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See page 10 for details on this photographer, Marcus Bockman, and his work.
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Your Weekly Community Newspaper
Former teacher played significant role in Long Beach education
CJ Dablo
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Longtime Long Beach resident Betty Houston-Seal was the kind of person who would look at a situation and think of ways she could help. This was evident in everything the former teacher, education leader, wife, mother and grandmother did. Houston-Seal passed away on Aug. 7 with her husband Bill and grandson Dylan at her side. “My mom really loved Long Beach and Signal Hill. From her I learned to be involved in my community and that by helping others I would help myself. I think that has been a guiding principle for me. She emphasized kindness, generosity, loyalty, and family first,” said Houston-Seal’s daughter, Judy Seal. Houston-Seal was born in Long Beach and raised in Signal Hill. Her father, Oscar Houston, served as the Signal Hill Superior Court judge for 30 years. He was also a Superior Court judge in Long Beach. Her mother, Annette Rowland Houston, was a prominent campaign event planner and speaker for President John F. Kennedy.
The Signal Hill City Council approved an interim ordinance on Aug. 16 that adopted temporary regulations to oversee development on property with abandoned oil wells. Signal Hill has had deep ties to the oil industry since oil was discovered in the area in 1919. Now, almost 100 years later, speculators drilled numerous wells that dotted the landscape. Over the last two decades, City officials worked closely with a state regulation agency to oversee development on the land affected by these oil wells, especially when these wells were no longer in use. According to a staff report by City Manager Ken Farfsing, there are currently more than 1,100 abandoned and re-abandoned wells. Developers over the years had proposed to build on the land with the abandoned oil wells. Over time, residential projects, shopping centers and other commercial projects have been constructed close to these wells. Food4Less, for instance, has 14 abandoned oil wells
Houston-Seal graduated from Poly High School in 1941 and went on to Long Beach City College (LBCC) see HOUSTON-SEAL page 4
August 19, 2011
SH City Council approves ordinance which oversees development near abandoned oil wells
Rachael Rifkin
Betty Houston-Seal (pictured with her husband Bill Seal) built an international team to meet the needs of children from Mexico and South America, Europe, Cambodia and Vietnam, and her successful work with international students continues to be studied at various universities with applied linguistics programs.
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underneath its store, according to Farfsing. But there’s been a sudden policy shift by the Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Research (DOGGR), the state regulation agency that oversees oil well operations in addition to the well abandonment process. The policy shift has created a few hurdles for developers and property owners who want to build on land with abandoned oil wells. DOGGR announced in November 2010 that they would end the state development review process for well abandonment and would also discontinue methane leak testing. According to Farfsing, DOGGR did not provide any notice to the City nor provide any public hearing forum to discuss the issues before they announced the changes last November. “Now this abrupt ending to the state’s 22-year development review and well abandonment program just created a major lack of guidance and ambiguity for our property owners and for our City planners,” Farfsing said Tuesday during the City Council
meeting. The current City oil codes regulating the development of property with abandoned wells were created in consultation with DOGGR, according to the city manager’s presentation. By eliminating their own specific established programs that reviewed the well abandonment process, DOGGR created a number of problems that Farfsing outlined. “DOGGR has effectively shifted liability to the City and the property owner to make the decision to construct atop or adjacent to an abandoned well with DOGGR failing to provide their expertise in abandonments to equivalent standards, well mitigations and by not confirming that wells are free from leaks,” Farfsing said. “The DOGGRS’s action effectively clouds the ability of property owners and developers to finance projects and raises issues with insurance, refinancing and the resale of properties without intervention of the City.” This also meant that even current construction projects were left in see COUNCIL page 11
811 program encourages residents to dial before digging Stephanie Raygoza Staff Writer
Homeowners and professional excavators are being encouraged to “call before you dig” as part of a new federally mandated 811 program that was designed to prevent injury, expense and penalties from future digging projects. The Shell Pipeline Company LP (SPLC) helped create awareness for the campaign, which launched Aug. 11, National 811 Day, with the 811 Tank Dedication Ceremony at the Shell Signal Hill Terminal. Tank number 100 was painted with the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) “Call Before You Dig” logo, representing Shell’s ongoing efforts in promoting damage prevention and safe digging practices. “As a member of the Common Ground Alliance, Shell wants to
remind everyone about the importance of calling 811 before any digging project no matter how large or small,” said Alan Caldwell, communications manager for Carson and the Los Angeles Basin. Whether planting a tree or installing a mailbox, residents or project workers can dial 811 to help prevent the unintentional hitting of underground utility lines. Every digging project now requires individuals to dial the FCC-designated number that will forward callers to a One Call Center in their area. Operators will record the location of the dig and notify the affected utility companies. A professional locating crew will then be dispatched to the site within a few days, at no cost, to mark the approximate location of the digger’s lines. “It is very important to know where underground utilities and
pipelines are located in order to prevent damage and injury,” Caldwell said. “Safety is a top priority, and promoting safe digging is in line with our goal of being a good corporate citizen.” CGA, an association that works with various industry stakeholders in an effort to protect underground utility infrastructure and ensure public safety and environmental protection, will continue to work with its 1,400 members and sponsors to push campaign efforts, and educate the community on the importance of utilizing 811, according to CGA’s website call811.com. “The response from the community has been good, and several cities along with Signal Hill have publicly supported the campaign,” Caldwell said. ----------------------MORE INFORMATION call811.com
Courtesy Shell Pipeline Company LP
The Shell Signal Hill Terminal’s tank number 100 bears the “Call Before You Dig” logo to promote safe digging practices.