July 9, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 28

Signal Tribune

INSIDE: Three strikes law keeps Long Beach man in prison for 22 years on nonviolent charge

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

VOL. XLIII NO. 28

see page 7

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

COMMUNITY

ARTS

Friday, July 9, 2021 LB CITY COUNCIL

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

During the July 6 Long Beach City Council meeting, residents hold up signs supporting the removal of the substantial remodel provision for evictions in the city.

Image Courtesy Juan Carlos Alfaro

Children in the Creative Flow Art Youth Mentorship pose as they work on their art projects during the first summer session on June 26.

This mentorship program aims to help kids achieve their dream of making a career out of art Karla M. Enriquez Digital Editor

If you told Juan Carlos Alfaro as a kid growing up in the late 80s that he’d have a career as a graphic artist, while helping youth do the same, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Growing up in North Long Beach in a working-class household, the idea of being a professional artist was not encouraged by his parents. They saw art as a hobby, not a “real career” where Alfaro could make money.

Despite the challenge, the selftaught artist kept the dream of making art a profession alive and currently works as the senior production artist at Mitchell & Ness, a nostalgia sports apparel company.

Wanting to be the source of encouragement for others that he didn’t have as a kid, Alfaro created the Creative Flow Art Youth Mentorship, which motivates youth to pursue a career in art.

“I [wanted to be] someone that could actually go out there and tell [the kids] ‘Hey, you can actually make a living off this and you could be an artist,’” Alfaro said.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Wood & Salt Tavern Executive Chef Philip Mack joined the team when the restaurant reopened on June 24.

Fresh pasta is the tour de force at Wood & Salt Tavern

I

Emma DiMaggio Managing Editor

n the early hours of the morning, flour puffs like small clouds in the kitchen of one of Long Beach’s newest restaurants. Kneading a combination of salt, flour, water and eggs, chefs warp the dough and roll it into delicate sheets of pasta. From there, powdered hands meticulously cut the sheets with cookie cutters and ridged pastry wheels.

Fresh pasta is the tour de force of Wood & Salt Tavern, a sleek restaurant wedged between a Brooklyn deli and the Long Beach Historical Society on Atlantic Avenue.

The first of its kind in the area, Wood & Salt focuses on handmade pasta, proteins cooked in their wood-fired grill and a menu that changes in unison with seasonal solstices and equinoxes.

“Our concept is modern Californian cuisine,” Risse said.

Last week, Wood & Salt held their grand re-opening and launched their summer menu—complete with seared scallops marinated in Valdivia farm tomatoes, squash blossoms doused in a mimosa vinaigrette and a summer truffle lasagna with foraged mushrooms and fried thyme.

“We will change the menu for every season to make sure that we have the best ingredients available and give the customers the best experience possible,” Risse said, noting that see WOOD & SALT page 2

Evictions for substantial remodels will be temporarily banned as Long Beach evaluates its policy Emma DiMaggio Managing Editor

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Wood & Salt Tavern pastry chef Claire Clower cuts out disks of pasta dough and rolls out sheets of pasta used in the summer truffle lasagne on July 1, 2021.

see ART MENTOR page 2

Long Beach renters may soon be protected from illegal substantial remodel evictions as the City embarks on the creation of a “renovation administration program” that would evaluate whether remodels are necessary before permits are issued.

Last night, the Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to work with tenant advocates and housing providers to collaborate on such a program.

In the meantime, the City will enact a temporary ban on evictions for substantial remodels, which will be retroactive to Tuesday, July 6 if it’s passed at next week’s council meeting.

“The fact of the matter is: we live in a renter economy and the [substantial remodel] policy disenfranchises our renters,” said Councilmember Cindy Allen, co-author of the item.

Tenants and advocates lined the chambers holding signs in support of the item, though many criticized its scope.

“To say the least, [evictions are] destabilizing in all aspects of your life— financially, mentally and emotionally,” said Maria Lopez, an organizer with see SUB REMODEL page 5

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • COMMUNITY/ARTS • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 ART MENTOR

continued from page 1 The free hands-on program focuses on youth ages 14 to 24 with a passion and/or talent in art.

For six Saturdays this summer, the group of 16 participants will meet at a Long Beach park and hone their skills in order to undertake three major screen printing projects.

Their first project is the creation of artwork for t-shirts—three designs based in the city of Long Beach. The second involves creating socially conscious designs for tote bags.

Already, those in the program have been able to flex their design skills. A photo shared by Alfaro on Instagram shows a work in progress by a youth in the program designing a trucker hat with a blue shining diamond.

Although the summer session is currently underway, the program will be back in the fall. Spots however are limited.

Years in the making: Art Youth Mentorship comes to Long Beach

LIVES LIVED

For Alfaro, teaching the program is not new. He ran different iterations of the mentorship in the past, meeting A Future Superhero and Friends founder Yuri Williams in the process.

With similar goals in mind, the two began collaborating two years ago and the art mentorship became part of Williams’ organization.

“We just want to make an impact in the community and uplift these children,” Williams said. “Let them know that they have somebody they can talk to.”

At the first summer session in late June, a young girl caught up to Williams and thanked him for the opportunity to be in the program.

“I didn’t know this was gonna be this much fun,” Williams recalls her saying.

For Williams, who has spent years

Image Courtesy Juan Carlos Alfaro

Program participants take a break from working on their art projects during the first summer session on June 26. The mentorship program encourages youth to view art as a viable career path. uplifting children, there’s no more rewarding feeling.

“That’s what I want to hear, kids coming back and saying, ‘Thank you for helping me during this program or helping me succeed in life,’” he said.

Success is at the top of the goal list—the program aims to eventually get the kids into the art world, whether in the apparel business or other avenues—something that Alfaro has been able to accomplish with three program participants.

Speakers from local Long Beach businesses, such as apparel shop Barrio, are lined up to show the youth what a job in the industry looks like.

For their second session, a representative from local screen printing business The Trend Machine will be teaching youth how to screenprint.

If there’s a heavy focus on apparel,

it comes from Alfaro’s over 20 years of experience in the industry.

Those in the program have also had the opportunity to experiment with cameras donated by Fuji Film in order to capture their surroundings.

The program is sponsored in part by Long Beach Transit. In late July, they will donate vouchers for some of the older participants who don’t have a ride to a session.

Additionally, the program is sponsored by the Long Beach 7th Grocery Outlet and the Arts Council for Long Beach.

“If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I even would have lifted this off the ground,” Alfaro said of the Arts Council. “They’re actually a huge reason why I’ve kept the program in Long Beach. If more community members would get behind us a little bit more,

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

many of his ingredients come from the Santa Monica farmer’s market.

Though Wood & Salt has been officially open since last September, the restaurant wasn’t able to fully reopen until recently. Risse signed the lease for the space in March of last year. Just two weeks later, California would face its first shutdown.

“Obviously we were a little bit nervous and a little bit scared,” he said.

“Because nobody knew what was happening.”

Wood & Salt enjoyed a short period of outdoor-only dining after they officially opened, but had to shut down when COVID-19 case numbers increased in the winter and a flurry of health restrictions came back into force.

Though they faced financial hardship, the fledgling restaurant didn’t have a year’s worth of financial records—a requirement to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program.

“We decided to stay focused, to see the positive and focus on the positive,” Risse said.

Wood & Salt persevered through the pandemic, offering pick-up orders and slowly growing a community of devoted foodies. Executive Chef Philip Mack said rigatoni short rib bolognese was their most popular dish, serving up to 50 in a single night.

For those who don’t consume meat, fear not. Mack said the plant-forward summer menu has been tailored to cater to vegetarian, gluten-free and porkfree dietary restrictions.

Soon, they’ll add a cocktail menu to their list of offerings, a staple in any restaurant boasting California cuisine.

WOOD & SALT

continued from page 1

Travis Bonde 50 Anne Knowlton 99 George Meza 89 Iona Smith 97 Paul Sharpe 59 Thomas Baldwin 93 Denise Damazio 46 Rosalina Hebreo 95 Rosemarie Motts 60 Charles Grafft 62 Susan Blocher 64 Mercy Udeochu 66 The families were assisted by McKenzie Mortuary.

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

I think the program would just grow.”

Approximately 20+ years into his artistic career, Alfaro credits having someone to believe in him as motivation. That someone is his mother.

Today, he says, both his parents are proud.

“Part of me doing this program is not only to educate the kids and help them, it’s also to educate the parents,” Alfaro said. “[Saying] ‘Hey, your kid is really talented, you should really support them just as much as you would support someone that plays sports.’”

To keep up with the Creative Flow Art Youth Mentorship and for future mentorship spot openings follow @ creativeflowarts on Instagram. To keep up with A Future Superhero, follow @ afuturesuperhero on Instagram.

Wood & Salt’s summer truffle lasagne, a dish made with wild mushrooms, eggplant, and truffles. It is a seasonal menu item and will only be available during the summer. Executive Chef Philip Mack will change the menu at each solstice and equinox to always provide fresh seasonal tastes.

By Order of Secured Creditors

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Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Wood & Salt Tavern owner Bjoern Risse poses for a picture in the front outdoor seating area on June 24, 2021.

Wood & Salt isn’t Risse’s first foray into the restaurant industry. He owns three other restaurants, all of which are focused on German cuisine. Wood & Salt is Risse’s first attempt to “branch out and do something different.”

“I don’t think that there’s anything close to our concept in Bixby Knolls,” Risse said.

Richard H. Grant contributed to this report.

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM •NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 WRIGLEY

POLICE

Future of Wrigley Greenbelt hinges on extension of permits and grant funding Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Training rooted in preventing police misconduct is one step closer to coming to Long Beach after council vote Constructions signs have been erected around the dirt areas for the proposed Wrigley Greenbelt Project seen on July 1, 2021.

T

Emma DiMaggio Managing Editor

he Wrigley community is waiting with bated breath to find out whether the Wrigley Greenbelt—a strip of LA River-adjacent open space that’s been over a decade in the making—will move forward amid expired permits and soon-to-expire grant funding from Los Angeles County.

The greenbelt is expected to include trails, benches and over a hundred native trees in an area with scant green space. Thus far, it remains an undeveloped plot.

The Department of Public Works and the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department are tackling the project on two fronts. Working in tandem, the two are communicating with L.A. County to secure new permits and a grant funding extension for the greenbelt after years of hurdles.

The master plans for the greenbelt date back to 1993. In one document, a trail completion date was set for December 2015. In another, the project completion date was estimated as December 2009.

“Do I have a date? No. I do not have a date yet,” Public Works Director Eric Lopez told the Wrigley Association last month.

Public Works employees said they could not speak to decades-old delays in the project due to ever-shifting project managers, but the department has made recent moves to secure a developer.

The department opened up bids in both 2016 and 2019 for the greenbelt, which has a projected cost of $2 million according to current Project Manager Adrian Puyolt.

Both times, the proposals exceed available funding, Lopez said.

The City has $1.625 million for the project thanks to grants provided by L.A. County in 2008. Public Works struggled to bridge the funding gap until 2019 when a partnership with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) saved the project.

CCLB was able to leverage their own grants for the greenbelt—including $250,000 in Prop 68 funds, $50,000 in Active Transportation funding and an existing CalFire grant.

In the backdrop of that agreement, Lopez

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

An aerial shot of the Wrigley Greenbelt.

said, expiring permits from the County represented a looming threat to the completion of the greenbelt. A flood control permit from L.A. County had “unknowingly expired” in 2018, Lopez said.

Though Public Works had solicited public input on the project in previous years, they decided not to hold another round of community input given time constraints.

“I feel good about getting that [grant extension], but if by any chance they don’t approve the extension, we’re going to be in real trouble.”

— Eric Lopez, Director of Public Works “We just jumped on it right away, wanting to start construction, because we knew we had these grant deadlines that were coming to an end, and we did not want to lose the money,” Lopez said. “You know, in retrospect, we missed a couple of things, and I will own up to it and it created lessons learned for us.”

That lack of community input would come back to bite them when residents criticized tree-trimming and tree-removal on the project site in March of this year.

In response to the complaints, an L.A. County inspector halted the project in an abundance of caution, Puyolt said.

Puyolt said that the City believed it was al-

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Digital Editor

lowed to do maintenance on the site under their land-use agreement with Los Angeles County.

The agreement included tree maintenance, irrigation improvement and irrigation maintenance, he said.

So far, L.A. County has not responded to this claim, Puyolt said.

“The inspector said he didn’t really even know. He didn’t really know about the land use agreement,” Puyolt said. “That’s why we said we wanted to just stop and make sure everyone’s on the same page. Let’s get everything under control.”

In late 2018—rather than request a permit extension—Public Works was told by LA County to resubmit its plans. In the years that had passed, permit requirements changed and the greenbelt now requires three permits to move forward.

All three permits are contingent on one another. So far, the plans for two permits have been approved. Public Works is waiting on confirmation of the third permit—related to erosion control—before moving forward.

Puyolt said the City is currently undergoing revisions for the last permit and that all three permits “are expected to be issued soon.”

Even if the permits are approved, the $1.625 million in grant funding will expire this month unless an extension is granted.

“In retrospect, you know, it would have been better if we had more time to prepare, more time to spend the funding,” Lopez said. “But there were some real pressures that we were trying to stay ahead of.”

The grants are set to expire July 15, 2021.

“We haven’t got any thumbs up or thumbs down,” Puyolt said of the permits. He said the City is providing an updated project timeline, progress photos and a snapshot of funding to the County.

At last month’s meeting of the Wrigley Association, a majority of members expressed their support of the project and offered to assist Lopez in any way they could. The overarching sentiment: after watching time toil by with no progress on the space, the Wrigley community is ready to see their much-talked-about greenbelt become a reality.

“I feel good about getting that [grant extension],” Lopez said. “But if by any chance they don’t approve the extension, we’re going to be in real trouble.”

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

Karla M. Enriquez The Long Beach City Council unanimously passed a recommendation to determine the feasibility and costs in participating in the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project (ABLE) at its Tuesday meeting.

The program, established out of the Georgetown Law School, aims to “create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention.”

Councilmember Suzie Price, former chair of the Public Safety Committee, researched the program with her staff and recommended ABLE. “Participating in forward-thinking programs that hold officers to the highest standards is an important way to make sure our community is receiving the best law enforcement and policing throughout this discussion,” Price said.

According to the ABLE Project’s website, the program trains officers to intervene in order to prevent misconduct, avoid police mistakes and promote officer health and wellness.

As reported by Denver local station, 9 News, Denver Police Department leadership underwent ABLE training in April. Officers participated in role-playing scenarios that included an officer talking to another about personal issues seeping into work, persuading them to open up.

Another exercise saw an officer confronting an experienced officer about omitting information in a use-of-force report.

The program itself is free, though the City is responsible for the cost of a program coordinator, Price noted.

LBPD has applied to be in the program and it estimates that it will be able to train 853 employees. The cost of replacing positions while staff is in training was estimated to be $1.2 million.

Police Chief Robert Luna expressed support for the program, noting that command staff had a two-hour program session.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to bring this to each and every one of our employees to learn the skill base,” Luna said.

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.

1860 Obispo Avenue, Suite F , Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 595-7900 www.signaltribune.com newspaper@signaltribune.com

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

Movies begin at dusk. Remember to bring a lawn chair, blanket, picnic style dinner, family and friends!

Frozen II El Dorado 6/21 Grace 6/23

Chavez 6/25

Secret Life of Pets 2 Bixby 6/28 Veterans 6/30 Silverado 7/2

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The Croods: A New Age Ramona 7/12 Davenport 7/14 Wardlow 7/16

Toy Story 4 Stearns 7/19 Admiral Kidd 7/21 King 7/23

Sonic the Hedgehog Signal Hill 7/26

MacArthur 7/28 Coolidge 7/30

Trolls World Tour Seaside 8/2 De Forest 8/4 Somerset 8/6

Dolittle McBride 8/9 Heartwell 8/11

Scherer 8/13 Signal Hill 8/14

The Lion King Cherry 8/16 College Estates 8/18 Houghton 8/20

Onward Pan Am 8/23 Drake 8/25 Whaley 8/27

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

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SUB REMODEL

continued from page 1 the Long Beach Tenants Union. “Cover us all! Cover all evictions, all families, take the responsibility and don’t allow these families to be put out. This item is not what the community demanded in March.”

Melissa Morgan, communication director for Long Beach Forward— which is a member of the Housing Justice Coalition—said the item was “watered down” and wouldn’t protect working families who were currently facing evictions.

“Many are frontline workers. You have been calling them heroes,” she said. “Let’s give them heroic treatment.”

Deputy City Attorney Rich Anthony said, if the council extended the ban farther into the past, the City would “find itself exposed to legal liability.”

He noted that the asks from advocates were “not unreasonable,” but “they did not persuade me.”

One such resident who may be affected by a retroactive application is Aurelia Ortega, who said during public comment that her landlord had substantially remodeled her unit while she was still living in it.

“For two weeks, we had to buy food outside,” she said through a translator.

“Ever since this started, the owner increased our rent illegally by $500. They took away our security doors. They took the outdoor lights away. They closed the laundry and they threatened us with removing our garden.”

She called for the council to create the renovation administration program, require payment for tenant relocation and ensure that tenants could return to their units at the same pre-remodel price.

Pet of the week:

Thelma

Meet Thelma, a dear little cattle dog seeking her herd.

She was found as a stray, apparently looking for cows in all the wrong places, and now she’s found how much fun the human volunteers are when she works her charms on them.

Not sure how she is with other pets or children, but she sure likes adults! Thelma’s about 2 years old, has a calm demeanor, and would love to be home on the range with you. Our shelter’s adoptions are conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach. gov to meet Thelma. Ask for ID#A659580.

(This rescue is encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Past policies to address illegal evictions ‘fell short’

This isn’t the first time the council has attempted to address the provision.

An ordinance passed last year requires that landlords attach building permits to all eviction notices for substantial remodel.

At the time, organizers said that landlords were illegally evicting tenants under the guise of substantial remodel, but making only cosmetic changes to their buildings. Painting exteriors of buildings, installing new tiles, upgrading cabinets—all illegal reasons for eviction under the law.

“I appreciate past council initiatives to address this issue, but unfortunately, the policies fell short,” Allen said. “We are dealing with an inherently flawed policy and, at its core, it’s unjust and unethical.”

Despite the requirement of permits, organizers said that illegal evictions persist. The City confirmed that 124 units in Long Beach are facing evictions for substantial remodels, Allen said. The City does not have a means to track evictions citywide.

“It’s very difficult to determine the magnitude of any evictions resulting from an issuance of a building permit,” Deputy Director of Development Services Oscar Orsi said.

A renovation administration program may give the City better insight

on evictions. City staff are expected to report back in 90 days on the feasibility and costs associated with such a program.

Los Angeles County has a similar program, Orsi said, which costs $80 million to administer.

Though the item passed unanimously, some council members expressed ambivalence about permanently removing substantial remodel as a just cause for eviction.

Councilmember Suzie Price suggested increasing penalties on “bad actor” landlords who knowingly subvert the law.

Councilmember Stacy Mungo voiced similar thoughts, noting that a number of residents facing evictions belonged to a handful of apartment complexes.

“We don’t always want to legislate for everyone,” she said.

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson directed staff to look into ways the City could support relocation, should they see a wave of evictions when the State’s eviction moratorium ends on Sept. 30 of this year.

“I want to reiterate that residents should not be displaced without any real recourse because of a renovation

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project. At the same time, we believe landlords should retain the ability to renovate and upgrade their property at their discretion,” Councilmember Suely Saro said. “The proposal today is rooted in basic fairness, and ensures our landlords and tenants have a clear path forward with respect to renovation projects.”

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WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • LEGAL NOTICES • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE Thursday, July 1

9:50 a.m., Inflict Corporal Injury on Spouse/Cohabitant, 2700 block E. PCH (suspect arrested)

Friday, July 2

1:21 a.m., Grand theft, 2700 block E. PCH

8:19 a.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, 3300 block Lewis Ave.

8:45 a.m., Spousal abuse, California Ave./405 Frwy (suspect arrested) 12:08 p.m., Child abuse, 1800 block E. Willow St.

6:11 p.m., DUI-alcohol causing bodily injury; willful cruelty to child, Cherry Ave./E. 21st St. (suspect arrested)

Saturday, July 3

2:39 a.m., DUI, 3300 block E. PCH (suspect arrested)

8:09 p.m., Possessing controlled substance in Prison/Jail; misdemeanor warrant, 700 block E. Spring St. (suspect arrested)

Sunday, July 4

2:39 a.m., Auto burglary, 1800 block Stanley Ave.

Monday, July 5

7:12 a.m., Auto burglary, California Ave./E. Burnett St.

8:42 a.m., Grand theft – motor vehicle, Combellack Dr./Temple Ave. 12:10 p.m., Auto burglary, 2200 block Ohio Ave. 12:59 p.m., Forgery, 2000 block E. Willow St.

Tuesday, July 6

9:04 a.m. Auto burglary, Temple Ave./E. 19th St.

1:55 p.m., Auto burglary, 2400 block California Ave.

Wednesday, July 7

9:18 p.m., DUI; driving with license suspended/revoked for DUI violation, E. Burnett St./Gardena Ave. (suspect arrested)

LBPD reporting area is too extensive to report here.

TST6478:/Order No: 9626 Auto Lien Sale

TST6473/Order No: 10022 Auto Lien Sale

On 07/28/2021 at 7050 MADDEN AVE LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2016 HARLE VIN: 1HD1KTM12GB621501

On 7/20/2021 at 6821 CRENSHAW BLVD LOS ANGELES,CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2020 BMW VIN: WBA5R1C02LFH50403 STATE: CA LIC: 8KUE028 at 10 AM

TST6461 Case No. 21CMCP00077 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT, 200 W. COMPTON BLVD., COMPTON, CA 90220 PETITION OF: CORRINA INEZ GONZALES TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: CORRINA INEZ GONZALES has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing her name as follows: Present Name: CORRINA INEZ GONZALES to Proposed Name: LILITH GONZALES. 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: August 19, 2021; 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, June 18, 25 & July 2, 9, 2021 __________ Kristin S. Escalante, Judge of the Superior Court Dated: June 9, 2021 TST6464 / 2021 132045 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: EVERYDAY DELIGHTS, 1267 Willis St. Ste 200, Redding, CA 96001. Mailing address: 2644 E. 4th St., Apt 3, Long Beach, CA 90814. Registrant: ACCELER WIRELESS LLC, 1267 Willis St., Ste 200, Redding, CA 96001. This business is conducted by: a Limited Liability Company. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Sean Westfall, Owner-member. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in May, 2021. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on June 11, 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: June 25 & July 2, 9, 16, 2021 TST6470 Case No. 21TRCP00204 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, 825 Maple Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 PETITION OF: David Garcia JR TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioners: David Garcia JR has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing his name as follows: Present Name: David Garcia JR to Proposed Name: David Garza 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: August 20, 2021; Time: 8:30a.m., Dept. B. 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, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 2021 _________ Gary Y. Tanaka, Judge of the Superior Court Dated June 23, 2021 TST6474/Order No: 9861 Auto Lien Sale

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CITY OF SIGNAL HILL TST6477 NOTICE OF A COMMISSIONER TRAINING July 22, 2021 6:00 P.M. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on July 22, 2021, the City will conduct a public Commissioner Training at 6:00 p.m. via video/teleconference. This training will include mandatory ethics training (AB 1234) for elected and appointed officials. All interested persons are invited to attend.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER N-29-20 to “stay at home” to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, you are encouraged to participate and provide comments during the public workshop in one of the following ways: • You may participate via teleconference: call (408) 638-0968 (audio only) and enter meeting ID: 844-6109-1575, press # when prompted to provide participant ID, and enter passcode: 526802; • You may participate via www.zoom.com. To join the meeting via Zoom, enter the following meeting ID: 844-6109-1575 and passcode: 526802; or • You may submit comments by email to the City Clerk at cityclerk@cityofsignalhill.org no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22 and your comment will be read into the record.

For further information, contact the Office of the City Clerk at (562) 989-7305. __________________________ Carmen R. Brooks City Clerk Published in the Signal Tribune newspaper: Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on or before:

July 9, 2021 July 9, 2021

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL TST6472 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT on Tuesday July 20, 2021, the Planning Commission of the City of Signal Hill, California, will conduct a public hearing via video/teleconference at 7:00 p.m. to consider the following: TWO YEAR EXTENSION OF CUP 97-03 SIGNAL HILL PETROLEUM INC. (SHP) HAS A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (CUP) FOR SEVEN CONSOLIDATED DRILL SITES IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY. SHP HAS REQUESTED A TWO YEAR EXTENSION TO JULY 30, 2023. THE EXTENSION WILL ALLOW SHP TO CONTINUE OIL PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES WHILE PLANS FOR A LONG-TERM RENEWAL CONTINUE. CONSOLIDATED DRILL SITE LOCATIONS: 1. East of N. Olive Avenue, at Gateway retail center (3051 California Avenue).

2. Southeast corner of Spring Street and Orange Avenue (1251 E. 29 th Street).

3. North of Willow Street, south of 27th Street, between Walnut and Gardena Avenues.

4. Southwest of Junipero Avenue and Combellack Drive, behind Home Depot.

5. South of Combellack Drive, west of Temple Avenue.

6. South of 20 th Street, between Redondo and Obispo Avenues.

7. South of Grant Street, between Redondo and Obispo Avenues.

Applicant: Signal Hill Petroleum Inc. Recommendation: Staff is recommending approval with conditions.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS are hereby invited to attend the hearing to present written information, express their opinions or otherwise present evidence on the above matter.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER N-29-20 to “stay at home” to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, you are encouraged to participate and provide comments during the public hearing in one of the following ways: • You may participate via teleconference by calling (408) 638-0968 on the date and time of the meeting; • You may participate via Zoom.com. To join the meeting via Zoom, enter the following webinar ID number: 860-0994-8336 with passcode: 636831; or • You may submit comments prior to the meeting date by email to cdoan@cityofsignalhill.org, or by mail to the attention of Community Development Director Colleen Doan at 2175 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, CA 90755. If received prior to publication of the agenda (on or before July 14, 2021), staff will incorporate the comments into the staff report. If received after the publish date, staff will read the comments aloud into the public record at the hearing.

• You are encouraged to provide written comments in advance of the publication of the agenda as well as participating during the meeting, to ensure that the Planning Commission has ample time to consider your comments.

AN INITIAL STUDY AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION 9/18/97 (1) for the subject CUP was approved and certified by the City Council under Resolution 98-06-4831 in 1998. On October 1, 2002, an Amended CUP 97-03 and Supplemental Mitigated Negative Declaration 8/12/02 (1), were approved for a term of ten years and certified by the City Council under Resolution 375-09-02. In accordance with California Code of Regulations Section 15162 no subsequent Negative Declaration is required for the extension of CUP 97-03 in that no changes to the previously approved project are proposed. The Mitigated Negative Declaration, as well as material relevant to CUP 97-03, may be inspected by the public between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Development Department located on the lower floor of City Hall.

IF YOU WISH TO LEGALLY challenge any action taken by the City on the above matter, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City prior to or at the public hearing.

FURTHER INFORMATION on this item may be obtained at the City of Signal Hill Community Development Department located at 2175 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, California, or by emailing Colleen Doan, Community Development Director, at cdoan@cityofsignalhill.org or calling at (562) 989-7344.

Published in the Signal Tribune newspaper per Gov’t Code §65091(a)(4) on: Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on: Mailed to affected property owners within 300’ on:

July 9, 2021 July 9, 2021 July 9, 2021

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

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COMMUNITY

Three strikes law keeps Long Beach man in prison for 22 years on nonviolent charge

C

Kristen Farrah Naeem Staff Writer

easar McDowell and Long Beach native Allan McIntosh shared a six-by-nine foot cell for ten years in the infamous San Quentin State Prison.

Now free, McDowell didn’t forget about his former cellmate. He’s using his Long Beach-based nonprofit to fight for McIntosh’s release.

“Allan McIntosh is a really really good dude, like honestly,” McDowell said. “Now I’ve been to prison, I can tell you a million guys that aren’t so good dudes. But honestly, McIntosh is really one of the good guys.”

As of Wednesday, June 30, McDowell’s nonprofit organization Unite the People has gathered 29,144 signatures on an online petition to get McIntosh resentenced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

McIntosh’s arrest and the Three Strikes Law

On Oct. 2, 1998, McIntosh was biking home from the store after going to buy food for his family, when he was stopped by two Long Beach police officers for not using the crosswalk and not having a light on his bicycle.

The officers decided to search McIntosh, and found a gun on him.

McIntosh had previously been convicted of robbery and attempted robbery, but has said that the gun was only for self defense.

“The environment I lived in—gang infested. I had no intention to do anything with the gun—having it for protection,” McIntosh said in the documentary “Q-Ball.”

McIntosh was arrested on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, an offense that normally carries a prison sentence of up to three years.

However, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison due to California’s three-strikes law, which requires a minimum 25-year sentence for anyone convicted of a “serious or violent” felony three different times. Courts can escalate the punishment to a life sentence.

“A gun possession charge, even though it’s not violent, it’s still classified as serious,” McDowell told the Signal Tribune.

Many crimes considered “serious” are nonviolent, but carry the same sentencing enhancement as violent felonies under the three-strikes law. There are numerous cases of people serving 25 years to life under the three-strikes law for crimes that would otherwise only require sentences of a few years.

For instance: while the maximum punishment in California for someone convicted of selling drugs to a minor is

nine years, if it is their third conviction of a serious felony they will be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Due to his third felony being classified as serious, the California Court of Appeals ruled that McIntosh was ineligible for parole.

According to a study by the Justice Policy Institute, Black people are disproportionately impacted by the three-strikes law. Although only 6.5% of California’s population is Black, 44.7% of inmates serving out sentences for third strikes are Black.

According to the Sacramento Bee, in 2016 there were 6,900 felons imprisoned in California on their third strike.

At the time of his arrest, McIntosh’s girlfriend was pregnant with his youngest child, according to McDowell.

“It definitely hurts him to see that his kids had to grow up without him,” McDowell said.

McIntosh is also a grandfather now but has never had a chance to meet his grandchildren. He communicates with them via mail and calls facilitated by Unite the People.

“They call him grandpa, but he’s never actually physically seen them, held them,” McDowell said.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Ceasar McDowell poses with a picture of his mug shot from when he was arrested in 200 in the office of his non-profit organization Unite the People in Long Beach on July 6, 2021. On his wall are photos from prison and other accomplishments he has made since getting out. themselves or have had an incarcerated family member.

Unite the People can be contacted by calling (888) 245-9393 or emailing info@unitethepeople.org “Unite the People is here working for the community,” McDowell said.

The fight to free McIntosh

McIntosh’s rehabilitation

McIntosh’s story was featured in the documentary “Q-Ball,” which follows a winning season for San Quentin prison’s basketball team.

“How I cope now is moving forward, making myself a better man,” McIntosh said in the documentary.

As well as playing on the court, McIntosh can be seen in the documentary encouraging a younger player to fully commit to winning the next season.

“There’s murderers getting out every day.

There’s rapists getting out every day— people that are like real threats to society are getting out.”

— Daviena Dumont, Allan McIntosh’s partner

He is still a member of the prison’s team, the San Quentin Warriors, and has played in winning games this season.

McDowell says McIntosh has worked as a mentor for others during his time in prison and is ready to bring this skill back to his community.

According to McDowell, multiple schools have already reached out to Unite the People about having McIn-

Image Courtesy Unite the People via Change.org

Allan McIntosh, who is serving 25 years to life for gun possession under California’s three-strikes law. His former cellmate Ceasar McDowell is gathering petition signatures to gain support for his resentencing.

tosh speak to students.

“We have a whole bunch of community outreach things set up for him,” McDowell said.

According to Daviena Dumont, McIntosh’s partner, he also plans to set up a sports and mentoring program for at-risk youth.

“So that kids know there’s other outlets […] so that they don’t go down or even get involved in the situation that put him there,” Dumont said.

McDowell forms Unite the People

Unite the People’s first office opened in downtown Long Beach within the last year, but McDowell started the organization inside San Quentin six years ago with the help of his brother Mitch McDowell.

“I started this organization from my prison cell. I literally built our first website on one of those cell phones you’re not supposed to have—I know—but I did. I built our first WordPress website there. I filed our articles of incorporation from the prison,” McDowell said.

McDowell was sentenced to three life sentences in prison for a non-violent offense.

After serving the majority of his sentence, his case was reviewed and a correctional case records manager found that McDowell had been illegally sentenced.

Once released, McDowell dedicated himself to continuing the work he began while incarcerated.

He knew firsthand how difficult it could be for people of low income to access affordable legal help.

“They get stuck going to a public defender’s office, where somebody has 300 cases and don’t have time to really try to help you. That’s where a lot of the problem comes in,” McDowell said.

Unite the People offers affordable legal help to incarcerated people as well as those going through criminal trials, with fees decided on a sliding scale based on a client’s income.

To make sure its team is able to empathize with its clients, Unite the People only hires staff members that have previously been incarcerated

According to McDowell, Unite the People was advised by the district attorney’s office to gather public support for McIntosh before his case is revisited.

“They want us to put together the strongest campaign, the most support possible,” McDowell said.

One of Unite the People’s attorneys, Melinda Gomez, came up with the idea to start the Operation Black campaign around two months ago.

The Operation Black Instagram page, @operation_blacc, is currently run by Dumont.

Dumont is currently asking the public to send in letters in support of McIntosh’s release, to be read at his next parole hearing at the end of July.

She said she doesn’t feel it’s fair that McIntosh is facing 25 to life behind bars when there are cases of people who commit violent acts but are given more lenient sentences.

“There’s murderers getting out every day,” Dumont said. “There’s rapists getting out every day—people that are like real threats to society are getting out.”

Dumont also created a GoFundMe campaign for McIntosh, who wants to start his own flooring business if released.

“He has tons of experience doing flooring, which he learned by being incarcerated. He did all the flooring and stuff for the hospitals at the prison,” Dumont said.

Dumont told the Signal Tribune that McIntosh has a strong support system to return to if he is released.

“He has everything set up for him when he gets out. He has a home, goals, he has job offers,” Dumont said.

“All he needs is just a chance to get out. He just wants to work and provide for his family. That’s all.”

WWW.SIGNALTRIBUNE.COM • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

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