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VOL. XLI NO. 3
In this issue NEWS
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
SH City Council approves land purchase to expand Signal Hill Park The council also recognizes Senior Police Officer Don Moreau as Signal Hill’s 2018 Employee of the Year.
Zero reported cases of West Nile Virus in 2018, says City of LB
Presence of virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been dwindling in recent years. Page 5
The Campaign Trail
Electeds, including new California governor, officially take office this week; candidates announce local endorsements. Page 7
COMMUNITY
Anita W. Harris | Signal Tribune
Signal Hill Senior Police Officer Don Moreau speaks at the Jan. 8 Signal Hill City Council meeting after being recognized as the City’s 2018 Employee of the Year. Anita W. Harris Staff Writer
Aquarium’s ‘Pacific Visions’ wing to open this May
The exhibit will be the first major expansion since 1998, officials say. Page 7
Around Town
City of SH, LB hosting biennial homeless count, among other events. Page 3
Land purchases During its Jan. 8 meeting at its council chamber, the Signal Hill City Council approved two resolutions for the purchase of land. One of the purchases– about a third of an acre at 1905-1907 E. 21st St. adjacent to Signal Hill Park’s Spud Field– allows for future expansion of the park. City Manager Charlie Honeycutt said the city’s parks-and-recreation master plan describes Signal Hill Park as a focal point of the community that needs to be enlarged and upgraded. “Long-term goals for Signal Hill Park would be the acquisition of adjacent sites in order to enlarge the park acreage to provide for additional recreational facilities,” Honeycutt read from the plan. Property owner Diane R. Kelley had offered to sell the parcel to the City this past August, Honeycutt said. To purchase the property, the council agreed to use $760,000 from the City’s park-development fund to cover all costs associated with the acquisition. The fund consists of fees collected from property developers, Honeycutt said. The council approved the second land purchase in a joint meeting with the Successor Agency to the former Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), which consists of the same members. Honeycutt explained that the Successor Agency had been trying to find a buyer for the three-acre parcel of land at 1400 E. Spring St. for a decade
Long Beach enters contract with two cat-protection organizations City council also officially changes election dates to coincide with state’s. Cory Bilicko Staff Writer
At its Jan. 8 meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved an agreement for the City to work with two cat-protection groups to operate an adoption program at a California Heights location. The council also officially changed the dates of upcoming elections to coincide with statewide elections. Mentoring Month In honor of National Mentoring Month, the council heard a presentation from participants in Power 4 Youth, a local nonprofit that provides one-on-one academic mentoring to middle- and high-school students. Standing next to Jim Doan– his mentor of five years– Danny Chambers, a high-school senior who is a Power 4 Youth mentee, said the program has impacted him in positive ways and made him hopeful about his future. “It has given me hope to believe that, despite the negativity in the world, there is a way out,” Chambers said. “It has made me believe that I can do things others can’t do. I have learned many skills that I can apply in my life and which I can [use to] help others around me.” Several of the councilmembers thanked the mentors who were in
High cortisol (High risk)
JONES for SIGNAL HILL CITY COUNCIL ID #1414933
Adoption promotion The spcaLA gave a brief presentation about Benny, a 9-year-old chihuahua available for adoption. Those interested in adopting a dog or cat may call (562) 570-7722 for more information. Election dates The council conducted a second reading of an ordinance to amend the municipal code by adding Chapter 1.15 and by repealing Sections 2.01.210(b) and 2.01.1010, all related to changing the regular election dates of the primary nominating and general municipal elections to March and November, respectively, to coincide with statewide elections, as required by SB 415. The council approved the measure by 8-0. Consent calendar The council voted 7-0 to approve the consent calendar, however items 5, 6, 7 and 13 had been pulled prior to the vote. see LB page 9
Graphic by Sebastian Echeverry | Signal Tribune
KEIR
Paid for by Keir Jones for City Council 2019
the audience and spoke about how important their work is. 7th District Councilmember Roberto Uranga also said that having a mentor when he was in junior high helped to get him on a path of finding good influences, thanks to a coach who guided him.
Feeling sad? Cortisol might be to blame
see SH page 11
EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP FOR SIGNAL HILL •
January 11, 2019
Low cortisol (Low risk)
California State University, Long Beach, (CSULB) researchers found in a recent study that high levels of cortisol hormone in a woman after she experiences pregnancy, as illustrated, may face higher levels of postpartum depression (PPD) as compared to a woman with lower levels of cortisol. CSULB Department of Psychology professor Guido Urizar’s research shows that cortisol hormone is necessary for fetal-organ development, but if the levels of the hormone fail to drop following child birth, then PPD symptoms may be more frequent. see STUDY page 5
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