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WRD board approves 9.9-percent increase in water-pumping assessment rate amid protests
May 17th, 2013 · Uncategorized
Photos by Sean Belk/Signal Tribune
Water Replenishment District of Southern California board members listen to public testimony during a May 10 hearing, during which the board approved a 9.9-percent increase to the assessment for pumping groundwater. Pictured, from left, are: Board President Albert Robles, who represents Division 5; Division 4 Boardmember Sergio Calderon; and Division 2 Boardmember Robert Katherman.
Sean Belk
Staff Writer
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) Board of Directors voted unanimously (4-0) to increase its assessment for pumping water from underground aquifers by 9.9 percent, effective July 1, during a nearly three-hour public hearing last Friday, May 10. Boardmember Lillian Kawasaki was absent, and Boardmember Willard H. Murray Jr. was absent during most of the public testimony but present for the vote.
The public hearing that drew a crowd of more than 75 people to the WRD’s headquarters in Lakewood was the agency’s first attempt to comply with Proposition 218, a state law that requires governments to notify property owners and give them the right to protest any proposed increases in assessments and taxes before they’re voted on and approved. Under the law, a majority protest of more than 50 percent of the property owners being assessed the fee invalidates any rate increase. [Read more →]
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Despite diagnosis of HIV almost 30 years ago, Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forester hasn’t slowed down
May 17th, 2013 · News
Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forester, pictured here at Long Beach’s annual Lesbian & Gay Pride parade in 2011, will also appear in this year’s parade on Sunday. Although diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and then with AIDS in 1994, Forester has dedicated much of his energy toward his work on the Council and other volunteer projects.
CJ Dablo
Staff Writer
Larry Forester didn’t seem at all to mind a little controversy on a recent Friday afternoon. Clad in a pink shirt with a matching handkerchief that popped out of the pocket of his navy-blue blazer, the Signal Hill Councilmember was on a mission. He faced leaders of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) that afternoon at their Lakewood office.
That day, he didn’t shy away from telling the agency that manages the groundwater for more than 40 cities that he objected to their recommendation to increase water rates. He didn’t shy away from reminding them about a lawsuit that Signal Hill and other cities had pursued against the agency. [Read more →]
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Rock For Vets band plays in the key of life
May 17th, 2013 · News
Members of the Rock For Vets band, a music-instructional and educational program for rehabilitating veterans and others at risk, performs during a Vietnam Veterans Day concert. Pictured up front, from left, are: Steve “Red” Ovard (guitar); Cristina Calderon (vocals); and Bill Fletcher (harmonica).
Sean Belk
Staff Writer
They once carried guns, heavy artillery and radio equipment.
Now, they carry a tune.
Coming home from horrific combat situations during wars from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, many veterans struggle with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), loneliness, alcohol and drug addictions and unemployment.
But, for those in the Rock For Vets band, the minute they get up on stage, all those troubles seem to disappear.
“I get up there for a couple hours at practice, and I’m able to just let all that stuff go,” said James Elliott, 48, who joined the United States Army in 1986 as a Ranger in the Airborne Infantry. [Read more →]
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LB Water Department proposes increasing water rates to deal with rising costs
May 17th, 2013 · News
Sean Belk
Staff Writer
As costs for pumping and importing water continue to rise, Long Beach Water Department (LBWD) officials said this week they are proposing to increase water rates for the first time in more than three years.
The Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners discussed the proposal during its meeting on Thursday, May 16. The board will further discuss whether to increase water rates and, if so, by how much, in addition to reforming its budget for capital improvement projects, in coming weeks before taking final action on the LBWD’s budget on June 20. [Read more →]
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