March 18, 2022 | Vol. XLIV No. 11

Signal Tribune

Rad Coffee, serving a side of punk with its drinks, is coming to Bixby this spring

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

VOL. XLIV NO. 11

see page 5

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

Friday, March 18, 2022 LBUSD

NORTH LB

6000 Block of Walnut Avenue becomes North Long Beach’s first historic neighborhood

Mark Savage | LBUSD

A Millikan High School student sits behind a computer in class on the first day of in-person classes on April 26, 2021.

LBUSD mid-year data shows most students still behind by up to three grade levels sir aH . W tinA eS nior Writer

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Residents of the newly-formed Nehyam Historic District along the 6000 block of Walnut Avenue pose for a group photo near one of the street signs that mark the district on March 16, 2022.

Six years after initially applying and three years after certification, Nehyam Neighborhood gets historic distinction, complete with street sign M iD am E oig a

I

a M naging idE tor

t’s official: North Long Beach has its first historic district.

The 6000 Block of Walnut Avenue was technically designated a historic neighborhood in 2019 after three years of effort by its residents, but only last Thursday did it receive its official street signs.

“It’s awesome. It’s kind of exciting,” said Shelly Hemphill, who’s lived in her 1928 Spanish colonial revival-style home for 19 years. “It’s crazy, that it’s just this block. I went down on the other side of Long Beach this weekend and I’m like, all the streets down here are white!”

Jeff Rowe, a resident of the block and member of the Nehyam Neighborhood Association, pioneered the effort beginning in 2016.

The process took three years. Surveyors were sent out to assess the properties. Neighbors underwent voluntary emergency preparedness training. Rowe and others went to public meetings to watch their designation move along the bureaucratic pipeline.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

One of the signs that mark the Nehyam Historic District on the 6000 block of Walnut Avenue in North Long Beach on March 16, 2022.

“There were certainly times along the way, I thought ‘Holy mackerel, what have we gotten into here,’” Rowe said. “But I did respect the process and the diligence. You’ll never get a place declared a historic district, at least not in Long Beach, that’s not authentic.”

In 2019, the Long Beach City Council gave its final approval of the historic district.

The 19 homes total were surveyed for the distinction—the majority of which were built from 1928 to 1930—of which 14 are primary contributors to the street’s historical status, see HISTORIC DISTRICT page 6

Most Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) elementary and middle school students continue to test below their grade level in reading and math midway through the current academic year.

And though there has been growth in student learning, some groups—including Black students and middle school English language learners—are lagging behind their peers.

Chris Brown, assistant superintendent of research, said the district’s goal for students is to achieve at least one year of academic growth during the 2020-2021 school year.

Aug. 31 marked the beginning of students’ first full year back in classrooms since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to implement online learning in March 2020, causing setbacks for many, Brown said. In October 2021, onethird of LBUSD students tested three grade levels behind in reading and math.

As of the school year midpoint in February, the district is seeing faster post-pandemic “recovery” and learning in first, second and third grades than higher grades in both reading and math, Brown told the LBUSD Board of Education during a special workshop on Tuesday, March 15.

“All of our grade levels have shown an increase in both reading and math of students who are achieving at grade level,” Brown said. see STUDENTS BEHIND page 2

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STUDENTS BEHIND continued from page 1

identities are progressing at 89% growth—the highest of all subgroups.

Brown also noted that those students who tested below their grade levels in October showed more accelerated growth over the first six months of the school year than their peers who tested at or above grade level.

“They’re catching up by accelerating,” he said, noting that their progress may not be enough to catch them up to their grade level by the end of the school year in June.

Brown also noted that learning acceleration may not be evenly distributed across ethnicities and he would present that information at the board’s April 14 meeting.

Data shows students progressing but nearly threefourths still below grade level in reading and math Brown showed test data indicating that the number of elementary school students performing at or above their current grade level in math doubled from 13% in October 2021 to 27% last month, which he called a “sizable shift.” That leaves 73% of elementary school students testing below their grade level in math.

In reading, elementary school students performing at or above grade level increased by 11%, from 27% to 38%.

For middle schoolers, those performing at or above grade level increased by 8% for math—from 21% to 29%—and 4% for reading, from 30% to 34%.

However, the same test data shows that the majority of students in both elementary and middle schools continue to perform at least one level below their current grade, with many scoring two or three grades lower.

In reading, 61% of elementary school students tested below grade level in February compared to 73% last October.

In math, nearly three-fourths of elementary school students are one or more grade levels behind compared to 87% last October.

About a tenth of elementary school students are performing three or more grade levels behind in reading and math.

Among middle schoolers, about

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Graphics Courtesy Long Beach Unified School District

(Top left) Graph shown at a LBUSD Board of Education workshop on March 15 comparing test data for reading between October 2021 and February 2022 for elementary and middle schoolers. (Top right) Graph shown at a LBUSD Board of Education workshop on March 15 comparing test data for math between October 2021 and February 2022 for elementary and middle schoolers (Above) Graph shown at a LBUSD Board of Education workshop on March 15 showing student learning progress across grades in reading and math between October 2021 and February 2022. Target growth rate is 50% at the school year midpoint.

two-thirds continue to perform below grade level in reading, with one-third testing three or more grade levels lower. In math, about 72% are performing below grade level, with 27% three or more grade levels behind.

Learning growth varies by grade and ethnicity, with Black students showing

least progress

Brown noted that within those scores, third graders showed higher growth than other elementary school students, adding that students in that grade switch modes from learning-to-read to readingto-learn.

Brown also noted that sixth graders are doing better in math but not reading, and seventh graders are performing worse than their middle school peers in both reading and math, though he did not know why.

Megan Kerr, board vice president, asked Brown to look into it and said seventh grade is a time of transition that’s “tough on its own” without the pandemic forcing students online.

“Our seventh graders are struggling hard,” Kerr said. “The two years they’ve missed are pretty critical developmentally.”

Nevertheless, overall progress is on target as of the school year mid-

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point, Brown noted, adding that some students are already at 100% of target and already working on a second year of growth.

“On average, our students are at 50% or above growth for the year,” he said. “So that means we’re on pace.”

In terms of ethnicity, elementary school students are showing at least 50% progress across all subgroups, Brown said, noting that middle schoolers have “more variance” among those groups.

While white middle school students are progressing by 78%— more than the expected 50% at the school year midpoint—Black students are only at 29% of expected growth, Brown said. Filipino and Hispanic student growth is also lower, both at 36%, while Pacific Islander students are at 11%.

Asian middle school students are progressing by the expected 50% growth at the school year midpoint and those with “multiple” racial

Next testing planned for April and May

Learning data is based on the district’s iReady testing for math and reading that it implemented last fall. The district tested about 37,000 elementary and middle schooler students last October and again in February, with further testing planned for the end of April and beginning of May. School principals can access iReady data for their schools, broken down by classroom and student to address learning concerns, Brown said.

The district already implemented reading interventions for 3,200 students, according to Assistant Superintendent Brian Moskovitz, and tutoring for 2,300 students.

The district is also sharing “best practices” by three “outlier” schools that showed higher third-grade reading progress.

Board President Juan Benitez still expressed concern about the nearly 50 percentage-point progress gap between white students and their Hispanic and Black peers who make up 70% and 13% of the district’s student population, respectively.

“Ultimately, our goal is that no students are below grade level,” Benitez said.

COVID-19

COVID-19 test kits available for Signal Hill residents at City Hall Staf Repro t Silang Trenubi

Free COVID-19 rapid tests are available for Signal Hill residents at Signal Hill City Hall Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

To receive two free test kits, people must show proof that they live in Signal Hill, like a driver’s license

or utility bill.

Those looking to receive testing kits must go to the front counter on the main level of City Hall and ask to speak with Sarah.

There are a limited number of COVID-19 test kits available for residents and will be available on a first-come first-served basis.

As of March 16, there have been 2,811 cases of COVID-19 reported

in Signal Hill and 13 deaths.

According to the City’s website, Signal Hill residents can receive a vaccine/booster through L.A. County, the City of Long Beach, a local pharmacy, clinic or health care provider. Information about vaccines in Long Beach is available at longbeach.gov/vaxlb.

To make an appointment to get vaccinated visit MyTurn.CA.gov.

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 CITY COUNCIL

LB wants to partner with County for reward leading to arrest of hit and run driver March 1 hit-andrun killed Long Beach father, 42, and daughter, 3.

Suspect at large.

KarlM.Enriquez Digital Edirot

At the direction of the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday, the city manager will request to partner with LA County to establish a reward for information leading to the arrest of Octavio Montano Islas.

Montano Islas, 24, is a suspect in a hit-and-run in Long Beach that killed Jose Palacios Gonzalez, 42, and his daughter Samantha Palacios, 3, on March 1.

The crash took place at approximately 10 p.m. in the 6600 block of Rose Avenue, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

Palacios Gonzalez died at the scene, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported. His daughter

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

(Left) Protest signs seen on March 15, 2022, at the memorial set up at the apartment of Jose Palacios Gonzalez, 42, and his daughter Samantha Palacios, 3, who died after being struck by a driver. (Right) The exterior of the Bottoms Up Tavern on March 15, 2022. Neighbors told KTLA5 they believe the suspect of a hit-and-run that killed a father and daughter in Long Beach had allegedly been at the local bar before the crash.

was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

Police said their preliminary investigation revealed that a 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup “was traveling northbound on Rose Avenue at a high rate of speed.” The pickup “collided” with the apartment building where the father and daughter were located. The driver fled the scene on foot.

Montano Islas was described by

LBPD as a Hispanic man, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds.

He has black hair and tattoos on his right forearm. A description of his tattoos was not available.

According to LBPD, detectives presented a case against Montano Islas to the LA County District Attorney’s Office on March 7.

A warrant for Islas’s arrest has been issued for two counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony

driving under the influence, and one count of felony hit and run.

The reward established would be no less than $25,000, according to the proposal document.

“I know how important it is as a former police officer to have these rewards to get people to come forward that [have] any information,” Councilmember Cindy Allen said.

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson called the fatality a “deeply heart-

breaking circumstance.”

“At the request of the community and the family, I am advancing this request,” Richardson said.

Anyone with information regarding Islas’ whereabouts or the fatal hit-and-run collision is asked to contact Detective Kevin Johansen of the Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail at 1-562-570-7355.

BUSINESS

Mayor Robert Garcia to hold roundtable discussions on economic recovery with local business leaders

Weekends Until March 26th

Fa netsirK me aN h r Staf Writer

M

ayor Robert Garcia will host nine roundtable discussions with business leaders from each of Long Beach’s districts in order to gather feedback on how the City can assist local businesses recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

“What I’d like to do is just open it up and just hear any of your thoughts on how things are going, how your business is doing, what you need from the City,” Garcia said at the first roundtable discussion with business leaders from District 1 on March 8.

According to Chief of Staff James Ahumada, the City is looking to invite a diverse array of business owners from various industries and from different corners of each district to the roundtable discussions.

The City has been reaching out to businesses to invite them to the discussions, but business owners can also feel free to contact the mayor’s office if they want to be included, according to Ahumada.

According to Garcia, after all nine discussions are completed the City plans to help put together a marketing/public relations plan to promote local businesses.

Ahumada said there are no concrete marketing plans as of yet, and that the City won’t start any until it concludes all nine roundtable discussions, likely in mid-April.

The roundtable discussions are also an opportunity for business owners to ask the City for clarification on how to apply for Long Beach Recovery Act Small Business and Non-Profit Relief grants and

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and City Councilmember Mary Zendejas sit at opposite sides of a table while speaking with small business owners and City officials at Rose Park Coffee Roasters on Pine Avenue during the Recovery Roundtable event on March 8, 2022. This event was the first roundtable of nine that will take place in each council district across the city.

562-494-1014 LBPlayhouse.org

5021 E. Anaheim St. provide feedback on how the grants have impacted them.

Long Beach Recovery Act Small Business and Non-Profit Relief grants provide direct financial relief under the following four categories: • Restaurant, Brewery and Bar Relief Grant — for small Long Beach food and beverage businesses. Eligible small businesses can receive between $5,000 and $25,000 to support their business.

• Personal Services and Fitness Relief Grant — for small Long Beach personal services and fitness businesses. Eligible small businesses can receive between $5,000 and $25,000 to support their business.

• Small Business Relief Grant

— for small Long Beach businesses that do not qualify for both the Restaurant, Brewery and Bar Grant or the Personal Services and Fitness Relief Grant. Eligible small businesses can receive between $2,500 and $10,000 to support their business.

• Non-Profit Relief Grant — for 501c3, 501c19, and fiscally sponsored nonprofits. Eligible nonprofits can receive between $5,000 and $25,000 to support their nonprofit.

Applications for the grants opened March 16.

According to Ahumada, it is possible that policy for the grants could be altered based on feedback the City receives from business owners during the roundtable discussions.

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CITY COUNCIL

CITY COUNCIL

Long Beach unveils Veterans Strategic Plan

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Ángel Rodriguez holds a sign as a group of protesters gather outside Long Beach City Hall to call for a reduction of taxes on cannabis on Feb. 9, 2022. The group, mostly clad in Catalyst Cannabis apparel, is one of many groups across California seeking reforms on the taxation of cannabis in the state.

Long Beach considers repealing cannabis cultivation tax M iD am E oig a Managing Edirot

Long Beach is considering repealing its cannabis cultivation tax—which charges businesses that grow and harvest cannabis $12 per square foot.

On Tuesday, March 15, the Long Beach City Council unanimously requested the city manager conduct a feasibility study on the impacts of repealing the tax.

The cultivation tax was first implemented in 2016 when voters approved Measure MA, which taxes various cannabis activities in Long Beach and brings the City millions of dollars in revenues each year.

Cannabis growers are also taxed an additional $161 per pound of dried cannabis flower by the state, making cannabis the only industry in Long Beach which is taxed based on the cultivation of its products.

“Imagine taxing local farmers for every fruit and vegetable harvested,” Councilmember Al Austin said, noting that the current taxation was a “broad burden” to cannabis growers. “Not only would the profits and prices at local farmers’ markets increase, but the grower is essentially being fined for successfully growing food.”

In 2019, the City Council reduced cannabis business license taxes for non-retail cannabis businesses (distributors, manufacturers and lab testing facilities), despite a projected $220,000 to $350,000 loss in revenue.

Instead, revenues went up. In fiscal year 2020, revenues from cannabis fees and taxes increased by $5.6 million. (The council also extended dispensary operating hours

in late 2020.) The next fiscal year, the revenues increased an additional $1.8 million.

During public comment, residents lauded the potential repeal of cultivation taxes, with some pushing for a repeal of other cannabis taxes as well.

“Unfair taxes are driving the cannabis industry to the point of near collapse, especially our farmers,” said Samantha Kohler, who works at a Catalyst dispensary.

She said that high taxes were causing “millions of pounds of products” to be wasted due to the inability of growers to compete with black market prices.

“Right now it’s a new industry.

The oil industry doesn’t get this kind of treatment—liquor, tobacco. Why cannabis?” said Jose Hernandez, who works in Long Beach.

“Why are we the scapegoats to try to solve all the problems in the state?”

Councilmember Suzie Price welcomed the feasibility study, but wanted to make sure that staff included revenue projections for multiple years. She lauded the City’s prudence in regards to cannabis taxation, allowing council members to be “very deliberate at every stage.”

“Ultimately the reasons we discussed the taxes to begin with were all related to city revenue,” Price said. “So ultimately we need to know that information as we move forward, if in fact we do make a change here.”

City staff will study the feasibility of repealing the cannabis cultivation tax and report back to the Budget Oversight Committee in 90 days.

Veterans Commission recommends increasing visibility of veterans through social media campaigns, increase volunteer opportunities and housing access tnarG d hciR Phot Edirot

During the March 15 Long Beach City Council meeting, members voted unanimously to receive and file the Citywide Strategic Plan on Veterans. The plan aims to bring visibility to veterans in the community and create an office to facilitate access to resources.

The process started over five years ago by creating the Veterans Affairs Commission, which interviewed veterans, veteran organizations and elected officials about what the City can do to better serve its roughly 17,000 military veteran residents.

“I believe that this strategic plan and all the goals in it will undoubtedly improve the lives of Long Beach veterans in the communities that support them,” said Jesse Soria, founder of the veteran group People of the Earth.

One of the goals presented by the commission was the creation of an “Office of Veteran Support” inside of the Long Beach Health and Human Services Department.

The office would be a “clearinghouse” for resources and services to veterans to help them fully take advantage of federal, state, and local veteran benefits in the areas of housing, education, physical and mental healthcare, and career-building, according to the report.

Veterans Affairs Commissioner Josh Smith spoke on the importance of veteran-to-veteran communication in accessing resources, saying, “The word of a veteran to another veteran is a lot stronger than that of a website or anything else or any book.”

Additionally, the commission suggested adding veteran-specific resources to the website Unite Us, which is already used by the health department to connect patients with healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commission recommended that the City begin holding summits to address housing, health and employment issues, especially for veterans transitioning to civilian life.

Emma DiMaggio | Signal Tribune

A mural honoring veterans at Houghton Park in Long Beach.

Transition is defined as the two years after a veteran leaves active duty military service.

Nivardo Gonzalez spoke about his struggles as a marine combat veteran and said he “didn’t know

“

The word of a veteran to another veteran is a lot stronger than that of a website or anything else or any book.

-Josh Smith, Veterans Affairs Commissioner how to deal with” his transition out of service. He said his first trip to North Long Beach’s Veterans Day parade helped the process.

“I’ve always thought about how I could help more, how I could help the veteran community not only in Long Beach but all over the country,” Gonzalez said, approving of the plan.

The commission also suggested devoting resources to help build more community among its veteran residents by launching a “Veteran Work Detail” that would work with veterans groups to plan activities like beach clean-ups and park improvement projects.

According to the report, a signifi-

cant issue many veterans in the city face is the lack of affordable housing.

The veteran population of Long Beach is shrinking and aging rapidly, with a 27.8% decrease in the veteran population over the last ten years, of which 65% are veterans aged 55 or older, the strategic plan states.

The report suggests that the decrease could be due to the lack of affordable housing, especially for veterans under the age of 40, and recommends setting aside units for veterans in low-income housing developments like Century Villages at Cabrillo.

Another issue outlined in the report and spoken about during the council meeting was the topic of veteran suicide.

In Long Beach, the commission reported that 51 veterans died by suicide between 2014 and 2020.

The risk is higher for younger veterans that are under the age of 40 with the report stating they are three times more likely to die by suicide compared to non-veterans.

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson called the number “staggering.”

The commission will also look to create greater visibility to the community through social media campaigns and recognition on light pole banners around the city.

One of the objectives of the plan is to create a multimedia campaign highlighting veterans in the community focused on those from marginalized communities such as women, LGBT, seniors and veterans living with disabilities.

“I don’t want it to just be a plan that lands on the shelf,” Richardson said. “I want it to get funded and implemented and help guide decisions we’re making. A lot of these things make a lot of sense.”

Signal Tribune MANAGING EDITOR

Emma DiMaggio

DIGITAL EDITOR

Karla M. Enriquez

PHOTO EDITOR

Richard H. Grant

LEGALS COORDINATOR

Katherine Green

SENIOR WRITER

Anita W. Harris

STAFF WRITER

Kristen Farrah Naeem

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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Image Courtesy Rad Coffee via Instagram

The Marsh-In (blueberry white chocolate) was part of Rad Coffee’s January menu and their iced coffee (right) is part of the shop’s fixed menu. Rad Coffee is coming to Bixby Knolls in spring 2022.

Rad Coffee, serving a side of punk with its drinks, is coming to Bixby this spring Karla M. Enriquez

F Dilatig Edroti

or those who like a side of spooky with their coffee, independent coffee shop Rad Coffee is coming to Bixby Knolls.

Projected to open in May 2022, according to co-founder Jade Valore, the coffee shop—known for its mashup of skate culture, punk and horror—will open where Derricks on Atlantic was once located before closing in 2021.

The Atlantic location, with 20 parking spots and an outdoor patio, is what drew Jade to Long Beach, she said. Although the company is always looking for locations, this one happed to fit their aesthetic.

“We go to Lakewood and Whittier in [our coffee truck] and Long Beach isn’t that far,” Jade said.

“When the customers found out [we] were coming they were so excited because it’s finally coming closer to them.”

Currently, Rad Coffee has two locations, one in Downtown Upland and another in Downtown Covina.

Jade and her partner Rusty Valore—who met as baristas at Starbucks—opened Rad Coffee as a pop-up at an Upland juice bar in 2015 after becoming pregnant with their first child.

“I was like ‘Hey, we’re going to have a baby, how can we raise our child and build something for us?’”

Jade said, noting that the couple didn’t “come from money.”

Jade attributes the coffee shop’s following (115,000 on Instagram) to the skate, punk and horror mash-up concept (modeled after the couple’s interests) and their marketing. Eventually, Rad ended up leasing the building where they held their first pop-up.

“Nobody really had skeletons on their coffee,” Jade said. “My expertise is marketing because I want to give the people what they want and I know what they want because I want it too.”

A quick look at the company’s social media pages will show patrons sharing their orange and teal cups adorned with a skeleton sipping coffee against the shop’s wall plastered in concert flyers and stickers.

Patrons also share photos to

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

A sign for Rad Coffee can be seen on the front of their new Long Beach location at the former site of Derricks on Atlantic in Bixby Knolls on March 15, 2022. show off the sprinkled cereal toppings on their “cereal chillers”, a line of drinks that contain cereal.

“Cookies N’ Scream” (cookies, coffee, blue whip cream and cereal) is the patron favorite, Jade noted.

Rad also has a fixed menu (espresso and coffee, tea and lem-

“

It’s a real blessing to be able to have a community that’s going to appreciate what we’re giving them. And not just a cup of coffee, but the experience as a whole.

-Jade Valore, co-founder of Rad Coffee

onade, specialty blended) with names like “Frankenstein” (matcha green tea blended with vanilla mint, topped with chocolate chips and oreos) and “The Bride” (white chocolate blended with mint.)

Additionally, the coffee shop pushes out a monthly menu with different themes. Their March menu includes “Leprechaun” (Irish creme blended with coffee and vanilla mint with orange whip cream and topped off with Lucky Charms) and “Creature Lemonade” (organic pineapple mint lemonade) in a soft green shade.

Jade comes up with what she wants the drinks to look like and the names while Rusty creates the recipe.

“I wanted to create a drink that your average coffee consumer wouldn’t normally order,” Jade said. “I want the sugary, the sweet, all the coffee, I want to drink it and take my Instagram picture.”

Jade’s latest project, Cosmic Bakery, which specializes in vegan treats with an emphasis on pop culture, will also be part of the Bixby location.

The bakery’s main attraction is the vegan pop tarts also known as “Astro Tarts,” with varying flavors of the week.

“It’s a real blessing to be able to have a community that’s going to appreciate what we’re giving them,” Jade said. “And not just a cup of coffee, but the experience as a whole.”

To keep up with Rad Coffee, follow them on Instagram at @radcoffee or visit their website rad.coffee.

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • COMMUNITY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022

HISTORIC DISTRICT, continued from page 1

three are secondary contributors and two homes from the ‘50s which do not contribute.

Only after surveyors came out to the street to sum up the block’s historical chops did Rowe learn the name of the neighborhood’s distinct and unique architectural style: minimalist traditional.

“It was so humbling,” Rowe said.

Though it doesn’t have the ring of “Spanish Colonial Revival” or “storybook,” which the block does include, it carries a history of its own.

Heritage Society member Linda Dragga has spent the last few years compiling the history of each historic district.

“Different neighborhoods arose because of different reasons,” Dragga said. “Maybe because the train started coming, so there was better access to an area [...] or because of the oil boom in Signal Hill, there was a huge burst of housing need, or because of the port expansion and the naval presence. So there were different drivers of different neighborhoods being built.”

Popularized during the Great Depression, homes in the minimalist traditional architectural style were mass-produced (they could be built with Federal Housing Administration-insured home loans), according to La Jolla-based firm IS Architecture. During World War II, the simple, economical homes could be built quickly to house wartime factory workers and, later, returning veterans.

The homes are historically associated with the New Deal Era, when government programs increased residential construction and levels of homeownership.

The so-called “Minimum House” met the minimum threshold, in terms of square footage, plan, program and amenities, which would be approved and funded through the FHA, according to a spokesperson from Long Beach Development Services.

“Those houses being built, it was an example of how Long Beach survived the Depression, in better shape than some places, partly because we had oil revenues coming in at that point,” Dragga said.

Through the surveying process, Rowe also learned about the history of his block, including a sinking realization that the neighborhood was subject to redlining—the discriminatory practice of refusing homes to people of color in suburban neighborhoods, thereby forcing them into urban housing projects.

Decades ago, Black people were not allowed to live on the 6000 Block of Walnut.

“That was a difficult kind of historic fact to absorb,” Rowe said. “I was ashamed for weeks, because I thought, ‘What a terrible legacy.’”

But now, Rowe said, it’s a different story. The neighborhood represents a microcosm of North Long Beach, he said. Black residents, white residents, residents from different parts of Latin America, Vietnam and Cambodia are bound together as neighbors (and now, proud residents of a historical block).

“As the process began, I noticed that people started doing more.

They painted things on the front or they spiffed up the yard a little bit,” Rowe said. “This sort of put in motion this sense of pride. Now you drive down the street and there are no scruffy fronts.”

Alvin Waldon, who’s lived in his 1928 storybook-style home for two

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Ethan and Shelly Hemphill pose in front of their Spanish colonial revival home of 19 years within the Nehyam Historic District on March 16, 2022. The city recently designated the houses located on the 6000 block of Walnut Avenue as a historic district for its 1920s and ‘30s minimalist traditional homes.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Alvin Waldon poses outside of his home in the newly formed Nehyam Historic District in North Long Beach on March 16, 2022. Waldon came to Long Beach while serving in the U.S. Navy and bought his 1928 stroybook-style home in 2002.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Angelica (left), Barbara (right), and Alberto Osorio holding their dog Muñeca (center) stand outside their 1920s Spanish Revival style home in the newly formed Nehyam Historic District that runs along the 6000 block of Walnut Avenue on March 16, 2022. The family has lived in the home for the last 18 years.

decades, keeps meticulous care of his lawn. He came to Long Beach in 1974 with the Navy and put roots in the city for its impressive educational institutions and “beautiful” beaches.

“Long Beach was so beautiful. It was real California. Beaches open 24/7, the harbor 24/7, free parking, free concerts. It’s like living in Hawaii,” Waldon said. “They said if you can’t live in Hawaii live in Long

Beach. That’s what they’d say back in the ‘70s.”

His house, like many others on the block, waves an American flag out front. His bushes are speckled with faux flowers and metal butter-

flies.

“I’m from a place in Maryland where it’s a tradition to take pride in your house. I bought the house in 2002 and I was just tickled pink,” Waldon said. “And since then it’s been on. I just added some stuff on today. So I’m always tinkering in the yard, in the backyard. I’m very happy to be in Long Beach.”

Rudy Calderon, a resident who lives on the end of the block, noticed the same trend.

“I do feel like people are more proud,” Calderon said. “I think people are taking better care of their houses for sure.”

Calderon, an architect, helped design the graphic on the block’s white street sign, a color reserved for historic districts. After researching the neighborhood’s history, he settled on the logo of the Homeowners Loan Corporation, which existed from 1933 to 1951.

According to Heritage Society member Dragga, the corporation bought problematic loans and offered lower rates to people who were struggling to keep their homes.

“It was a win-win for both the people who were homeowners trying to pay back their mortgages and for the banks, but the problem was there wasn’t equal access,” Dragga said. “It was racial, in that if you weren’t of a certain race, you would probably not be approved.”

Residents have made efforts to respect the checkered history of their neighborhood. In 2019, the neighborhood—formerly known as the Grant Neighborhood—changed its name to the Nehyam Neighborhood.

“It turned out that [the] Tongva, the original [Native American] tribes, were here as far back as 10,000 years ago,” Rowe said. “So we explored naming it after them.”

The group contacted a tribal office in Los Angeles and were put in contact with a tribal elder in Anaheim who was working to create a written form of the Tongva language, which was only verbal.

The neighborhood settled on “neyam,” the Tongva word for friend. They changed it to Nehyam to make sure people would pronounce it correctly, Rowe said, and that name is listed on the street’s historic signage.

“I think Nehyam is fortunate to have a really active leadership that’s really, really oriented toward the community,” Dragga said of the Nehyam Neighborhood. “They celebrate the whole neighborhood, not just that block.”

The task wasn’t easy, Rowe said.

Though it only requires majority consent of the block to begin the process, Rowe wanted 100% buy-in from his neighbors before beginning the lengthy process.

“We had several meetings where we pulled everybody together on a lawn, meetings with people who were kind of charged with seeing the process through, and we gradually won over the doubters,” Rowe said.

Soon, they’ll meet on a lawn once again to celebrate their street signs, bright and white, flanking each end of the block.

“Long Beach for so long was considered to stop at the Del Amo, right? Not realizing that there’s a full extension even further up,” Cultural Heritage Commissioner Tasha W. Hunter said. “So this was special, because now, look, we have a historic North Long Beach.”

7

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 PORTS

Customs agents seize large amounts of meat from China at LA/LB seaport complex City News Servie c

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he seizures of prohibited meat products from China continue at levels never seen before at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex, authorities said March 14.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, which ran from October through December of 2021, agriculture specialists intercepted 262,237 pounds of prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products—a 33% increase from the same period the year before.

The increase began intensifying in fiscal year 2021, when in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of prohibited animal products seized at the LA/LB seaport reached a record 786,514 pounds, up 80% from the previous year, authorities said.

“Preventing the introduction of

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

A cargo ship has its containers unloaded at Pier G of the Port of Long Beach on Nov. 2, 2021. foreign contagious animal diseases and noxious pests at our nation’s largest seaport is paramount and vital to our agriculture industry and the well-being of the communities we serve,” Carlos C. Martel, CBP

director of field operations in Los Angeles, said in a statement.

“We work closely with our USDA and private-sector partners to protect the nation from a variety of diverse agriculture threats,” Martel

said.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, China is affected by African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, virulent Newcastle Disease, Foot and

Mouth Disease, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and Swine Vesicular Disease. Pork products from ASF-affected countries may introduce the virus to the United States, potentially crippling the domestic pork industry and U.S. pork exports valued at $6.5 billion annually, authorities said.

CBP agriculture specialists found most of the prohibited animal products mixed in boxes of e-commerce shipments and household goods— in an attempt to smuggle the meats into the country, authorities said.

“CBP plays a major role in protecting American consumers and the agriculture industry from pests and diseases,” said Donald R. Kusser, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport.

“These unprecedented numbers reflect the critical role and outstanding contributions of CBP’s agriculture specialists, (who) have been working tirelessly identifying, intercepting and seizing these prohibited items,” Kusser said.

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Woman found dead on beach

dead in Long Beach;

woman sue her killer,

Sunday, police investigating

investigation continuing

two relatives

READ MORE ONLINE AT SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM

8

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 LBUSD

Protests continue as LBUSD and employee union await State mediation results CSEA represents about 2,100 of the district’s classified employees, including instructional aides, nutrition-services workers, bus drivers, custodians and gardeners.

LBUSD has been negotiating a new contract with CSEA since last spring, unable to reach an agreement regarding salary increases.

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Amid vocal union activism outside the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, March 16, the board learned there was still no progress on its final stage contract negotiation with the California School Employees Association (CSEA).

The board was supposed to hear results of State fact-finding and mediation on the contract on Wednesday but instead learned that the decision is still forthcoming and will be shared at the next board meeting on April 14.

Meanwhile, several CSEA members from dozens protesting outside—joining those from the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB), another union asking for higher salaries—spoke during the meeting about the importance of earning a “living wage” and a raise that matches inflation, especially with the recent surge in gas prices.

The average price of gas in the Los Angeles and Long Beach area has increased by $1 in the past month and $2 in the past year,

Salary negotiations stalled since last year

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

California School Employees Association members hold signs in protest outside of the Long Beach Unified School District headquarters building during a Board of Education meeting on Feb. 2, 2022. The workers are protesting a proposed pay increase that is not in line with what the union is seeking. The proposed increase is a 3% raise with a 2% bonus, but the workers seek a 7% raise instead.

from $3.91 to $5.89, according to AAA. “Gas is extremely high, groceries are extremely high, and if you want

to live in Long Beach, it’s near impossible now to find a studio for under $1,800,” said Enrique Chavez, a CSEA unit vice president.

The District is proposing a 3% raise to CSEA members, retroactive to the last two school years of 20192020 and 2020-2021, plus onetime additional retroactive raises totaling 2%.

CSEA is demanding a raise of 3% retroactive to the 2019-2020 school year plus 4% retroactive to the 2020-2021 year, for a total raise of about 7%.

Still at an impasse when the CSEA contract expired last October, the two parties agreed to mediation by the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to gather facts and decide on new salary terms.

A three-member PERB panel— with one representative from each party and a mutually approved

chairperson—was supposed to convene in January, which was postponed to February, but it still has not yet reached a decision.

“The District and CSEA are both waiting for the fact-finding chair to issue his report,” said David Zaid, assistant superintendent of human resources. “We were notified that the report isn’t ready just yet, but we anticipate it within the next week or so.”

Zaid asked the board to consider moving forward with the results of the report at its next meeting on April 14.

Chavez told the board that the 7% raise CSEA is asking for is “nothing compared to what the teachers make,” noting that many CSEA members make minimum wage.

“We’re asking for that 7% because our members don’t make that much money,” Chavez said.

Sergio Bonilla, a CSEA vice president, told the board that anything less than a 6% cost of living adjustment (COLA) is “not going to be something we’re going to agree upon.”

“We really do need that raise,” Bonilla said. “It’s time to step up as a school district and pay us what we’re worth.”

Additional CSEA demands include hazard pay, summer savings and more staffing

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Chavez informed the Signal Tribune separately that in February, CSEA also asked for a retention payment of at least $1,250 for its members as essential workers and hazard pay of $1,000 for working in-person during the pandemic.

The union is also asking the district to participate in a California School Employee Summer Assistance program for which the district must first register to help CSEA members bridge their income during the summer months between school years. Under the program, the State matches monthly employee savings of $300 by up to $3,000 to be paid over the summer.

“You get your $3,000 that you saved in a check and then $3,000 that the State matches for your second check in the summer so classified employees can survive,” Chavez told the Signal Tribune.

However, Steven Rockenbach, LBUSD director of employee relations and ethics, informed CSEA in a statement that it would need to approach the district about it in April or May to consider the program for the 2023-2024 school year. Rockenback cited accounting costs and the district having to pay for social security, medicare and unemployment insurance on the matching State funds.

CSEA members also asked the board during Wednesday’s meeting to address other issues like health insurance and heavy workload due to staffing shortages.

Kimberly Wong, an instructional aide, asked the board to reconsider the district’s health insurance policy, noting that as a part-time employee, she has to pay for her PPO insurance out of pocket.

Viola Mae Bledsoe, a special-education instructional aide at Cabrillo High School, told the board that staffing shortages have increased her workload at a disservice to her special-needs students.

“This is wearing us out,” she said.

“It is hard to handle this amount of children with this amount of work.”

9

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • LEGAL NOTICES • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 TST6654 Case No. 21CMCP00154 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, COMPTON COURTHOUSE, 200 W. COMPTON BLVD., COMPTON, CA 90220 PETITION OF: KALEXI BELISSE CIPRES TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: Kalexi Belisse Cipres has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing her name as follows: Present Name: KALEXI BELISSE CIPRES Proposed Name: HELENA ADRIENNE SIN 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: April 14, 2022; Time: 8:30am, 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, 1860 Obispo Ave., Ste. F, Signal Hill, CA 90755, March 4, 11, 18, 25, 2022 __//ss//___Thomas D. Long, Judge of the Superior Court Dated: February 17, 2022 TST6657 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: March 29th, 2022 at 1:00 p.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 # B007/ Tanya Martin - Unit # E074/Steve Holguin - Unit # C232-233/Managers Unit(s).

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: & 03/11/2022 & 03/18/2022.

TST6660 / 2022 048609 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1. IVAN METALS CO. CORPORATION, 2.

IVAN METALS COMPANY, 15550 RYON AVE BELLFLOWER, CA 90706. LOS ANGELES COUNTY. Registrant: IVAN METALS CO. CORPORATION, 15550 RYON AE. BELLFLOWER, CA 90706. This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: IVAN A. CANO, 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 March 2, 2022. 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: March 18, 25 & April 1, 8, 2022 TST6664 Case No. 22CMCP00029 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, SOUTH CENTRAL COURTHOUSE, 200 WEST COMPTON BLVD., COMPTON, CA 90220 PETITION OF: ZIRIYA MARIE ZAMORA, by her mother, Roxanna Davila TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: Ziriya Marie Zamora, by her mother, Roxanna Davila, has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing her name as follows: Present Name: ZIRIYA MARIE ZAMORA Proposed Name: ZIRIYA MARIE CRUZ DAVILA 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: May 24, 2022; 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, 1860 Obispo Ave., Ste. F, Signal Hill, CA 90755, March 18, 25 & April 1, 8, 2022 ___//ss//___Thomas D. Long, Judge of the Superior Court Dated: March 11, 2022 TST6668 / 2022 058876 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: 1. A & W FINANCIAL, 2. BIXBY KNOLLS REALTY, 3. BIXBY KNOLLS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 545 E. Bixby Rd., Long Beach, CA 90807, LA County. Registrant: CUYLER WADE ANDREWS, 545 E. Bixby Rd., Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is conducted by: An Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Cuyler Wade Andrews, Owner. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name.

The registrant began using this fictitious business name in September, 2004. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on March 15, 2022. 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: March 18, 25, & April 1, 8, 2022

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TST6667/Order No: 10730 Auto Lien Sale

TST6665/Order No: 11046 Auto Lien Sale

On 03/30/2022 at 815 CROCKER ST LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2016 NISSA VIN: 3N1AB7AP3GY244473 STATE: CA LIC: 7SZP532 at 8AM

On 4/1/2022 at 6821 CRENSHAW BLVD LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2021 INFIN VIN: JN8AZ2BC0M9475375 STATE: CA LIC: 8TZB199 at 10 AM

TST6663/Order No: 10886 Auto Lien Sale

TST6661/Order No: 10376 Auto Lien Sale

On 3/30/2022 at 6821 CRENSHAW BLVD LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2019 FORD VIN: 1FTEW1CP5KKC14265 STATE: CA LIC: 85892R2 at 10 AM

NEED TO POST A LEGAL NOTICE? EMAIL LEGALNOTICES@ SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM

On 3/30/2022 at 1840 S GAFFEY ST SAN PEDRO,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 1996 ELEC HULL: LDHC0003B696 STATE: CF#: O3B696X

TST6662/Order No: 10854 Auto Lien Sale On 3/30/2022 at 1610 W ARTESIA BLVD UNIT B17 GARDENA,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2018 NISSAN VIN: 1N4AL3AP4JC156220 STATE: CA LIC: 8MUM092 at 10 AM

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL TST6658 NOTICE INVITING BIDS The City of Signal Hill (“City”) will receive electronic bids only for the Water Services and Valve Replacements Phase II Project, no later than 10:00 AM on April 11, 2022.

The electronic bid management system will not accept late bids. Bids shall be valid for 90 calendar days after the bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted on City’s Bid Forms, available to registered vendors through the City’s electronic bid management system, PlanetBids, at: https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/36746/bo/bo-detail/90301 Contract Documents may be downloaded at no charge. Electronic modifications to or withdrawal of bids may be made by the bidder prior to the bid closing deadline.

Contract Documents will not be available for sale at City Hall.

Plan rooms that register may also download the contract documents and offer them for review. All parties downloading Contract Documents will be listed under the solicitation’s “Prospective Bidders” tab.

A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 2550 Cherry Ave, Signal Hill, CA 90755 on the following date and time: March 23, 2022 at 11:00 AM. Each and every bidder is encouraged to attend the Pre-Bid Conference. Prospective bidders may visit the Project locations without making arrangements; however, they may not open the meter boxes and may not cause disturbances to the residents or businesses. Bids will be accepted from any bidder who did not attend the Pre-Bid Conference.

LIVES LIVED

Maria Ueligitone 64 Neli Saichuk 88 Ersin Say 75 Yvonne Virgil 67 Penai Timai 51 Paul Bering 84 William Jackson 72 Michael Mischlich 71 Julie Ann Larkins 54 Sandra Ortizm 56 Christobal Magadan 62 Billy Williams 88 Leo Moore 71 Robert Turner 69 Peggy Cornwell 98 Jean Valerus Jr 24 Ralph Jones 86 Bonnie Pike 71 Gilbert Boeger 75 Janet Batzer 64 Margaret Cowie 88 The families were assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

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

Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price.

The successful bidder will be required to furnish City with a Performance Bond equal to 100% of the successful bid, and a Payment Bond equal to 100% of the successful bid, prior to execution of the Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22300, the successful bidder may substitute certain securities for funds withheld by City to ensure his performance under the Contract.

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ADVERTISING@ SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM

The Director of Industrial Relations has determined the general prevailing rate of per diem wages in the locality in which this work is to be performed for each craft or type of worker needed to execute the Contract which will be awarded to the successful bidder, copies of which are on file and will be made available to any interested party upon request at Signal Hill Public Works Department or online at http://www.dir. ca.gov/dlsr. A copy of these rates shall be posted by the successful bidder at the job site. The successful bidder and all subcontractor(s) under him, shall comply with all applicable Labor Code provisions, which include, but are not limited to the payment of not less than the required prevailing rates to all workers employed by them in the execution of the Contract, the employment of apprentices, the hours of labor and the debarment of contractors and subcontractors.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work. If awarded a Contract, the Bidder and its subcontractors, of any tier, shall maintain active registration with the Department of Industrial Relations for the duration of the Project.

This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. In bidding on this project, it shall be the Bidder’s sole responsibility to evaluate and include the cost of complying with all labor compliance requirements under this contract and applicable law in its bid. Contractors and subcontractors on Public Works projects will be required to submit Certified Payroll Records (CPRs) to the Labor commissioner unless excused from this requirement by the Department of Industrial Regulations.

Each bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: Class A license. In addition. the successful bidder will be required to self-perform at least 50% of the work.

Award of Contract: City shall award the Contract for the Project to the lowest responsible bidder as determined from the base bid alone. City reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any irregularities or informalities in any bids or in the bidding process.

For further information, contact the City’s Associate Engineer, Jesus Saldana at jsaldana@cityofsignalhill.org or (562) 989-7352 or Public Work’s Management Assistant, Ethan Rucker at erucker@cityofsignalhill.org or 562-989-7353.

Posted in the Signal Tribune Newspaper on: March 11, 2022 and March 18, 2022 Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on or before: March 11, 2022 Published on PlanetBids on: March 11, 2022

Pet of the week:

Xela

You can call her “Zela,” you can call her “Shella,” or you can call her “Alex backward.” But whatever you call Xela, she’ll be happier than a dog with a marrowbone if you simply call her to play, for dinner, for cuddles. Xela is a 2-year-old American pit bull terrier who, once she’s out of her kennel, does not want to return to it.

She sees how much fun she can have with people and wishes someone would take her home and foster her, or make it permanent! Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562570-PETS or email PetAdopt@ longbeach.gov to meet Xela.

Ask for ID#A669125.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

10

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • COMMUNITY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE Thursday, March 10

11:23 a.m., Auto burglary, 2400 block Cherry Ave. 12:05 p.m., 2 misdemeanor warrants, 2100 block Sea Ridge Dr. (suspect arrested)

Friday, March 11

3:27 p.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2400 block Cherry Ave. 3:36 p.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1500 block E. Spring St. 4:33 p.m., Auto burglary, 1900 block E. Willow St. 7:27 p.m., Battery, 1500 block E. Hill St. 10:04 p.m., Burglary, 2100 block E. Hill St.

Saturday, March 12

2:41 p.m., Hit and Run resulting in death or injury, E. Willow St./Orange Ave. (suspect arrested) 4:35 p.m., Burglary, 2000 block E. 19th St. 4:44 p.m., Grand theft, 1800 block E. Willow St. 11:28 p.m., Prowler, 2100 block Dudley Circle

Sunday, March 13

3:56 p.m., Battery, 2000 block Alamitos Ave. 8:07 p.m., Auto burglary, 2400 block California Ave. 8:58 p.m., Stolen vehicle – recovered, 700 block E. Spring St.

Monday, March 14

7:13 a.m., Stolen vehicle – recovered, E. 32nd St./ Lewis Ave. 10:31 a.m., Stolen vehicle – recovered, 3200 block Grant St. 7:08 p.m., Indecent exposure, Temple Ave./north of Hill St. 7:33 p.m., Grand theft, 2700 block Cherry Ave.

Tuesday, March 15

8:05 a.m., Auto burglary, 1000 block E. 32nd St. 10:52 a.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, E. 19th St./ Cherry Ave.

Wednesday, March 16

6:38 a.m., Burglary, 3200 block Grant St. 10:14 a.m., Criminal threats, 2600 block E. 21st St. 5:14 p.m., Grant theft – motor vehicle, 700 block E. Spring St. LBPD reporting area is too extensive to report here.

La ciudad de Long Beach anuncia una subvención de $8.4 millones para pequeñas empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro

ONLINE AT SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM

CULTURE

Alpert Jewish Community Center hosts 37th annual student art show M iD am E oig a Managing Edirot

The Zena and Pauline Gatov Gallery is exhibiting a collection of artwork by 63 Long Beach Unified School District middle and high school students from March 14 until April 1.

The artwork was submitted by LBUSD students across 11 schools for the 37th annual Norman Gottlieb Student Art Show, whereby student work will be blindly judged by a three-person panel of artists.

Teachers are allowed to submit six pieces of art per high school and four per middle school.

LBUSD Visual Arts and Curriculum Leader Christine Whipp said LBUSD has a “vibrant” arts program and that exhibiting student artwork is a way to “expand a sense of community” and help students see their work valued.

She said she was “struck by how deep the themes are” in this year’s exhibit, surmising that it was likely the result of the pandemic.

“These kids have things to express, and sometimes there are things that can’t be expressed with words, but you can really see it in their art,” Whipp said. “I really noticed how much this served as a vehicle for students’ self-expression.”

The show is sponsored by the Alpert Jewish Community Center through a fund established 39 years ago by past president Norman Got-

Image Courtesy Alpert Jewish Community Center

A piece of artwork in the Norman Gottlieb Student Show on display at the Jewish Alpert Community Center until April 1, 2022. Information on the artist and their school was not provided, as the pieces in the show will be judged blindly. tlieb—whom Dana Schneider, director of Jewish life and culture, described as an “avid art lover and advocate for education.” The exhibition is now stewarded by Nicole and Daniel Honigman.

Schneider said the student exhibition is one of her favorite shows of the year.

“It’s always really interesting to see what the students come up with, the different mediums that they work in their creativity,” she said. “It sort of gives you a bit of a

glimpse into what might be going on in the mind of middle and high school students.”

The top three participants from both middle and high schools will be awarded at a reception on March 24 at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Alpert Community Center in the Zena and Pauline Gatov Gallery.

The gallery is located at 3801 E Willow Street. Proof of vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours is required to enter.

SIGNAL HILL

Congressman Lowenthal secures nearly $7 million for LB and Signal Hill in 2022 House appropriations tropeR f a S Signal Tribune

Congressman Alan Lowenthal announced March 10 that he secured nearly $5 million for community projects in Long Beach and nearly $2 million for Signal Hill in the House of Representatives’ fiscal year 2022 appropriations.

The legislation has been approved by the Senate, sent to President Joe Biden’s desk on March 10.

It was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 15.

The allocations include: • $250,000 to the African American History and Culture Foundation for college preparation activities, including scholarships • $500,000 for California State University, Long Beach for teacher development and academic support, particularly the work of the Center to close the Opportunity Gap (CCOG) • $1.09 million for The Cove at the Villages at Cabrillo, which provides permanent supportive housing for veterans, including funds to make infrastructural improvements, including the realignment of Williams Street.

• $50,000 for the ESP Education & Leadership Institute for STEM education and college access.

Funds will be used to support the institute’s Business of Student Success (BOSS) program, which seeks to prepare boys from under-resourced communities for graduation, college and into their career.

• $1.5 million to the City of Long

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Children play on the new playground at the renovated Cherry Park before the ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24, 2021.

Beach for the Silverado Park Playground, including upgrades to playground facilities, increased ADA accessibility, age-appropriate playground structures and enhanced outdoor recreational opportunities.

• $575,000 for MemorialCare Health System for construction, equipment and an electronic health records initiative.

• $1.8 million to the City of Signal Hill for the improvement of the Civic Center parking lot, bringing the lot up to current ADA standards and more modern features that connect the lot to the Civic Center Complex.

“I was proud to champion these projects at the request of my communities and constituents, and these investments will allow our communities to move forward with these important projects across the 47th District,” Congressman

Lowenthal said in a statement.

The community projects were submitted to the Congressman by community organizations and local governments in the 47th District last year, a statement from Lowenthal’s office said, noting that requests were selected by the Congressman through a “competitive application and vetting process to ensure compliance with House Appropriations Committee guidelines, community support, benefit to constituents, and valuable use of taxpayer funds.”

After the initial selection process, the Congressman submitted his Community Project Funding requests to the Appropriations Committee for inclusion in Fiscal Year 2022 Labor-HHS and THUD appropriations bills. These bills were part of the FY22 government funding omnibus passed by the House March 10.

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A 20-year-old Anaheim man in custody on an unrelated charge has been identified as the suspect who allegedly shot and killed another man as he sat in his vehicle in Long Beach, police said on Wednesday, March 16.

Saeed Wheeler faces one count of murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the Feb. 2 shooting of 31-year-old Nashon Wall of Signal Hill, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

On that day, officers were called to the area of Atlantic Avenue and Esther Street at about 6:35 p.m. on reports of a shooting and found Wall lying unresponsive in the roadway next to his parked vehicle.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his wounds.

Homicide detectives determined Wall was approached by “multiple male subjects,” one of whom produced a handgun and shot at Wall as he sat in his car, according to the

LBPD. The suspects then ran into a nearby apartment complex. The LBPD served a search warrant at the apartment complex and recovered evidence at the scene, but no suspects were taken into custody.

Investigators later identified Wheeler as the alleged shooter and issued a warrant for his arrest on March 9, but later discovered he had been taken into custody by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on an unrelated charge.

Wheeler was being held on $3.1 million bail, and is due to appear in Long Beach Superior Court on Friday.

“Detectives will continue their efforts to ensure anyone else who participated in this crime is brought to justice,” the LBPD said. “The motive for the assault and whether a connection exists between the victim and suspect(s) remains under investigation.”

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call homicide detectives at 562-570-7244, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

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The City of Signal Hill will raise the Women’s Suffrage Victory flag at City facilities from March 1 to April 1 in honor of Women’s History Month.

The Women’s Suffrage Victory flag is one of ten commemorative flags the Signal Hill City Council approved to fly at City facilities during 2022.

The purple, white and gold flag was first unfurled in its completed form by the National Woman’s Party on Aug. 18, 1920 to commemorate women winning the right to vote with the passing of the 19th

amendment.

The 36 stars on the flag represent the 36 states that voted to ratify the 19th amendment, and were added to the flag one at a time by members of the National Woman’s Party as the states voted.

According to a 1913 newsletter by the U.S. National Woman’s Party, the colors of the flag were chosen because “Purple is the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause.

White, the emblem of purity, symbolizes the quality of our purpose; and gold, the color of light and life, is as the torch that guides our purpose, pure and unswerving.”

Man accused of fatal shooting in Long Beach of Signal Hill resident Nashon Wall

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