Despite being more than 30 miles from the closest wildfire, Long Beach is among cities that, although in no imminent danger of being directly affected by the fires themselves, are most affected by smoke that is propelled by wind. Los Angeles County public health officials warned Southern California residents last weekend to take precautions and suggested the cancellation of outdoor activities. The South Coast Air Quality Management deemed air quality for the Long Beach area as unhealthy for the elderly, children and residents with breathing difficulties. For more information about air quality, visit www.aqmd.gov.

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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 whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.”
From the birth of the United States of America until the late 20th Century, most Americans relied on newspapers to inform them about the events of their day, and the activities of their government. Nowadays, television news with its high emphasis on entertainment and biased Internet blog sites have taken big bites out of newspaper readership, and newspapers all across the nation are laying off reporters in droves. Last Saturday, the Long Beach Chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored a panel discussion entitled “Press in Transition” to focus on the challenges faced by print media. The six panelists included: Rich Archbold, executive editor of the Press Telegram; Neena Strichart, publisher of the Signal Tribune; Harry Salzgaver, executive editor of Gazette Newspapers; Danny Paskin, assistant professor of journalism at CSULB; Jeffery Rabin, former Los Angeles Times reporter; and Douglas Shuit, also a former Times reporter. About 50 people attended the discussion, which took place in the auditorium of the main library in downtown Long Beach.
The panelists responded to questions from LWV moderator Jan Gallup.
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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 your pets or if you run alone near dawn or dusk.”
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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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BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

Five years after being built, the houses on 2910 and 2914 Hill Street are still vacant with no utilities and no driveways connecting them to a public street. The owner of the two homes, Tarzana-based 6 Angels LLC, has spent several months trying to work out the issues but has made little progress so far. “We have put things in motion, and we are continuing to talk to property owners and city officials in Long Beach and Signal Hill,” said company spokesperson Brian Angel. “Unfortunately, the legal process is very slow.”
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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, who served as city auditor for 32 years– from 1919 to 1951. She was the first women elected to office in Long Beach and is its longest-running elected official.
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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 make life more comfortable for older people. Some residents in the vicinity have strongly opposed the project since it was publicized a few months ago, but they insist the only thing they object to is the building’s size. They say they would not object to a four-story building.
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