July 24, 2020 | Vol. XLII No. 31

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

VOL. XLII NO. 31

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

www.signaltribune.com

July 24, 2020

“Racism is learned, it can be unlearned:” Black voices speak out at LBUSD Board meeting Board unanimously adopts Equity Policy to create best practices, funding and future initiatives for children of color.

Anita W. Harris Staff Writer

The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board devoted most of its regular July 20 meeting to invited and public comments on addressing racial disparities, especially for Black students.

Several invited speakers– including educators, volunteers, city and school officials and a former student– shared perspectives and called on board members to correct imbalances that affect Black children in LBUSD schools and their families. see LBUSD page 7

Photo by Alex Sanchez

Bernardo Nuñez was presented with a new bicycle ice cream cart by members of the Local Hearts Foundation on Monday, July 20. He was also presented with the proceeds raised from the GoFundMe. From left: Tito Rodriguez, Bernardo Nuñez and HJ Chong. Rodriguez and Chong are co-founders of Local Hearts Foundation.

Christmas in July

Karla Enriquez Digital Editor

On the sunny afternoon of Monday, July 20, Bernardo Nuñez rides down a street in the Northside on a brand new ice cream cart. He wears a “Defend Eloteros” tee-shirt as a badge of pride as he rides on the cracked asphalt. His black Diamond Supply mask matches the design on the top of his cart, both from the Local Hearts Foundation.

On July 11, however, the local street vendor’s story was different.

According to Nuñez, at approximately 3:00 p.m. he stopped from his usual vending route, which started at 11:00 a.m., to buy refreshments and napkins at the 99 Cents store on 53rd Street and Long Beach Boulevard. He had been in the

store for about three minutes when as he was about to pay for his items, he noticed his cart was gone.

“I ran out and looked everywhere and couldn’t find [my cart],” Nuñez said in Spanish to the Signal Tribune. “I asked if I could see the cameras to see who had taken it, but the employee said she didn’t know anything about that.”

Nuñez ran down 53rd Street, leaving the items he was going to buy behind. While on the search for his cart the 66-yearold man stopped and asked several people he encountered on the street for help.

At one point a person pointed him in the direction they believed they had seen the cart heading, but Nuñez ran there and found nothing. Another passerby helped Nuñez dial the police to make a report.

“I was so nervous I couldn’t grab my cell phone,” Nuñez said before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

While waiting for the police to arrive, Nuñez kept the mission to find his cart alive, reaching Sunset Street and Locust Avenue.

“I felt bad because that was my source of income and although I wasn’t making a lot, it was something,” Nunez said of the impact of the robbery.

And then Tito Rodriguez, also known as Hood Santa, heard of Nuñez’s story.

Rodriguez, who is known for his year-round good deeds through his non-profit, Local Hearts Foundation, put out a call via Instagram’s IGTV asking the local community in the area of the theft to drive around and keep an eye out for the cart.

see ICE CREAM page 4

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2

NEWS

Signal Tribune

July 24, 2020

Lower-income areas of Long Beach vastly undercounted in Census in comparison to more affluent areas

In total Long Beach has a self-response rate of an average of 61.8%.

Lissette Mendoza Managing Editor

Have you taken the Census yet?

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States and takes place every 10 years.

Data from the 2020 Census will serve as a guide to determine the amount of federal funding the state would receive, which go towards schools, roads, health care, food assistance, workforce assistance, emergency planning and response, and other vital, community services.

The data collected also plays a vital role in determining how many seats in the House of Representatives each state receives.

Long Beach has a self-response rate of an average of 61.8%. The Self-Response

by Census Tract Map highlights the response rates within Long Beach neighborhoods.

The data shows that the areas

in the wealthier districts such as Lakewood and Los Altos (highlighted in purple), have a higher response rate ranging from 75% – 85%, than the lower-income areas in the Westside, Northside and Downtown neighborhoods (highlighted in orange) including the Lower Westside, Washington, Wilmore, and De Forest areas, who have a response rate ranging from 16% – 50%.

The lowest self-response rate in the City of Long Beach of 16.3% is located in the Lower Westside. Of those responses only 4.7% came from completing the Census online.

It’s important to note that the median income of that specific tract is $11,736, according to statisticalatlas.com.

In comparison, the area with the highest self-response rate of 83.4% is located in Los Altos. Of those responses, 76.1% of them were completed online. The median income of see CENSUS page 4

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Former employees pen open letter alleging a history of hostile workplace behavior at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach Daniel Green Production Manager

Over the years, the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach has stated its personal mission is to “advance equity for LGBTQ people through culturally responsive advocacy, education, programs and services�.

For many, the Center is a way to access support groups, workshops, seminars, legal services, free HIV and STI testing and much more.

However, in recent weeks the Center is facing scrutiny due to an open letter released by a group of 14 former employees that described a hostile workplace and a culture of misogyny against Black and non-white women of color.

The collective which goes by the name Save The Center Long Beach, released the letter through Instagram, identifying the Center’s Executive Director, Porter Gilberg, as a source of the Center’s issues, leading to his decisions to take a leave of absence.

In the letter released on June 26, Save The Center Long Beach calls for the removal of Gilberg, citing “the traumatizing and hostile work environment created under his leadership, particularly for the Center’s Black employees.�

In an email to the Signal Tri-

bune, Save The Center Long Beach claimed that Gilberg showed a lack of concern for the Center’s staff. They state that when confronted about workplace issues, such as disagreements over work hours, inadequate pay or arguments, Gilberg would start exhibiting hostile behavior. “Once the behavior escalated, it did not seem to stop until that staff member was fired or quit because they couldn’t handle the treatment anymore,� the group said. “The behavior ranged from things like silent treatment and avoidance to exhibiting aggressive behavior or acting condescendingly to staff in front of other staff members, clients, or Center stakeholders.�

The group also alleged that Gilberg would push employees to work long hours, sometimes over 50 hours a week. They also claim that he would belittle employees who did not meet this standard.

The group also stated that Gilberg exhibited racist behavior, even as the Center tried to hire more Black staff members. According to the group, they were unaware of any Black employees who worked at the Center in 2015.

Since then, the Center has made an effort to diversify its staff, but the group alleges that Gilberg did not create a welcoming environ-

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Porter Gilberg, Executive Director of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach.

ment for Black employees and that many of those employees would quit in response or be terminated from their positions. “We feel that Gilberg tokenizes The Center’s Black staff members, not honoring the advice nor work of Black leadership, but boasting the diversity of the workplace. We feel this is demonstrated in the way he has spoken about Black staff members and demeaned and disrespected them,� said members of Save The Center Long Beach.

The group claims they are aware of at least 15 Black staffsee CENTER page 6

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COMMENTARY

July 24, 2020

3

Signal Tribune

From Our Online Readers: Letters, Emails, Comments and Statements

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

In response to ‘Christmas in July: Hood Santa and Local Hearts Foundation raise $10k for local street vendor who was robbed’

“

As a member of the Local Hearts Foundation, I couldn’t be more thankful for this amazing article. Thank you so much for sharing with the world Mr. Nunez’s story as well as our mission.

– Abigail Valez

In response to ‘Long Beach Airport will begin to allocate flight slots to fill void left by JetBlue’ Ekrulila | Pexels.com

Do social workers care about foster youth graduating?

“

Submitted by Jainee Champa, Jasmin Garcia, Karissa Kelly, Lashawn Tapscott and Cythnia Torres Master’s of Social Work students at California State University, Long Beach

Foster Youth face a myriad of challenges in life. One of those challenges include receiving a good education. Foster youth have an increased rate of behavioral issues, requiring special education, having mental health issues, dropping out of school, and more frequent school mobility (Cook, 1994). Between 37% and 55% of foster youth do not obtain their high school diploma before aging out of foster care (Barth, 1990). Additionally, due to their decreased likelihood to obtain a high school degree, they are at an increased rate of instability in their adult life (Altshuler, 2003).

One third of foster youth experience at least 5 or more school changes resulting in challenges navigating the school system and their credits (Davis, 2016). These disturbances leave youth lacking a sense of belonging which has shown to negatively impact academic motivation and social adjustment (Johnson, Strayhron, & Parler, 2020). Low sense of belonging is associated with low academic performance and high absenteeism with foster youth (Johnson, Strayhron, & Parler, 2020). Having an unstable living environment can additionally add to their trauma or can oftentimes result in a trauma reminder (Johnson, Strayhron, & Parler, 2020).

Given these challenges, foster youth are less likely to graduate high school and less than 3% earn a bachelor’s degree (Benbenishty, Siegel, & Astor, 2018; Davis, 2016). Throughout the years we have seen an economic importance in earning a high school diploma (Jones, 2012).

Those with a high school diploma on average had a median income of $35,700 in 2004 and those

MANAGING EDITOR

Lissette Mendoza

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Daniel Green

without a high school diploma had a median income of $21,000 a year (Jones, 2012).

In 2009, California Legislation identified that foster youth were at a disadvantage when it came to academic success due to aforementioned challenges foster youth face. They found that 83% of foster youth were held back by the third grade, 75% were working below grade level, and only 33% of foster youth graduated from high school (AB 167, 2009). As a result, California passed Assembly Bill 167 to support foster youth within their high school setting. AB 167 (2009) states that foster youth in eleventh or twelfth grade who transfer to another district or another high school within their district can qualify under AB 167 to graduate high school after completing the minimum state requirements.

Currently, AB 216 attempts to address these disparities by allowing foster youth who transfer high schools after their second year to graduate by completing only the minimum state requirements (AB 216, 2013). Foster youth who graduate under this bill still face difficulties as they are unable to attend a 4 year university after graduation. This requires them to enroll in community college which may extend the time needed to graduate if they are unable to take the required courses. Additionally, youth may be academically unprepared for college level courses and the workforce due to lack of courses taken.

The proposed alternative policy, AB 216 Revised, will address these issues that are lacking in order to increase the educational success of foster youth.

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE

Emma DiMaggio

LEGALS COORDINATOR

Katherine Green

Over the past months due to the pandemic, it has been so nice not to have the noise pollution and especially the air pollution from the Long Beach Airport. What a blessing for our city.

People that I have talked to all agree. Let’s keep it that way. What other city has an airport in the middle of a city. Send the flights to the desert, LAX, but not again in our city. We have and can live without all these flights.

– John Punashot

In response to the Signal Tribune question: “Should a portion of school funding be dependent on the property taxes of the neighborhood?”

“

”

”

Makes no sense, regardless of renting or owning someone’s paying property tax. It’s taxed rate that’s dependent on purchase date, value of property or even Prop 13 assessment.

”

– @tonyoflb via Instagram

In response to ‘Residents call for the inclusionary housing policy to be applied to the entire city, developers push back’

“

How about just let developers decide where they want to build? Then, some will build in lower income areas and create affordable housing and some will build in higher income areas.

”

– @ignitefitnesswellbeing via Instagram

COLUMNISTS

Claudine Burnett Blair Cohn

DIGITAL EDITOR

Karla Enriquez

STAFF WRITERS

Anita W. Harris Kristen Farrah Naeem

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

4

COMMUNITY

Signal Tribune

July 24, 2020

Ice Cream continued from page 1

Photos by Alex Sanchez

Bernardo Nuñez was presented with a new bicycle ice cream cart by members of the Local Hearts Foundation on Monday, July 20. He was also presented with the proceeds raised from the GoFundMe.

After a day of handing out masks and pepper spray to street vendors in North and Downtown Long Beach, as part of his team’s recent Defend Eloteros movement, Rodriguez got a call informing him of the robbery. Rodriguez has spent the last couple of weeks promoting t-shirts whose proceeds will go to the Local Hearts Foundation to support local street vendors by giving them protective items such as masks, pepper spray and other items they may need.

The shirts are emblazoned with the message: “Defend Eloteros” or “Defend Street Vendors,” two elotes (corn on the cob) resting across each other as symbol of

solidarity. The distinct lettering and design came from renowned artists Big Sleeps and Defer while the printing is done by Black Sunshine Distribution. The idea for the shirt as a means to raise money came collectively and has seen about 200 shirts sold so far.

After a phone call and a meeting with Nuñez, Rodriguez and his team created a GoFundMe for the street vendor with a goal of $10,000 to get him a bicycle cart as a surprise and to help him get back on his feet. The goal was surpassed. At the time of publication, the fundraiser stood at $10,401.

“He has no family, he’s all on his own, let’s take care of him

The moment Bernardo Nuñez was presented with his new bicycle ice cream cart.

like he is our family. #defendpaleteros,” the description in the GoFundMe page said. Nuñez has been a Long Beach resident for almost 16 years.

In order to keep going financially, Nuñez was able to got a job at a car wash for a few days, until they suddenly closed until further notice, leaving him out of a job once again in the days leading to the Local Hearts Foundation’s surprise.

“They all hurt, but when it’s your own neighborhood, it’s a little bit different because you feel like he is the community,” Rodriguez said regarding Nuñez and other street vendors being robbed.

“Why are you damaging the community? He is the community.

Why are you robbing the community? He is that community.”

Just on June 29, another local street vendor, Bililfo Fernandez, was physically assaulted and robbed at gunpoint as he was selling elotes, also know as “corn on the cob”, by two individuals. A GoFundMe set up by his daughter was able to raise a total of $85,335 from the community for Fernandez.

For Rodriguez, it’s hard to understand why anyone would want to harm street vendors, people who he believes work hard in order to pay their rent.

“He has a small little place that he rents out, that he probably has to sell [a] thousand ice creams to pay half of the rent, for somebody to steal his stuff, it makes me upset. It’s a heartbreaking feeling.”

On Monday afternoon, Rodriguez and his team showed up to Nuñez’s home and delivered the new ice cream cart and a check with the proceeds from the GoFundMe. That afternoon, Nuñez, with a smile behind his black mask, went up and down the streets of Long Beach, this time pedaling forward with his new bicycle cart.

this area is $96,731.

So far only 63.2% of households in LA County have self-responded to the census, according to the Census Fact Sheets, data update from July 16.

Both citizens and non-citizens are encouraged to do the questionnaire as the information is kept private.

Currently there are three ways the Census can be completed: online, by phone and through mail.

Beginning in August, the U.S.

Census Bureau is scheduled to begin sending official enumerators to visit households that have not completed their form.

The questionnaire asks simple queries such as one’s address, household information, and takes around 10 minutes to complete.

One individual can complete the Census to account for the rest of their household members including children, infants, grandparents, siblings, roommates or anyone who was living in the same

household on April 1, 2020.

To preview exactly what questions will be asked, click here.

There are no citizenship questions in The Census.

The Census has to be completed in one sitting or else the page will time out, resulting in having to start the questionnaire all over.

To complete the Census online, visit my2020census.gov. To complete the Census over the phone in English, call 844-330-2020. It’s also available in various languages including Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, French and more which can be viewed here. The Census can also be completed by mail by filling out and returning a Census paper form that should have been mailed to all households in March and April.

Census continued from page 2

2020census.gov

Map highlighting the response rate within Long Beach neighborhoods. The data clearly shows that the neighborhoods in the wealthier districts have a higher response that the lower-income neighborhoods.

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COMMUNITY

July 24, 2020

5

Signal Tribune

New Long Beach based hot sauce company ‘Chile Herrera’ creates versatile condiments for every meal Kristen Farrah Naeem Staff Writer

Long Beach based hot sauce company Chile Herrera has crafted a sauce able to replace the mass produced brands that have become kitchen staples.

“I needed more than Tabasco, Tapatio and Cholula,” Manuel Vital, co-founder of Chile Herrera said.

Although Vital was inspired by the different sauces and flavors made by his mother and sisters, that originate from the rural parts of Jalisco, Mexico, they didn’t have the versatility he needed.

“There are salsas that are made for very specific things,” Chile Herrera co-founder, Jheuli Hernandez, explained. “Sometimes you don’t use the pozole chile on a sandwich.”

It took two years of careful experimentation before Vital finalized the recipe for his red sauce.

The result was a versatile condiment that can add spice to almost anything.

“I put this [Red] Herrera on McDonald’s nuggets, turkey sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas-- everything.”

He was content to share his sauce free of charge with friends and coworkers, taking the occasional paid order from them as well.

Then his coworker, Jheuli Hernandez, proposed a business model in which a portion of the profits made from the sauce would benefit people and animals in the community. After taking some time to plan their packaging and branding, Chile Herrera was launched in Dec. 2019.

So far, Chile Herrera has made one donation to Alivio Open Mic Emergency Relief Fund, which provides financial support to artists affected by the pandemic. Since the business is still developing, the majority of Chile Herrera’s profits are reinvested back into the growing business, but Vital and Hernandez plan to make further donations in the future as more revenue comes in.

As a small business, Chile Herrera tries to buy supplies from other local small businesses as much as possible. While a few ingredients like salt and pepper are bought commercially, many of the spices and chiles used are bought in bulk from the same local bodegas Manuel purchased ingredients from when he was just making sauce for him and his friends.

Chile Herrera also mixes its Red Herrera sauce with other condiments to make spicy hummus, spicy ketchup, spicy marinara and Herrera hot wing sauce.

A new flavor of sauce has also recently been added. Chile Herrera’s “white sauce”-- official name to be announced later-- is actually light pink in color. Vital recommends drizzling it over shrimp or fish on a bed of rice, while Hernandez has been using it as a salad dressing. It also has great potential on Ensenada-style tacos.

“It has a very citric, spicy, salty flavor so it’s really something that appeals to the savory aspect of a bite,” Hernandez said.

The current version of Chile

Herrera’s white sauce contains mayonnaise as one of the ingredients, and Vital and Hernandez have been working hard to also create a vegan version with the same taste.

“There are a few little nuances that are still not completely parallel,” Hernandez told the Signal Tribune. “We want to make sure that there is a consensus that it is exactly the same, or at least almost exactly the same, as the non vegan version.”

Customers can now order white sauce from Chile Herrera, but are warned that the flavor may go through a few adjustments as the amounts and type of citrus may change to improve taste and increase shelf life. Chile Herrera has been experimenting with different combinations of lemon, Meyer lemon and lime juice within its white sauce, using lemons sourced from Hernandez’s and Vital’s neighbor’s yards.

Chile Herrera is among the countless small businesses currently feeling the effects of the

coronavirus pandemic. Complications with their usual supply chain have left them unable to provide their large bottle size. Customers who order a large size of Chile Herrera will be given a medium and small bottle, which equals the same amount of ounces as a large.

Sizes for sauce orders include a party size for $25, large for $20, medium for $15, small for $8 and sample size for $2. Six packs of sample size bottles are also offered for $9.

To place an order, customers can either text Chile Herrera at 562 810 1073 or send them a direct message on Instagram, @chile.herrera.

Free delivery is offered within the City of Long Beach, and the delivery fee for those farther away will only consist of the United States Postal Service shipping price.

“We both grew up in households that enjoy feeding people,” Hernandez said of herself and Vital.

“And we enjoy connecting with people over food.”

Courtesy of Chile Herrera

A bottle of Chile Herrera’s Red Herrera sauce.

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Signal Tribune

PUBLIC NOTICES/NEWS

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT Thursday, July 16 12:12am, Pyrotechnics, E. Hill St./Jesse Nelson Circle 5:11pm, Auto burglary, e. PCH/Junipero Ave. Friday, July 17 12:00am, Grand theft, 2400 block Gaviota Ave. 10:13am, Burglary, 1800 block Stanley Ave. 11:00am, Person with a knife, 900 block E. 33 rd St. 1:38pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2700 block Cherry Ave. 4:17pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1500 block E. Spring St. 10:52pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, E. 29 th St./Gundry Ave. 10:52pm, Grand theft, 2500 block California Ave. Saturday, July 18 1:18am, Burglary, 2300 block Lewis Ave. 6:22am, Grand theft – motor vehicle, Raymond Ave./E. 27 th St. Sunday, July 19 10:20am, Burglary, 1400 block E. 29 th St. Tuesday, July 21 1:00am, DUI, E. PCH/Walnut Ave. (suspect arrested) 7:36am, Elder abuse, 1800 block Stanley Ave. 8:08am, Auto burglary, Temple Ave./E. 19 th St. 11:04am, Identity theft, 2700 block Cherry Ave. 5:05pm, Elder abuse, 2300 block Promontory Dr. Wednesday, July 22 12:19pm, Possessing substance similar to Touluene, 1300 block E. 28 th St. 6:55pm, Grand theft, 2400 block Cherry Ave.

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ers who quit due to these circumstances.

Save The Center Long Beach also stated that members have tried to resolve issues with Gilberg directly. Still, many grievances were dismissed or met with anger. When apologies did occur, the group claims Gilberg would continue the same pattern of behavior.

Over the years, the group claims staff members have provided the Center’s Board of Directors with over 60 complaints from staff concerning issues with Gilberg’s behavior, but received little response.

“Former and current staff have always been willing to work with The Center and Board leadership,” said Save The Center Long Beach. “Many staff members have gone to the Board about Gilberg’s behavior, and official complaints have been filed. Staff have been told their complaints are “under investigation,” after which we feel the complaints are not properly addressed nor investigated and no changes are made.”

According to the group, the open letter detailing Gilburg’s alleged actions came after his public support of Black Lives Matter and the Black community. The group decided to draft the open letter as a response.

In the aftermath of the letter,

Gilburg acknowledged the allegations on his Facebook page and stated that he took the concerns outlined in the issue seriously and supported an independent investigation of his leadership at the Center. He also said he would not be speaking publicly about the allegations.

“I am fully committed to The Center, an organization I have been in service to for more than 13 years. In order to support the integrity of this process, I’ll be taking a leave from The Center and won’t be making further public statements until its conclusion,” Gilberg said in the post.

On June 27, Stella Ursa, the Chair and President of the Board for The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, also weighed in on the situation and issued a statement saying that the Center would be reviewing the allegations against the organization.

In a second public statement issued on July 11, the organization stated, “The Center has retained an outside law firm to conduct a neutral, prompt, and thorough investigation. The Center’s leadership asks its employees to allow that process to proceed; no further comment about the investigation will be provided at this time.”

“The Center remains committed to serving the community and we ask for your continuing sup-

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Signal Hill is seeking proposals from qualified firms to assist with a general economic analysis, fiscal analysis and revenue projections for various types of cannabis businesses, to include:

Medicinal retail cannabis dispensaries; Retail cannabis dispensaries; Research and testing of cannabis products; Manufacture of cannabis products including edibles; and Indoor commercial cultivation of cannabis on private property.

SUBMITTALS: All proposals must contain the requisite information outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP) which is available on the City’s website (www. cityofsignalhill.org) under the “bids” tab or by calling (562) 989-7379. The proposals will serve as the basis for developing a short list of firms that will be invited to be interviewed.

All proposals must be submitted electronically by 4:00 pm, on August 24, 2020 to emccaleb@cityofsignalhill.org.

A tabulation of all RFP’s received shall be available upon request by contacting Administration at (562) 989-7379.

INQUIRIES: Questions and inquiries related to the RFP should be directed to Elise McCaleb, Economic Development Manager at (562) 989-7379 or emccaleb@cityofsignalhill.org.

Published in the Signal Hill Tribune newspaper on: Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on or before: Published in PlanetBids on or before:

July 24, 2020 July 24, 2020 July 24, 2020

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port of our programs during this time.”

As the Center investigates the open-letter claims, Save The Center Long Beach says the decision to speak out publicly was a difficult choice. Still, the group says that it is motivated by a deep love for the Center. Its goal is to help change the Center to an organization that supports all LGBTQ people, but they believe that to do this, the Center must change.

The group is advocating for the hiring of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) staff along with livable wages and better health benefits.

Additionally, the group calls for hiring a third-party human resources department versed in anti-racist, queer and trans-affirmative hiring and retaining practices.

Save The Center Long Beach is also calling for the following changes to be made in order to address the issues outlined in their letter, including: • Implementing and publicizing an outlined process of how the Board of Directors reviews and investigates staff concerns to include a written response to any formal complaints.

• Requiring the formal review of exit interviews within the Board of Directors, through which the Board can provide feedback and suggested changes to the exiting employee’s supervisor.

• Conducting bi-yearly upward reviews of the Executive Director through anonymous input from all Center employees overseen by the Board of Directors.

• Establishing a stakeholder advisory council representative of the diverse Long Beach community to ensure community accountability for the Center’s commitment to its values of anti-racism, inclusivity, and social justice.

• Contracting with a third-party expert on diversity and inclusion, selected by the stakeholder advisory council, to conduct a bi-annual cultural assessment. Recommendations should be made public.

Moving forward, the Save The Center Long Beach group says that its members are committed to staying together and expect that any change will be a process.

However, the group says that it is intent on initiating a positive change in the Center.

“We would like to reiterate that we are motivated by a love of our community, and an understanding that we all deserve an affirming, safe LGBTQ center that uplifts and centers BIPOC,” Save The Center Long Beach said. “Until we see true transformative change at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, we will continue to push for accountability.”

In a statement to the Signal Tribune on July 23, the Center stated that Andrew Dorado, who served as the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel, will be acting as interim Executive Director.

NEWS

July 24, 2020

LBUSD

Signal Tribune

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discipline and practice restorative and transformative justice to break the “school-to-prison pipeline”; • Promote implicit-bias training; • Promote equitable education in science, arts and physical education; • Better address the needs of special-education and academically disadvantaged students; • End contracts with school police and the Long Beach Police Department.

Equity policy Following two-and-a-half hours of hearing these comments, and after conducting other business, the board unanimously adopted an Equity Policy resolution in a 5-0 vote. Baker said the policy calls for creation of a district equity-leadership team comprised of students, stakeholders, partners, teachers and administrators.

The team will be tasked to make recommendations for policies, practices, funding and future initiatives.

The resolution follows the board’s inclusive-practices resolution adopted in 2019 and creation of an equity-design team consisting half of students and half teachers, administrators, and community members, Baker said.

Baker also said that, by next month, the district will finalize a Wallis Foundation-funded study on how it currently defines equity, with qualitative data from interviews with students, staff and others.

She added that while this is a time of reconciliation, acknowledgement, healing and change, equity has been a long-term district initiative developed over the past decade, during which the district has developed an ethnic-studies program and is addressing systemic inequities.

Outgoing board vice-president and District 3 representative Dr. Juan Benitez said he supported

Courtesy Learning Policy Institute

Cover of the nonprofit Learning Policy Institute’s Sept. 2019 “Positive Outliers Case Study” indicating that though the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) is nationally recognized as “high functioning,” its suspension rates for African-American students is more than four times higher than for white students and more than twice that of all students.

the Equity Policy to help dismantle institutional racism through budgeting policies.

“It also affirms that we are listening,” he said. “Equity is not just a word that we use or a mantra that we share, […] we take action through policies, through initiatives, through practices.”

District 1 board-member and incoming board vice-president Megan Kerr said there are multiple perspectives within the Black community, not just one, adding that eventually the board should also address changing school-building names.

“It’s about freedom, not reform,” Kerr said.

Incoming board president Diana Craighead represents District 5 which includes schools from Orange Ave. to the San Gabriel River and between Atherton St. and Candlewood Ave., said she appreciated the board’s deliberate and intentional approach to com-

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and belief systems,” Williams said. “Physical barriers to racism can be eradicated but belief systems on race are much more difficult to change.”

He suggested that the equity-leadership team examine five years of data on African-American students, survey students and parents and find ways to engage unionized teachers to remove racial barriers in the classroom.

“Racism is learned,” Williams said. “It can be unlearned.”

The next regular LBUSD Board meeting will take place Wednesday, August 19.

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bating the problem rather than a “kneejerk reaction” to the times.

She also said the Equity Policy and other measures will help all students, not only African-Americans.

“It’s the tide that lifts all boats,” Craighead said.

Williams– the only Black member of the board– lamented that schools across the nation have continued for decades to see inequities, substandard education, high suspension rates, high dropout rates and substandard facilities for Black students.

Such conditions cause behavioral problems, stress, depression and ADHD in students as young as seven, he said, citing an article saying that students who feel discriminated by teachers feel less like they belong at school.

“These challenges are deeply embedded not only in our institutions but in individuals’ values

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LBUSD serves more than 72,000 K-12 students across 85 schools, according to its website.

Of those students, 57% are Hispanic, 12% Black, 12% White and 7% Asian.

Dr. Jill Baker, the incoming superintendent replacing Chris Steinhauser, said centering Black voices is of utmost importance, especially now as protests against police violence and other inequities roil the nation.

“The fight to end racism requires each and every one of us to take actions toward a more just and antiracist society,” she said.

“As our entire community works to acknowledge, to listen, to convene and to catalyze, tonight is an opportunity to uplift the voices of our Black community.”

Outgoing President of the board and School District 2 representative Dr. Felton Williams, said he asked 30 members of the Black community to share their perspectives during the meeting.

The first speaker, local activist Melissa Morgan, said she has worked with students and educators on bias and anti-bias training and the board should focus on Black students specifically because of ingrained institutional bias against them.

“Racism exits systemically and it impacts our young people here in Long Beach,” she said. “We need antiracist reforms to happen in our school district and we really need to address anti-Black sentiment.”

Morgan specifically called for hiring more Black teachers and support staff, adding Black Lives Matter to the curriculum and tracking Black student progress better.

Long Beach 8th -District Councilmember Al Austin, encouraged board members to be “even bolder” than they have been in their support of Black students.

Jerlene Tatum, a parent of LBUSD children, advocated that the board focus on the lack of engagement by African-American parents and the lack of effort by LBUSD to actively engage them.

“Our needs are different,” she said of Black parents. “One barrier is that our community is diverse from economic levels all the way to education levels.”

LBUSD staff also read dozens of emailed statements sent by the public after the board agreed to allocate an additional half hour to hearing them. Many had written– some in Spanish– to support a new agenda item: a resolution to adopt an Equity Policy.

Most public commenters advocated similar measures as Morgan and other invited speakers, including: • Incorporate Black Lives Matter and ethnic studies into the curriculum to encourage cultural appreciation and offer perspective from the “other side” of a mostly white narrative in history and literature; • Hire more Black teachers and staff to provide understanding and role models; • Provide alternatives to school

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Pet of the week: Donatello If you were a kid near the turn of the last century, you’d surely think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when you heard “Donatello.” But the original Donatello, as many of you likely know, was a Renaissance Italian sculptor of immense talent, and this Donatello reminds shelter staff of the master’s beautiful creations.

Donatello’s a 5-month-old blackand-white tuxie, as pretty and perfect as any of his namesake’s creations. He’s all attitude in the best way possible—he loves company, hanging on your shoulder, and expressing himself vocally.

Come get this original! Because the shelter is closed to the public, adoption appointments are conducted through email, so contact AnimalRescue@longbeach.gov to meet them. Please—they so need a forever home together. Ask for ID#A645824.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

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Signal Tribune

July 24, 2020

Skip a Seat, Skip a Row, Stop the Spread.

When you are riding LBT to get to essential services, please be safe.

To stop the spread, board through the rear door and “Skip a Seat, Skip a Row,� to keep a distance between yourself and others.

For the latest updates, visit ridelbt.com/basics

Board/Exit buses through the rear doors. Customers who need boarding ramp can use the front door.

Skip a Seat and Skip a Row to help protect our customers and operators.

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Do not ride transit if you are showing symptoms or feeling sick.