SIGNAL T
Vol. 36 No. 8
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“Parting Saffron” Acrylic on canvas By David McKeag
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SERVING BIXBY KNOLLS, CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS, LOS CERRITOS, WRIGLEY AND THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
July 25, 2014
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
Wrigley residents say LA River project may edge out equestrian-trail access
Botched Los Cerritos burglary leaves woman dead, male suspect in custody
Sean Belk Staff Writer
A small group of homeowners along the Los Angeles River in the Wrigley district in west Long Beach are fighting what they say has been an uphill battle with city and county officials to maintain their equestrian lifestyle. Just about every day, residents who own horse stables and corrals on nine private properties ride their horses along a trail that currently stretches from Spring Street to 31st Street just west of San Francisco Avenue and which, they say, dates back to the 1880s. According to residents, part of the housing tract was once owned by family of famed American fronPhotos by Sean Belk/Signal Tribune tier lawman Wyatt Earp, and the stables remain Antonio Rivera, a 14-year resident of the Wrigley district who has owned his own horses and corsome of the only remaining places to house horses rals, rides his horse Delanet on an access path near his home. The designated equestrian trail is that participate in local parades, such as the annual pictured on the right behind a fence below a dirt berm along the Los Angeles River flood channel. Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade. Though the trail was dedicated for horseback riding through legislation in the early 1940s, it still remains a public right-of-way owned by the County of Los Angeles. The horse owners say they are perceived by the County and City as a “minority” group, adding that public and private equestrian facilities have slowly been Plan ahead to avoid delays. reduced over the years. Not far away, july 25-28 an equestrian center, for instance, was turned into a dog park, residents say. Now, a project to enhance open space along the county flood-control channel and a dirt berm that was built to reduce flooding would completely eradicate access to the trail for horseback riders while increasing access for bicyclers and pedestrains, according to the residential group that calls itself the Wrigley Heights Equestrian Association. The residents say that the project, as proposed so far, doesn’t preserve the equestrian community and the Bicyclers, top right, are seen riding a trail above a horseback rider, bottom left, along the Los Angeles River flood “living history” associated with it. channel in the Wrigley district in Long Beach west of San Francisco Avenue. A plan to enhance open space along “These gateways and destinations the channel is fully funded but currently in limbo as the County negotiates a deal to sell a portion of land to a see WANA page 13 group of residents that use a trail for horseback riding.
Century/Aviation Intersection Closure
Metro Briefs
Path cleared for new north LB microbrewery; 7-Eleven denied wine, beer sales CJ Dablo Staff Writer
Weekly Weather Forecast Friday
83°
Low clouds, then sunshine Lo 68°
Saturday
83°
Sunday
80°
Monday
see PLANNING page 11
Sean Belk and Cory Bilicko
Gus Adams
Signal Tribune Staff
One female suspect has been killed and a male suspect is in jail after a botched burglary at a Los Cerritos home. On Tuesday night, Tom Greer, 80, arrived home and found suspects Gus Adams, 26, of Long Beach, and Andrea Miller, 28, of Long Beach, burglarizing his residence located on the 600 block of Terrylynn Place, according to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) and media reports. The suspects immediately began assaulting Greer, striking him repeatedly and ultimately throwing him onto the floor, according to LBPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell in a press conference Thursday afternoon. The female continued to strike Greer while Adams walked over to the homeowner’s safe and attempted to break into it. After Miller also attempted to break into the safe, Greer retrieved a gun from another room and fired at the suspects, who then fled from the home with items taken during the burglary. Greer followed the suspects out of the house and continued firing shots at them. Miller was struck by gunfire, fell in a nearby alley and died at the scene, according to McDonnell. Adams fled the scene, but police later found him and arrested him, McDonnell said. The LBPD is charging Adams with robbery and homicide, although he and Miller were both unarmed, McDonnell confirmed. Adams is currently being held in Long Beach jail at more than $1 million bail. McDonnell said the pair had prior criminal histories similar to the incident. Police believe the man’s home had been burglarized three previous times, during which cash and personal property were stolen. “It was [Greer’s] belief that the people in his home at the time were responsible for the prior crimes as well and might return in the future,” McDonnell said. McDonnell indicated that the primary reason for conducting the press conference was to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident after Greer made statements to news media that Miller had stated, “I’m pregnant. Don’t shoot.” McDonnell said during the press conference that he could not confirm whether Miller was pregnant or not, adding that the coroner’s office would make that determination. If Miller was indeed pregnant, the district attorney would determine whether or not to charge the homeowner with double homicide, McDonnell said. “We’re looking at every piece of evidence we have,” the police chief said, adding that the LBPD plans to present the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with all the evidence on Friday, July 25. The case is being turned over to the DA’s office, which McDonnell said, will determine whether or not to press charges against the homeowner for homicide or if the shooting could be deemed self-defense. At press time, he had not been arrested and McDonnell indicated that he did not appear to be a “flight risk.”
July 25 through July 29, 2014 Tuesday
85°
Partly sunny
Clouds breaking for sun
Sunny to partly cloudy
Lo 68°
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85° Mostly clear
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15-0022ps_gat-ne-15-001 ©2014 lacmta
Courtesy City of LB
Plans of Dutch’s Brewhouse at last week’s Planning Commission meeting reveal the proposed layout of the restaurant/micro brewery on Atlantic Avenue. Three stations on the left-hand side include large kettles for customers to make their own beer.
It was largely a matter of favor with the community that ultimately determined the fate of a microbrewery and one 7-Eleven in north Long Beach. Although plans to open Dutch’s Brewhouse garnered the support of a few people at the July 17 Long Beach Planning Commission meeting, a proposal to grant a permit that would allow one convenience-store franchise to sell wine and beer drew the ire of several residents. A business’s ability to sell alcohol
Andrea Miller
Monday 1 1-6, Tuesday-Saturday 11-7, Sunday 11-5
Call in advance for catering
4147 Long Beach Blvd. @ Carson St. Bixby Knolls • (888) 9BUNDTS www.bundtsonmelrose.com