May 21, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 21

Signal Tribune

INSIDE: As restrictions ease, some are feeling reopening anxiety

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

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Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill

VOL. XLIII NO. 21

SIGNAL HILL CITY COUNCIL

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May 21, 2021

LOCAL BUSINESS

Pete Linforth | Pixabay

Signal Hill City Council considered flying the Cambodian Flag (above) on May 20 for genocide remembrance.

New flag doesn’t fly:

Cambodians rise in resistance to May 20 genocide remembrance date Anita W. Harris Senior Writer

After hearing nearly two hours of impassioned public comment during a special meeting on Monday, May 17, the Signal Hill City Council voted not to fly the Cambodian flag on May 20.

Mayor Edward Wilson had asked the council to amend Signal Hill’s commemorative flag policy so the City could fly the flag on that day, which is the Cambodian government’s date for observing Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day, made official in 2018.

The City had already flown the flag throughout the month of April, as per its commemorative-flag policy, honoring California’s April 17 date for Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day. Wilson said the council was not meeting to change the date of Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day but to decide whether to fly the flag again.

“We’re not saying you cannot recognize April 17,” Wilson said. “We’re just, at this point, attempting to recognize that this is what the government of Cambodia said.”

However, the proposed amendment drew backlash from local and national Cambodian communities. The council heard from 16 objectors by phone and video-conference during the virtual meeting.

City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn and Deputy City Manager Scott Charney also read aloud 18 protest letsee NEW FLAG DATE page 7

LONG BEACH MAKES ‘SHROOM FOR HYPERLOCAL GARDENING DUO

L

Kristen Farrah Naeem Staff Writer

Richard Grant | Signal Tribune

(Above) Justin Nguyen of Long Beach Mushrooms inspects some of the Pink Oyster mushrooms on May 13, 2021. (Below) A pink oyster mushroom begins to fruit at the home of Justin and Mia Nguyen.

ocal couple Mia and Justin Nguyen transformed their shared hobby of home gardening into a niche business with the launch of Long Beach Mushrooms in late 2020.

“We started growing enough for ourselves and we started sharing it with other people and it was like ‘Wow, the product is awesome and it’s not available anywhere.’ I couldn’t really figure out why,” Justin Nguyen told the Signal Tribune.

The Nguyens noticed that the mushrooms they were growing at home were missing from the shelves of most large grocery chains. “‘How come the only mushrooms we see are button mushrooms and portobello mushrooms, and these are so rare?’” Justin Nguyen said.

Long Beach Mushrooms currently grows pink oyster, blue oyster, gold oyster, blue king, black pearl king and bear’s head mushrooms — species you’d be hard-pressed to find in most grocery stores.

After doing some research, they discovered this was because traits such as texture and short shelf life make it difficult for these mushrooms to be packed, shipped and distributed on a large scale.

“It’s hard. I guess the idea is: it’s hard for it to really be scaled up to a level where distributors would be selling it,” Justin said.

But where large distributors saw an obstacle, the Nguyens saw an opportunity.

“That actually is what really drew us to it because most of our food comes from so far away,” he said.

Their mushrooms are an example of the niche foods hyperlocal gardening can make possible: the product they provide can’t be shipped in from far away, and has to be grown within the community it will be eaten in.

“It has to be hyper localized because it doesn’t ship, it has to be hyper localized because there’s not a good shelf life on it,” he said. “And we just really liked the idea of it’s eaten where it’s grown.” see LONG BEACH MUSHROOMS page 4

2

NEWS

Signal Tribune

May 21, 2021

LBUSD

Despite parental alarm, LBUSD superintendent says Poly High’s magnet program isn’t going anywhere

LIVES LIVED

Richard Solitro 34

Anita W. Harris Senior Writer

Virgina Hibbler 75 Mary Samaras 83 Fernanda Portillo 97 Mary Becerra 83 Mark Fisher 69 John Cargo 77 Manuel Buenrostro 65 Kalu Ezikpe 66 Marilyn Bauer 73 The families were assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

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During a May 17 Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education meeting, several parents phoned in to object to the closure of the Center for International Curriculum (CIC) at Long Beach Polytechnic High School—one of LBUSD’s 45 career “pathways” programs.

More than 2,500 have signed an online petition called “Save Long Beach Poly CIC Program,” begun earlier this month by Anais Xitlali Lopez. The petition is addressed to LBUSD Board members and Dr. Jay Camerino, assistant superintendent of high schools.

“CIC is a pivotal part of the community and we firmly believe that to create true equity, we should be working toward implementing MORE magnet programs, not less,” Lopez states in the petition.

LBUSD is “rebranding” CIC to become one of its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, the petition states. That change will no longer allow CIC to be a specialized magnet program.

“CIC will lose access to honors and AP (advanced placement) classes and force students to take specific courses as part of the comprehensive program of study,” according to Save CIC’s social-media site.

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Save CIC | Facebook Screenshot

Students protest potential closure of CIC program outside the LBUSD Board of Education meeting at Browning High School on May 17.

Lopez called for a protest rally on May 17 outside the board meeting at Browning High School to call attention to the cause.

Though she didn’t directly speak to protesters, Superintendent Dr. Jill Baker assured parents and students during the meeting that the CIC program is not shutting down.

“While there’s been a decrease in first-choice applications for 9th graders into CIC, there are no plans to close or phase out the CIC pathway,” Baker said. “While the CIC team has been discussing for several years how to improve CIC, there have been no decisions to change the CIC program.”

Baker said LBUSD’s pathways programs have been working to ensure its themes and curricula provide students with a “rigorous and relevant” academic experience. Baker also said CTE courses are now embedded into most LBUSD pathways programs.

“These courses connect students to the real-world application of the pathway theme,” Baker said. “For example, in an engineering pathway, a teacher who has been an engineer is qualified to teach a CTE course on engineering so that students can benefit from the teacher’s professional experience in addition to the experience with the classroom curriculum across our district CTE courses.”

Protesters accused LBUSD of wanting to incorporate CTE into CIC to capture state and federal funds for programs that foster higher graduation rates and facilitate job-finding, according to the Save CIC social-media site.

The petition calls for Board and staff transparency in changes to CIC being discussed. A recent audit found that LBUSD is lacking such transparency, causing some distrust in the community.

Former student Frank Soares commented on May 17 to the movement’s social-media site that he received a “great” education through CIC and many of his classmates went on to top

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universities such as UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, University of Southern California, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara.

“It is what it is—a pathway, just like the others,” Soares said. “Why take that away, or weaken it?”

With the motto “preparing for a global future,” the CIC has offered honors college-preparatory courses with a global approach since 1982,

including Japanese and Chinese language instruction.

“CIC has a 100% college attendance rate, 91% retention rate over four years and a near 100% graduation rate,” CIC states on its district website, noting the program fell short of 100% graduation by only one student in 2016.

Across the top of the site is the statement, “CIC is NOT in the process of phasing out or shutting down.”

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COMMENTARY

May 21, 2021

Signal Tribune

3

HISTORICAL COMMENTARY

WHY JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS LEFT SIGNAL HILL

Quang Nguyen Vinh | Pexels

A

Claudine Burnett Local Historian

t one time Japanese farmers thrived in Signal Hill, growing cucumbers which made Signal Hill the cucumber growing capital of California. Many believe the Japanese were forced off their Signal Hill land because of the discovery of oil in 1921. That is not the case. They were required to leave when the Alien Land Law was passed by California voters in 1920. Since owning land was one of the qualifiers for U.S. citizenship, this law prevented them from becoming naturalized citizens.

Today we are again facing anti-Asian hate.

Some may want to forget the anti-Japanese movement which started in California in 1905. It’s not something we’re proud of, but I bring it up here because it was part of our history and it helps to understand patterns and events that were to influence life in later years. It’s a story with a long history, as this column points out.

Looking back, the anti-Japanese movement was in many ways a continuation of the long-standing agitation against the Chinese which began in the early 1850s. At first the Asian immigrants had been welcome, but later when the completion of the Central Pacific Railroad threw most of these Chinese workers into an already depressed labor market, there was an outcry against them. In 1920 the same thing began to happen to the Japanese, but it had earlier roots.

In May 1905 the Asiatic Exclusion League was formed in California. The League’s immigrant leaders felt Europeans such as themselves could be assimilated into the American melting pot, but were convinced that assimilation could not cross the color line. From 1905 on the League continued to introduce legislation excluding Japanese immigration to America. In 1920 they were successful in getting the matter of land ownership to a public vote in California. There was much debate surrounding the issue, including the following from Samuel M. Shortridge, candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator from California. He spoke at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in August 1920 before an audience of more than 350 persons: “Let the bonafide Japanese travelers pass through our territory, let their students attend our universities, if they desire, and return to their own land to enlighten their own countrymen, but let

them not make their permanent home among us.

We do not need them; we do not want them; they are in no sense industrially, morally or politically, a benefit to us; they will but irritate and breed discontent and add to our domestic and international problems. Let them remain at home, cultivate their own soil, develop their own resources or migrate to other lands whose people will welcome them. We do not want cheap labor. We want wellpaid labor. We want intelligent, patriotic, contented labor. We want homes and schools, libraries and churches. We want boys and girls with hope in their hearts and smiles on their faces. We want men and women erect, proud, self-sustaining, happy, and ready to die for their country, glad to give their first-born to the defense of the flag. We want no antagonistic races, we want no hostile classes, we want no castes, we want no aliens incapable of republican government. We want an intelligent, self-respecting, prosperous and loyal American citizenship which shall guide this nation upward and onward and make of this republic the greatest, grandest brotherhood the world has ever seen. We want no alien people in our midst.”

LB Press 8/23/1920.

In September 1920 the Long Beach Press indicated there was a real possibility of a general exodus of Japanese from Long Beach if the general public voted for what was called Proposition 1.

Many farmers had already left their farms on Signal Hill to investigate living conditions in Mexico and Texas. On October 21 the Japanese issue was again debated at the Municipal Auditorium.

James D. Phelan, U.S. senator for California took on the Reverend U.G. Murphy in an interesting contest. Phelan was angry that there was an effort to create a “pro-Japanese” sentiment in Los Angeles to try and defeat Proposition 1. He felt this was being spearheaded by the Japanese, “persons who are on our shores simply by sufferance, guests of the nation, organizing a movement to obtain defeat of a measure initiated by the rightful citizens of the state.”

Phelan went on to point out that in Japan foreigners could not own land so why should Japanese here own American soil? Phelan remarked that of the 3,856,000 acres of tillable land in California, 456,000 were in control of the Japanese.

This was one of every nine acres. The money made from the land did not go into white-owned businesses, but went into the shops of Japanese, for they only traded with their own people. Phelan claimed they were setting up a colony for Japan in the United States, destined to create a

commercial rivalry with America. He said they had already doubled prices by their monopolistic control of certain crops and they could dictate prices of food.

The Reverend Murphy defended the Japanese, claiming they were peaceable immigrants and their American born children loyal to the teaching of American idealism. He asserted the Land Exclusion Act was one of “hysterical race prejudice.” He pointed out that Californians refused to tolerate the Japanese because it could not assimilate them but permitted the Jewish people, who for 4,000 years had refused to permit marriages outside their own faith, to have every privilege.

Frequently Murphy had to stop speaking because of the cat-calls, hisses and heckling from the audience.

On November 2, 1920, California voters went to the polls to decide on passage of an act which excluded native born Japanese, the Issei, from owning land, a qualifying factor in becoming a citizen. Their children, the Nisei, born in the United States were exempt from the legislation.

Despite ads in the Long Beach Press asking Californians to vote NO on election day, and attempts of women like University of Iowa educated Mrs. Tatsu Kondo to Americanize the 1024 Japanese residing in Long Beach, the Alien Land Law passed.

Fish Harbor

Biased stories about Japanese immigrants continued to appear. In November 1920, following the passage of the Alien Land Law, Japanese fishermen at the Long Beach harbor were subject to several harassing allegations. White fishermen asserted the Japanese fishermen monopolized the wharves and docks at Fish Harbor to the absolute exclusion of the white men. Another accusation was that the Japanese agreed to pricing among themselves, driving up the cost of fish. As a result, a bill was introduced in the California Senate making it unlawful for Japanese to engage in the fishing industry in California waters.

In January 1921, Long Beach contractor W. Jay Burgin suggested restrictions against Japanese merchants in Long Beach. He reported that in Brawley the entire business district of the city was in the hands of Asians. The anti-alien land law had driven Japanese farmers into the city, and the same thing might happen in Long Beach, Burgin stated, if action was not taken now. Burgin suggested a charter revision refusing business licenses to aliens not eligible for citizenship.

The Japanese were being forced out of their livelihoods. Many Japanese farmers in Signal Hill were unable to renew their leases and forced to move out of California. There were rumors of a Japanese plot to control the coast of lower California by purchasing land holdings worth $5,000,000 from the Mexican government. Local landowner W. L. Porterfield, who had never supported the Alien Land Law, attempted to lease eighty acres of land to Y. Mazino, the foreman at the Bixby ranch. The matter was taken to United States District Court which ruled that any land contract with a Japanese alien was illegal.

What was left for the Japanese was garbage.

Literally. They contracted with the city to collect Long Beach’s waste, paying the city for the privilege. Mr. Sakomoto paid the city $1.05 a ton for the garbage which he fed to hogs on land he got to use free from the city. But there were complaints from Japanese workers that homeowners were not obeying the rules about sorting garbage. When the men found refuse mixed with broken glass, or liquids dumped into the garbage cans, making the garbage unsuitable for hog feed, they refused to take it. This brought verbal insults from residents.

Public Service Director A.L. Ferver looked into a number of complaints and found the Japanese workers completely justified in not taking the garbage because of broken glass and other injurious substances deposited in the cans. He advised that rules be followed or the garbage would not be picked up.

In November 1922, the United States Supreme Court simplified matters for the exclusionists by validating their long-standing contention that Japanese were “aliens ineligible to citizenship.”

They based their decision on statutes limiting naturalization to “free white persons and aliens of African nativity.” In 1924, the quota system limiting immigration was extended and the California congressional contingent was successful in getting Japanese exclusion included in the legislation.

The Japanese government was seriously upset at this exclusion legislation. When two Japanese men were found murdered near Point Fermin on June 20, 1924, the Japanese Consul requested an official inquiry into the deaths. The bodies of M. Yoshioka and Kachema Igarashi were found lying in a pool of blood on the Point Fermin road leading to White’s Point with a 32-caliber pistol lying nearby. Several bullet holes punctured Yoshioka’s body, while Igarashi appeared to have been shot once, through the right side of the face just above the mouth. The third finger of his left hand was nearly severed. According to detectives at the time, both men were well known gamblers, with a reputation of being crooked, who preyed on the Chinese community. They were last seen alive with four other Japanese, who could not be found.

Police surmised the slaying was solely the result of a gamblers’ feud and had no bearing whatever upon them being Japanese.

What must be realized in looking at the treatment of Japanese during this time is that it wasn’t merely the work of a minority of Americans. If the matter had been put to a national vote in the 1920s there is little doubt that it would have been approved by the vast majority of United States citizens. The discriminations against the Japanese which I’ve mentioned here are clearly blots on the democratic ideals which we so highly prize today.

But the consequences of the anti-Japanese movement were more than moral. The existence of this prejudice helped to poison relations between the United States and Japan and create the foundations of World War II.

Signal Tribune MANAGING EDITOR

Emma DiMaggio

DIGITAL EDITOR

Karla M. Enriquez

PHOTO EDITOR

Richard Grant

LEGALS COORDINATOR

Katherine Green

SENIOR WRITER

Anita W. Harris

STAFF WRITER

Kristen Farrah Naeem

EDITORIAL INTERN

Xochilt Andrade

COLUMNIST

Claudine Burnett

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 i­ nformation 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. Yearly subscriptions are available for $100.

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4

COMMUNITY

Signal Tribune

May 21, 2021

LONG BEACH MUSHROOMS

LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Turns out, people love mushrooms

Parklets are here to stay, for now.

continued from page 1

The Nguyens’ mushrooms gradually burst through the bags of substrate that line the shelves of their darkened, humid grow room, unfurling intricate caps and stems as the weeks pass. The different oyster mushrooms grow complex stems that branch off into multiple caps, while the bear’s head grows as a thick white mound made up of thin strands that look like a fluffy cumulus cloud.

Once the mushrooms are ready to be harvested, Long Beach Mushrooms reaches out to local chefs in the area who regularly use its products at their restaurants.

Long Beach restaurants that have recently incorporated its mushrooms in their dishes include Heritage Sandwich Shop, which recently offered a sandwich that combines the meaty taste of blue oyster mushrooms with pickled fresno chilis, swiss cheese and melted onions on country loaf.

After the local chefs place their orders, Long Beach Mushrooms opens up sales to the general public through their Instagram page.

The different mushroom varieties can be enjoyed by themselves, sauteed simply with butter, salt and pepper, or used in a wide variety of dishes that best use their unique flavor.

The pink oyster mushrooms are known for having a taste reminiscent of ham or bacon and work perfectly alongside scrambled eggs or in breakfast burritos.

Golden oyster mushrooms have a nutty flavor similar to cashews, and make a delicious addition to pizza, pasta and ravioli filling.

Justin pointed out that the flavor of most produce found in stores suffers because fruits and vegetables are picked at a time when they can still be shipped and displayed, rather than when they taste best.

“I think the thing that people don’t realize is not just where our food comes from, but how much better it can taste when it is hyper localized,” Justin said. “I think a lot of people know the environmental benefits, maybe the health benefits, but the thing that hooked me was how much better it tastes when you can literally harvest it in your backyard and eat it right away.”

It all started with a tomato

The difference in taste between homegrown and store bought food is what first convinced the couple to start

Emma DiMaggio Managing Editor

Richard Grant | Signal Tribune

(Above) A customer holds out a bear’s head mushroom purchased from Long Beach Mushrooms on May 13, 2021. (Below) Justin Nguyen of Long Beach Mushrooms inspects some of the wood pulp that will be used to grow mushrooms on May 13, 2021. taking their hobby seriously.

“We grew our first tomato — my wife hates tomatoes — and we grew our first one, we sliced it, and I was like ‘Here, let’s try it, we grew it,’” he said.

The result, he said, was “mind blowing.”

“It was the best tomato we ever had.

We didn’t realize. We didn’t know why tomatoes didn’t taste like this when we bought it from the store, and we’re like ‘What the heck is going on? This is amazing,’” he said. “And I think from there we just got more and more excited and started growing more and more things.”

Justin noted that although gardening had been a part of his life since childhood, he didn’t appreciate it until Mia joined him.

Growing up under the pressures of assimilation, he was once embarrassed that his Vietnamese family continued the tradition of growing their own food using a home garden in their backyard.

“When I was a kid I thought it was super weird and I hated it and I didn’t want my friends to come over cause they’re gonna see this weird garden that wasn’t kept and there’s just stuff

everywhere,” he said.

Room to grow

Now that he’s fully embraced his family’s tradition of home gardening, Justin and Mia plan to take it even further. They recently agreed to a lease on an industrial space that will allow them to increase the amount of mushrooms they grow, and expand the range of species they can offer.

“When we move into our bigger space what we’re gonna do is have grow rooms dedicated to certain vari-

eties of mushrooms so we can really control the microclimate,” he said.

Until they move to their larger site, Long Beach Mushrooms has to be intentional with the varieties it chooses for its grow room, making sure they have similar growth cycles of around six weeks.

“We pretty much sell out anything we have,” Justin said. “I guess that’s a good problem to have.”

To order from Long Beach Mushrooms customers can send a direct message to their Instagram page @longbeachmushrooms

Temporary parklets across Long Beach will remain in place through September thanks to an extension unanimously passed by the Long Beach City Council at their Tuesday, May 18 meeting.

“Extending the parklets, you know, it continues to give these businesses an opportunity to recoup their losses,” Councilmember Cindy Allen said.

“And for those that want to keep this permanent, it gives them an opportunity to get their application in.”

The program was set to expire on June 30.

The Open Streets Initiative–which encompasses parklets, sidewalk use and parking lot uses for businesses— began last June after the pandemic began to tighten its grip on local businesses.

Rather than constricting into full closures, businesses were allowed to expand into neighboring public areas to adhere to the State’s health order.

Mayor Robert Garcia called the program “wildly successful.”

“We understand that there has to be a process in place. But my personal opinion is that as many parklets that want to stay permanent, should be allowed to stay in place,” Garcia said.

City staff will consider parking considerations, traffic safety and stakeholder input to decide which parklets should be permanent. Modica estimated that about 70% of parklets are eligible for permanence with modifications.

Alex Cherin, executive director of the Long Beach Restaurant Association, said his group was in “strong support” of the council’s move.

Parklets for office uses were excluded from the item at the behest of Price, whose district includes a realtor office whose parklet takes up two parking spaces in a high-density coastal area.

Businesses can also remove their parklets if they choose to do so. Next week marks the end of the Atlantic Avenue Open Streets program. Public Works will begin to remove the traffic-calming features beginning Monday, May 24.

NEWS

May 21, 2021

Signal Tribune

REOPENING

‘You are not alone:’ As restrictions continue to ease, some are feeling reopening anxiety Karla M. Enriquez

A

Digital Editor

fter a year of devastation and uncertainty, many are breathing sighs of relief as widespread vaccinations and reopenings

push forward.

But for others, reopening has prompted further unpredictability and anxiety.

On January 1 of this year, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 20,414 new daily cases as the county remained under a safer at-home order.

By this point, people had spent the better part of a year being accustomed to life inside.

By May 19, the county had turned a corner, reporting 255 new cases, including Long Beach and Pasadena.

Although over 50% of residents in Long Beach have been vaccinated and restrictions have been eased, the pandemic is not over and the City continues to struggle to vaccinate vulnerable populations. However, life on the outside is getting busier.

“I think for a lot of people it’s been kind of that whiplash,” Sam Weiss, lead therapist at Roots Through Recovery said of the ongoing transition.

“I know for some of my more anxious clients there was something somewhat comforting about being able to stay home and not be pressured to go out,” Weiss said. “Now that there is this kind of ‘Okay you can go back out and things are gonna start getting back to normal,’ there’s this sense from them that it’s like ‘I don’t know if I’m ready for that.’”

Many people around the state have been sequestered at home for the better part of 2020 and part of 2021 after Gov. Gavin Newson issued a Stay at Home order last March.

Jolissa Hebard, director of outreach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Long Beach (NAMI) noted that many things relating to the pandemic

are personal, with stressors varying by person.

Hebard listed the economic impacts of the pandemic as a stressor as well as the fear of getting sick.

“Everyone’s having their own pandemic,” Hebard said. “You have some people that are super afraid of actual COVID. And so that’s highly stressful, a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear.”

Weiss noted that for some of his more anxious clients, it’s not about being afraid of getting sick, but the expectation of functioning, being social and perhaps looking for a new job.

“They have to get back to their lives and if their lives weren’t particularly

“I think a lot of people are contemplating whether they even want to go back to the life that they had before.”

— Sam Weiss, lead therapist at Roots Through Recovery exciting before, there’s kind of been the sense of dread associated with things being back to normal,” Weiss said.

“I think a lot of people are contemplating whether they even want to go back to the life that they had before.”

Hebard noted that while some people can’t imagine going inside a building with others, there’s a number of people who are excited about reopenings.

“When we talk about our community, especially being anxious about going back again, it’s so personal,” Hebard said.

The Long Beach City Council broached this subject during their Tuesday, May 18 meeting when discussing

the reopening of restaurants and the future of outdoor dining parklets.

“I think we also need to be thinking about people’s tolerance for going indoors,” Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said. “Everyone has a different comfort level for how they reemerge into real.’”

Weiss said these anxieties are normal.

In Los Angeles County alone there have been over 24,000 COVID-19 related deaths reported to date and over 61,000 deaths reported statewide.

“We’ve been conditioned for the past year and a half or so that the world is dangerous,” Weiss said. “We have to just be patient with ourselves, that fear of being around people, or maybe even being without masks on.”

Weiss emphasized not putting pressure to feel like things are back to normal again, adding that patience will be key.

“We’ve all kind of been going through this grief process for the past year and a half when it came to just our lives being changed tremendously,” he said. “So we just have to take our time.”

abilities have reason to be disproportionately concerned about all the health things during this, so even when they are vaccinated, there is still a lot of fear,” Mizrahi said.

Mizrahi said that some people with disabilities are also concerned that employers will remove their option to work at home, impacting accessibility. “[During the pandemic] people saw for the first time that people can work productively from home, and very very successfully from home, and in fact, the whole country started to do it,” Mizrahi said. “[Losing] that is a real anxiety.”

People with certain disabilities have long advocated for telework, she noted.

Instant automatic captioning for Zoom made events more accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Virtual meetings created newfound opportunities for engagement, especially for individuals with limited mobility.

Now, there’s a fear that this advancement will be reversed as reopenings continue.

“There’s a big fear that people who live in poverty, or people who have serious mobility limits are going to once again be shut out of the great culture, events, and, and opportunities in America,” Mizrahi said.

How to cope with reopening anxiety

Self-help Apps and Hotlines For the tech-savvy, Hebard recommended self-help apps available on smartphones that can be instant help.

Hebard also recommended text lines or hotlines, such as the ones provided by NAMI. De-escalation techniques The 54321 exercise for panic attacks is another recommendation by Hebard.

During the exercise, people look for five things they can see, four things they can feel or hear, three things they can feel, two things they can smell and one thing they can taste. Hebard suggested the creation of a kit that can be carried to assist with the exercise.

Doing things in small steps Weiss suggested keeping a focus on what people can control.

“Taking things one step at a time,” Weiss said. “Not getting ahead of ourselves.”

For those that are feeling nervous about going back to work or finding a new job, Weiss suggested doing things in small steps, such as doing a brief Google search to see what’s out there and then closing the computer to find an enjoyable activity.

“It doesn’t have to happen all at once,” Weiss said.

Although feelings about reopening may feel isolating, Hebard emphasized that these feelings are natural, especially for those with existing anxiety.

“That’s the most important message: you are not alone.”

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As reopenings continue, what happens to accessibility?

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LEGAL NOTICES

Signal Tribune

TST6432

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE Thursday, May 13 8:07 a.m., Elder abuse, 2300 block Lewis Ave. 11:32 a.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2400 block California Ave. 4:08 p.m., Person with a knife, E. 21st St./Stanley Ave. (suspect arrested) 9:14 p.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2200 block E. Willow St. Friday, May 14 11:40 a.m., Auto burglary, 2300 block Obispo Ave. 4:03 p.m., Grand theft, 3300 block Lime Ave. Saturday, May 15 10:04 a.m., Auto burglary, 3300 block Cerritos Ave. Sunday, May 16 None reported.

Monday, May 17 2:38 p.m., DUI, E. Willow St./Cherry Ave. 4:55 p.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1400 block E. 28th St. Tuesday, May 18 7:03 a.m., Elder abuse, 2200 block E. Willow St. 10:03 p.m., 3 Felony warrants, 1600 block E. Willow St. (suspect arrested) Wednesday, May 19 10:44 a.m., Auto burglary, E. PCH/Obispo Ave. LBPD reporting area is too extensive to report here.

TST6445 / 2021 096525 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: LONGBEACHNATIVES, 825 E. Wardlow Rd 1, Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: EFRAIM FLORES GONZALEZ, 825 Wardlow Rd 1, Long Beach, CA 90807.

This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Efrain Flores Gonzalez. The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on April 26, 2021. 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: May 21, 28, & June 4, 11, 2021

TST6446 Case No. 21LBCP00143 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, GOVERNOR GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN COURTHOUSE, 275 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802 PETITION OF: TERRENCE MARQUIS ANDERSON TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: TERRENCE MARQUIS ANDERSON has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing his name as follows: Present Name: TERRENCE MARQUIS ANDERSON to Proposed Name: TERRENCE MARQUIS. 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: July 2, 2021; Time: 8:30a.m., Dept.

27. 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, 1860 Obispo Ave., Ste. F, Signal Hill, CA 90755, May 21, 28 & June 4, 11, 2021 Mark C. Kim, Judge of the Superior Court Dated: May 19, 2021

HONOR YOUR GRADUATE WITH A PERSONAL MESSAGE IN THE PAPER!

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR NOTICE OF DIVIDED PUBLICATION Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3381 Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Sections 3381 through 3385, the Notice of Power to Sell Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, has been divided and distributed to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.

NOTICE OF IMPENDING POWER TO SELL TAX-DEFAULTED PROPERTY Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3361 Notice is hereby given that the following parcels listed will become Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, by operation of law. The real property taxes and assessments on the parcels listed will have been defaulted five or more years, except for: 1. Nonresidential commercial parcels, as defined in R&TC Section 3691, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 2. Parcels on which a nuisance abatement lien has been recorded, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 3. Parcels that can serve the public benefit and a request has been made by the County of Los Angeles, a city within the County of Los Angeles, or nonprofit organization to purchase the parcels through Chapter 8 Agreement Sales pursuant to R&TC Section 3692.4, which will have been defaulted for three or more years.

The Tax Collector will record a Notice of Power to Sell unless the property taxes are paid in full or the property owner initiates an installment plan of redemption, as provided by law, prior to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, when the right to initiate an installment plan terminates. Thereafter, the only option to prevent the sale of the property at public auction is to pay the taxes in full.

The right of redemption survives the property becoming Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell, but it terminates at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on the last business day before the scheduled auction of the property by the Tax Collector.

The Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office will furnish, upon request, information concerning making a payment in full or initiating an installment plan of redemption. For more information, please visit our website at ttc.lacounty.gov.

The amount to redeem the property, in United States dollars and cents, is set forth in the listing opposite each parcel number. This amount includes all defaulted taxes, penalties, and fees that have accrued from the date of tax-default to the date of Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct. Dated this 16 day of April, 2021

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__________________________________ KEITH KNOX TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA PARCEL NUMBERING SYSTEM EXPLANATION The Assessor’s Identification Number, when used to describe property in this list, refers to the Assessor’s map book, the map page, the block on the map, if applicable, and the individual parcel on the map page or in the block. The Assessor’s maps and further explanation of the parcel numbering system are available in the Assessor’s Office, 500 West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012.

The real property that is the subject of this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows: PROPERTY

TAX

DEFAULTED

IN

YEAR 2018 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017-2018 2919 $1,366.52 KELLEHER, ROBERT C AND CAROL A AIN: 7207-005-090 2921 $5,959.62 MAYNARD, SHEILA CO TR GUY FAMILY DECD TRUST SITUS:2777 RAYMOND AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-2129 AIN: 7212-017-090 2924 $1,656.90 TEN EYCK, FRED W AND TEN EYCK, WARREN E AIN: 7217-015-013 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2016 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 2922 $46,160.14 HUOT, CHRISTINA AND SENG, HOL SITUS:1980 SAINT LOUIS AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-5837 AIN: 7216-015-022 2923 $17,162.35 ROJAS, AMERICO SITUS:1837 TEMPLE AVE UNIT B SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-1164 AIN: 7216-023-031 CN977653 578 May 14,21, 2021 TST6428 Case No. 21LBCP00112 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, LONG BEACH COURTHOUSE, 275 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802 PETITION OF: Sheena Kamura Conroe TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: Sheena Kamura Conroe has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing her name as follows: Present Name: Sheena Kamura Conroe to Proposed Name: Shiina Kamura Less. 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: June 11, 2021; Time: 8:30a.m., Dept. 27. 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., April 30 & May 7, 14, 21, 2021 Mark C. Kim, Judge of the Superior Court Dated April 27, 2021 TST6430 / 2021 093645 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: VEGA PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, 14352 Alburtis Ave., Unit 3, Norwalk, CA 90650.

Registrant: IRMA I VEGA, 14352 Alburtis Ave., Unit 3, Norwalk, CA 90650. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Irma I. Vega. The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on April 21, 2021. 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: May 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 TST6431 / 2021 083311 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1.

RUG’IT CLEANING, 2. RUG’IT, 1679 E. 28th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755. Mailing address: 65 Pine Ave., #729, Long Beach, CA 90802.

Registrant: RUG’IT, INC., 1679 E. 28th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755. This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

Signed: Isaac Salgado, President. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in February, 2011. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on April 8, 2021. 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: May 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021

TST6437 Case No. 21LBCP00124 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN COURTHOUSE, 275 Magnolia, Long Beach, CA 90802 PETITION OF: David Rodriguez FLORES TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: David Rodriguez FLORES has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing his name as follows: Present Name: David Rodriguez FLORES to Proposed Name: David Flores. Present Name:

May 21, 2021 Rey FLORES-RODRIQUEZ to Proposed Name: David Flores. Present Name: Rey Rodriguez FLORES to Proposed Name: David Flores. Present Name: Rey David FLORES RODRIGUEZ to Proposed Name: David Flores. 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: June 16, 2021; Time: 8:30a.m., Dept. 26. 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, 1860 Obispo Ave., Ste. F, Signal Hill, CA 90755, May 14, 21, 28 & June 4, 2021 Michael P. Vicencia, Judge of the Superior Court Dated: May 4, 2021 TST6442 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF CHIARA G. HODAN III aka CLAIRE HODAN III Notice is hereby given to the creditors and contingent creditors of the abovenamed decedent, that all persons having claims against the decedent are required to file them with the Superior Court at 111 N. Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Stanley Mosk Courthouse Probate Division, and mail a copy to 8840 Warner Ave., Suite 300, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 within the later of four months after May 21, 2021 or, if notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, 60 days after the date this notice is mailed or personally delivered to you.

A claim form may be obtained from the court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested.

BUFFINGTON LAW FIRM, PC 8840 WARNER AVE. SUITE 300 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA 92708 Published in the Signal Tribune on May 21, 2021 TST6444 / 2021 107169 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1. PORTEOUS FASTENERS COMPANY, 2. EZ SOCKET SCREW, 5855 Obispo Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805.

Registrant: BRIGHTEN-BEST 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: Peggy Hsieh, Secretary.

The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on May 10, 2021. 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: May 21, 28, & June 4, 11, 2021 TST6443 Notice of Public Lien Sale Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of the California Self-Storage Facility Act Code, Section #21700, the undersigned will be sold by public auction at: Storco Self Storage, 3050 Orange Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807, County of Los Angeles, and State of California.

Auction date of: June 07, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Terms of sale: Cash sale, all sales are final and purchased at buyers own risk.

No guarantees or warranty of any sale are promised by seller. Storco Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid or cancel auction. Facility owner or its representatives has the right to bid on any and all units or stop sale at any time. Name of auctioneer: Climers Auction Services.

The following units are scheduled for sale: Unit # & Customer Name: Unit # A036/ Eugene Fay - Unit # A044/Eugene Fay - Unit# C122/Eugene Fay - Unit #E074/ Daniela Diaz – Unit # E111/Managers Unit(s) contents may include but are not limited to: Electronics, furniture, appliances, garage items, toys, clothing, sporting goods, tools, automotive and miscellaneous household goods, unless otherwise stated. Publish Dates: 05/21/2021 & 05/28/2021

LEGAL NOTICES Send an email to legalnotices@ signaltribune.com

NEWS

May 21, 2021 ENVIRONMENT

Signal Tribune

7

EVENTS

Bel Canto Books in Long Beach to host virtual interview with Stacey Abrams Kristen Farrah Naeem Staff Writer

A pathway leads to the coastline along a cliff face in San Pedro, California on August 4, 2019.

Richard Grant | Signal Tribune

Toxic DDT waste found in waters off Catalina Island, LB will call on federal bodies to prevent further harm

L

Emma DiMaggio Managing Editor

ast fall, a Los Angeles Times investigation found that tens of thousands of barrels of DDT, a nowbanned pesticide, are sitting on the seafloor wedged between Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. And they’re leaking.

Last night, the Long Beach City Council unanimously voted to draft a resolution calling for the United States Congress and Environmental Protection Agency to address and mitigate future harm caused by the toxic pesticides.

“The amount of damage to our coastal assets and to marine life is significant,” Mayor Robert Garcia said, noting that further research is needed to assess the full impact of the toxins.

The council move came just ten days after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors made a similar call to action. The board sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the EPA to assess the DDT damage and to expedite the cleanup of the extensive dumpsite.

The board will also throw its support behind Assembly Joint Resolution 2, a resolution focused on mitigating the impacts of DDT on marine life. The resolution was introduced by Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell in late 2020 and revised in April.

“DDT is bad stuff,” Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell said during the meeting. “This situation needs rapid attention, and has the potential to become what I call a ‘huge unnatural disaster’ in that it is a disaster created by man and man must address it and fix it.”

Councilmember Al Austin noted that the pesticide, which was banned in 1972, causes significant environmental damage, especially to marine life such as sea lions, brown pelicans, California condors, dolphins and other birds and fish.

“The nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT was located in Los Angeles,” he said. “And they disposed toxic waste throughout the sewage pipes and poured it into the ocean, creating a super point site of contamination.”

At least 27,000 barrels of illegally dumped DDT have been identified, a statement from Supervisor Janice Hahn said, calling the event “appalling.”

“We need to know how this happened,” Councilmember Cindy Allen said. “And we need the EPA and Congress to step up and help us clean it.”

NEW FLAG DATE

continued from page 1 Community Foundation.

“If we were to speak in Cambodia, I would be the first to be locked up,” he said. “Perhaps killed.”

Song lifted up his shirt during the virtual meeting to reveal a long scar on his stomach.

“I have been blown up and left to die,” he said. “I’ve been shot up. I’ve been beaten up. My brother didn’t get killed by a gunshot to his head. They had hundreds of people beat him to death.”

Though Song and his family suffered, his protest was not about him but the nearly 2 million dead who haunt his memory, he said.

“Your reputation is on the line, honorable mayor,” Song told Wilson.

“We ask you to stand with Cambodian Americans, not the Cambodian government.”

After hearing public comments, the council agreed to simply receive-andfile the information rather than vote on amending the flag policy.

Vice Mayor Keir Jones and Councilmember Robert Copeland—who had initially questioned why flying the Cambodian flag on May 20 would be offensive—said the comments had opened their eyes.

“I’m absolutely 100% clear now,” Copeland said. “I don’t know how we got here. I’m kind of embarrassed that Signal Hill is getting national attention.”

Jones concurred, saying he learned a lot and it’s important not to forget.

“May 20 is an arbitrary date selected by a foreign power, not by the victims of the genocide that live here,” Jones said. “I stand in support of our local

Cambodian community, in solidarity, honoring Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 17.”

Jones made a motion to receive-andfile the information with no change to the flag schedule. Councilmember Tina Hansen seconded the motion.

“I don’t understand why we would take something that remembers a time of such pain, and inflict further pain on the people that have already been through it,” Hansen said. “I’m sorry to the people that have had to relive this.”

The council voted 3-1 in support of the motion not to amend the flag schedule, with only Wilson voting no. Councilmember Lori Woods was absent.

“It wasn’t about replacing the date of April 17,” Wilson maintained. “I was asking us to be supportive of those in Cambodia on May 20 […] who are using that date as the national remembrance day because that is the designation by the government of Cambodia.”

But Wilson did affirm the value of the council and community learning more about the Cambodian genocide.

“More people have been educated tonight,” he said.

Pet of the week:

Pepper

Pepper’s big smile is diminished by the sad look in her beautiful, brown eyes. At 5 years old, this spayed pointer mix was turned in to the shelter by his owner.

Pepper probably misses the children she lived with, and she has separation anxiety as well.

She’s an overall good doggie but needs to be in a home with someone present all the time.

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ters sent to the council, some signed by multiple people, from local cities such as Signal Hill, Long Beach and Lakewood, other cities in California and other states, such as Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Most commenters argued that observing May 20 would be an “insult,” as commenter and Signal Hill resident Charles Song called it, and “borderline offensive,” as his daughter Veronica Song said. Cambodians in the United States recognize only April 17 as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day, they said, with May 20 having no historical significance.

“Time is important,” another commenter said. “Because [April 17] marks the day in which the life of Cambodians everywhere, forever, tragically changed.”

The “foreign date” of May 20 is “very insensitive” to the victims’ experience, said another letter signed by 22 Cambodian-Americans.

Commenters recounted how on April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge regime took power in Cambodia, evacuating the capital of Phnom Penh and killing nearly 2 million Cambodians over four years through execution or starvation.

Many of those executed were doctors, artists, teachers and scholars—anyone who posed a threat to the regime.

They recalled grandparents, parents and siblings who died in what became known as the “Killing Fields.”

Many survivors became refugees, settling in countries across the world, including 140,000 to the U.S., according to Song, one of those survivors and now a board member on the Signal Hill

Jhoanna Belfer, owner of Bel Canto Books in Long Beach, will be conducting a virtual interview with prominent voting rights activist, attorney, politician and author Stacey Abrams live on Instagram on Thursday, May 27 at 3 p.m.

Abrams will be discussing her best-selling book “While Justice Sleeps,” a thriller that takes place within the U.S. Supreme Court.

“This is an amazingly smart, thoughtful, and twist-filled book that will keep you up all night,” a post on Bel Canto’s Instagram page said.

“While Justice Sleeps” is currently at the top of the New York Times’ Bestseller List for fiction.

Both Abrams and Belfer have centered their careers around uplifting the voices of people from marginalized communities.

Abrams has worked to ensure access to voting, especially for communities of color who have historically been dissuaded from doing so.

She is also the founder of Fair Fight, an organization that combats voter suppression.

Her activism has also been credited as one of the contributing factors in turning Georgia blue during the 2020 election.

Belfer is known for using Bel Canto Books to promote the work of authors of color, and supporting the diversification of literature.

“Now with so many authors and illustrators of color who are out there, I just feel like if we don’t do it, who else is going to?” Belfer told the Signal Tribune last September.

To watch the interview, visit Bel Canto Books’ Instagram page @belcantobooks at 3 p.m. PST on Thursday, May 27.

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Signal Tribune

May 21, 2021