May 15, 2020 | Vol. XLII No.21

Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday

VOL. XLII NO. 21

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

www.signaltribune.com

In this issue

SH City Council appoints another planning commissioner

COMMUNITY

Signal Hill now has 13 coronavirus cases, city manager says.

WomenShelter of Long Beach distributes Mother’s Day gifts to survivors, as domestic violence rises during pandemic Page 5

Anita W. Harris Staff Writer

Anita W. Harris | Signal Tribune

An LA County electronic-voting station implemented for the first time in the March 2020 elections.

Long Beach group sues LA County Registrar over Measure A recount

Long Beach Reform Coalition alleges “cover-up” of new voting-system flaws.

Anita W. Harris Staff Writer

Local first responders hold parade in honor of Hospital Week to salute healthcare workers Page 5

OPINION

Local activist group, Long Beach Reform Coalition (LBRC) hired Los Angeles election-law specialists Strumwasser & Woocher to file suit in the LA County Superior Court against LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan on Monday, May 11.

“Our litigation seeks a writ of mandate and injunctive relief to

force Mr. Logan to restart the recount of Long Beach Measure A as a traditional, paper-ballot recount at a reasonable cost,” LBRC said in a May 11 statement.

Measure A had passed by a thin margin of 16 votes in the March 3 election, according to results certified by Logan’s office on March 27, with 49,676 voting in favor and 49,660 against.

The measure’s passing extends an extra 1% Long Beach sales tax imposed in 2017 beyond its

previous sunset date of 2027. The additional revenue bolsters public safety and improves infrastructure, including fire stations, libraries and parks, the City says.

Given Measure A’s very narrow approval margin, LBRC requested a recount of the ballots beginning April 8, raising $26,000 from community supporters, according to its website.

However, because the county’s see LAWSUIT page 11

City council votes to approve measures expanding protections for Long Beach workers

The council also approved to increase the number of pets allowed in residential homes.

Daniel Green Production Manager

Thoughts from the Managing Editor: Farewell Page 4

May 15, 2020

At its May 12 meeting, the Long Beach City Council discussed increasing the number of pets residents can own, protections for workers impacted by COVID-19 and funding for the Long Beach Airport.

Protections The City Council unanimous-

ly voted to approve protections for Long Beach workers affected by COVID-19.

The three ordinances were debated by the council at a previous meeting, where they instructed the City attorney to return with drafts about how to extend more protections to local workers.

The new ordinances will apply to hotel workers who lost their jobs or had their hours

scaled back due to the safer-athome order from the City.

The first ordinance will require employers to hire back workers who were laid off after March 4 due to the coronavirus shutdown.

Employers must bring back workers based on seniority once the same, or similar, position becomes available. The em-

Due to COVID-19 physical-distancing requirements, the Signal Hill City Council met virtually by video conference for its regularly scheduled May 12 meeting.

Among other agenda items, the council heard a COVID-19 update and appointed a new planning commissioner to fill a vacant seat created by a previous commissioner appointment last month.

Planning commissioner The council appointed Signal Hill resident Armando Lopez to fill a vacant seat on the Planning Commission with a term expiring May 31, 2021.

The seat had been vacated by Perica Bell, whom the council appointed last month to fill another vacant seat on the commission with a longer term.

City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn said the City ran a second open recruitment after the council’s April 14 meeting and received an additional qualified candidate to add to four applicants who applied previously.

The council had already interviewed candidates Jewel Cowart, Armando Lopez and Randy Shipp in April.

During Tuesday’s meeting, it see SH COUNCIL page 7

see LB COUNCIL page 9

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, L.A. County has shut down all bars & restaurants, with the exception of pick-up and delivery.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer take-out at this time. So, we will be temporarily closing our doors until the crisis is over.

Stay safe and healthy!

We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

2

NEWS

Signal Tribune

May 15, 2020

Group of Long Beach demonstrators protest business restrictions amidst coronavirus pandemic Sebastian Echeverry Managing Editor

A handful of demonstrators rallied by the Lone Sailor memorial along Ocean Boulevard on Saturday, May 9 and called upon Long Beach officials to further open the economy amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The protesters held signs that read “Freedom over Fear” and “Open the Beaches” and encouraged motorists driving by to honk their horns to show their support.

The social-distancing restrictions, put into effect statewide by Governor Gavin Newsom and locally by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, are still in place for the majority of local businesses in an effort to protect the public’s health as Los Angeles County regularly reports more cases of infected.

Earlier this week, Newsom loosened the state’s stay-at-home

Kristen Farrah Naeem | Signal Tribune

Jesus Cisneros, a local organizer, (bottom right) with fellow protesters demonstrating for an end to California’s stay at home order on Saturday, May 9. Among protesters demands were the reopening of all businesses and the beach.

* FAST DELIVERY *

498-8788 3225 E. PCH • LONG BEACH Visit us online at

www.bigepizza.com

Se Habla Español

* Limited Delivery Area

Pickup area cleaned twice an hour. • Safe distance markers for patrons. th

* FAST CELEBRATING OUR DELIVERY 34 YEAR*

Staff washing hands after each order. • Drivers wearing masks and gloves.

498-8788

E. PCHwhen • LONG BEACH We appreciate 3225 your support we need it most!

Visit us online at #BigEPizza

www.bigepizza.com

Se Habla Español

* Limited Delivery Area

Almost Always Open

CELEBRATING OUR 34th YEAR We We Almost Deliver Deliver Always Beer Beer & & Open Wine Wine DOUBLE TROUBLE SPECIAL

JIMMY’S CHOICE

2 LARGE PIZZAS with up to 2 toppings

• 1 LARGE PIZZA with 2 toppings • 1 DOZEN CHICKEN WINGS 2 LITER CHOICE SODA

$

2799 + TAX

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $6.00 MORE (THE $6.00 IS FOR THE WHOLE DEAL NOT PER PIZZA) NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

$

99 + TAX 27We We

WHAT A DEAL • 1 LARGE PIZZA with 3 toppings 2 Liter of Soda

$

1850

+ TAX

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $3.00 MORE

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $3.00 MORE

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Deliver Deliver Beer & BeerHOME & ALONE SPECIAL PICK UP SPECIAL Wine • SMALL PERSONAL PIZZA with 1 topping Wine Monday thru Thursday • SMALL DINNER SALAD

SODA • MEDIUM PIZZA with 1 topping: $9.99+ TAX DOUBLE TROUBLE SPECIAL WHAT A DEAL JIMMY’S CHOICE• •LARGE 1/2 WINGS • LARGE PIZZA with 1 topping: $12.50 + TAX • 1 LARGE PIZZA • 1 LARGE PIZZA with 2 toppings 2 LARGE PIZZAS • XL PIZZA with 1 topping: $14.50 + TAX + TAXwith 3 toppings • 1 DOZEN CHICKEN WINGS with up to 2 toppings 2 Liter of Soda 2 LITER CHOICE NOT SODA $ 99 + TAX PICK UP ONLY. VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

$

27

1750

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

$

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $6.00 MORE (THE $6.00 IS FOR THE WHOLE DEAL NOT PER PIZZA) NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

BIGEFEB2020VS-012820.indd

1

2799 + TAX

$

1850

+ TAX

BIGEFEB2020VS

Distributed with RetailMeNot Everyday™

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $3.00 MORE

SUPER SIZE IT FOR ONLY $3.00 MORE

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

PICK UP SPECIAL Monday thru Thursday • MEDIUM PIZZA with 1 topping: $9.99+ TAX • LARGE PIZZA with 1 topping: $12.50+ TAX • XL PIZZA with 1 topping: $14.50+ TAX PICK UP ONLY. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

HOME ALONE SPECIAL

1/13/20

11:22 AM

• SMALL PERSONAL PIZZA with 1 topping • SMALL DINNER SALAD • LARGE SODA • 1/2 WINGS

$

1750

+ TAX

NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

BIGEFEB2020VS

Distributed with RetailMeNot Everyday™

BIGEFEB2020VS-012820.indd

1

1/13/20

11:22 AM

orders and allowed for some businesses such as flower shops, toy stores and limited retail stores to reopen via curb-side pick up.

Garcia followed suit in Long Beach as part of the City’s Stage 2 of the reopening process. Starting May 11, public spaces, such as beaches, hiking trails, parks and tennis courts, will also open to the public.

Some Orange County cities have disputed the restrictions, with Huntington Beach protesters earlier this month calling the virus a hoax, and demanding for the social-distancing restrictions to be lifted.

Although Saturday’s protest organizer, and former 2nd District Council candidate, Jesus Cineros understands the severity of the virus, he told the Signal Tribune that people have reached out to him telling them they are desperate for work, and that the city can’t afford the restrictions on businesses for much longer.

“I’m thinking, ‘Wow, if I’m spending $300 to $400 every couple of weeks on food, I wonder how much other people are spending,’” he said, “and they can’t apply for government help.”

While the coronavirus has been a major public-health crisis globally–– infecting over 1 million and causing over 200,000 deaths as of press time–– the virus also brought with it an economic hardship not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

According to the Department of Labor, there have been over 33 million claims of unemployment–– a number that dwarfs unemployment claims made during the 2008 recession.

A detailed study from the University of Chicago showed that the most heavily impacted market was that of low-wage employees.

“This recession is amplifying income inequality given that the employment losses are so disproportionately concentrated at the lower end of the income distribution,” the report read.

Census data from 2017 showed the average income for residents in central and north Long Beach ranges from $34.1k to $67.2k, with a cost of living that is 43% higher than the national average, according to a salary-report website called PayScale. The spread of the coronavirus has only added a layer of uncertainty across the city’s economic outlook.

The Long Beach City Council is projecting an estimated $40 million loss in revenue this year, and Signal Hill is anticipating a significant hit to its sales-tax revenue because of the virus.

Saturday’s protest was meant to echo that sense of economic concern, according to Cisneros.

“It’s awesome, they gave us a stimulus check, I’m grateful for that,” Cisneros said. “But how far does $1,000 go? How far does $2,000 go? That barely covers the rent.”

May 15, 2020

Signal Tribune

WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper apparel. Never ride under the innuence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your Owner’s Manual. ©2019 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

3

4

Signal Tribune

Thoughts

OPINION

May 15, 2020

from the

Managing Editor

By Sebastian Echeverry Thank you…

As this week wraps up, I just wanted to express my gratitude toward the local community and readers of the Signal Tribune.

This week is my final week with the paper as its managing editor. It was an honor to command this paper’s talented group of reporters, and join the ranks of previous Tribune editors that can be traced back to the 1930s.

The role of managing editor will fall upon the capable hands of Lissette Mendoza, who I know will continue to provide local news coverage in a fair and thoughtful way.

Looking back, my time with the Tribune started under the leadership of Neena Strichart and Cory Bilicko almost four years ago; two individuals that I’ve had the pleasure to learn and grow from.

I was brought onto the paper by my good friend Denny Cristales, who was an intern at the time and later became managing editor after Cory stepped down from the position.

If you recall, this isn’t my first “farewell” letter to you–– I wrote one before leaving on my college internship to work with NBC 4 and Telemundo news in Universal City last year. After four months with them, I returned to the Tri-

bune, as managing editor, filled with new ways to update the paper. We grew our digital footprint and became a daily newspaper.

As for me, I’ve joined the Report for America corps group–– a nonprofit initiative to help newsrooms cover underserved communities. My task will be to focus on the North Long Beach region and cover stories there for the Long Beach Post.

To say that I’m starting a new job–– under the circumstances we find ourselves in–– is a blessing, and I’m truly humbled by the opportunity.

Thank you for sticking with us along the ride. Thank you for trusting us. I’ve grown so much as a person and reporter getting to know the community and the people that live and work in it.

I only ask that you continue to support the Tribune and the wonderful people that passionately make it happen here. We do have a support tab on our website where you can make a one-time donation for the amount that you please.

Stay healthy and safe out there!

All the best, Sebastian

The following article is the second part of this column, which began on May 8.

The Economy in 1934 1934 marked the turning point in Long Beach’s economic decline; after all, it would be hard to sink any further after the disasters of 1933. Things were getting better. Long Beach was recovering from the effects of the earthquake; the Pacific Coast Club reopened in January with a week-long celebration; the renovated, redecorated and refurbished Imperial Theater opened its doors in August. On June 30, 1934, beachgoers had a treat in store for them when a new $400,000, 37-acre state park on Alamitos Bay Peninsula opened.

On September 1, 1934, five thousand attended the opening of the new Long Beach post office. The seven-story steel and concrete building was a far cry from the original one-story frame structure at Pine and Ocean which housed the first Long Beach Post Office forty-nine years earlier.

Gradually the Depression was lessening, but conditions in Long Beach were not as rosy as they seemed. In 1934, the finances of the city were at the lowest ebb in years. In January, a petition was filed to recall all nine members of

the City Council, the City Manager and the City Attorney. Failure to prosecute the oil companies, who owed the city large sums of money on royalties, was given as the major reason for the recall.

Other charges cited were: incompetence, mismanagement, misuse of public funds, carelessness and a disregard for the rights of the citizens of Long Beach. On July 10, voters ousted all City Council members and the City Attorney.

It was an interesting time for Long Beach. How was the city to run when there were no elected officials? The City Charter stated recalled officials had to leave office at once. City Attorney Reid complied and George Trammell was appointed by the Council to fill the vacancy. But what to do without a City Council? There were two options: the governor could intervene and appoint a temporary Council until the vacancies were filled, or, based on State law, the recalled Council could continue to hold sessions and transact business until the election of their successors.

Since State law superseded local laws, the second option was instituted, but not for long -- an election for new officials was called for August 17, 1934.

It was a fascinating election.

There were more than 130 candidates for the nine offices and when election records were checked it was found that a vast throng of men and women registered to vote were not qualified to do so. Despite these problems, Frank Barnes, Clarence Wagner, John Schimmer, Benjamin Kirkland, Thomas Eaton, Carl Fletcher, Melvin Campbell, Leroy Cederberg and Virgil Spongberg were voted into office. The new Council members pledged to institute strict economic measures in running city government and balancing the budget. It would be up to them, according to the City Charter, to either keep the current City Manager and City Attorney or seek new ones.

The new regime faced the immediate problem of balancing the budget. On August 24, 1934, trying to live up to their campaign pledges, the Council voted an eighteen per cent salary cut for all city employees. By doing this, they balanced the budget and avoided raising tax or gas rates or abolishing free trash collection.

City employees were outraged, having already taken cuts ranging from 13 to 30 per cent during the past three years. The firemen, see BYGONE page 6

LETTERS, EMAILS, WEBSITE COMMENTS AND STATEMENTS To: Fellow Signal Hill Residents The City Council approved a resolution to display “commemorative” flags on city flag poles. This is part II in a series of missives regarding this resolution. Part I appeared in the April 3rd 2020 edition of the Signal Tribune.

In summary, Part I and this epistle recommend that no flags other than the federal, state, and city, the three Unity Flags, fly on city flag poles.

MANAGING EDITOR

I recently looked at flag poles at City Hall in eleven neighboring cities. I saw eleven cities flying the federal flag, nine flying the state flag, and five displaying a city flag. There were 4 POW/MIA flags displayed.

This may reflect the National POW/MIA Flag Act of 2019 which describes when this flag will be displayed. There were no other flags on these poles.

Why?

Sebastian Echeverry

The resolution in my view has less to do with any single entity (such as the approved NAACP, LGBTQ, or Women’s Suffrage flags) but much to do with what I refer to as Special Interest Group(s) (SIG) in general. If a SIG is “a group of people or an organization seeking or receiving special advantages (flag displayed on the pole) typically through political lobbying”, then these three organizations are SIGs. The issue is not these three, however, but rather SIGs in general.

What will happen if an application is received from an organization that is not favored by the City Council?

What are the considerations from a “fairness” and “equal rights/opportunity” point of view? Is there a campaign to

CULTURE WRITER

Brett Hawkins

solicit entries?

I affirm my recommendation that the City Council review its decision to allow commemorative flags to be displayed on city flagpoles such that no flags other than the federal, state, and city, the three Unity flags, (and POW/MIA as required), fly on city flagpoles.

Randy Hartshorn Resident, Signal Hill

STAFF WRITERS

Lissette Mendoza

Daniel Green

Katherine Green

What criteria will be used to select future flags?

ONLINE EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

LEGALS COORDINATOR

What criteria was used to select these three flags?

COLUMNISTS

Anita W. Harris Kristen Farrah Naeem Karla Enriquez

Claudine Burnett Blair Cohn

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 ­information 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 with a circulation of 30,000. Yearly subscriptions are available for $50.

1399 E. 28th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 595-7900 www.signaltribune.com newspaper@signaltribune.com

May 15, 2020

COMMUNITY

5

Signal Tribune

WomenShelter of Long Beach distributes Mother’s Day gifts to survivors, as domestic violence rises during pandemic

Since the stay at home order was enacted on March 20 to slow the spread of coronavirus, many victims have been stuck at home with their abusers.

Kristen Farrah Naeem Staff Writer

their victims requires the WomenShelter of Long Beach to keep the locations of its emergency and supportive housing locations confidential.

Besides the threat of their abusers, survivors of domestic violence still face stigma in the local community because of the crimes that were committed against them.

A neighborhood association sued the City in 2018 to stop construction, when it found out a confidential housing facility by WomenShelter of Long Beach would be built in the area, as reported in the Press-Telegram.

The neighborhood association complained that the housing facility was being built without the City notifying neighborhood residents or holding public hearings beforehand, despite this being done to protect the facility’s clients from being found by their abusers. The housing would’ve been built on residential land, and did not legally require any sort of public notice. However, the community had reservations against welcoming survivors of domestic violence into their neighborhood.

“It really took me by surprise when someone said to me ‘We don’t want those people in our neighborhood.’ Imagine that?”

Mitchell said. “The people we serve are victims through no fault of their own. I will never be able to understand how someone could feel that way. I think it’s the same in Long Beach as in any other city and this stigma can keep the victims from asking for help because they fear how they will be treated when people find out.”

Courtesy of Dignity Health

Healthcare workers from St. Mary Medical Center stand in front of one of the fire engines that paraded for them in honor of National Hospital Week.

Local first responders hold parade in honor of Hospital Week to salute healthcare workers at MemorialCare and St. Mary Medical Center Lissette Mendoza Online Editor

A parade of more than 20 emergency vehicles – dubbed Operation Thank You Long Beach – brought morale to healthcare workers at two of Long Beach’s biggest hospitals.

The motorcade paraded by MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center before completing its mission at Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center in recognition of National Hospital Week on Wednesday, May 13.

“It’s very touching and gives us a renewed sense of energy and hope,” Abby Rojas, Emergency Services Manager at St. Mary Medical Center said.

The procession involved dozens of emergency personnel, from Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, Signal Hill Police Department, and Cal State University Police, who participated in the parade, including multiple fire engines, police cruisers, motor brigade and more, in honor of the tireless commitment of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s very gratifying to know that

we are not fighting this pandemic alone so to be honored by other first responders who are also out there, risking their lives, means a lot,” Rojas said.

While Rojas says she, herself, has been holding up emotionally and mentally, she does attribute it to a strong support system, which she also works to provide to her own staff of over 100 employees in the emergency department. This includes nurses, emergency medical technicians (EMT’s), CNA’s and secretaries.

Her job entails working 10-12 hour shifts, five days a week, where she not only schedules 22 ER nurses in a 24-hour period but is having to keep their morale up as well.

Rojas said, “We don’t go into nursing to be called heroes, we do it to care for patients when they’re at their most vulnerable, being on the frontlines fighting the pandemic as a nurse in the emergency department now, we feel vulnerable, so to have some appreciation fills us with positive energy and and helps us to carry us forward through the next couple of weeks.”

BOOKKEEPING & TAX SERVICES

TAXHave SEASON a IS

HERE

TAX EXTENSION? A Place for Smoked Meats and Steaks

PRE-ORDER FOR MEMORIAL DAY RACK OF RIBS DINNER for 4 - $64.00

Call the experts and get started NOW! Individual and business taxes

2 full racks - Pork, Beef or Combo Side of Coleslaw & Potato Salad Rolls & Chocolate Chip Cookies - Quantity is Limited!

Year-end Tax Planning Payroll • Quickbooks Setup 1099 Preparation • Sales Tax

Pick-up: 5/24 after 12 noon or 5/25 9am - 12 noon only!

PLEASE PLACE YOUR ORDER BEFORE MAY 23rd

Let us help you with your BOOKKEEPING NEEDS!

3502 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, CA • derricksonatlantic.com

Cambodian Khmer • + Spanish speaking!

562-337-8131

-AVOID PROBATESet up your trust today to avoid probate and to prevent Medi-Cal recovery.

Make things easy for your loved ones.

SINCE 1961

3900 Kilroy Airport Way Ste. 240 Long Beach, CA 90806

YOUR GO-TO SOURCE FOR WILLS, TRUSTS AND PROBATE

A complete estate plan package includes a living trust, pour over will, durable power of attorney and advance health care directive.

Flat fee prices include deeds to transfer your real estate to your trusts.

Always no charge consultations for Signal Tribune readers!

Jennifer Sawday, ESQ | (562) 923-0971 | jsawday@tldlaw.com

MadKat, Inc

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic being an especially difficult time for survivors of domestic violence, the WomenShelter of Long Beach (WSLB) took time to celebrate Mother’s Day during this challenging time by distributing gifts and flowers to 102 women.

Mothers who’ve survived domestic violence and now receive services at the WomenShelter of Long Beach were given toiletries, accessories, floral arrangements and essential items such as diapers, formula and baby wipes in honor of Mother’s Day. The flowers were purchased by the WomenShelter and the gifts were donated by the Mary Kay Foundation, Handmade Especially for You, BOMBAS, S. Mark Taper Foundation Shelter Resource Bank, the Shelter Partnership and more.

Domestic violence cases have increased by 8%, with 933 cases compared to 863 at the same time last year, LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a briefing on April 20.

Since the stay at home order was enacted on March 20 to slow the spread of coronavirus, many victims have been stuck at home with their abusers.

The WomenShelter of Long Beach shared some ways abusers may use the current pandemic to maintain power in relationships on its social media. Abusive behavior the community should be aware of during this time include: -Threatening to throw someone out of the home if they become sick -Preventing an ill person from accessing medical care -Threatening to cancel the family’s or family member’s health insurance -Withholding someone’s health insurance card -Withholding essential items, like hand sanitizer -Controlling how much toilet paper someone is allowed to use each day -Purposefully telling cohabitants inaccurate information about coronavirus “When victims/survivors are forced to stay home or in close proximity to their partner more frequently,” the WomenShelter wrote in the post, “these circumstances coupled with additional stressors like loss of employment and school closures can exacerbate the violence occurring at home.”

The WomenShelter’s 24/7 domestic violence hotline can be reached anytime at (562) 4374663, and is open to all victims of domestic violence regardless of age or gender. Those needing help can also email the WomenShelter of Long Beach at info@

womenshelterlb.org. The shelter’s website contains a ‘quick escape’ button near the top right corner of the page, in case a viewer needs to exit immediately if their abuser walks in the room.

While the WomenShelter is able to provide safe and confidential housing for those who are able to escape, attempting to leave an abusive partner can be extremely dangerous.

Executive Director of the WomenShelter of Long Beach, Mary Ellen Mitchell, said shelter staff still encounter people in the community who don’t understand why victims of domestic violence have a difficult time escaping.

“We still hear on occasion, ‘Why would someone stay with their abuser? I would just leave,’” Mitchell told the Signal Tribune.

A study done in the United Kingdom by Dr. Jane Monckton Smith analyzed 372 murders committed by intimate partners of the victim and found that leaving an abuser was an especially dangerous time for victims.

Monckton Smith went on to develop an eight stage pattern used in analyzing potentially deadly cases of domestic violence.

According to Monckton, when an abuser begins to feel they are losing control over the relationship they will begin to increase their control tactics, which can include threatening to commit suicide to make their victim feel guilty for leaving, threatening to harm the victim or their family, stalking and more. If these fail to make their victim return, abusers often shift their goal from regaining control of the relationship to getting perceived revenge on the victim, often through extreme acts of violence.

Between 40% to 50% of murdered women in the United States are killed by intimate partners, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health in 2003. In contrast, 5.9% of male murder victims were killed by intimate partners.

Nancy Romero of Long Beach was shot to death on July 11, 2019, in a case of intimate partner violence. Her romantic partner, John Osborne, also of Long Beach, later confessed to the killing and turned himself into police on July 16, 2019.

The danger abusers pose to

6

OPINION

Signal Tribune

May 15, 2020

Bygone continued from page 4

with their wages fixed by city ordinance, flatly refused to accept a wage reduction. The Council quickly backed down coming up with an indefinite plan for slashing here, pinching there and raising the gas rate. The Council needed help and help was to come in the form of a new City Manager -- Randall Dorton.

On September 13, the City Council agreed on the selection of Randall M. Dorton, City Manager of Monterey for nine years, as the new City Manager of Long Beach. Dorton was a graduate of the University of California, holding a master’s degree in political science. This was the first time since the appointment of Charles E. Hewes in 1921 that Long Beach had selected a candidate from outside the city to fill the important administrative role.

Hewes had tried to be an impartial manager, abiding by the City Charter, not the political machinations of the city. He had been recalled the following year, and a “Long Beach man” appointed in his stead. Would another “outsider” fall victim to the Long Beach political machine? Amazingly, Dorton set a record for time in office. The average time spent in the role of City Manager by his eight predecessors (Charles Hewes, Charles Windham, Charles Henderson, H.S. Callahan, George Buck, C.C. Lewis, E.S. Dobbin, James Bonner) was eighteen months, Dorton, who began

serving on October 1, 1934 left office on August 31, 1939.

Dorton had a hard road ahead of him. Within six months of their election, another recall attempt was aimed at the new City Council. Proposition 17, on the ballot in 1935, was designed to stop what was called “recall racketeering.” It was common practice for hired people to take voters to City Hall to sign recall petitions. Often those who signed were given monetary rewards.

Proposition 17 prohibited such practices and also increased the required number of recall petition signers from 10 to 25 percent of qualified voters. It also exempted the City Manager from recall, making the Long Beach Charter conform to the general plan of the Council-Manager form of government, which stipulated Councilmen were responsible to the people, and the City Manager to the Council. The charter amendment carried by a majority of 5150 and the anti-recall forces swept all but one of the 137 precincts in the City.

The WPA Long Beach survived an earthquake in 1933 and a recall election in 1934. Better times were to follow when, on May 6, 1935, Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order, to organize “light” public works projects for those workers not employed by the

“heavy” public works agencies such as the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

All were to work for their money because Roosevelt shared former President Herbert Hoover’s aversion to the dole, calling it, “a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.”

In order to qualify as a WPA project, the projects could not compete with private enterprise and had to have a persuasive social value. Where people had useful skills, the WPA eagerly used them. Discovering that artists, musicians, and writers were hit hard by the economic times of the 1930s, the WPA organized projects to utilize their talents.

Not all proposed WPA projects were approved, much to the dismay of Naples residents. Since the early 1930s, the canal walls of Naples, built in 1905, had been crumbling. The 1933 earthquake was the final straw, collapsing the already fragile walls. For four years, Naples residents petitioned the City and the federal government to repair them, even threatening to secede from Long Beach if their demands weren’t met.

They were outraged when WPA Administration officials turned down funding saying the canals should be filled in. The costs were too high in proportion to the number of people to benefit, the government claimed. Eventually, with the aid of state, county and

Wikimedia Commons

Franklin Delano Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act in August 1935

city funds, reconstruction work started.

On August 26, 1939, Naples held a celebration and formally dedicated the new walls. In attendance was Arthur M. Parsons, 81, known as the “father of Naples.” It was due to his efforts that the community had begun.

Adding a touch of pageantry to the afternoon’s celebration was the appearance of King Neptune and his court, which floated down the Rivo Alto Canal. Perhaps the most popular event was the men’s bathing beauty contest, which brought lots of laughter from the

on lookers.

A few days after the Naples dedication, war broke out in Europe. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3, Poland’s allies declared war on Germany. World War II had begun. The Great Depression was soon over as European nations looked to America and the country’s industrial strength to supply their economic and war needs. Industry and employment skyrocketed in the United States, especially in Southern California with the growth of shipyards, aviation and oil production.

NEWS

May 15, 2020

SH Council

Signal Tribune

7

continued from page 1

interviewed candidate Triphina Moore, who could not be interviewed in April, and new candidate Judd Keuhling.

During his interview, Keuhling said he has been a Signal Hill resident since 2016 and works in digital marketing with previous experience in real-estate finance and degrees in economics and business.

In answer to council questions, Keuhling said housing development needs to balance different income levels and that he’d like to see a youth-sports facility in the city.

Former educator Triphina Moore said she is a 19-year Signal Hill resident and president of her homeowner’s association.

She said one project she’d like to see in the city is a mid-size hotel but she would strive to maintain Signal Hill’s small-feel and balance of commercial and residential activity as it modernizes.

“Do we want a crowded city, or do we want a city that is easy to move about in?” she asked.

After interviewing these two and bringing forward the other three candidates it had interviewed last month, council members nominated Keuhling, Lopez and Shipp for vote consideration.

Two council members voted for Keuhling, two for Lopez and one for Shipp.

Since no candidate received a quorum of three votes, Vice Mayor Tina Hansen agreed to

change her vote to Lopez.

Mayor Robert Copeland encouraged the other candidates to apply again for city commissions in 2021.

“Stay involved,” he said.

Hansen concurred and suggested that the candidates, and any other residents, approach council members for ways to serve the city.

“If you want to get involved,” she said, “we can find a place for you.”

COVID-19 Shin-Heydorn gave an update to the council on how COVID-19 is affecting Signal Hill as of that day, pointing out an increasing trend in the numbers of confirmed cases, hospitalizations and fatalities in the county and state.

“In Signal Hill, we are also seeing a slow increase in the number of confirmed cases,” she said. “As of today we are at 13 confirmed cases.”

Shin-Heydorn also said Phase 2 of Governor Newsom’s reopening plan has allowed some retailers to open for curb-side pickup and delivery as of Friday, May 8.

“Car dealerships, showrooms and sales departments were also allowed to open,” Shin-Heydorn said. “Employees and customers must practice physical distancing and infection-control procedures.”

The City also opened its trails,

Courtesy City of Signal Hill

A slide from the May 12 Signal Hill City Council meeting indicating that while Signal Hill’s parks are open, playground and exercise equipment in the parks as well as basketball courts, restrooms, certain parking lots and the Dog Park remain closed.

she said, but stressed that users should follow all posted rules and access restrictions.

Trail-users should also allow six feet of distance between household-members and all others, avoid crowded areas and keep a face-covering on in parking lots, trailheads and on trails when other groups are nearby, Shin-Heydorn said.

“Don’t use trails that are crowded,” she said. “If you notice a crowd, go back. If it is unavoidable, wear your face-covering as you pass.”

She added that hikers should not linger along trails unless taking a short break.

Shin-Heydorn also said beaches in LA County, including Long Beach, were opening Wednesday for activities, including surfing.

However, she said face coverings are required when out of the water and around others not from the same household. Beachgoers cannot bring accessories such as chairs, canopies or coolers, and sunbathing is prohibited. Bike paths, piers and boardwalks also remain closed, and no group sports or gatherings are allowed.

Shin-Heydorn also said that Metro riders need to wear masks on buses and trains as of May 11.

Given the still-increasing numbers of cases, Councilmembers

Lori Woods and Edward Wilson encouraged residents not to “jump the gun,” as Woods said, in pushing to resume business and recreational activities.

“To go from five to 13 [cases] is a big jump for our city,” Wilson said. “With the push to open, […] people will sometimes move away from what the numbers are actually telling you.”

The next Signal Hill City Council meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm. For information on accessing and participating in the meeting, visit the council’s webpage.

Humankindness connects us all.

St. Mary Medical Center is partnering with other Dignity Health medical facilities and local organizations to provide the highest quality care.

Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center is here for you when you need us most. It is our mission to be there for you, day or night. Because we are more than just a hospital, we are part of Long Beach.

To keep the community healthy, a specially appointed COVID-19 team continues to work in concert with LA County and the State of CA to ensure hospitals in the community are properly supplied.

St. Mary Medical Center is offering community drive-thru COVID-19 testing in partnership with the State of California and Google’s Verily. Please visit longbeach.gov/covid19 for more information.

If you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19, Dignity Health is offering a free virtual visit using the coupon code COVID19. Please go to dignityhealth.org/virtualcareanywhere.

8

PUBLIC NOTICES

Signal Tribune

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT Thursday, May 7 7:56am, Auto burglary, 1900 block Stanley Ave. 9:59am, Grand theft, 3200 block E. Willow St. 11:23am, Burglary, 2600 block Junipero Ave. Friday, May 8 4:39am, Inflict Corporal Injury on Spouse/Cohabitant, 1900 block Junipero Ave. (suspect arrested) 8:28pm, Identity theft, 2700 block Dawson Ave. Saturday, May 9 6:08pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2200 block Rose Ave. 7:50pm, Battery on Spouse/Cohabitant, 700 block E. Spring St. (suspect arrested) Monday, May 11 1:43pm, Identity theft, 1500 block E. Hill St. 6:18pm, Burglary, 1900 block Raymond Ave. Tuesday, May 12 4:31am, Stolen vehicle – recovered, 2500 block Lemon Ave. 10:42am, Identity theft, 3200 block Orange Ave. 12:25pm, Identity theft, 2100 block E. 21 st St. Wednesday, May 13 10:35am, Robbery/second degree, 700 block E. Spring St. (suspect arrested) 10:57pm, Burglary, 1200 block E. Hill St. TST6201 Case No. 20CMCP00043 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: Alieda Patricia Lopez TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioners: ALIEDA PATRICIA LOPEZ has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing her name as follows: Present Name: ALIEDA PATRICIA LOPEZ to Proposed Name: ALEIDA PATRICIA LOPEZ BEY. 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: July 31, 2020; 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, 1399 E. 28th, Street, Signal Hill, April 24 & May 1, 8, 15, 2020.

Declaration of Nationality.

In God We Trust. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: ‘’ altamirano-el, rogelio© ‘’, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘’ ALTAMIRANO JR., ROGELIO© ‘’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘’ ROGELIO ALTAMIRANO JR.© ‘’, and, ‘’ ALTAMIRANO, ROGELIO© ‘’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘’ ROGELIO ALTAMIRANO© ‘’ having reached the age of majority hereby duly affirms to declare my intention to be as my

pedigree subscribes, as an: Toltecah Moorish American National , but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to the Moorish Empire, In God We Trust, The united states of America, Republic ( Major ), The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, etc.. In harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and all Natural laws governing moors, I hereby Declare and Proclaim my nationality as an: Toltecah Moorish American National. I am that I am: ‘’ altamirano jr., rogelio© ‘’, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ altamirano-el, rogelio© ”. Notice of Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: ‘’ ALTAMIRANO JR., ROGELIO© “, corp. sole Dba.: ‘’ ROGELIO ALTAMIRANO JR.© ‘’, to the depositor: ‘’ altamirano-el, rogelio© ‘’, nom deguerre: ‘’ altamirano jr., rogelio© ‘’. All property , of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: ‘’ altamirano-el, rogelio© ‘’, nom deguerre: ‘’ altamirano jr., rogelio© ‘’, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : ‘’ HOUSE OF TOLTECAH TRUST© ‘’, a Private Divine Unincorporated Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Any and All Attorneys with a License from the BAR Association are explicitly prohibited from administrating ‘’ HOUSE OF TOLTECAH TRUST© ‘’ property

Join the rest of our 2,180 followers!

Give us a like on Facebook to receive the latest news updates!

Facebook.com/signal.tribune

without handwritten consent from each and every trustee, after said Attorneys have furnished their nationality, and Principal for whom’s interest they are working Pursuant to Public Law 89-487 & Public Law 75-583, to Trustees in plain writing. All Rights Reserved.

TST6215 / 2020 061820 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: DHT EQUITY, 4601 N. Cerritos Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: 1.

DANIEL THOMPSON, 2. HEARESE THOMPSON, 4601 N. Cerritos Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is conducted by: a Married Couple. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Daniel Thompson. The registrant has not begun to use this fictitious business name. This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on March 12, 2020. 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 27, & April 3, 10, 17, 2020.

TST6230 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE T.S. No.: 2019-01265-CA A.P.N.: 7216-035-011 Property Address: 2180 Village Way, Signal Hill, CA 90755 PURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE § 2923.3(a) and (d), THE SUMMARY OF INFORMATION REFERRED TO BELOW IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE RECORDED COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT BUT ONLY TO THE COPIES PROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR. NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 10/15/2004. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Trustor: BLAKE HUTTON A SINGLE MAN Duly Appointed Trustee: Western Progressive, LLC Deed of Trust Recorded 10/26/2004 as Instrument No. 04 2756230 in book ---, page--- and of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, Date of Sale: 07/02/2020 at 09:00 AM Place of Sale: VINEYARD BALLROOM DOUBLETREE HOTEL LOS ANGELES-NORWALK, 13111 SYCAMORE DRIVE, NORWALK, CA 90650 Estimated amount of unpaid balance, reasonably estimated costs and other charges: $ 703,378.26 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE THE TRUSTEE WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, A SAVINGS ASSOCIATION OR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: All right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described as: More fully described in said Deed of Trust.

Street Address or other common designation of real property: 2180 Village Way, Signal Hill, CA 90755 A.P.N.: 7216-035-011 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above.

The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the

May 15, 2020

Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $ 703,378.26.

Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves the right to bid less than the total debt owed, it is possible that at the time of the sale the opening bid may be less than the total debt.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

The beneficiary of the Deed of Trust has executed and delivered to the undersigned a written request to commence foreclosure, and the undersigned caused a Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself.

Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on this property.

NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL TST6236 NOTICE OF PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS TO ASSESSMENTS CITY OF SIGNAL HILL LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 1 As of May 12, 2020 THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL GIVES NOTICE that: 1. Purpose. The City is proposing to adjust the assessments in the above Landscape and Lighting District No. 1 (the “District”). The purpose of the adjustment is to fully fund the estimated increased costs for the continued maintenance, servicing, and administration of landscaping improvements within the public right-of-way and dedicated easements within the boundaries of the District.

2. Amounts. For Fiscal Year 2020-21, the total proposed assessment for the District is $91,600.42 and is assessed per parcel as follows:

• $ 900.25 levy for basic lots;

• $ 1,125.31 levy for lots with landscaping (total assessment would be 25% surcharge above basic lot); and

• $ 1,350.38 levy for oil lots (total assessment would be 50% surcharge above basic lot) 3. Method of Spread of Assessment. In order to provide an equitable assessment to all owners within the District, the following method of apportionment has been used. The cost of maintenance determined as a direct benefit is assessed to all single-family properties, single-family properties with landscaping, and oil lots based upon an equivalent dwelling unit. An analysis of the improvements located within the District has shown that the improvements, which were installed as a condition of approval for the development of the project, provide a special benefit to the parcels in the District over and above general benefits conferred on the public at large. In order to develop these properties, the City required these improvements to be installed and maintained by the property owners.

Therefore, each parcel in the District could not have been developed without the installation and maintenance of the facilities. The properties in the District receive a direct enhancement of their property values due to the installation and ongoing maintenance of the improvements, and the presence of the landscaping makes the subdivision a more attractive place to live and provides a greater quality of life for the residents. The details of the assessment spread can be found in the Engineer’s Report on file with the City Clerk.

Currently, assessments cannot be increased above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by the City, to pay for the increased costs of maintaining the District, without a vote of these property owners being assessed. Without the ability to increase assessments, it may be necessary for the District to reduce the level of maintenance it can provide, thus jeopardizing the quality and appearance of facilities. The District is requesting the ability to increase the current maximum assessment within the District. In future years, the proposed assessment would limit the increase to the CPI. Regardless of the amounts actually levied each year (assessments may be levied at less than the maximum rate), the maximum allowable rates are proposed to increase as described above. Any increase in the actual amount of the assessment levied, as long as it does not exceed the maximum assessment for that fiscal year, will not be considered an increase of the assessment as defined

by Proposition 218.

The assessment is proposed to be levied in perpetuity.

4. Meeting and Hearing. On May 12, 2020, the City of Signal Hill City Council adopted Resolution No. 2020-05-6562 and declared its intention to increase levy and collect assessments, including CPI adjustments, for the District.

On July 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m., the City Council will hold a PUBLIC HEARING at City Hall Council Chambers, 2175 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, California to take public testimony, hear protests, and begin to tabulate the assessment ballots. If the City Council is still acting remotely in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency provisions, the meeting will be held remotely as described on the City Council agenda and City website. Final action on the levy of the proposed assessments described herein for Fiscal Year 2020-21 will be at the City Council meeting of July 14, 2020.

5. Ballot. Ballots were mailed to all property owners within the District.

At or before the end of the PUBLIC HEARING in Section 3 above, any property owner in the District may submit the assessment ballot to the City Clerk. To do so, the owner must: mark the Ballot either “In Favor of the Proposed Assessment” or “Opposed to the Proposed Assessment;” and sign it. Any Ballots returned and not marked or signed will be rejected and not counted. The ballots may be hand delivered or mailed to the City Clerk at the City’s address shown on the assessment ballot. To be counted, a ballot must be received by the City Clerk not later than the end of the PUBLIC HEARING specified above. The ballots will be weighted according to the proportional financial obligation of the affected properties.

If the ballots submitted in opposition to the assessment increase exceed the ballots submitted in favor of the increase, with ballots weighted according to the proportional financial obligation of the affected property, the increased assessment proposed herein will not be imposed. However, the previously approved assessment will not be affected and will continue to be levied.

6.

Information. The Engineer’s Report and other written material about the assessment district may be reviewed at the City Clerk’s Office, 2175 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, California, (562) 989-7305, cityclerk@cityofsignalhill. org.

Published in the Signal Tribune Newspaper on: Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on:

May 15, 2020 May 15, 2020

NEWS

May 15, 2020 sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (866)960-8299 or visit this Internet Web site “http://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx” using the file number assigned to this case 2019-01265-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.

Date: April 29, 2020 Western Progressive, LLC, as Trustee for beneficiary C/o 1500 Palma Drive, Suite 237 Ventura, CA 93003 Sale Information Line: (866) 960-8299 “http://altisource.com/resware/TrusteeServicesSearch.aspx”http://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx Date: April 29, 2020 _______________________ Trustee Sale Assistant WESTERN PROGRESSIVE, LLC MAY BE ACTING AS A DEBIT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Published in the Signal Tribune on May 8, 15, 22, 2020 TST6228 COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR NOTICE OF DIVIDED PUBLICATION Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3381 Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Sections 3381 through 3385, the Notice of Power to Sell Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, has been divided and distributed to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.

NOTICE OF IMPENDING POWER TO SELL TAX-DEFAULTED PROPERTY Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3361 Notice is hereby given that the following parcels listed will become Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, by operation of law. The real property taxes and assessments on the parcels listed will have been defaulted five or more years, except for: 1. Nonresidential commercial parcels, as defined in R&TC Section 3691, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 2. Parcels on which a nuisance abatement lien has been recorded, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 3. Parcels that can serve the public benefit and a request has been made by the County of Los Angeles, a city within the County of Los Angeles, or nonprofit organization to purchase the parcels through Chapter 8 Agreement Sales pursuant to R&TC Section 3692.4, which will have been defaulted for three or more years.

The Tax Collector will record a Notice of Power to Sell unless the property taxes are paid in full or the property owner initiates an installment plan of redemption, as provided by law, prior to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, when the right to initiate an installment plan terminates.

Thereafter, the only option to prevent the sale of the property at public auction is to pay the taxes in full.

The right of redemption survives the property becoming Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell, but it terminates at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on the last business day before the scheduled auction of the property by the Tax Collector.

The Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office will furnish, upon request, information concerning making a payment in full or initiating an installment plan of redemption. For more information, please visit our website at ttc.

Signal Tribune

LB Council

lacounty.gov.

The amount to redeem the property, in United States dollars and cents, is set forth in the listing opposite each parcel number.

This amount includes all defaulted taxes, penalties, and fees that have accrued from the date of tax-default to the date of Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct. Dated this 24th day of February, 2020.

KEITH KNOX TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA PARCEL NUMBERING SYSTEM EXPLANATION The Assessor’s Identification Number, when used to describe property in this list, refers to the Assessor’s map book, the map page, the block on the map, if applicable, and the individual parcel on the map page or in the block. The Assessor’s maps and further explanation of the parcel numbering system are available in the Assessor’s Office, 500 West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012.

The real property that is the subject of this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows: PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2017 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016-2017 2498 $29, 108.66 GSD LLC AIN: 7207-008-026 2501 $30, 571.81 UNITED ANGLERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SITUS: 1933 TEMPLE AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-1017 AIN: 7216-020011 2502 $14, 561.38 UNITED ANGLERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SITUS: 1939 TEMPLE AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-1017 AIN: 7216-021002 2505 $3, 365.92 RIVERA, LOUIS A JR TR LOUIS A RIVERA JR TRUST SITUS: 1831 REDONDO AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-1225 AIN: 7217022-005 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2015 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015 2487 $34, 793.31 CLEMMER, NANCY SITUS: 3309 LEMON AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-4703 AIN: 7148-002-022 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2013 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 2504 $13, 212.72 GHADERI TAFRESHI, MEHRAN SITUS: 2462 TEMPLE AVE SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-4011 AIN: 7217-001-012 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2012 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012 2503 $2, 453.49 DACER, D DIANNA SITUS: 2720 E WALL ST SIGNAL HILL CA 90755-1143 AIN: 7216-023-011 CN969734 578 May 15,22, 2020

TST6235/Order No: 7425 Auto Lien Sale On 05/27/2020 at 371 W PALMER AVE GLENDALE, CA a Lien Sale will be held on a 2018 TOYOTA VIN: 5YFBURHE1JP800833 STATE: CA LIC: 8CMV412 at

9

continued from page 1

ployee then has five business days to accept the job.

Under the resolution, Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica will report back to the council every 90 days to provide updates on how the ordinance is working and whether changes should be made.

The council also voted to approve a separate measure that will also apply to workers and janitorial staff at hotels or commercial property businesses.

Under the ordinance, when a business is sold, the new owners must retain workers who were working for the previous company for at least 90 days.

The final ordinance extends sick leave for employees not covered by the Federal Emergency Sick Leave Act. The order will apply to companies with 500 or more employees nationally who are not required to provide full or partial paid sick leave to its workers.

Full-time employees will be entitled to 80 hours of paid sick leave, and part-time employees are allowed paid sick leave relative to the average number of hours worked over two weeks.

Pets The city council voted to receive documentation recommending a measure to increase the limit on the number of pets residents can own from four to six.

Even though the measure to increase the number of pets was not controversial, some councilmembers expressed their concern about a lack of safeguards against people owning too many pets.

5th District Councilmember Stacy Mungo did not oppose the ordinance but stated that her community generally does not have many animals due to noise complaints.

She advocated for safeguards to determine if a family was able to house six animals adequately, and said she would be open to an easy or strenuous process.

Blackbird Cafe has food to go!

Everyday from 7am - 2pm.

Visit Blackbirdlb.com to see our Menu

Call (562) 490-2473 to place your order FREE Delivery within a 3 mile radius Our staff will be making the deliveries, so tips are greatly appreciated.

Minimum order of $25.00 for delivery

We appreciate your continued patronage!

Mungo also expressed concern about an apartment building with multiple tenants housing pets and the impact this could have on a neighborhood.

“We have a process to apply to be a breeder. We have a process apply to be on the menagerie,” Mungo said. “There should be a process for pets, and what we’re talking about right now is a triplex that could have 18 animals, and maybe that’s not the greatest idea.”

Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga tried to raise a motion to send the ordinance back to the city attorney for more clarification.

Still, the council chose to move forward with the vote.

In the end, the council voted 8-1 to approve the potential change– Uranga voted nay.

Airport The council voted to adopt a resolution to give the city manager authority to enter into a contract for the continued construction at Long Beach Airport.

Under the resolution, the City will enter into a contract with Anser Advisory, LLC dba, Simplus Management, LLC, of Cypress, CA, for the construction management services.

The construction will be for the project known as Phase II Terminal Area Improvements and will be for the amount of $3,947,343, for three years– with an option to renew for two

one-year periods after that.

Cynthia Guidry, the director of the Long Beach Airport, also provided updates on how the program is expected to move forward now that the airport has lost revenue due to COVID-19.

“The airport is spending a tremendous amount of our reserve cash,” Guidry said. “We were in a very good financial position before COVID, but you know for you save money for rainy days, and it’s pouring right now.”

Guidry stated that the airport did receive $18.4 million in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but that it will cover expenses for roughly six to seven months.

The airport is considering halting certain parts of the second phase as a cost-cutting measure, one of which is TSA funded. The other, the new ticketing building, will continue until a “logical hard stop.”

Stephan Lum, the Phase II project manager, also stated that the airport is delaying the baggage claim project for 17 months.

The Long Beach City Council meetings are held on Tuesday, except for the last Tuesday of the month. Council meetings are held in council chambers in the civic center plaza, 411. W. Ocean Blvd.

CURIOUS HOW YOUR HOMES VALUE IS INCREASING THIS YEAR? Want an Instant, Free market evaluation?

Go To PriceMySignalHillHome.com Richard Daskam (562) 857-1965

Keller Williams Coastal Properties CalBRE 01091037 & 01443822

Have a leak?

LET US CHECK! FREE LEAK ASSESSMENT! Pete’s Plumbing • BATHROOMS (562) 425-2373 petes-plumbing.com

• KITCHENS • LANDSCAPING LINES

We’re in a drought... don’t leak it out!

Follow us on

3405 Orange Ave. LB

@signaltribune

562.490.2473 • blackbirdlb.com • @BlackBirdCafeLB

For the latest news updates

10

Signal Tribune

May 15, 2020

WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

YZF-R1 | YZF-R6 | YZF-R3 | MT-10 | MT-09 | MT-07 | MT-03 | Bolt | Niken | Star | Tracer | And All Offroad Bikes

DEL AMO MOTORSPORTS

OF

LONG BEACH

3291 CHERRY AVENUE | LONG BEACH, CA 90807 4 LOCATIONS

TO

SERVE YOU!

(562) 427-2779 |

DELAMOMOTORSPORTSLB

DELAMORIDERS

WWW.DELAMOLB.COM

DELAMORIDERS

1 Offer available on approved purchases of new 2017-2020 Yamaha Motorcycles, Scooters, ATVs and Side-by-Sides made on the Yamaha Credit Card issued by WebBank, member FDIC. Subject to credit approval as determined by WebBank. Offer valid 3/1/20 through 6/30/20. Available to cardholders of the WebBank Yamaha Card. Account must be open and current to be eligible for this offer. Promotional 2.99%, 5.99%, 9.99% or 16.99% APR with Minimum Payments of 2.92%, 3.05%, 3.24% or 3.57% respectively of the purchase price balance, based on your creditworthiness thiness, are effective until the purchase is paid in full. Minimum Interest Charge $2 per month. Standard APR 15.99%-23.99%. †Customer Cash good on select models through 6/30/20. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Dealer remains responsible for complying with all local and state advertising regulations and laws. Professional riders on a closed course.

Read the Owner’s Manual and the product warning labels before operation. Some models shown with optional accessories. Speciications subject to change. Motorcycle Riders: Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, riding jacket or long sleeve shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, call 1-800-446-9227. ©2020 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com

NEWS

May 15, 2020

Lawsuit continued from page 1

new electronic voting system, VSAP (Voting Solutions for All People), created a higher number of polling places across the county than before, RR/CC increased its charges for the recount, LBRC said. “To retrieve these physical ballots, the County Clerk’s office estimates that 16 workers would have to work for 16 full days,� LBRC said, adding that the County gave them a cost estimate of more than $11,000 per day.

LBRC further suggested that the County’s fees included paying its IT department to develop a new ballot-scanning interface to use in future recounts.

With the recount already underway on April 13, LBRC requested that the County continue recounting manually for $10,854.50, as per the state Election Code cited in RR/CC’s “Requesting a Recount 2020� handbook. However, Logan’s office responded by halting the recount, which LBRC said it had already paid $21,000 to initiate.

The lawsuit clarifies that Logan agreed to a manual recount but only if LBRC paid its per-day fee of $11,694.49 for the first of 16 anticipated days of ballot-retrieval, which LBRC did not do.

LBRC then announced on April 27 that it would file suit against the RR/CC within the legal timeframe using a $20,000 grant from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association. “If successful, our litigation effectively will return to the public its right to verify election outcomes, rather than relying purely on non-transparent computerized tabulation,� LBRC said after filing suit on May 11.

Mike Sanchez, a spokesperson for RR/CC, told the Signal Tribune in a May 12 email that the agency does not comment on active litigation.

However, Sanchez did say that the new voting system, authorized

by Lock the Voter’s Choice price Act, does in your change the way ballots must be

SPRINGTIME SAVINGS

retrieved for a recount. Since voters can now vote at any of 1,000 county locations, ballots are stored in batches rather than at polling precincts, making retrieval more time consuming. “A record is maintained that allows for identifying the specific box and storage location for a given ballot or set of ballots,� Sanchez said. “However, retrieval does require identifying each applicable box and then going through the boxes to retrieve specific ballots.�

LBRC’s lawsuit alleges that relevant ballots ended up in 5,000 different boxes, none of which were sorted by precinct. It accuses Logan of obstructing the recount in order to, as LBRC states, “cover up the flaws in his new VSAP system.� “VSAP is now being used as an excuse to eliminate presorting of ballots altogether and instead burden the individual making the recount request with that cost,�

LBRC said.

LBRC further contends that the partial recount the County completed between April 8 and 11 shows that VSAP’s machine vote-counting is not accurate. “Half a dozen votes that the computer recorded as ‘over-votes’ (both a ‘Yes’ and a ‘No’ vote, spoiling the ballot for the particular race) were, in fact, clear votes for either a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No,’�

LBRC asserts.

Sanchez told the Signal Tribune shortly after the County certified the election results in March that it followed the Election Code’s required “1% manual tally� by hand-counting votes in a random selection of 1% of voting precincts, plus in one precinct not in that selection. Officials then compared the manual tally with the machine’s tally to verify both were

LockexperienCe in your price “A-ratedâ€? • Bbefore ixBy KnoLLs resident May 10th. on angieslist.com LiCensed • B onded • insured Call forusdetails.

Check out at “A-rated� on angieslist.com

NextDoor.com

• Hundreds local Check us out atof NextDoor.com Contractor’s 629882 ContraCtor’License s LiCense ##629882

references • Over 35 years experience • Bixby Knolls resident • Licensed & fully insured (General Liability & Worker’s Comp)

“A-rated� on angieslist.com Check us out at

NextDoor.com Contractor’s License # 629882

11

Possible street racing incident leads to pedestrian death in Long Beach City News Service Southern California Local News

A motorist who allegedly crashed during a street race in Long Beach, resulting in the death of a pedestrian, was facing possible charges Tuesday, May 12, and a second motorist was being sought, police said.

The crash occurred about 6:40pm Monday near Santa Fe Avenue and Hill Street, according to the Long Beach Police Department. “The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2017 Lexus IS200 was traveling southbound on Santa Fe Avenue at a high rate of speed,� a police statement said. “The Lexus ran the red light at Hill Street and struck a 2003 Honda Odyssey that was traveling eastbound on Hill Street,� police said. “The impact caused the Lexus to spin and collide into a pedestrian who was in a marked crosswalk attempting to legally cross Santa Fe Avenue on a green light.�

Josephine Espiritu, 59, of Long Beach died at the scene, police said. “It is believed the Lexus was racing another vehicle right before the collision occurred,� police said. “The other vehicle did not remain on scene and left. That vehicle is described as a black

Nissan 350Z with a slatted window covering on the back window.�

Paramedics took the drivers of the Lexus and the Honda to a hospital for treatment, police said. Their names were not released. “The driver of the Honda Odyssey sustained minor injuries,� police said. “The driver of the Lexus is in stable but critical condition. Drugs and alcohol do not seem to have been a factor in this collision.� “The driver of the Lexus has not been arrested for the incident, and remains in a local hospital receiving treatment,� police said. “Detectives will be presenting the case to the District Attorney’s Office today for filling consideration.�

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call Detective K. Myers or Detective A. Duncan of the Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail at 562570-7355.

Ayanna Cares RETIRED COUPLE In Home Care Services

before May 10th.

Call for details.

• Hundreds of local references • Over 35 years experience • Bixby Knolls resident • Hundreds of SPRINGTIME LoCaL referenCes • Licensed & fully insured (General & Worker’s • SAVINGS oLiability ver 40 yearsComp)

the same. “The legally required 1% post-election manual tally, which included all contests and ballot measures, validated the accuracy of the count of those ballots– which included Measure A– with no variances,� Sanchez said.

However, LBRC’s lawsuit contends that the RR/CC did not conduct a manual tally of precincts but rather of batches. “It is uncertain whether any ballots cast in the Measure A election were included in, and subject to verification, through the one-percent tally that the Registrar conducted,� the petition states.

Measure A has generated over $167 million in revenue since its implementation in 2017, according to the Long Beach city manager’s office. The City has used the funds to restore three public-safety vehicles, 41 public-safety positions, staff its police academy and initiate or complete dozens of infrastructure projects in fire stations, libraries and parks across the city.

Mayor Robert Garcia and the fire and police chiefs said in arguments supporting the March ballot measure that besides ensuring public safety, the city still needs $2.6 billion to repair streets, sidewalks and alleys as well as upgrade its water system.

Nevertheless, LBRC’s lawsuit questions the method by which the Measure A extension passed, with ramifications for future elections. “Given that most vote-counting errors arise from the computer misreading scanned images of vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots,�

LBRC says, “the recent decision that all voters receive ballots by mail due to the pandemic makes this litigation all the more urgent.�

Signal Tribune

Has $$$$ to lend on California Real Estate* V.I.P. TRUST DEED COMPANY OVER 35 YEARS OF FAST FUNDING

For the Elderly and Physically Handicapped Including Alzheimers Patients

• Adult Daycare • Post Hospital Care • Meal Preparation • Light Housekeeping

Ayanna & Dwyane Armstead OďŹƒce: (562) 633-2195 Cell: (562) 576-3893 License# 011231

www.ayannacares.com

Principal

(818) 248-0000 Broker

WWW.VIPLOAN.COM *Sufficient equity required - no consumer loans Real Estate License #01041073 CA Department of Real Estate, NMLS #339217

Private Party loans generally have higher interest rates, points & fees than conventional discount loans

LIVES LIVED Robert Cohen 44 Soon Kim 84 Richard Regan 73 Lori Martinez 61 Henrietta Kumiyama 57 Thomas Logsdon 82 Elizabeth Blake 73 Fred Becker 71 Laverne Shrum 94 Michael Robinson 74 Lenore Peters 90 George McDermott 70 Margaret Miller 85 Victoria Cooper 26 Jo Ann Kittredge 82

The families were assisted

by McKenzie Mortuary.

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

Pet of the week: Ozzy As we’re certain you know, everyone loves an orange cat! Ozzy, 3 years old, is an orange cat who loves everyone—his green eyes emanate kindness and unconditional love. Can you return it? Ozzy’d make the perfect work-at-home companion or will offer a warm welcome home to an essential worker. And of course, his beautiful fawn-color coat will go with anything!

Because the shelter is closed to the public, adoption appointments are conducted through appointment, so call 562-570-PETS or email AnimalRescue@longbeach. gov to meet Ozzy. Ask for ID#A642534.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

12

Signal Tribune

May 15, 2020

Protect your face, protect your community.

All customers are encouraged to continue wearing face coverings when aboard LBT Buses. We also request that you continue to practice social distancing by remembering to Skip a Seat, Skip a Row and Stop the Spread.

For more safety Bus Basics, visit ridelbt.com/basics