Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday
VOL. XLI NO. 44
In this issue NEWS
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
Signal Hill to survey resident attitudes about cannabis regulation City Manager Charlie Honeycutt attends final council meeting before retiring.
Anita W. Harris
LB Council approves 3-year contract with fire department Councilmembers also OK visioning effort for downtown zoning district. Page 3
COMMUNITY On the 28th anniversary of the Cambodian Peace Agreement in Paris, local Cambodians look back on the war’s impact Page 7
CULTURE
Theatre review: “Once” at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Page 9
OPINION
Staff Writer
It was a bittersweet Tuesday night as Signal Hill City Manager Charlie Honeycutt attended his final City Council meeting before his scheduled Nov. 1 retirement. Council members expressed appreciation for Honeycutt’s 32 years of municipal service. The council also approved several city contracts, including one to survey residents about cannabis regulation. City manager Since Oct. 22 marked Honeycutt’s final council meeting before his retirement on Nov. 1, Mayor Lori Woods presented him a proclamation commending his 32 years of city service, beginning as a maintenance worker in the public-works department in 1987. Woods recounted how Honeycutt moved up the public-works ranks to become that department’s director in 2002, then deputy city manager in 2007 and finally city manager in 2015. “It’s definitely with mixed feelings seeing Charlie go,” she said. “Under his guidance, the city accomplished many achievements that made Signal Hill a highly
Managing Editor
Going treak-or-treating? Check out these tips from the Nat. Fire Protection Association Page 4
During a meeting last month between the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) and the Long Beach Office of the District Attorney, authorities discussed bail deviations, gang enhancements and prohibited-possessor teams to address reoffending criminals in the city. In August, LBPD Chief Robert Luna said the department was
Long Beach officer-involved shooting erupts at Bottoms Up Tavern, suspect and second person left dead City News Service Southern California Local News
Anita W. Harris | Signal Tribune
During the Oct. 22 Signal Hill City Council meeting, Mayor Lori Woods (left) read a proclamation commending retiring City Manager Charlie Honeycutt (right) for his 32 years of city service. He is scheduled to retire as of Nov. 1.
desirable place to live, work, shop and play.” Woods noted that in addition to serving on regional water and transportation boards, Honeycutt helped build the city’s new police station, EDCO recycling and transfer station, workforce hous-
ing, hilltop housing and trails, retail centers, dog park, recent new library and the widening of Cherry Avenue and Spring Street. Councilmembers thanked Honeycutt for his integrity, commitsee SH COUNCIL page 15
LBPD to seek bail increases, gang-enhancement charges to address reoffending criminals Sebastian Echeverry
October 25, 2019
having a difficult time dealing with individuals who had multiple arrests and were continuing to commit crimes in the city. He alluded to a specific case in July where a person was shot in their vehicle north of 45th Street and Atlantic Boulevard. Officers discovered the victim was previously on parole for using a firearm and was released. He was also arrested three times prior to the shooting. Luna said the man refused to tell officers who shot
him, which made the investigation difficult to complete. It was announced during that same community meeting that members of the LBPD were planning to speak with members of the Long Beach Office of the District Attorney to see what else could be done. Robert Smith, LBPD commander of the Gang and Violent Crimes Division and deputy chief see REOFFENDER page 14
An armed man who police say may have been involved in a gunfight with another person in a north Long Beach bar Wednesday shot two men, one fatally, and was found dead after a responding officer opened fire, authorities said. The officer was flagged down while patrolling in the 1700 block of East Artesia Boulevard about 12:20am by someone who said there was a shooting inside the Bottoms Up Tavern, according to police and reports from the scene. “As the officer approached the business, he heard additional shots being fired,” Long Beach police spokeswoman Shaunna Dandoy said in a statement. “The officer could see into the business, saw the suspect with a gun and an officer-involved shooting occurred.” Meanwhile, police received a 911 call from a patron in the bar “indicating there was a shooting inside and there were other patrons locked in a storeroom,” Dandoy said. “The initial officer lost sight of the suspect and although it was believed the suspect was still inside, his exact location was unknown,” she said. SWAT officers were sent to the scene, she said, adding, “Once inside, SWAT officers located the male adult suspect on the ground, non-responsive and still holding the firearm.” Paramedics pronounced the see SHOOTING page 13