Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday
VOL. XLII NO. 34 LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
August 21, 2020
COMMUNITY
Councilmembers reluctant to make additional cuts to police without more in-depth analysis Emma DiMaggio Production Manager
At yesterday’s Long Beach City Council special meeting, councilmembers did not propose any dramatic changes to the police department’s $10.3 million budget cut for fiscal year 2021. For months, residents have been calling for the city to divest from the police department and invest in social services. Though the budget proposal doesn’t fully divest from the police, offering around a 1% budget decrease, the proposal does make some changes that attempt to meet protester demands. The department’s proposal includes the elimination of 54 sworn police officer positions, many of which are being civilianized. The department will still have 797 police officer positions and 390 civilian positions. “I’d like to acknowledge that the history of law enforcement in our communities of color has not always been positive,” Police Chief Robert Luna said. He pointed out that many of the issues that police deal with “have resulted from a lack of funding and see LB CITY COUNCIL page 7
Kristen Farrah Naeem | Signal Tribune
Pastor Ruth Crosthwaith (above) and a volunteer fill a man’s reusable bag with groceries at a food distribution outside her ministry. Groceries (below) are distributed by Ministerio Missionero Internacional weekly.
‘We won’t get tired’
Local pastor continues hosting food distributions after 12 years Lissette Mendoza Managing Editor
Every Wednesday, pastor Ruth Crosthwaith hosts a food distribution at Ministerio Misionero Internacional, her church located in the Wrigley neighborhood near Pacific Avenue and Hill Street. Crosthwaith has been organizing food giveaways for the past 12 years with help from volunteers at her local mission. She was motivated to help provide food for others after experiencing her own struggles as a single mother of three, working four different jobs when she immigrated to the U.S. from her home country of Honduras 17
years ago. The food distributions are every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in front of her church located at 2167 Pacific Ave. Crosthwaith also sets aside food to take to North Long Beach where she
does another food giveaway at 5 p.m. in front of the Shady Acres trailer homes lot located at Long Beach Boulevard. and 55th Street. “A lot of us have been struggling to find help because we don’t speak English,” Crosthwaith said, “I don’t know how to use a computer, but we have the same rights to receive food and other assistance.” A line of around 40 people formed along Pacific Avenue. Volunteers from the church set up tables and groceries outside where they were preparing boxes and crates full of fresh items. Recipients get a box with produce see PASTOR page 7
EDUCATION
New agreement allows LBUSD teachers to work from home Anita W. Harris Senior Writer
Kristen Farrah Naeem | Signal Tribune
Dozens of cars drove down Hughes Way on Aug. 5 to protest LBUSD’s limited options for parents, student and teachers in the upcoming semester.
After 10 hours of negotiations, and with the start of the school year less than two weeks away, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) reached an agreement with the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB) allowing teachers the option of working in school or from another location.
Come checkout our expanded outdoor dining and carhop service! * Dining Room Closed
Teachers had protested not having that choice since earlier this summer with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, saying that teaching in schools places them and their families at risk. TALB’s executive board approved the Aug. 17 agreement– dubbed the Opening of Schools Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)– on Tuesday evening, Aug. 18.
LBUSD Superintendent Jill Baker announced that same day that the bargaining teams were able to find “common ground” about teaching location and other logistical issues. “The agreements reached allow our educators to immerse themselves in the important work of preparing to educate more than 70,000 students,” Baker said. see LBUSD page 6
We’re bringing back the classic CARHOP service! Here’s how it works: • Park in our lot • Call 562-612-3456• Ask for a carhop Enjoy #JimmyEs in the comfort of your car!
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