Showman. Lunch will be provided. To register, call (562) 933-1650.

Signal Hill

SIGNAL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

SEEKING PHOTOS, ARTIFACTS & HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS FROM SIGNAL HILL’S HISTORY We are searching for items that could be displayed in the new Signal Hill Public Library set to open in Spring 2019.

Bring your items to Signal Hill City Hall located at 2175 Cherry Avenue.

Please call 562-989-7330 for more information.

SIGNAL HILL

PUBLIC LIBRARY

Signal Hill is your holiday one-stop shop!

Tech Gadgets Toys Sporting Goods Home Improvement Holiday Decor Holiday Party Supplies ...and more!

Wishing a Merry Christmas to our readers

CURIOUS HOW YOUR HOMES VALUE IS INCREASING THIS YEAR? Want an Instant, Free market evaluation?

Go To PriceMySignalHillHome.com Richard Daskam (562) 857-1965

Keller Williams Coastal Properties CalBRE 01091037 & 01443822

Everything you need for a merry and bright season!

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Signal Tribune

HOLIDAY TV GUIDE

Saturday, December 22 11 a.m. (EWTN) Christmas With Collin Raye Featuring Andrea Thomas Country music star Collin Raye and Andre Thomas perform cherished Christmas songs.

Noon (HALL) Movie “Christmas Next Door” (2017) Eric Randall, an author, is left in charge of his young niece and nephew for the holidays.

1:55 p.m. (FREE) Toy Story That Time Forgot Trixie the triceratops helps the gang to return to Bonnie’s room.

2 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa” (2018) A woman returns home for Christmas to discover a historic store has closed.

2:25 p.m. (FREE) Disney’s Prep and Landing The Prep & Landing elves prepare homes around the world for Santa’s arrival.

2:55 p.m. (FREE) Prep and Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice Elves Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology.

3 p.m. (ION) Movie “Country Christmas Album” (2018) 3:25 p.m. (FREE) Movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) The scariest man in Halloween Town kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to take over Christmas.

4 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve. 5 p.m. (EWTN) A Time to Remember The Christmas story of a boy who develops his singing with a priest.

(ION) Movie “A Christmas in Royal Fashion” (2018) A prince hopes a fashion line will bring business to his financially strapped kingdom.

5:05 p.m. (FREE) Movie “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) The Grinch disguises himself as Santa to steal Christmas from the people of Whoville.

6 p.m. (AMC) Movie “Elf” (2003) A man raised as an elf at the North Pole travels to New York to find his true father.

(HALL) Movie “A Gingerbread Romance” (2018) An architect and her team enter a contest to build a life-size gingerbread house.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1999) A miserly old man is visited by three ghosts in order to learn the meaning of Christmas.

7:45 p.m. (FREE) Movie “The Santa Clause” (1994) When a father mistakenly kills Santa Claus, he is magically recruited to take his place.

8 p.m. (ABC) CMA Country Christmas Country’s biggest stars celebrate the holidays with songs and stories to warm your heart.

(AMC) Movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989) A man plays host to numerous dysfunctional relatives during the Christmas holidays.

(STARZ) Movie “Home Alone” (1990) A young boy must fend off burglars after his family accidentally leaves him home alone.

9 p.m. (ION) Movie “A Christmas Mystery” (2014) A woman hires a detective to help unravel the mystery behind letters to her late mother.

10 p.m. (HALL) Movie

(2000) The Grinch disguises himself as Santa to steal Christmas from the people of Whoville.

10 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Welcome to Christmas” (2018) A resort developer heads to Christmas, Colorado, to scope out a new piece of land.

10:30 p.m. (EWTN) A Time to Remember The Christmas story of a boy who develops his singing with a priest.

Monday, December 24

“Christmas at Graceland” (2018) A woman and her kids head to Graceland, where she bumps into an old flame.

10:15 p.m. (AMC) Movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989) A man plays host to numerous dysfunctional relatives during the Christmas holidays.

Sunday, December 23 Noon (CMT) Movie “A Country Christmas” (2013) After losing his magic and getting stranded, two children help Santa save Christmas.

(HALL) Movie “Christmas Getaway” (2017) A recently single writer is forced to share a cabin due to a vacation mix up.

12:15 p.m. (FREE) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town Kris Kringle overcomes an evil ruler and delivers toys to children all over the world.

1 p.m. (ION) Movie “Back to Christmas” (2014) A woman travels back to a previous Christmas in order to undo the mistakes of her past.

1:20 p.m. (FREE) Movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) The scariest man in Halloween Town kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to take over Christmas.

2 p.m. (HALL) Movie “A Royal Christmas” (2014) A woman is whisked away to Europe when her boyfriend reveals he’s actually a prince.

3 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve. (ION) Movie “A Firehouse Christmas” (2016) With Christmas approaching, life appears to be good for Tom and his girlfriend, Jenny.

4 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Mingle All the Way” (2018) A young entrepreneur invents a new dating app designed to help singles find dates.

4:30 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “The Best Man Holiday” (2013) Old rivalries and old flames are rekindled when a group of friends reunite.

5 p.m. (ION) Movie “A

Christmas Reunion” (2015) An executive discovers an unusual Christmas surprise when she inherits her aunt’s bakery.

(TNT) Movie “Love Actually” (2003) Several different British couples sort out their love lives during the Christmas holidays.

5:05 p.m. (FREE) Movie “The Santa Clause” (1994) When a father mistakenly kills Santa Claus, he is magically recruited to take his place.

5:30 p.m. (EWTN) Keep Christ in Christmas Go behind the scenes of the making of ‘Santa’s Priority,’ a Christmas evangomercial.

6:50 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “The Best Man Holiday” (2013) Old rivalries and old flames are rekindled when a group of friends reunite.

7 p.m. (FOX) Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Sid travels to the North Pole after Manny convinces him he is on Santa’s naughty list.

(ION) Movie “A Christmas Kiss” (2011) A designer and her assistant vie for a man while decorating his home for the holidays.

(TCM) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

7:30 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve. 8 p.m. (ABC) Disney’s Prep and Landing The Prep & Landing elves prepare homes around the world for Santa’s arrival.

(HALL) Movie “Christmas Made to Order” (2018) A Christmas amateur finds himself in charge of his family’s holiday celebration.

8:30 p.m. (ABC) Prep and Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice Elves Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology.

9 p.m. (ION) Movie “A Christmas Kiss II” (2014) A woman feigns a romance in order to fend off the advances of a billionaire playboy.

9:15 p.m. (FREE) Movie “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

9 a.m. (BET) Movie “The Perfect Holiday” (2007) A department store Santa helps a young girl find her mother a new husband.

(CMT) Movie “A Country Christmas” (2013) After losing his magic and getting stranded, two children help Santa save Christmas.

(FX) Movie “The Best Man Holiday” (2013) Old rivalries and old flames are rekindled when a group of friends reunite.

(ION) Movie “A Golden Christmas” (2009) A young boy and girl become friends over a summer because of a special dog.

10 a.m. (HALL) Movie “A December Bride” (2016) An aspiring interior designer dreads the wedding of her cousin, who is marrying her ex.

(TBN) God Came Near The most important event in history is brought to life in this retelling of the Nativity.

10:30 a.m. (EWTN) An EWTN Holy Land Experience Journey to sites throughout Bethlehem for an unforgettable Christmas experience.

11 a.m. (FREE) Movie “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” (2004) Mickey, Minnie and Santa Claus attempt to teach Donald the true meaning of Christmas.

(ION) Movie “A Royal Christmas Ball” (2017) An unmarried European king tracks down his American college sweetheart.

11:15 a.m. (AMC) Jack Frost Jack Frost wants to leave his North Pole existence and become human.

(TCM) Movie “Holiday Affair” (1949) A man offers to buy a model train set for a boy whose mother cannot afford it.

11:30 a.m. (CMT) Movie “A Country Christmas” (2013) After losing his magic and getting stranded, two children help Santa save Christmas.

Noon (HALL) Movie “A Cookie Cutter Christmas” (2014) Two longtime rival school teachers duke it out during the holidays in a bakeoff.

12:30 p.m. (AMC) Frosty’s Winter Wonderland The children build Frosty a companion out of snow after noticing how sad he has become.

(FREE) Movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) The scariest man in Halloween Town kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to take over Christmas.

1 p.m. (AMC) ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas The citizens of a small town learn that Santa has struck their town off his delivery list.

(ION) Movie “A Christmas in Royal Fashion” (2018) A prince hopes a fashion line will bring business to his financially strapped kingdom.

(TNT) An Elf’s Story: The Elf on the Shelf An elf tries to

December 21, 2018 help a little boy believe.

1:30 p.m. (AMC) Rudolph’s Shiny New Year Rudolph must find Happy, the missing baby New Year, before midnight on New Year’s Eve. (TNT) Santa’s St. Bernards Save Christmas Santa discovers there is not enough Christmas spirit for him to make Christmas magical.

2 p.m. (FOOD) Christmas Cookie Challenge Host Eddie Jackson challenges bakers to make nesting doll-inspired cookies.

(HALL) Movie “Once Upon a Holiday” (2015) A royal princess runs from her obligations to experience life as a commoner.

2:05 p.m. (FREE) Movie “Jingle All the Way II” (2014) Larry and his daughter’s stepfather compete to get her the Christmas present she wants.

2:45 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974) Mrs. Claus tells the story of the year that Santa Claus decided to take a holiday.

3 p.m. (ION) Movie “A Prince for Christmas” (2015) A charming European prince steals away incognito to the U.S. in search of true love.

(TCM) Movie “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944) A man’s family members oppose moving from turn-of-the-century St. Louis to New York.

3:50 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

4 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve. 5 p.m. (TCM) Movie “The Bishop’s Wife” (1947) An angel comes to Earth to help a bishop and his wife raise funds to build a new church.

5:40 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

6:15 p.m. (FREE) Movie “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) The Grinch disguises himself as Santa to steal Christmas from the people of Whoville.

7 p.m. (FOOD) Christmas Cookie Challenge Five bold and creative bakers compete to prove their holiday cookie-making mettle.

(ION) Movie “Christmas Belle” (2013) A man and woman fall for each other when he hires her to help him sell his home.

(TCM) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1938) Ebenezer Scrooge learns a lesson in charity after a visit from three spirits.

7:30 p.m. (CMT) Movie “A Country Christmas” (2013) After losing his magic and getting stranded, two children help Santa save Christmas.

(FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

8 p.m. (HALL) Movie “A Shoe Addict’s Christmas” (2018) A self-professed Christmas hater is locked in a department store on Christmas Eve.

December 21, 2018

COMMUNITY

Signal Tribune

7

Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune

The first iteration of the Norse Village Business Association’s and 5th District Councilmember Stacy Mungo’s HolidayLight the Nite festival event Dec. 14, in addition to festive streetlights and newly planted Magnolia trees, emphasized businesses along Norse Way between Lakewood Boulevard and Carson Street. The opening ceremony that evening also featured a ribbon cutting celebrating lighting improvements in the area and holiday characters, such as Santa Claus and The Grinch, running amok throughout the corridor.

A new ‘destination’ in Lakewood Village New improvements make local business owners feel ‘safer.’

Lissette Mendoza Editorial Intern

Local businesses came together for the first ever Holidaylight the Nite Dec. 14 along Norse Way. Hosted by the Norse Village Business Association and 5th District Councilmember Stacy Mungo, the family-friendly event also celebrated the new improvements on Norse Way between Lakewood Boulevard and Carson Street, including wider sidewalks, newly planted Magnolia trees and new streetlights along the recently remodeled Lakewood Village Shopping Center.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chair of the City’s Economic Division Randal Hernandez said, “Part of our passion is to help small businesses make more money. Small

business are the heart of the community. [...] We were glad to be part of the corridor improvement project.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by a rendition of the national anthem and a performance of the “Nutcracker” from the Southern California Dance Company.

Regarding the improvements, Ian McPherson, president of the Norse Village Business Association, said, “We wanted to light the streets and bring in a beach-stroll atmosphere.

We got new trees, crosswalks [and] sidewalks. The Port of Long Beach even sponsored us for $250,000. We want this to be a destination.”

Local businesses participated by donating items for a raffle and staying open late. Many business owners expressed their approval of the new

changes.

Chenel Thomas, owner of Bonded by Roots, a natural hair salon that has been on Norse Way since 2003, said, “I really like the improvements.

The streets are more open, the lighting is great. It used to be very dark, the sidewalks had cracks. It’s safer now. I’m very pleased. It’s the first improvement in 15 years, [and] it’s going to bring in more business.”

Isaac Zambrano, owner of Soccer Warehouse, which has been in business for eight years, also approved, adding that, “It’s wonderful. It opened up the street, people can see the businesses, which is especially good for us as small businesses.

With these types of events we’re going to get more traffic.” ✦

The Signal Tribune has reached over 400 followers on Twitter! Connect with us. @signaltribune

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8

NEWS

Signal Tribune

Podcast

December 21, 2018

continued from page 4

programming. Thank you for being a listener and avid reader of our community publication.

Capturing a global basketball career NBA legend. College mentor.

Overall great friend. These are the many descriptions attributed to Glenn McDonald.

The Signal Tribune’s production manager, Sebastian Echeverry, talks to the newspaper’s managing editor, Denny Cristales, about his Nov. 9 story about Glenn, who had his No. 10 jersey retired at Cal State Long Beach’s Walter Pyramid.

Denny’s story can be found at signaltribunenewspaper.com/39695/ community/hall-of-fame-coachplayer-to-have-jersey-retired-at-lbsu/.

“The Byline,” episode 1

Dealing with emotional stories Sebastian Echeverry, production manager of the Signal Tribune newspaper, talks to Cory Bilicko, staff writer, about keeping his emotions neutral while writing about Jo-

“The Byline,” episode 2

seluis Cruz, Jr. Cruz was shot and killed in Long Beach in 2012. His family donated his organs to four individuals, who now live on. Cruz’s memory will be honored in January during the 130th Rose Parade in Pasadena with

“The Byline,” episode 3

a float.

Cory’s story can be found at signaltribunenewspaper.com/39795/ news/rose-parade-float-to-honorlife-of-local-organ-donor/.

‘Is this your beach ball, Charlie Brown?’

These are the debut words of the iconic character Franklin, introduced to the Peanuts comic strip in 1968. Franklin’s debut proved to be a significant step in fiction, as he was one of the first African-American characters in pop culture during the Civil Rights Movement.

Denny Cristales, managing editor of the Signal Tribune, spoke to Sebastian Echeverry, production manager, about his Nov. 23 story featuring Harriet Glickman, who thought of the idea of Franklin.

Sebastian’s story can be found at signaltribunenewspaper.com/39857/ news/is-this-your-beach-ball-charlie-brown/. ✦

Sewage spill leads to temporary closure of LB coastal beaches

The Colorado Lagoon Staff Report Signal Tribune

As of press time Thursday, some of Long Beach’s coastal beaches were still closed after a sewage spill led to their temporary closure Dec. 18, according to a city official.

Judeth Luong, the City’s envi-

californiabeaches.com

ronmental-health operations officer, told the Signal Tribune Tuesday a sewage discharge of about 10,400 gallons from the Glendale area spilled into the Los Angeles River.

According to the report, the sewage spill was caused by a grease blockage in the line and has since been repaired.

“As soon as we found out, we took samples, and they came back with high levels of bacteria,” Luong told the Signal Tribune in a phone interview Dec. 20. “And so the beaches remain closed.”

In a press release Dec. 18, city officials wrote that Anissa Davis, the City’s health officer, ordered all swimming areas along the coastal beaches temporarily closed for water contact. The decision came as a result of a state law that requires the closure of beaches in such situations, according to the release.

Luong said the health-inspection team requires two clean samples of water before beaches can be reopened.

“It usually takes 72 hours to clear the water from any level of bacteria,” she said. “You know it takes a while. The turnover rate is really slow to clear the ocean. The bacteria, they’re resilient, and it just takes time for them if they’re growing in that environment. You just have to flush them out and get rid of them.”

As of Dec. 20, via the City’s see BEACHES page 13

NEWS

December 21, 2018

Signal Tribune

9

City of SH announces holiday operation closures Staff Report Signal Tribune

Signal Hill officials announced on the cityofsignalhill.org website Dec. 13 the holiday closures of City Hall and most City operations Dec. 24, Dec. 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2019.

Water and police departments will continue to be operational on these dates, according to officials.

EDCO will not be conducting trash collection on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2019.

Trash collection will be delayed by one day during the affected weeks.

votelenagonzalez.com

Lena Gonzalez Staff Report Signal Tribune

First-district councilmember announces run for state Senate Long Beach Councilmember Lena Gonzalez filed paperwork Dec. 14 to replace California Insurance Commissioner-Elect Ricardo Lara in the California state Senate. Gonzalez is vying for Lara’s 33rd-dis-

trict position.

In an emailed press release from the “Lena Gonzalez for State Senate” campaign, the councilmember wrote that she has received Lara’s endorsement.

The following day, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced his endorsement of Gonzalez, according to a campaign email Dec. 15.

Gonzalez has served on the Long Beach City Council since 2014– representing downtown Long Beach and surrounding communities. She has served as the vice chair of the City’s State Legislative Committee for the past five years and chairs the Tidelands and Harbor Committee, according to the campaign. She is employed with Microsoft and wrote that she focuses on issues related to digital inclusion and technical equity.

Gonzalez spoke to the Signal Tribune Dec. 18 about her decision to run for state Senate. She said her work on championing policies, such as the polystyrene ban earlier

this year and citywide-project labor agreements, has had her recognized by the officials for her role as a “leader in one of the largest cities in the state.”

“I am certainly qualified,” she said. “I don’t know if there is a certain box that you have to check to become a state senator, but I do think the experience, having been a leader on the State Legislative Committee, [...] has helped me advocate with elected leaders about issues relative to Long Beach.”

When asked if her 2019 campaign leading into the 2020 California State Senate elections will interfere with her work as a Long Beach councilmember, Gonzalez responded that planning things out in advance and organizing goals with her office will prevent slowdowns in her district work.

“It’s really just being able to continue the good response time for constituents on the ground and ensuring we’re moving through with projects relative to Measure A and additional

projects that we’re funding through the council office,” Gonzalez said.

“Everything will be work as usual, and we’ll continue to ramp up on the State side.”

In closing, she said she has received plenty of positive feedback since her announcement to run last week.

“Everybody has been very positive,” she said. “They’ve been very excited to know that there is a woman running for state Senate. Of course, I look at my policies through the lens of a woman, a mom, a elected official, a resident of Long Beach. With all that, I come up with a lot of knowledge as to what policymaking takes as far as looking at things comprehensively and through all these different lenses.”

On Dec. 19, Gonzalez’s campaign announced in an email blast that 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson would serve as her campaign chair.

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City of LB to have service closures Christmas, New Year’s Day Staff Report Signal Tribune

In a press release Dec. 19, officials with the City of Long Beach wrote that its offices and services will adhere to the following schedule Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2019. City Hall will reopen Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, 2019, respectively.

Closed on Dec. 25, Jan. 1: • Animal Care Services and spcaLA (Animal Control officers are available to respond to calls for service) • Career Transition Center • Center for Working Families • City Hall • Citizen Police Complaint Commission • Code Enforcement services • Fire Headquarters, Support Services, Fire Prevention, & Operations, including Marine Safety Administration • Health Department and Health facilities see CLOSURES page 12

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Signal Tribune

December 21, 2018

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Signal Hill Chamber luncheon will be dark until January 24, 2018. The luncheon will be held at The Grand, 4101 E Willow St. Also, our first mixer will be on January 10 from 5pm-7pm at Belmont Chalet, located at 5107 E. Ocean Blvd.

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December 21, 2018 (NBC) Movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) An angel shows a suicidal banker how important he has been to the lives of others.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

8:30 p.m. (AMC) Movie “Elf” (2003) A man raised as an elf at the North Pole travels to New York to find his true father.

8:55 p.m. (FREE) Movie “The Santa Clause” (1994) When a father mistakenly kills Santa Claus, he is magically recruited to take his place.

9 p.m. (ION) Movie “A Cinderella Christmas” (2016) A fledgling event planner falls for a wealthy playboy at a masquerade ball.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

9:20 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

9:30 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Christmas at Pemberley Manor” (2018) The spirit of the holidays may create an opportunity for a Christmas wish of love.

10 p.m. (CMT) Movie “A Country Christmas” (2013) After losing his magic and getting stranded, two children help Santa save Christmas.

(FOOD) Christmas Cookie Challenge Confident and daring bakers compete to prove their holiday cookie-making skills.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

10:30 p.m. (AMC) Movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989) A man plays host to numerous dysfunctional relatives during the Christmas holidays.

11 p.m. (TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

11:10 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

Midnight (TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

12:30 a.m. (CMT) Movie “Santa Claus: The Movie” (1985) Santa’s head elf falls in with a greedy tycoon who wants to eliminate the legendary man.

(HALL) Movie “Reunited at Christmas” (2018) A novelist and her boyfriend head to her late grandmother’s house for Christmas.

Tuesday, December 25 6:30 a.m. (EWTN) The Catholic University of America’s Christmas Concert An annual Christmas concert presented by the Catholic University of America.

(HALL) Movie “Welcome to Christmas” (2018) A resort

HOLIDAY TV GUIDE developer heads to Christmas, Colorado, to scope out a new piece of land.

7 a.m. (AMC) Jack Frost Jack Frost wants to leave his North Pole existence and become human.

(BET) A Very Soul Train Christmas (FREE) Disney’s Prep and Landing The Prep & Landing elves prepare homes around the world for Santa’s arrival.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

(STARZ) Movie “Home Alone” (1990) A young boy must fend off burglars after his family accidentally leaves him home alone.

7:30 a.m. (FREE) Prep and Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice Elves Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology.

8 a.m. (FREE) Movie “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” (2004) Mickey, Minnie and Santa Claus attempt to teach Donald the true meaning of Christmas.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

8:15 a.m. (AMC) Frosty’s Winter Wonderland The children build Frosty a companion out of snow after noticing how sad he has become.

8:45 a.m. (AMC) ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas The citizens of a small town learn that Santa has struck their town off his delivery list.

9 a.m. (EWTN) Solemn Mass of Christmas Day The Solemn Mass of Christmas from the Basilica of the National Shrine.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

9:15 a.m. (AMC) Jack Frost Jack Frost wants to leave his North Pole existence and become human.

10 a.m. (TBN) God Came Near The most important event in history is brought to life in this retelling of the Nativity.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

10:30 a.m. (AMC) Rudolph’s Shiny New Year Rudolph must find Happy, the missing baby New Year, before midnight on New Year’s Eve. 10:50 a.m. (STARZ) Movie “Home Alone” (1990) A young boy must fend off burglars after his family accidentally leaves him home alone.

11 a.m. (FREE) Movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) The scariest man in Halloween Town kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to take over Christmas.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

11:45 a.m. (AMC) Movie “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974) Mrs. Claus tells the story of the year that Santa Claus decided to take a holiday.

Noon (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of

Christmas.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

1 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve. (EWTN) The First Christmas Christopher Plummer narrates this timeless nativity story.

(ION) Movie “A Golden Christmas 2” (2011) A woman must decide if she wants to rekindle the love she once had for her ex.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

1:30 p.m. (TBN) God Came Near The most important event in history is brought to life in this retelling of the Nativity.

1:50 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

2 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(EWTN) The Promise The events relating to the Annunciation and birth of Christ are illustrated.

(HALL) Movie “It’s Christmas Eve” (2018) A school superintendent is forced to make cutbacks during the holiday season.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

2:35 p.m. (STARZ) Movie “Home Alone” (1990) A young boy must fend off burglars after his family accidentally leaves him home alone.

2:45 p.m. (TCM) Movie “It Happened on Fifth Avenue” (1947) While a family is away for Christmas, a hobo and his friends live in their mansion.

3 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(ION) Movie “Christmas Cupid’s Arrow” (2018) A woman decides she’s going to make an effort to find Mr. Right.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

3:30 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Road to Christmas” (2018) A woman finds herself producing a Christmas special for her network.

3:40 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

4 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

4:45 p.m. (FREE) Movie

“The Santa Clause” (1994) When a father mistakenly kills Santa Claus, he is magically recruited to take his place.

5 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

5:30 p.m. (AMC) Movie “Elf” (2003) A man raised as an elf at the North Pole travels to New York to find his true father.

(FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

6 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(TBS) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

6:30 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Christmas at Graceland” (2018) A woman and her kids head to Graceland, where she bumps into an old flame.

7 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(ION) Movie “Country Christmas Album” (2018) (TNT) Movie “A Christmas Story” (1983) In the ‘40s, a young boy wants only one thing from Santa: an official Red Ryder BB gun.

7:20 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

7:30 p.m. (AMC) Movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989) A man plays host to numerous dysfunctional relatives during the Christmas

Signal Tribune

11

holidays.

(CMT) Movie “Santa Claus: The Movie” (1985) Santa’s head elf falls in with a greedy tycoon who wants to eliminate the legendary man.

8 p.m. (COM) Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special Comedian Jeff Dunham performs a holiday-themed stand-up special with his friends.

(CW) iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Recording artists Shawn Mendes, Cardi B, Camila Cabello and more perform.

(HALL) When Calls the Heart A group of orphans is stranded in Hope Valley for Christmas.

(NBC) How the Grinch Stole Christmas An evil Grinch plots to steal everything Christmas-related from the Whos.

8:30 p.m. (NBC) Movie “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) The Grinch disguises himself as Santa to steal Christmas from the people of Whoville.

9 p.m. (EWTN) Solemn Mass of Christmas Day The Solemn Mass of Christmas from the Basilica of the National Shrine.

(ION) Movie “A Royal Christmas Ball” (2017) An unmarried European king tracks down his American college sweetheart.

(TBN) The Christmas Experience The true meaning of Christmas is explored in this special.

(TNT) Movie “Love Actually” (2003) Several different British couples sort out their love lives during the Christmas holidays.

9:10 p.m. (FXMovie) Movie “A Christmas Carol” (1951) The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future show a miser the meaning of Christmas.

9:45 p.m. (AMC) Movie “The Polar Express” (2004) A doubting little boy boards a magical train to visit the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

12

Signal Tribune

TST5806 / Case No. 18CMCP00036 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, Compton Courthoue, 200 W. Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90220.

PETITION OF William Lamont Jackson.

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioner: WILLIAM LAMONT JACKSON has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing his name as follows: Present Name: WILLIAM LAMONT JACKSON to Proposed Name: WILLIAM LAMONT MANDOLPH SR. 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: January 15, 2019; Time: 8:30A M; Dept. A, Room 904. The address of the court is the same as above. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, THE SIGNAL TRIBUNE, 1399 E. 28th, Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755: December 7, 14, 21, 28, 2018.

PUBLIC NOTICES

___//ss//___ Maurice A. Leiter, Judge of the Superior Court Dated December 4, 2018

TST5807 / Case No. 18CMCP00032 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, Compton Courthoue, 200 W. Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90220 PETITION OF Marisol and David Hernandez.

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: MARISOL AND DAVID HERNADEZ have filed a petition with this court for a decree changing their daughter’s name as follows: Present Name: JAYLEEN ALLISON HERNADEZ SORIA to Proposed Name: JAYLEEN ALLISON HERNANDEZ. 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: January 31, 2019; Time: 8:30A M; Dept. A, Room 904. The address of the court is the same as above. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for

four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, THE SIGNAL TRIBUNE, 1399 E. 28th, Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755: December 7, 14, 21’ 28, 2018 ___//ss//___ Maurice A. Leiter, Judge of the Superior Court Dated December 3, 2018

TST5808 / 2018 288615 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: GLOBAL CARBON & STAINLESS, 5855 Obispo Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805. Registrant: TA CHEN INTERNATIONAL, INC., 5855 Obispo Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805. This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Johnny Hsieh, President. The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on November 15, 2018. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the

December 21, 2018

use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: December 14, 21, 28, 2018 & January 4, 2019.

TST5809 / 2018 311782 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: ALTA SOLAR, 1910 Raymond Ave., Signal Hill, CA 90755. Registrant: TODD WILLIAM FANADY, 1910 Raymond Ave., Signal Hill, CA 90755. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Todd William Fanady. The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on December 14, 2018. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Pub. The Signal Tribune: December 21, 28, 2018 & January 4, 11, 2019.

TST5810 / 2018 316386 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1. MALOLO, 2. SHIP 550, 3. SHIP 501, 3553-A Atlantic Avenue #1617, Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: MALOLO YOUTH SAILING ASSOCIATION, 3553-A Atlantic Avenue #1617, Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is conducted by: a Corporation.

I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Albert Guerra, President. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in September, 2018. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on December 20, 2018. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Pub. The Signal Tribune: December 21, 28, 2018 & January 4, 11, 2019.

COMMUNITY CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL Revel in a Unique Celebration for All Ages

Closures

continued from page 9

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Housing Authority Libraries Marina offices (Alamitos Bay Marina, Shoreline Marina, Rainbow Harbor) Neighborhood Resource Center Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Center Park offices and community park facilities Police administration Street sweeping Swimming pools Towing and Lien Sales Water Department (Water or Sewer Emergencies can be reached at 562-570-2390)

Open on Dec. 25, Jan. 1: • Fire and lifeguard stations • El Dorado Regional Park • Main Police Station Front Desk • Gas Services Dispatch is open 24/7 for emergency calls at (562) 570-2140 Closed on Dec. 25 but open Jan. 1: • El Dorado Nature Center Street sweeping There will be no scheduled street sweeping or enforcement of street sweeping violations Dec. 25 or Jan. 1, according to the City. Services for those days will not be rescheduled.

Street sweeping will resume its regular schedule on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

Parking enforcement Parking meters will be enforced on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, unless the meter states “Exempt on holidays,” the City wrote. The days and hours of enforcement are displayed inside the meters.

Red, white and blue curbs are always enforced, even on holidays. All meters will be enforced on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, as well.

Refuse/recycling Trash-and-recycling collection services will not occur on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, the City states. As a result, collection will be delayed one day for residents each of these weeks, beginning on Tuesdays. Monday collection will occur as usual. Friday service will be collected on Saturday.

Towing and lien sales The Towing Operations & Vehicle Storage Facility that is located at 3111 E. Willow Street between Temple Avenue and Redondo Avenue will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Libraries All Long Beach public libraries will be open on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29. Bay Shore, Burnett, El Dorado, and Michelle Obama Neighborhood libraries will be closed on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.

All libraries are closed on Mondays, per their normal schedule, and closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. All libraries will reopen on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. ✦

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NEWS

December 21, 2018

EYE ON CRIME

Beaches

continued from page 8

recreational-water monitoring website, Mother’s Beach, Colorado Lagoon-West, 2nd St. Bridge & Bayshore, Alamitos-Bay Shore Float and 56th Place-On Bayside were open.

5th Place-Beach, 10th PlaceBeach, Molino Ave-Beach, Coronado Ave-Beach, W/side of Belmont Pier, Prospect Ave-Beach, Granada Ave-Beach, 55th Place-Beach and 72nd Place-Beach were still closed.

Colorado Lagoon-East was on advisory status.

Luong told the Signal Tribune that the City of Long Beach Health Department’s Recreational Water Quality health-inspection team has tested water quality along the coast since the incident. Water testing will continue until results comply with State water quality standards.

For the latest status on Long Beach recreational beach-water quality, visit longbeach.gov/health/ inspections-and-reporting/inspec✦ tions/recreational-water-samples/.

Signal Tribune

13

CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT Thursday, Dec. 13 1:15pm Grand theft– motor vehicle 2700 block Cherry Ave.

4:45pm DUI E. Willow St./Town Ctr. W (suspect arrested)

3:15pm Stolen vehicle– recovered 700 block E. Spring St.

Saturday, Dec. 15 1am DUI E. Hill St./St. Louis Ave (Suspect arrested)

10:13pm DUI 2300 block Dawson Ave. (suspect arrested) Friday, Dec. 14 8:48am Auto burglary 700 block E Spring St. 2:26pm Battery 1900 block Cherry Ave. 2:29pm Assisting citizen; Outstanding misdemeanor warrant 3100 E. PCH (suspect arrested)

10:56 Petty theft 2200 E. Willow St. (suspect arrested) 11:03am Stolen vehicle– recovered 2800 block Walnut Ave. 4:35pm Auto burglary 800 block E. Spring St. Sunday, Dec. 16 Auto burglary 2700 lock Cherry Ave

Tuesday, Dec. 18 5:24pm Stolen vehicle– recovered E. 25th St./Lewis Ave.

9:07pm Auto burglary E. 29th/Walnut Ave. 9:25pm Auto burglary 2300 block Cerritos Ave.

6:35pm Possessing controlled substance; false identification to peace officer (amended) 2 misdemeanor warrants 2100 block E. Hill St. (suspect arrested)

Monday, Dec. 17 7:21am Auto burglary 2700 block Gundry Ave. 8:25am Grand theft auto 1800 block E. 29th St. 9:24am Identity theft 2000 block St. Louis Ave. 12:02pm Vehicle tampering 2500 block E. 28th St. 2:16pm Auto burglary 2200 block Gaviota Ave.

3:58pm Prcs incarceration; auto burglary; possessing burglary tools; appropriating lost property Gardena Ave/E. 28th St. (suspect arrested)

Wednesday, Dec. 19 12:22am Disorderly conduct being intoxicated with drugs E. 21st St./Cherry Ave. (suspect arrested) 11:07am Grand theft– motor vehicle 2600 block Lime Ave.

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Council

continued from page 1

Verizon agreement The council also unanimously authorized the city manager, or designee, to finalize and execute a Budget adjustments​ The council also ​ approve​ d​the master license agreement with VerFiscal Year 2018 fourth departmen- izon Communications, Inc., for the tal and​​ fund budget appropriation non-exclusive use of City-owned adjustments in accordance with ex- properties, including street lights citywide, for wireless telecommuniisting ​c​ity​ ​council policy. cations facilities, for a 20-year term.

“There was a change at the naException​ In a 7-0 vote, the city council also tional level regarding how some of approved an exception to the​​180- these small cells are instituted, and day waiting period for​public ​agen- so I really want to thank– and apprecies pursuant to Government Code​​ ciate– Verizon for stepping up and 7522.56 and 21224 to hire Dale providing the conduit and infrastrucHutchinson for a limited duration to ture as a trade in terms of the ability work​​in the Technology and Innova- to move forward with this project in a meaningful way,” said 5th District tion Department.

Councilmember Stacy Mungo. “I know there’s still a lot going on at Construction contracts​ The council ​adopt​ed​​ specifi- the national level, and for [Verizon] cations and award​ed​ contracts​ ​to to move forward for the residents Kalban, Inc., of Santa Clarita, and of Long Beach in this agreement is CJ Concrete Construction, Inc.,​​of very helpful to us, and we really apSanta Fe Springs, for construction preciate your generosity.” of curb ramps and concrete​ -​ related improvements, in an aggregate Technology The councilmembers also voted amount not to exceed $30,000,000,​​ for a period of two years, with the unanimously to authorize the city option to renew for three additional​​ manager to amend a contract with one-year periods, at the discretion of Plenary Properties Long Beach, LLC for critical technology-needs the ​city ​manager​. ​ Before the council voted on the infrastructure, in an amount not to item, 1​ st District Councilmember exceed $4,300,000.

The vote also authorizes the Lena Gonzalez ​inquired about previous wage-compliance concerns city manager to execute multirelated to CJ Concrete Construction ple lease-purchase agreements, in a total principal amount of up to regarding lawsuits against them.​ Craig Beck, director of Public $1,600,000, and authorize related Works, said​​staff had looked into the financing documents with Banc of America Public Capital Corporamatter.

“On the wage-compliance con- tion for the financing of critical ​ cerns [...], we did meet with the Cen- technology-needs infrastructure, in ter for Labor Compliance, and we an aggregate amount not to exceed did meet with CJ Construction and $1,975,000.

Additionally, the vote increasaddressed all those issues,” Beck said. “There were two items where es appropriations in the General CJ was out of compliance [but] not Services Fund in the Technoloin the city of Long Beach. These gy and Innovation Department by were in other jurisdictions where $3,300,000, offset by lease-purchase they had to make corrections in their financing and funds available, as prevailing wage-payment structure, well as increasing appropriations in but we’ve reviewed what was pro- the Special Advertising and Promovided in Long Beach and, thus far, tion Fund in the Technology and Inwe’ve not been able to identify any novation Department by $1,000,000, situations where they did not pay offset by funds available.

Part of the funds will go toward a prevailing wage.” large “media wall” at City Hall that Garcia said, after announcing the appointees.

will showcase videos from various communities in the city, as well as live-stream city council meetings.

Staff said they hope to have the project completed by the Fourth of July holiday.

Third District Councilmember Suzie Price expressed concerns about how the media wall would be used and said she would not want it to be too “flashy” or for the City to use it in a self-aggrandizing way.

Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin suggested that, at some point, parameters be established for how exactly the wall could be used.

Transferred funds The city council additionally voted unanimously to increase appropriations in the General Fund in the City Manager Department by $50,000, offset by the 6th Council District one-time district priority funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department, to support the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and decrease appropriations in the General Fund in the Citywide Activities Department by $50,000 to offset the transfer to the City Manager Department. ✦

LIVES LIVED Bessie Hammond 102 Mary Bellow 51 John Kloss 86 Mary Bellow 51 Anna Perez 24 Helena Jamadi 73 Lori Bennington 54 Eric Frazier 61 Laurie Yenkelun 61 Mona Voll 92 Daniel Howery 68 Jacqueline Galang 84 Sanford Hoffman 86

The families were assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

For more details on service dates and times, contact (562) 961-9301.

Pet of the week: Frosty Frosty the rabbit, with his gray-nosed buddy Rudolph … Frosty and Rudolph were brought in to Animal Care Services at the beginning of December and were given Christmas names in the hopes that someone would give these two beauties the gift of a forever home. Both bunnies are gray shorthair rabbits and like people of all ages very much. There are enough rabbits at the shelter’s Bunny Barn to fill Santa’s sleigh, but remember that pets aren’t gifts—you are their gifts! Meet Frosty and Rudolph on the shelter side of the Companion Animal Village at 7700 East Spring St., (562) 570-PETS. Ask for ID#A618605 for Frosty and ID#A618604 for Rudolph.

(The usual suspects contributed to this rescue)

14

NEWS

Signal Tribune

Shelter

December 21, 2018

continued from page 3

with 789 individuals served, according to LAHSA. The previous year, when the shelter was at a different location in north Long Beach, occupancy averaged 76 percent. Daily occupancy rates ranged from 24 to 122 percent, with over-capacity dates coinciding with heavy rains.

The winter-shelter program is funded through LAHSA by both the City and County of Los Angeles.

Measure H– the LA County Homeless Initiative passed in 2017– has added $10 per bed to the previous $20-per-bed budget at the shelter. That equates to about $4,500 per night or $517,500 for the approximately 115 nights the Long Beach shelter will operate.

According to Measure H, the additional funding allows the program to “provide enhanced, more intentional services that will lead to increased connection to longer term housing and resources for winter-shelter participants.”

It also supports housing-focused case management so that a greater percentage of participants can be linked to permanent residences, according to the measure.

Though the shelter is run by USVI, only 11 percent of those assessed at the Long Beach shelter last year were veterans, according to demographic data tabulated by LAHSA. About 71 percent of last year’s shelter participants had lived in a “place not meant for habitation” prior to arrival, according to LAHSA’s data.

Males accounted for about 69 percent of those who had been harbored at the shelter last year. More of the 632 females there had a stronger “priority score” for the need for secure housing– 91 percent had a priority score of two (limited-term rental) or three (permanent housing) compared to 82 percent for men.

The women’s average age was also slightly older than the men, with 27 percent between 46 and 54 years of age compared to 19 percent

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Table showing pickup times at three locations to transport homeless individuals to the Long Beach overnight winter shelter at 5571 Orange Ave. The program, supported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and operated by the U.S. Veterans Initiative, will operate through March 2019.

of men in that age group. That group of women also had a greater need for short-term rental housing. Younger and older females had a higher need for permanent housing.

Besides the emergency winter shelter, Long Beach has year-round shelters, including the Samaritan House and Lydia House– both op-

erated by the Long Beach Rescue Mission– and Project Achieve and the Elizabeth Anne Seton Residence operated by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, according to LBDHH. Teresa Chandler, LBDHH’s human-services bureau manager, stated in a press release that throughout the year, her staff and the bureau’s

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community partners canvas Long Beach daily, engaging people who are homeless and offering emergency shelter, transportation, access to service providers and opportunities for housing.

She also said the City leads a Continuum of Care program, which collaborates with businesses, neighborhood associations, nonprofits, faith-based agencies and medical and educational institutions to proactively address homelessness.

“The winter-shelter program

provides much needed temporary shelter for individuals living on the streets during inclement weather,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a press statement. “The shelter not only provides a safe place to sleep, but also links individuals to services and resources to help them rebuild their lives.”

For more information on the winter shelter, visit LAHSA.org. For assistance, call the winter-shelter hotline at (800) 548-6047.

City of SH seeks to upgrade streetlights to LEDs by the end of the year Staff Report Signal Tribune

Signal Hill City officials are upgrading approximately 1,150 streetlights to LED under Southern California Edison’s LS-1 option E program, according to an announcement on cityofsignalhill.org Dec. 19.

According to the report, the new fixtures will be brighter and more energy-efficient, providing the City with energy-cost savings. The previous fixtures had high pressure sodium vapor lights. Warmer color temperature lights are being installed

in residential areas, and brighter, cooler color temperature lights will be installed in commercial/industrial areas.

“Warm white” colored street lights will have more yellow and amber tones that are consistent with the previous high-pressure sodium street lights. Cooler colored temperature lights will provide a “whiter” appearing light. The project is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2018, according to the City’s website.

For a map of all the fixtures, visit bit.ly/2Cpj0T4.

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NEWS

December 21, 2018

Hospital

Signal Tribune

15

continued from page 1

The issue for us is how we’re going to get there. I think on our part, speaking for the operators, we now appreciate the struggles [MemorialCare] went through in trying to figure out what possible solutions are.

This is a much more complicated transaction, I think, than we thought.

Now, the difference is we’re not ready to give up. We won’t; we’re going to solve this problem.”

A new reopening timeline revealed at the meeting showed a projected opening date of spring 2019, specifically April 1, 2019. However, Molina affirmed that it’s merely a projection.

“What we want to avoid is repromising a date and then missing it,” he said. “I don’t think there is a person here who is surprised Jan. 1 slipped and isn’t disappointed that it wasn’t hit.”

Reaching that spring target date requires successfully addressing a heap of variables, Narbutas said.

Previous operator MemorialCare left over some equipment in the transition earlier this year, but a lot of technology still needs to be purchased.

Contract services, such as for an emergency-physicians group, require months in advance to request assistance, Narbutas said. Then comes the necessity of verifying physician credentials and checking electronic medical records.

These are to-do items that require months of dedication, Narbutas said.

“If we have everything ready to go, and we’re going to take possession, we’re talking about three months,” he said. “We need time.

But we’ve accomplished some milestones. We submitted the licensing application. That’s complete and done, and it’s cooking. We’re thinking that at the end of this month they’ll have that done. Then, we’ll have to have the employees ready.”

Narbutas said employees are expected to transition into the hospital approximately a month before the facility opens.

Narbutas clarified there is a threemonth process for reopening, but the proverbial clock doesn’t start ticking until an agreement is reached with the City. One resident pointed out the “vagueness” of the timeline, expressing empathy but also frustration about the situation.

Molina, who said MWN meets with the City about twice a week– and sometimes even more– said the discontent is mutual. In regard to purchasing equipment, Molina said the team didn’t receive a list of what

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The pictured reopening timeline for Community Hospital Long Beach, which is planned for a spring 2019 date

the hospital needed until recently.

“Two weeks ago, we didn’t know what to buy,” he said. “And that’s another thing, we still don’t know, although we’re talking to the folks a lot in OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development), they are the ones who are ultimately going to grant us the license to go in.

Now, as you recall, all of this is tied into the seismic retrofit. The City’s been evaluating what that costs, Memorial has evaluated what that cost, and we brought in our own team.”

Molina said MWN projected that the total retrofit process, a necessary step to meet the State standards for seismic safety, will toll $45 million.

The added equipment cost may add an additional $5 million to $10 million.

He added that staff have to be

Ray Burton, chair of the nonprofit Community Hospital Long Beach Foundation, at the facility’s task-force meeting Dec. 19 at the Long Beach Yacht Club, 6201 Appian Wy.

hired and potentially not compensated for their work during a six-month process.

“So, someone’s got to carry on, because I’m sure the employees want to be paid during that sixmonth period,” he said. “Part of what we’re trying to figure out is how are we going to pay for all this.

The hospital never made more than a couple million dollars at its best. If we have to borrow $45 million at 5 percent, we’re going to have to pay back in interest– just an interest– of $2-and-a-half million a year. The hospital doesn’t make $2 million a year. That’s an issue. That’s not a recipe for long-term success.”

Options include researching for potential government programs or capital sources that could assist in funding the facility.

Also throwing a wrench into the seismic-retrofit project are the different criteria OSHPD standards dictate when either moving into a new hospital or renovating/upgrading a current hospital, Molina said.

For instance, if the cost of the project is greater than 50 percent of the facility’s value, OSHPD technically would consider Community a new hospital– which means new requirements.

Additionally, MWN’s team are researching the list of services that were requested and suggested by residents at its prior meeting Oct. 16 to determine the feasibility of implementing them.

“What I want to emphasize is that these are the speedbumps,” Molina said. “We haven’t hit a wall. These are speedbumps, and every time we get one, we collectively think, ‘What can we do?’ So, we’re talking with [Assemblymember] Patrick O’Donnell’s office and asking if there is a legislative fix. We’re talking with all sorts of people on the finance side. [...] We need to make sure that the hospital for the next however long– 50, 60 years– stays financially viable.” ✦

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