March 19, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 12

7

Signal Tribune

INSIDE: A bastion of youth athleticism and discipline fundraises after pandemic derailed 2020 season see page 3

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

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VOL. XLIII NO. 12

March 19, 2021

Image Courtesy Ms. Yellow

MS. YELLOW’S MURALS BRING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND SOCIAL ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT

Ms. Yellow’s signature colorful style is depicted in this mural “VS” in El Paso, Texas. The Long Beach artist has had her work featured on walls all over the world. Read more on Page 6.

PUVUNGNA

EDUCATION

EQUITY

LB City Council condemns racist attacks on Asian Pacific Islander communities

LBUSD copes with more D and F grades, graduation readiness at risk Anita W. Harris Senior Writer

While some Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) students have done well with virtual learning over the past year, most have struggled – and it shows in their lower grades.

Chris Brown, assistant superintendent of research, planning and school improvement, told the LBUSD Board of Education during its Tuesday, March 16 workshop that student performance at all levels except kindergarten has been negatively impacted by the move to online learning since last March due to the pandemic.

For high schoolers, only two-thirds are currently on track for graduation compared to three-fourths at this same time last year, Brown said.

However, that deficit is mostly driven by ninth and tenth graders falling behind rather than seniors, Brown said.

Ninth and tenth graders are each 12% less on track to graduate than last year compared to 1% for seniors, according see LBUSD GRADES page 7

Xochilt Andrade

LITIGATION TO PROTECT PUVUNGNA CONTINUES at CSULB, is culturally, historically, and spiritually significant for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation – Belardes, the Gabrielino/Tongva people and other Native American groups in Southern California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the California Native American Heritage Commission’s Sacred Land Inventory.

“We feel that Long Beach broke the laws that protect that site from desecration and development,” Chairman of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians,

Following a recent surge of hate crimes and a mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, March 16, the Long Beach City Council unanimously voted on a resolution condemning racist attacks against Asians and Asian Pacific Islanders during their meeting.

The resolution came hours after news broke of the mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia where suspect Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, was taken into custody after shootings at three different Asian-owned businesses left eight people dead. Six of the deaths were women of Asian descent.

Shaken by the news of the mass shooting, Councilmemeber Suely Saro discussed the rise of harassment and xenophobia against Asian American and Asian Pacific Islander communities.

see PUVUNGNA page 3

see AAPI ATTACKS page 6

Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune

In’yoni Felix of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, performs a traditional jingle dance on Puvungna on Sunday, Feb. 14.

Karla M. Enriquez

T

Digital Editor

he Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation-Belardes and the California Cultural Resources Preservation Alliance filed an opening brief in their lawsuit against California State University, Long Beach on March 12, it was announced at a virtual press event on Monday.

An opening brief is the legal and factual arguments showing why and how the university violated the law

with the dumping on Puvungna, according to Winter King, the attorney for the petitioners.

The groups, who filed the lawsuit in October 2019, contend that Cal State Long Beach violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it dumped 6,400 cubic yards of construction dirt and debris at Puvungna without conducting an environmental review.

The university has until April 30 to file an opposition brief and the trial is scheduled to take place in June.

Puvungna, a 22-acre parcel of land

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CANNABIS

Long Beach takes another step towards cannabis equity City will consider adding eight more storefront dispensary licenses reserved for equity applicants Emma DiMaggio Production Manager

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Later this year, Long Beach’s cannabis equity applicants may be able to enter one of the industry’s most lucrative cannabis business models—storefront retail.

The Long Beach City Council directed city staff on Tuesday, March 16 to study the feasibility of adding eight more storefront retail licenses reserved exclusively for cannabis equity applicants.

In addition to requiring equity applicants to have a 51% stake in their company, the City will also reinvest 100% of all tax revenues from new dispensaries back into the community.

“I see this work as critically important to restorative justice,” Councilmember Al Austin said. “Expanding retail cannabis licenses can create wealth and hundreds of good-paying jobs for communities that have been impacted by the over-policing and criminalization of cannabis, which is now legal and a very profitable industry.”

Cannabis is a billion dollar industry in California, racking in nearly $4.4 billion in sales in 2020, according to Marijuana Business Daily, up from $2.8 billion in 2019. That number is expected to increase in the coming years.

Currently, 32 cannabis storefronts exist in Long Beach. None are Blackowned, despite the fact that this group was disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs and prior criminalization of cannabis.

According to an analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union, marijuana arrests account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States.

Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88% were for possession.

Harrison Haines | Pexels

Nationwide, Black people are 3.73 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar levels in usage.

“Imagine opening a lucrative store or brand in which you’ve worked hard to build, and then now you’ve been targeted by mass incarceration, and your family has been destroyed beyond reconcile or repair,” James Marks said during public comment.

“That same product that we used as a survival mechanism is now a legal, flourishing enterprise in your community,” Marks said. “For over 10 years, we have been denied not only ownership, but also an opportunity of ownership.”

What is the Cannabis Social Equity Program?

The City’s Cannabis Social Equity program began in 2018 as part of a larger adult-use cannabis business ordinance in an attempt to “recognize and address the long-term impact that federal and state cannabis enforcement policies have had on low income communities in the City of Long Beach,” the program’s website states.

To qualify for the program, applicants must have an annual household income below 80% of the Area Median Income and have a net worth below $250,000.

In addition, they must either live in a predominately low-income community in Long Beach for at least three years or have been previously affected by the prior criminalization of cannabis through arrest or conviction of a cannabis-related crime.

When residents get accepted to the program, they receive a myriad of re-

sources—application workshops, application fee waivers, direct grants, plan check fee waivers and incubation support.

But the program’s eligibility requirements also create barriers for starting a cannabis business.

The startup costs for a cannabis manufacturing facility can reach well over $700,000, over double the required net worth of an equity candidate. A brickand-mortar location can cost upwards of $1 million.

As of Dec. 1, only one of 79 residents who qualified for the program was issued a license.

“While it’s easiest to move forward with delivery opportunities and such, the wealth building opportunities are just not the same,” Councilmember Stacy Mungo said.

Compared to dispensaries, both shared-use manufacturing and delivery-only operations have lower startup costs and less regulatory restrictions. But retail licenses are “the crown jewel,” according to Councilmember Cindy Allen. “[By excluding storefront retail licenses], we’re saying that if you’re a social equity candidate, that you’re going to make less profit, and you’re going to be in less profitable areas of the cannabis industries,” Austin said.

“That’s the wrong message to send.”

The feasibility report is expected to come back to the council later this year.

“I’m telling you, it’s really hard for us,” equity applicant Jillian Xavier said. “Some people are just here for just a lunch meal. But we’re here for the long haul to just create this generational wealth.”

Read the full story online at www. signal-tribune.com

HEALTH EQUITY

Long Beach looks to create Latino health initiative to address health disparities in communities hard-hit by the pandemic acerbated by the pandemic, Latino residents are also least likely to have access to internet, city services and proper health care.

I VIDA CUENTA. MY LIFE MATTERS. “We’ve had members in our community, not only one That’s the name of Long Beach’s newest Latino member of their family, but they have lost several members health initiative, one that hopes to bridge the gap of their family,” Quintana said. between Latino health and that of their white counterparts.

These compounding issues have made it difficult to “As vaccines become more available, it is absolutely un- reach some of Long Beach’s most vulnerable populations. acceptable that we allow the gap to continue,” Councilmem- Through collaborations with community organizations, the ber Mary Zendejas said. “We have an obCity has been able to distribute nearly ligation to ensure that we are prioritizing 1,000 vaccinations to hard-to-reach popthe health of our Latino residents.” ulations.

Neigbhorhoods Long Beach’s Latinx residents have These “trusted messengers” will play with the highest been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandeman important role in the health initiative, concentrations of ic. High case numbers, low vaccination helping to fill gaps in the City’s vaccine Latino residents rates and an ever-looming economic crisis rollout. are poised to threaten the well-being of City Manager Tom Modica will work continue to be Latino residents. to address the council’s requests for the COVID-19 hotspots.

“We have never seen, in the history of initiative: improving health literacy, Long Beach, no health emergency like we combating misinformation, ensuring have experienced with COVID-19, that has hit the Latino multilingual outreach, increasing internet access and engagcommunity harder, three times harder, than any other com- ing community-based organizations throughout the process. munity,” said Executive Director of Centro CHA Jessica “This pandemic has been anything but fair. Many folks Quintana. in our most vulnerable communities were hit the hardest,” Neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of Latino Councilmember Cindy Allen said. “This item will lay the residents—zip codes 90802, 90805, 90810 and 90813—con- foundation on how we build community resilience.” tinue to be COVID-19 hotspots.

The next Long Beach City Council meeting will take place In addition to longstanding problems that have been ex- on Tuesday, March 23 at 5 p.m. via teleconference.

Emma DiMaggio

M

Production Manager

COMMUNITY

March 19, 2021

Signal Tribune

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SPORTS

A bastion of youth athleticism and discipline fundraises after pandemic derailed 2020 season Long Beach Pop Warner prepares for upcoming season, sets up GoFundMe to offset losses Karla M. Enriquez Digital Editor

When California went into lockdown in March 2020, recreational organizations around the state went dark.

Included in this list is Long Beach Pop Warner, an over 40-year-old youth football, cheer and dance program that instills teamwork, dedication and work ethic into its participants.

The local program is part of a bigger national organization, Pop Warner, known as the largest and oldest youth football, cheer and dance program in the world, having been founded in 1929, according to the organization’s website.

The national program is one-of-a-kind, requiring good academic standing in order to participate for children ages 5 to15.

Latoya Diamond, whose youngest son Elyjah Staples, 12, is in Pop Warner Football, noticed her son was impacted by the program’s closure during the pandemic.

“If I don’t keep him busy, he tends to get into things,” Diamond said. “So, basically, Pop Warner was a place for him to go and let out any frustration or whatever it was that he had going on on the field and playing with the kids.”

She added, “Instead of using [frustration] in the negative way, he was putting it to good use in a positive way.”

Vice President of Long Beach Pop Warner and

Puvungna

Courtesy Daniel Barreto

The Jr Pee Wee Division won the 2019 Orange Bowl Championship. Long Beach Pop Warner hopes to return in August.

Coach Daniel Barreto noted that the children in and you’re talking, and you’re doing things,” she the program are eager to return. said. “Just being here, literally stuck in the house, “You would get calls and just on video and not being [they’d] say ‘Hey, what can “Coach Barreto, Coach able to talk to their friends, I we do all season?’ I go ‘Well, think it took its toll. It really Louis, the president, not much we can do.’ We did.” they all had a hand in have to separate them at the All three of Diamond’s helping me bring [my park,” Barreto said of social sons have been part of Pop distancing.

Warner Football for years, son] to the man he is Barreto did however give but only one has endured the today.” parents tidbits on how to pause in activity due to the keep the children busy with pandemic.

-Laytoya Diamond, exercise to hold them off Her oldest, Ezavier Stasingle mother whose son while the season is cancelled. ples, 17, recently committed attends Pop Warner One of the other issues to UCLA Football on a full Diamond, who is a mother ride scholarship. Diamond of three, noticed in her children was the lack of says this is in part thanks to Pop Warner. interaction with other children due to social dis“Coach Barreto, Coach Louis, the president, tancing measures. they all had a hand in helping me bring him to the “It’s different when you’re out with your friend man he is today,” the single mother said as testa-

ment of how impactful the program is.

But the program can only continue to motivate young athletes while in session.

With vaccine distribution steadily moving forward, the glimmer of kick-starting the season soon seems more promising than ever, so much so that online and in-person registration has already started.

However, the pandemic set the football organization back financially by not allowing them to fundraise as they would during a regular season.

In need of new helmets, shoulder pads and uniforms for the children, Barreto started a GoFundMe with a goal of $10,000 to help Long Beach Pop Warner football and cheer.

“We fundraise all year long, individual teams fundraise,” Barreto said. “We end up getting a nice chunk of change to buy equipment to repair equipment because we have to recertify our equipment every year. And so that gives us the opportunity to do that, being that we didn’t have a season we had to refund everybody’s money.”

As of press time, the fundraiser has met $665 of its goal.

One of the other goals of the fundraiser is to help keep costs of registration down.

“Our goal is to get people to help single moms [who] want to give their kids something else to do but can’t afford it,” Diamond said. “Pop Warner is all about the kids.”

And Barreto as well as the other coaches want to see as many kids as possible get the opportunity to play.

“We’ll try our hardest, all the coaches and the staff here, if you don’t have the funds, we’ll try to find you a sponsor, we’ll try to find somebody to help you out,” he said.

“That’s our main philosophy to get the kids to come out and play and keep them off the streets.”

continued from page 1 Acjachemen Nation-Belardes, Matias Belardes said at the event.

“We feel that by the dumping of dirt on there it’s just been a precursor for ultimate development so therefore we brought the lawsuit that we’re speaking of here today.”

The Chairman said in his statement that what the groups are asking for with the lawsuit is to enter into an agreement between the governing bodies, the Tribe and the university so the issue doesn’t come up again in the future.

“Ultimately that they realize […] that we’re not going to go away, we’re going to be here to protect it. Through this agreement we can work together and move forward with a good relationship,” he said.

The Tribal group is asking for the university to remove the construction dirt and debris, restore the site to its previous state and enter into the legally-binding agreement to permanently protect Puvungna, according to a subsequent press release.

Acjachemen Tribal Culture Bearer Rebecca Robles said in a statement at the event that the university has a legal responsibility and cultural responsibil-

MANAGING EDITOR

Lissette Mendoza

ity to protect Puvungna.

“They can end this controversy today,” Robles said. “Their actions are not in keeping with a modern movement of reconciliation. The university as representatives of the state can fulfill its obligation to our people by entering into a legally binding agreement that restores and permanently protects Puvungna for the Acjachemen, the Tongva and the Tribal people of the state.”

Chairman Belardes spoke of the importance of preserving Puvungna.

“My brother and I were brought to Puvungna by my father, David Belardes, many years ago as children,” he said. “We were told about the importance of that particular site, most notably because it is the birthplace of our God, Chinigchinich.”

Chairman Belardes pointed out some of the parallels happening almost 30 years later, having been part of the lawsuit that took place in the ‘90’s over planned development for a strip mall on the sacred site.

“As a family we decided that my brother and I would enter into the lawsuit basically to give the younger generation a voice in the lawsuit,” he said of the effort to Protect Puvungna

DIGITAL EDITOR

Karla M. Enriquez

in the ‘90s. “30 years later, we’re back at it again with the same discussion of development on that last piece of property.”

Also involved in the struggle to preserve Puvungna in the ‘90s was Lillian Robles, mother of Rebecca Robles, who has been one of the voices at the forefront of the preservation of Puvungna.

“My mother passed away in 2000, in her honor we’ve continued her work of preservation of sacred sites,” Robles said. “My mother taught me that these sites are the repository for our culture, that it is imperative for us to go back, to have a place to go back to remember who we are as human beings, who we are as Tribal people and who we are as a community.”

In a Feb. 13 video posted to Twitter, University President Jane Close Conoley gave a statement about Puvungna, making no mention of the litigation.

“At that time, keeping soil from campus here on site was the preferable method of managing excavated earth based on counsel we received from our campus Committee on Native American Burial Remains and Cultural Patrimony,” Conoley said. “Native-Amer-

ican site monitors and an archeologist agreement. were present during this work.”

“Videos and social media posts do The groups suing the university not give us any legal protection,” she however claim that the university did said. “It is unfortunate that the univernot consult the Tribe before the dump- sity is unwilling to put in writing what ing of debris “to avoid adverse impacts their intentions are for the land.” to the site,” according to the press reOn March 5, forty groups from lease. around the state signed a letter to Cal In her video State Trustees and statement, the uniGov. Gavin New“Videos and social versity president som calling to media posts do not also mentioned protect Puvungna. give us any legal that there were no During the plans in place for Q&A portion of protection. any structure on the press event, the land.

Stanfield Perry -Joyce Stanfield Perry, Tribal “In fact, as we and Robles stated Manager and Cultural move further into that to the best of Resource Director the process of their knowledge creating a 10-year the Tribe had not physical master plan for our campus heard a response from either party, as the undeveloped portions of this area of press time. of campus will be held in reserve, with “Puvungna continues to be very very no building plans noted at all,” Cono- important to the Acjachemen people ley said. and to the community at large,” Robles Tribal Manager and Cultural Re- said. “We have a connection with this source Director, Joyce Stanfield Perry land as Tribal people, as Californians said that people should not be con- and we feel that it is our responsibility fused by posts or videos, instead legal to protect it, to take care of it for future actions speak louder than words and generations.” spoke to the need of a legally binding

Signal Tribune

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Emma DiMaggio

LEGALS COORDINATOR

Katherine Green

SENIOR WRITER

Anita W. Harris

STAFF WRITER

Kristen Farrah Naeem

EDITORIAL INTERN

Xochilt Andrade

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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Signal Tribune

ARTS

March 19, 2021 ARTIST FEATURE

Ms. Yellow’s latest piece stands in the parking lot The Del Amo Swap Mmeet was a place often visit experience full circle.

MS. YELLOW’S M WOMEN’S EMPO SOCIAL ISSUES TO Karla M. Enriquez

A

Digital Editor

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rt has always coursed through Ms. Yellow in the streets of Long Beach on the side of Del Amo Swap Meet and internationally o “It’s something that has been with me for a long that she was forging her artistic skills since the ear mural 16 years ago after some coaxing from her fri Hailing from Long Beach, Nuria Ortiz, internat has captivated the attention of the community with as she calls them, many carrying messages regardi powerment.

“My work has evolved a lot over the years,” Ms. life, there’s certain issues that cannot be ignored.”

“Social justice and women empowerment is som a long time because I’ve been put in situations whe of feel like ‘what’s going on?’ and it would have Yellow said.

Ms. Yellow felt like these issues should be brou into her artwork.

However, it hasn’t always been received well. M scoffed at her work for acknowledging women’s is “I think that as an artist, we have a voice, and I was young, and art helped me to feel powerful with it’s okay to speak about these things even if it ma raising awareness on societal issues.

One such piece depicting women’s empowerme in Rancho Dominguez.

It appears majestic in size, facing Santa Fe Ave holding an orange flame in her open palm against a ient’ appears in black embroidery complimenting th blouse. An Aztec serpent blends from green to yell The woman in the mural is Ms. Yellow’s old hig The features of the woman depicted in the pain deliberately.

“Every time I see a mural of a woman, [it] alway that, but I wanted to paint a different type of girl. types of ways […],” Ms. Yellow said.

Ms. Yellow noted that the piece is about culture, tors. “[It’s about] knowing and understanding your p like how much change you can create as yourself,” or, it may be any person from any walk of life, [wh For Ms. Yellow painting this mural was her ch noted that she had been going to the Del Amo Sw Duem, the curator of the walls, to do the mural.

ARTS

March 19, 2021

Obituary

Signal Tribune

Rotary Club of Signal Hill Tribute to

Candace Yamagawa On March 9, 2021 we lost an amazing lady, friend, angel, and Rotarian. Candace Yamagawa touched so many lives and brightened so many days. Candace was the president or a board member of many clubs, organizations and non-

Karla M. Enriquez | Signal Tribune

of the Del Amo Swap Meet in Rancho Dominguez. ted by Ms. Yellow since childhood, bringing this art

profits. She worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of others in the community. Toward the end of

MURALS BRING OWERMENT AND O THE FOREFRONT

her life, it gave Candace tremendous pleasure to learn that community efforts to which she was deeply dedicated came to fruition.

Candace fought valiantly against cancer and despair. She will continue to inspire us and warm our hearts.

w’s blood. It is evident in her work, colorfully found a holistic healing shop, in Rancho Dominguez at the on various walls throughout the world. time,” Ms. Yellow said to the Signal Tribune, noting rly ages of around three or four. She painted her first iends. tionally recognized by her artist name, Ms. Yellow, h her bright murals, often depicting “magical worlds” ing social justice issues and embodying women em-

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. Yellow said. “As time goes on and as you live your

mething that I’ve been really passionate about for such ere my safety would be compromised or I would kind to deal with authority and or being a woman,” Ms.

ught to the forefront, so she began integrating them

Ms. Yellow noted that there were times where men ssues. didn’t really feel comfortable with my voice when I h my own voice. It’s totally pushed me up like ‘hey, akes other people uncomfortable,” the artist said of

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enue. A myriad of bright colors surround a woman a “bordado” (embroidered) blouse. The word ‘Resilhe colorful flowers embroidered near the neck of the low behind the woman. gh school friend by the name of Erminia. nting are not Eurocentric, something that was done

ys has typical European features, nothing wrong with There’s so many people that look so many different

, being true to one’s roots, and honoring one’s ances-

power and how much you have that you can carry it, she said. “Sometimes as women or as people of colho] sometimes just forgets, what they’re capable of.” hildhood and her artistic life coming full circle. She wap Meet since she was a kid, before being asked by see MS. YELLOW page 5

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Signal Tribune

March 19, 2021

Ms. Yellow

EYE ON CRIME

continued from page 5

CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT Thursday, March 11 2:21 a.m., Burglary, 1900 block Temple Ave. 9:29 a.m., Burglary, 2500 block E. Willow St. Friday, March 12 4:06 p.m., Intoxicated person on drugs, 1800 block Temple Ave. 5:27 p.m., Criminal threats, 2300 block Cerritos Ave. 11:21 p.m., Battery, 700 block E. Spring St. Saturday, March 13 7:30 a.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 700 block E. Spring St. 11:43 p.m., Intoxicated person, 1300 block E. 28th St. Sunday, March 14 8:06 a.m., Burglary, 3300 block Lime Ave. 1:46 p.m., Stolen vehicle – recovered, 2100 block Gundry Ave. 3:17 p.m., Auto burglary, 2400 block Cherry Ave. Monday, March 15 9:47 a.m., Auto burglary, 2100 block E. Hill St. 10:40 a.m., Grand theft, 2800 block Junipero Ave. 10:57 a.m., Battery, 1800 block E. Willow St. 1:33 p.m., Auto burglary, 2200 block Gaviota Ave. 3:11 p.m., Auto burglary, 3000 block California Ave. 3:13 p.m., Grand theft, 2100 block Gaviota Ave. 4:44 p.m., Criminal threats, 3300 block E. PCH 5:23 p.m., Auto burglary, 2000 block Raymond Ave. 9:44 p.m., Stolen vehicle – recovered, Gaviota Ave./Alamitos Ave. Tuesday, March 16 1:03 a.m., Spousal abuse, Orange Ave./E. 29th St. 6:37 a.m., Auto burglary, 900 block E. 25th St. 5:59 p.m., Possessing metal knuckles; force or assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm, 2700 block Raymond (suspect arrested) 5:59 p.m., Assault with firearm on person; attempted murder, 2700 block Raymond (suspect arrested) 5:59 p.m., Assault with firearm on person; carrying loaded firearm in public; attempted murder, 2700 Raymond Ave. (suspect arrested) Wednesday, March 17 8:59 a.m., Auto burglary, 1800 block Orizaba Ave. 11:54 a.m., Identity theft, 2700 block Dawson Ave. 3:55 p.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1100 block E. 32nd St. LBPD reporting area is too extensive to report here.

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Ms. Yellow is not only using her voice through her murals to support causes she believes in. Currently, she is using her art to raise funds for the WomenShelter of Long Beach.

She partnered with Long Beach Gives, Arts Council for Long Beach, LB Living and A Cause Worth Wearing, to make a design that will be used on T-shirts available for pre-order at lbhomeliving.com with proceeds going to the women’s shelter.

WomenShelter of Long Beach has faced financial setbacks due to the pandemic. According to a previous interview with Director Mary Ellen Mitchell, the shelter has received an increase in calls made to the domestic violence crisis line. This has resulted in a month-long waitlist for its housing services, but the shelter along with other domestic violence agencies in the state continue to work to bring their clients the resources and housing they need.

Knowing this, Ms. Yellow chose the women’s shelter as the cause she wanted to support with her design, adding that she admired the shelter for their inclusivity.

The shirt features three women of different cultures and races enveloped in Ms. Yellow’s signature colorful detail. The words “see us, hear us, believe us,” sit at the top of the design.

“This is what it should be about, community and helping to self-sustain resources that are in the brink of not existing,” the artist said of the partnership, also taking the time to thank the organizations for making it happen.

And community is what kept Ms. Yellow going as the pandemic began and put her plans on pause.

“In the beginning, it definitely made me reassess my situation as far as like, you know what I’m doing, my work, how much income I’m bringing in and are we going to be okay,”

she said.

She noted that art is always the first thing that gets taken away when there isn’t enough funding, however, she has been pleasantly surprised to see that art has been put at the forefront throughout the pandemic.

“People haven’t forgotten about artists, there’s all these artists grants to help give artists money to continue to pay their rent,” she said.

One of the organizations is the Arts Council of Long Beach, who invited Ms. Yellow to paint boarded up businesses in 2020. Since that invitation Ms. Yellow has received other opportunities to work during the pandemic.

“I’m so happy to see that people are still reaching out to artists still looking for art, to help them make sense of what’s going on and help them take their mind away from what’s going on,” Ms. Yellow said.

Ms. Yellow’s art can be admired not just locally, but internationally in places like Osaka, Japan where one of her colorful floral depictions adorns a wall. In Cairo, Egypt she joined three other artists as part of a woman artist exchange program backed by the United States State Department and created a five story mural representing women empowerment and cultural unity. Her murals also embellish the walls of China, Haiti, Australia, Spain, Mexico and France.

The opportunities that Ms. Yellow has had and created for herself worldwide are a long shot of the first mural she created 16 years ago. Behind her are the cries of those who didn’t believe she could make a career out of her art.

“Art has been so consistent and so present in my life […] it’s just so natural for me to have stuck by it,” she said.

Follow Ms. Yellow on her official Instagram @msyellowart.

AAPI Attacks continued from page 1

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Ms. Yellow’s mural located at 2841 E. Broadway in Long Beach was done in 2018. It was inspired by the feeling of having to stop to recenter oneself from negativity and noise.

“We should all be against hate, hate against anyone,” Saro said.

Saro said that since the beginning of the pandemic, the usage of racial slurs against Asian Americans and Asian Pacific Islanders has increased throughout the nation.

“Inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric referring to COVID-19 as the ‘Chinese virus’ or ‘Kung Flu’ has put the Asian and Pacific Islander American families, communities and businesses at higher risk for bullying, harassment and hate crimes,” Saro said. “Unfortunately, many Asian Pacific Islander Americans in LA County and around the nation have been unjustly blamed for causing the pandemic.”

As Saro noted, the Pew Research Center reports that about three in ten, or 31% of Asian Americans, have been the subject of slurs or racial jokes since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

Saro also discussed the heroic work of Asian health-care workers during the current COVID-19 health crisis.

“Nearly 31% of the nurses who have died from the coronavirus in the US are Filipinos, yet they only make up 4% of the nursing population,” Saro said.

Locally, there has been an increase in violent acts against the AAPI community.

In October 2020, a video of Long

Beach resident Lena Hernandez went viral where she was caught on camera spouting xenophobic expletives at an Asian American woman at a Torrance park.

Hernandez was later charged with battery for a separate incident in October 2019 when she physically attacked a bystander who attempted to intervene when Hernandez was verbally assaulting a custodian at the Del Amo Mall.

She was arrested but released the next day with zero bail, under a special schedule set to lower the rate and spread of the coronavirus.

“We must stand in solidarity and support [the] AAPI community, and condemn these hate incidents and crimes which perpetuate racism, discriminatory treatment, hostility and violence,” Charles Song, co-chair of Equity for Cambodians said during public comment.

Saro also mentioned the hate crimes against Mathew Leung and Vicha Ratanapakdee.

Leung, a 51-year-old Asian American elementary school teacher, was brutally beaten at a Rosemead bus stop with his own cane. Using his hands as a shield to protect himself, Leung lost a portion of his fingers during the racially-ignited attack.

84-year-old Ratanapakdee, a Thai

man, died after being unpromptedly attacked in San Francisco. According to local newspaper SFGate, the daughter of the victim, Kim Ratanapakdee, said her father was violently attacked because he was an elderly Asian man.

“As we slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and four years of heightened xenophobia and racism, California has an opportunity to recommit its value and deliver for the community members who have suffered the most from these tragedies,” Song said during public comment. “As we avoided hate crime from spreading into our beautiful and most diverse city we must create a culture of respect and acceptance for all members, regardless of their background.”

If you or someone you know is the subject of a hate crime, community members are encouraged to call the City’s non-emergency line at 562-4356711. Residents can also notify Long Beach Human Dignity Officer Teresa Gomez. In an emergency situation, residents are advised to call 911 to seek immediate help.

For community members who do not feel comfortable calling the police line, they are free to contact the Asian Pacific Policy Planning Council which is an organization that can provide multilingual assistance to victims.

PUBLIC NOTICES/NEWS

March 19, 2021

Signal Tribune

LBUSD Grades

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Data showing the comparisons of students on track for graduation and who are meeting the A-G requirements needed to graduate from high school. The lighter value shows the data from the fall 2020 semester compared to the darker value showing data from from fall 2019. to LBUSD metrics.

Pacific Islanders are 11% lower in graduation readiness, while white students – already deemed 20% more prepared to graduate than students of color – are only 4% less prepared this year than last, Brown showed.

Similarly, English-language learners and low-income students are about 10% less prepared to graduate compared to last year.

“That doesn’t mean these kids won’t graduate,” Brown qualified. “It just means that there’s some intervention to be done moving through the spring to make sure we get them there.”

Middle schoolers have similarly fallen behind in high-school preparedness, by 17%, Brown shared. English-language learners are 23% less prepared for high school than last year and low-income students 18% less.

The data implies LBUSD needs to offer summer enrichment programs and design targeted interventions for incoming ninth graders in the fall, Brown said.

“The plan would be to help teachers know who those students are in their classes who are coming to them that need that extra support,” Brown said.

“There’s a lot of work in relationship building and face-to-face connection.”

Brown added that his office is starting to drill down into the data to provide teachers and school administrators with specific student information by the fall.

“It’s probably not the same for every kid,” he said. “Each student’s going to have a different set of needs coming in.”

Grades

Grades drive most of LBUSD’s metrics for high-school and middle-school preparedness, and those have fallen across the board, Brown said.

The number of A’s and B’s fell by 6% and 1% while D’s and F’s increased by 14% between the Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 semesters, Brown said.

Also, the proportion of students with at least one D or F increased by 11% between those periods, Brown said.

While that increase affected students

of all ethnicities, African-American, our students are learning. Our teachers Latinx, and Pacific-Islander students are doing really great work […] given saw the highest increase in D’s and F’s the virtual environment.” by 10%, 13% and 15% respectively, In writing, elementary-school stuBrown showed. dents received lower assessments rang“Nobody was not impacted,” he ing from 12% to 19%. said. “Everybody was impacted by the In math, though students in the “on COVID environment.” or above level” decreased by 21% However, Brown said it’s not that overall, that still leaves about half of students who were getting low grades students doing better than expected, are getting lower, but that there are Brown said. more students with one D or F. “We did see a lot of students have “What we don’t have is the same some drop,” Brown said. “But the students who were getting one now beauty of K-5 students is we’ve got a getting five,” he said. lot of time.”

That implies schools don’t have to support students who have fallen beEquity hind in every course but just one or Board Member Dr. Juan Benitez, two. who represents District 3 in southMiddle-school grades tumbled more west Long Beach, questioned the use than high-school grades, with 17% of grades to assess students, especialmore of the younger students earning ly now when the most vulnerable stuD’s and F’s than last year compared to dents with the highest needs have been 9% more for the disproportionally older students, impacted by virtual Middle school grades suggesting that learning. the older high tumbled more than “How do we use schoolers adaptan equity lens to inhigh school grades, ed better to virterpret and then act with 17% more of tual learning. on this data?” Beniyounger students For students tez asked the board. who didn’t have earning D’s and F’s “Is it equitable to a D or F in Fall use grades for how than last year.

2019, many we think about stumore now do, dent success?” with 8,156 Hispanic students, or 15% Benitez said looking at only grades more than last year, showing a D or F is “disastrous” given that only 3,983 of on their Fall 2020 report cards com- LBUSD’s approximately 40,000 Hispared to none last year. panic students didn’t receive at least Among African-American stu- one D or F. dents, 1,582 more now have a D or F, “That’s really problematic for me,” of which 95% have an F. Among the Benitez said, further calling grade-as2,511 of white students who now have sessment a “deficit-oriented conversaa D or F, only 17% have an F. tion.”

Elementary-school students also Benitez said relying on grades is suffered academically, with K-5 highly inequitable given that twoachievement reports sliding downward thirds of LBUSD students are conby 13%, except kindergarten, which sidered poor and 88% are students of remained the same, Brown said. Sec- color. ond and third graders were especially “What else can we use to measure affected, he added. progress and determine whether our “We have still a lot of our students students are succeeding?” Benitez who are performing on or above lev- asked. “If we don’t understand the el,” Brown said. “It’s not disastrous. link between grades and learning, then It’s not ‘nobody is learning.’ A lot of we’re operating under a false premise.”

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CITY OF SIGNAL HILL TST6401 NOTICE OF VACANCIES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION

Notice Is Hereby Given that due to terms expiring on May 31, 2021, three vacancies each exist on the Signal Hill Civil Service, Planning, and Parks & Recreation Commissions. Each vacancy is for a four year term beginning June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2025. The City of Signal Hill will be conducting a recruitment to fill each vacancy. All interested residents are encouraged to apply.

To serve as a Civil Service, Planning, or Parks & Recreation Commissioner, you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age or older; and a registered voter and resident of the City at least 29 days prior to the date of appointment. Each member shall continue to reside in the City for the duration of the term of office (Signal Hill City Charter Section 602).

If you are interested in serving as a Commissioner, please apply on the City’s website at www.cityofsignalhill.org.

Applications will be accepted until Thursday, April 15, at 4:30 p.m. Applicants will receive a confirmation of the interview date by April 20, 2021. Commission interviews and appointments will be conducted at the regular meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. or a special meeting of the City Council on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. based on the total number of applications received.

If you require any assistance, please contact the City Clerk’s office (562) 9897305.

Published in the Signal Tribune newspaper

TST6399 / 2021 048756 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: SIGNAL HILL MOTEL, 3101 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Signal Hill, CA 90755. Mailing Address: 3541 Carnation Circle, Seal Beach, CA 90740. Registrant: UMA PATEL, 3541 Carnation Circle, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This business is conducted by: an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Uma Patel. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in January, 2021. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on February 24, 2021. 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 5, 12, 19, 26, 2021

NEED A LEGAL NOTICE POSTED? EMAIL LEGALNOTICES@ SIGNALTRIUBNE.COM

March 19, 2021

TST6402 Case No. 21NWCP00075 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, NORWALK COURTHOUSE, 12720 NORWALK BLVD., NORWALK, CA 90650 PETITION OF: NORMAN WILLIAM HASEMAN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: Norman William Haseman has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing his name as follows: Present Name: NORMAN WILLIAM HASEMAN to Proposed Name: NORMAN WILLIAM SCHOFIELD. 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 5, 2021; Time: 10:30a.m., Dept. C, Room 312. 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, 1399 E. 28th, Street, Signal Hill, March 19, 26 & April 2, 9, 2021 Margaret M. Bernal, Judge of the Superior Court Dated March 5, 2021 TST6403/Order No: 8976 Auto Lien Sale On 04/05/2021 at 6520 8TH ST LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2017 KIA VIN: KNAGU4LC8H5007256 STATE: CA LIC: 8BZT274

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Signal Tribune

March 19, 2021

BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR BEST SHOT. When it’s your turn, please choose to get vaccinated for your health, your family’s health, and the safety of your bus operators.

For the latest on vaccinations, visit longbeach.gov/vaxlb.