Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday
VOL. XLII NO. 6
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
In this issue
Signal Hill City Council OKs first three commemorative flags under new policy
NEWS
NAACP, LGBTQ Pride and Women’s Suffrage flags to fly on city poles this year.
‘I never thought I’d end up homeless’ Two hundred volunteers participate in 2020 Homeless Count.
Anita W. Harris Staff Writer
Page 2 Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune
Kobe Bryant fans gather outside the Staples Center to pay their respects to the the Lakers legend. Bryant died along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and 7 other passengers in a helicopter crash on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.
Deaths of NBA great Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and 7 others leaves SoCal in state of shock As reactions to the deadly accident pour in, Lakers fans converged at Staples Center to remember Bryant.
Long Beach STD/ HIV surveillance report shows decrease in new HIV infections; stabilization in STD rates Page 9
CULTURE
Lissette Mendoza Online Editor
Sebastian Echeverry Managing Editor
Multiple reports of a deadly helicopter crash in Calabasas that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others made headlines Sunday morning.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated during a press conference following the crash that the helicopter transporting Bryant and the other eight passengers crashed at 9:47am Sunday. “This will be an extensive investigation, which could take a great deal of time,” Villanueva stated via Twitter.
As the news of the crash rippled throughout SoCal and the nation, thousands of fans gathered outside the Staples Center throughout the day in downtown Los Angeles, home of the Lakers and the stadium where Bryant clinched five NBA Championships. At exactly 8:24pm fans chantsee BRYANT page 10
Long Beach officials eye new site for Fire Station 9 construction About $7,761,510 was identified via Measure A tax funds to fund relocation and construction.
Sebastian Echeverry Managing Editor
How do you like them apples? Long Beach welcomes its first hard cidery Page 6
January 31, 2020
Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) Chief Xavier Espino updated councilmembers on Wednesday, Jan. 29 of a new location that will potentially serve as the construction site for Fire Station 9.
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“Staff are in productive discussions with the property owner at 4150 Long Beach Blvd.,” Espino stated in a memo. “This site appears to be very promising and an excellent location for service to the community. Ongoing negotiations have been productive.
[City] staff hope to bring a recommendation to the city council in closed session in the first quarter of 2020, and with city council approval, in open session shortly thereafter.” The new location is about 1 see FIRE STATION page 11
Along with other city business during its Jan. 28 meeting– including final consent to increase water rates, and accepting a $3-million loan to rebuild Well 8– the Signal Hill City Council approved flying three commemorative flags on city poles this year, but not without some dissension by the mayor and members of the public. The council chamber was overflowing with residents Tuesday night– mostly representing the Calvary Chapel Signal Hill and LGBTQ interests– both eager to chime in on the council’s decision about which flags to fly under a policy it approved on Oct. 8, 2019 after similar public commentary. The new policy allows the city to display commemorative flags below municipal flags on three flagpoles in Signal Hill– at city hall, the library and the police station. It also states that the council should approve a schedule of flags to fly in January of each year. This year, two members of council put forward three flags to consider. Councilmember Edward Wilson proposed flying the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) flag during February to commemorate national see SH COUNCIL page 11