Signal Tribune Newspaper

The “Press in Transition” panel from last Saturday’s discussion.
BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
Thomas Jefferson believed that a democracy could not survive without newspapers. “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right,” he wrote in 1787. “Were it left to me to decide […]

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By CAROL THOMPSON
Special to the Signal Tribune
There is fear festering on the streets of Los Cerritos and Virginia Country Club, and some residents are arming themselves for protection. “Neither children nor pets are safe…We are under attack,” says Harry Pope, who is cautioning neighbors to “take a stick or other ‘weapon’ along when you walk […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
After several years in Long Beach, the American Gymnastics Academy is coming back to Signal Hill. Last week, the Signal Hill City Council approved a negative declaration and zoning ordinance amendment that will allow the facility to relocate to an area designated primarily for light industry.
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Hundreds of people attended a rally outside Long Beach City Hall last Saturday to urge the overturning of Prop 8, the Nov. 4 ballot proposition that amended California’s Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between one man and one woman. Planned as a “peace rally and wed-in,” the event was […]

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by E. Medosch
Staff Writer
On Tuesday, November 18, Long Beach City Auditor Laura opened the 8th floor office in City Hall to the public to celebrate 100 years of service by elected Long Beach auditors.
One auditor in particular stands out, according to research by Doud’s staff. Doud has dedicated a special conference room to Myrtelle Gunsul, […]

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Developers want to build a senior housing facility at this Elm Avenue location.
BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
After a four-hour discussion last week, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved a five-story senior housing project in Bixby Knolls. The building, which developers hope to build at 3635 Elm Avenue, will include 65 apartments and amenities designed to […]

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In response to neighborhood complaints, the Long Beach Department of Community Development has used federal Community Development Block Grants to pave an alley at the rear of 1600 E. Pacific Coast Highway
The block-long alley is located south of Pacific Coast Highway between Walnut and Gaviota avenues. The location has been a gathering point for day […]

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The Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB), 4260 Atlantic Avenue, is hosting a panel discussion on the topic “Celebrating Architecture: The Past, Present and Future of Development and Architecture of Long Beach” Thursday, November 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Panelists will include: Jan Ostashay, City of Long Beach historic preservation officer; Amy Bodek, City […]

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The Long Beach Police Department will be aggressively enforcing the state’s occupant protection laws as part of California’s 2008-09 “Click It or Ticket” mobilization, taking place November 17–30, 2008, and May 18–31, 2009. The campaign relies on heavy enforcement and public education as a means to help California achieve the highest seat belt use rate […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
Last week, the City of Signal Hill moved one step closer to producing a master plan detailing park development for the next decade. On Wednesday evening (November 5) the Signal Hill Parks Commission unanimously approved the findings and recommendations of a consulting firm that was commissioned by the city to conduct a […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
If all goes according to plan, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) will open a middle school in Signal Hill in 2011. The project is proposed for the 9.7-acre site west of Cherry Avenue between 20th Street in Long Beach and the Signal Hill city boundary.
“This project was approved in 2005 […]

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Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster announced this week that he has appointed Susan Wise to the city’s Harbor Commission.
“Susan will be a great addition to the Harbor Commission,” said Foster. “Her intellect, experience and problem-solving skills will be invaluable as she participates in the decisions that will greatly impact the Port of Long Beach.”
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The League of Women Voters is hosting a “Press in Transition” panel meeting to address questions regarding what the future holds for print journalism, what is happening to the line between news and entertainment, whether people will lose their voice, and what the role will be for “journalism” in a time of transition. The meeting […]

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Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Fire Chief David Ellis are encouraging all city employees, residents, businesses, and schools to participate in the “Great Southern California Shakeout.” This event will be the largest earthquake drill ever planned and simulated in Southern California and organizers expect it to be the nation’s largest public earthquake preparedness activity […]

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The City of Long Beach, through its nonprofit Long Beach Housing Development Company, is moving forward with plans to acquire the final property for the development of new affordable housing in the 1900 block of Long Beach Boulevard. This is immediately adjacent to the newly constructed Olive Villas mixed-income community, another affordable housing development created […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
Part one of a two-part series
A little more than a month ago, after much controversy, the Long Beach City Council approved the city’s 2008/09 fiscal budget, which required slashing about $16 million from General Fund expenditures. To accomplish that task, the council ordered a 10-percent reduction in the budget of every city […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
The Salvation Army has proposed a “world class” center of “opportunity, education, recreation and inspiration” for the 19-acre Hamilton Bowl site located just north of Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue in Long Beach. So far, a wide array of past and present city officials and business leaders has come out in […]

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With California State University, Dominguez Hills and its 525-kilowatt solar electric parking canopy as a backdrop, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week announced the state has partnered with SunEdison to provide affordable solar power at 15 California State University (CSU) campuses and the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
The innovative public-private partnership will bring online an eight-megawatt-sized solar photovoltaic […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
By a 3-2 vote during its Tuesday meeting, the Signal Hill City Council adopted an ordinance regulating the parking of recreational vehicles, trailers and other oversized vehicles. Starting early next year, with certain exemptions, owners of such vehicles parked without a permit on Signal Hill’s public streets will be subject to a […]

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The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency announced last week that applications are now available for a low-income senior housing project that broke ground one year ago. The 65-unit senior housing development was constructed in collaboration with The Long Beach Housing Development Company, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Menorah Housing Foundation.
The new […]

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The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) has announced that an arrest has been made in the case of a child predator who had been preying on young children.
On Friday, October 24, LBPD detectives responded to the City of Torrance after a tip from a citizen. The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Derek Christopher Nixon, was contacted, […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

The Princess Inn on the 1800 block of Magnolia Avenue has long been a source of anxiety for people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. For about a decade, local residents have called police and other Long Beach City Hall departments to complain about shady characters and illegal activities at the motel. […]

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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
If all goes according George Mitri’s plan, Bixby Knolls will have its own Lebanese restaurant by mid-December. Mitri recently leased the building formerly occupied by Four Olives Café, which closed a few months ago. “We are going to call the restaurant Baba Ghanouj,” Mitri said. He explained that the eatery will offer […]

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