Signal Tribune Newspaper » Letters to the Editor

Weekly reader

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:14:39 +0000

I read today that the Signal Tribune was awarded the 54th District’s Small Business of the Month Award for the month of January 2012. I think the award is well deserved. The Signal Tribune does an excellent job of reporting news and information for the areas covered by the newspaper.
I look forward to receiving a copy of the Signal Tribune on Friday morning, and I can’t wait to discover what interesting things that are covered in each issue. While I don’t live in the Bixby Knolls or Signal Hill area, I do work in Signal Hill. On my lunch period, I take advantage of the various businesses located around my office, and the best source of information on these is the Signal Tribune.
I would like to add my thanks for the great job you do covering the news in the community where I work.

Cheryl Williams
Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office
South District Office
Signal Hill

The bigger picture

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:14:08 +0000

The City of Long Beach must regulate medical marijuana dispensaries rather than enact a ban.
Personally biased city officials would have the Council and public believe that medical marijuana dispensaries cannot be regulated. This is simply not true. While some sections of the original ordinance are not viable, most will be able to withstand scrutiny.
The police chief of Los Angeles reported that the dispensaries attract no more crime than banks. In fact, in 2009 there were about twice as many robberies at banks– so do we close down all of the banks?
The State of Maine has a system that is operating quite well. There are many other cities and states that have regulations that do not present a problem. Fifteen other states and Washington, DC now allow for medical marijuana. Certainly, the City of Long Beach can find a reasonable solution.
More than likely, a ban on dispensaries would only drive patients to the streets and put them at extreme risk buying from drug dealers. The product could be laced with an addictive substance or may be tainted with deadly molds or other pathogens that would be especially devastating to those with immune-compromised illnesses such as AIDS. Who will take responsibility for their untimely deaths?
Forcing them to buy from gang-affiliated dispensers would only fund and enable larger and more powerful cartels. With an already drained police department and a dramatic spike in non-related shootings over the past few months, is empowering gangs/cartels a wise path to follow?
It is imperative that this City Council create a viable alternative to outright banning of medical marijuana dispensaries, not only for the patients that use this medicine now but for all citizens (including yourselves or loved ones) that may one day need it to treat their pain and/or medical condition.

Diana Lejins
Long Beach

Letters to the Editor

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:30:55 +0000

Concerning ‘concerns’

I am disappointed with CJ Dablo’s article about the Signal Hill Library presentation at the Parks & Recreation Committee on Jan 25. To a reader who had not known much before about the proposed new library, it might appear that this was the first time information was presented to the public.
Meetings and workshops have been posted to invite interested residents to attend. I was a member of the 10-member advisory committee, [composed] of city officials, community services staff, as well as local citizens who had answered the public invitation to become involved. This committee volunteered many hours over several months, learning about the plans, visiting similar facilities, and working toward helping provide a well-informed presentation for Planning and Parks & Recreation Commissions (of which I am a Commissioner), the City Council and interested residents.
The community needs assessment of 2008-9 surveyed several hundred local residents regarding their opinions on current and future recreation uses in Signal Hill. Their first listed priority– a library.
When reporting public comments, the term “concerns were voiced” was repeatedly written. The reader may form the impression many people share these views which were stated by one person. Making inflammatory statements without substantial backup is misleading and nonproductive to the discussion.
These questions and concerns were addressed by the architect and city staff, though few [were] quoted.
“Concerns (by one person) were raised” that children are in the library so close to homeless people in the library. An inference does not make it a fact. The staff responded that the library staff serves a diverse cross-section of the community. That doesn’t mean people who appear to be drifters and panhandlers are welcome to use the library as a haven. As a resident and frequent library patron, I have never observed anyone fitting the description of the chronic homeless person loitering in the library.
The architect has provided a blueprint for a visitor-friendly building that salutes the history of Signal Hill as well as recognizing the changing nature of “libraries” now and in the future. It is planned to be a LEED Silver Certified structure for energy efficiency.As one person stated, this facility could become the heart of the Signal Hill civic center, serving the needs and interests of citizens of all ages.
There is still one more opportunity for public participation and information– the Feb. 7 City Council meeting at 7pm.

Louise Cunningham
Signal Hill

Vexation about representation

I want to give some credit to our former seventh district council Representative, Tonia [Reyes] Uranga, for the attention she gave her constituents when they called her office for help with a problem. I realize now that she went out of her way to have one of her office staff take the time to visit the person who called her to see if she could help them in some way.
That is certainly not the case with our current representative. I have called his office twice, and both times I was told he couldn’t help. The last time I called was in reference to the red paint I had paid the City to apply to either side of my driveway because, not only am I a senior citizen who has lived in my house since it was built, but my driveway is narrow due to a sewer easement on the north side of my house. When large vehicles are parked on either side of my driveway, it is impossible for me to see oncoming traffic. The paint is starting to fade, and I thought the City should repaint the area so it could be better seen by anyone wanting to park there.
When I called Mr. Johnson’s office, the current representative for my district, I was told by someone in the office that the City had no money for that. After I hung up the phone, I thought about the dog park Mr. Johnson was so proud to brag about, and I wondered how he got the money to install that in my district. Probably 90 percent of the people living in this district have large back yards that could accommodate the needs of a pet, and the streets and other things could certainly benefit from a bit of fixing more than a dog park. I am a dog owner, so I know what dogs need, and I drive a car, so I know what streets need.
To be honest, I think we need to go back to the time we had City Council representatives who were really interested in doing the best they could for their district. What we have now is a bunch of seekers of “bigger and better” using the first rung of the success ladder to get to their destination by serving on the City Council. We all know the ultimate goal of most of them is higher office with the county, state or federal government.
How sad that our beautiful Long Beach has been used and abused to the point of no return. Give me back “Iowa by the Sea.” When I arrived here in 1943, I wrote to my mother and told her how beautiful and clean Long Beach was. I said, “You can eat off the streets they are so clean.” Now we have scam artists who approach you in the market parking lots and ask for money to get home for one reason or another. (As happened to me, they have a sad story and “promise to pay you back,” and even though you know you are being scammed you can’t be certain so you give them enough money for gas or whatever.)
Anyhow, thank you, Tonia, for your help and understanding of the needs the people you were serving in the seventh district needed a representative for. You did the job well.

Vivian C. Nelson
Long Beach

Letters to the Editor

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:59:39 +0000

Thinking back, looking forward

As you have probably read in the last few weeks, Long Beach ended 2011 with the lowest murder and violent crime rate in over 40 years. In fact, we had a substantial drop in almost every category of major crime in Long Beach. While there have been increases in property crimes in some neighborhoods, our overall crime statistics are lower than they have been in decades.
I am extremely proud of our Long Beach police and fire departments for their stellar work and commitment to safe neighborhoods for everyone. However, in the coming years we will be facing numerous public safety challenges, especially the release of state prisoners into our communities. Due to lean city budgets, we have not grown our public safety departments. While it looks likely that we will have a fire academy class in 2012, planning and funding for a police academy in 2012 is not yet finalized.
Next Tuesday, at 3:30pm, on Jan. 31, as chair of the City Council Public Safety Committee, I will be chairing a meeting to discuss a 2012 police academy and police staffing levels. There is no question that we need to hire more police and firefighters; we just need to do so in a fiscally responsible way. Fortunately, our pension reform agreements with our police and firefighters will help us achieve this goal.

Robert Garcia
Long Beach Councilmember
1st District

Food for thought

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned a California law requiring federally inspected slaughterhouses to euthanize downed animals– those too sick or injured to walk– in order to keep the meat out of the nation’s food system, many people are wondering what they can do to protect themselves, and animals, from harm. Fortunately, there is an easy solution– stop eating meat.
Cruelty to animals is common in slaughterhouses. PETA investigators have caught slaughterhouse workers beating pigs with metal rods, urinating on chickens and scalding birds alive, and abusing cows until they bellowed in pain. Workers at Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in California used a forklift to shove downed animals onto the killing floor– the incident that prompted officials to strengthen regulations against slaughtering immobile animals.
“Downed cows” are more likely to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, although the saturated fat and cholesterol found in all meat is a much more prevalent health hazard. Meat contributes to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses. For the animals’ sake and your own, see PETA.org for free meatless recipes and tips on going vegan.

Heather Moore
The PETA Foundation

Letter to the Editor

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:47:43 +0000

A display of kindness

We would like to thank everyone who donated to the Long Beach Rescue Mission at our Wrigley Heights home for the haunted Halloween house. We had a great turnout for our charity event and hundreds of kids for Halloween night.
We collected twelve-plus barrels of much needed food items for the Long Beach Rescue Mission, for which they were very grateful.
We would like to give a special shout out to Siegfried and Gina Heger and to Joseangel Fonsecsa of Pet Set for their generous monetary donations to the Long Beach Rescue Mission and to Kurt and Kathleen Schoendienst for providing the majority of the materials and much needed effort that helped bring the display to life. Thank you!
We will be keeping a barrel out in front of our home at 434 W. 31st Street as we transition our Halloween display to a Christmas display. Please stop by and enjoy the progress and show your continued appreciation for the display by donating non-perishables to the Long Beach Rescue Mission in the barrel provided.
Thank you.

Darrell and Ali Barrett
Long Beach

Letter to the Editor: Yes to hoops, no to tats

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:33:35 +0000

The Signal Hill City Council recently made some important decisions about the basketball courts in Signal Hill Park and restrictions on the location of tattoo parlors in our city. We of Signal Hill Community First– a new nonprofit organization– played an important role in soliciting community input on those two issues.
With these actions, we introduce Signal Hill Community First. Signal Hill Community First is comprised of local leaders, dedicated to make positive changes based upon the needs of our community. Our goals include improving the quality of life within Signal Hill, protecting property values, and safeguarding the cost of living in this small city from hidden taxes and rate increases. Signal Hill Community First accomplishes this through:
• Inspiring and empowering residents to engage in City affairs
• Achieving greater transparency and open government
• Achieving greater fiscal responsibility to keep public services costs down
• Helping create new revenue sources
• Ensuring that all impacts of development are included in project costs
• Ensuring fairness, responsiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness in City operations

Already, we have started the journey to make Signal Hill a better place to live and work by providing a voice for strong public participation. We surveyed over 500 individuals and asked them their opinions regarding new City plans and ordinances that affect the community’s quality of life. By giving Signal Hill residents a voice, we helped save what the community believes to be an important community asset, the basketball courts, from destruction and demolition.
In addition, through the use of informal surveys we gave voice to the community that said it did not want tattoo parlors popping up within 500 feet of our homes. Hundreds of residents made it overwhelmingly clear that they wanted more restrictions on tattoo parlors than were approved by the Planning Commission. Signal Hill Community First presented this information to the Planning Commission and the City Council, and we appreciate the Council listening to the residents and doubling the minimum distance to 1,000 feet from the nearest homes.
We believe citizen participation directly leads to ethical and responsible City decisions reflecting the will of the people. Signal Hill Community First welcomes every person to join this effort.
To learn more about Community First, please visit our website at signalhillfirst.org. We hope to inspire and empower the community to participate in City affairs and make Signal Hill an even better place to live, work and play.

Maria Harris
Guidance Committee member
External Communications
Signal Hill Community First

Divide intervention

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:19:25 +0000

Every 10 years, a federal census is conducted to evaluate how the demographics of the United States have changed. Now that we have data from the 2010 census, you are probably hearing about redistricting at the federal and state level, and it’s happening here in LA County too.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors began its review of the redistricting map which was approved by the Board’s appointed Boundary Review Committee (BRC). I made a motion to make some minor changes to this map, in order to further unify communities of interest. This week, two of my Board colleagues submitted their own maps. You can view all of these proposals on the county’s redistricting website at redistricting.lacounty.gov.
Under the new plans submitted, the Fourth District is the most vulnerable to dramatic changes. Millions of residents would be shifted into or out of our district, destroying the connections and relationships we have built over decades.
Some of the discussion and news coverage have turned redistricting into a racial divide. But they are getting the story wrong; it’s not about race. The Fourth District is the most diverse in the County, with Whites, Latinos, Asian-Americans, African-Americans and many other minority groups. Under the plan I submitted, Latinos represent the largest population at 43 percent of our district. I have always welcomed diversity in our district and loved getting to know the many cultures we have in our communities. My staff and I have worked hard to gain your trust, learn your issues and be as responsive as we can be.
Over the course of this process, hundreds of people have testified, and we have received over 1,500 letters asking that the Fourth District remain intact. To all of you who have taken the time to have your voice heard, thank you! You’ve been loud and clear that you do not want to be moved, and I agree with you. I can’t support splitting up longstanding communities of interest just because some lawyers say we might get sued.
In fact, the County’s independent legal counsel has determined that Plan A2 clearly meets the County’s obligations under the Voting Rights Act. As such, any dramatic changes are unnecessary and undeserved.
Our next review meeting is Sept. 6. It is my hope that we will move past the racial politics and partisanship and focus on what you elected us to do: solve problems and help those in need.

Don Knabe
Los Angeles County Supervisor
4th District

Play ball!

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:19:02 +0000

In these difficult economic times, it’s always great to hear good news about our community coming together to make Long Beach a better place.
A few months ago, Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) announced that they would have to eliminate the sports program for grades 6–8. My wife Nancy was among those who led the charge to raise more than $190,000 for the program. I’m delighted to report the campaign was successful, and we saved LBUSD’s middle school sports for the 2011–2012 school year.
Nancy is a passionate advocate for our Long Beach youth to ensure they have every opportunity to live an active and healthy life. I’m very proud of the work she does in our community.
Please contact my office at (562) 570-6801 or email me at mayor@longbeach.gov if you have any questions or comments.

Bob Foster
Mayor
Long Beach

History lessons

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:05:29 +0000

The Signal Hill Historical Society was established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation to preserve, protect and showcase the rich and unique history of the city of Signal Hill.
On Sept. 17, 2011, the Society is hosting a community pancake breakfast at Discovery Well Park. This event will feature a diverse display of historic photographs, artifacts, literature and movies that will tell the story of Signal Hill’s history. The event will also host a variety of guest speakers who will share about the oil history of our wonderful city. There will also be games for children, roaming characters from Signal Hill’s past, a raffle and many other activities. Our goal is to raise funds for a future historical museum.
Please help us meet our goal to raise $5,000 to support the Society and its future endeavors. If you are interested in sponsoring this event in any way, by financial or in-kind donation, or by volunteering your time, please call President Mary Justus at (562) 544-6003, or mail your donation to:

Aly Mancini
Manager
Community Services Department
2175 Cherry Ave.
Signal Hill, CA 90755

Thank you for your consideration and continued support of the Signal Hill Historical Society.

Mary Justus
President
Signal Hill Historical Society

Four wheels vs. two wheels

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:11:36 +0000

I have been waiting for the proper time and forum in which to tell my bike rider story. Since I just heard on the radio that the city council of Los Angeles just passed an ordinance giving special protections under the law, the time has arrived for me to vent. No, I am not a bike rider.
About a month ago, Saturday, around noon, I ventured out to Bixby Road headed east towards Orange Avenue. That’s my neighborhood; I drive Bixby between Cherry Avenue and Atlantic all the time. At the intersection near Walnut Avenue and Bixby, I came to that all too familiar four-way stop, and proceeded. (The suspense builds…)
Two bikers in the newly created bike lane were headed in the same direction as I. But wait! A little problem occurs! Even though the bikers have on their legally required helmets, and are seemingly out for a casual bike ride, one is 10 inches out of the bike lane and into the car lane. Further, there is a car coming towards me in the opposite direction, so I cannot swerve a couple of extra feet to give him good clearance from my gas-hog, eight-cylinder Cadillac DeVille. I could easily hurt this guy if he veers into my lane anymore, and he was biking very s-l-o-w-l-y, so I beeped my horn.
Well, these guys were alert! They instantly held up their arms pointing “the finger” up towards the air. They were verbal too– a flurry of expletives shot out of their mouths like fireworks! I was a little surprised.
At the nearest intersection with a stoplight, Orange and Bixby, they quickly sped up to speak with me. Oh, yeah, they did! It was more of the expletives through my car window, up close!
I opened my window enough to point out (loudly), “You were over the line. You have a whole bike lane all to yourself!”
The younger guy said, “YOU were over the line!”
“I didn’t want to hurt you! I am in a CAR– I could hurt you!”
With that, the younger guy got personal and referred to my middle-age spread and said, “We know you were on your way to go get something to eat– just go ahead and do that.”
I used one profane word back to him, to show I may be middle-aged, but I can swear like a sailor too.
My last words, and they were the final ones in this dialogue, were, “You are not helping the bikers talking that way. You are not helping the bikers talking that way. You are not helping the bikers talking that way!” The light changed, and they took off towards Atlantic Avenue.
What I learned: the best defense is a good defense. Next time, I’ll pull over, call the police sub-station, report it, and wait for a cop to come write them a ticket. I won’t bother with a warning honk. I won’t swerve out of my lane. I’ll let the police take care of it.
And please, State of California Legislature, do not pass a similar ordinance for the entire state.
Maybe some people on bikes are on a bike because of a DUI. They’re not all angels. That would be social profiling if we thought every biker just wanted to save the planet.
I have been waiting for the proper time and forum in which to tell my bike rider story. Since I just heard on the radio that the city council of Los Angeles just passed an ordinance giving special protections under the law – the time has arrived for me to vent. No, I am not a bike rider.

Mary James
Long Beach