An officer-involved shooting occurred outside PCC campus at Orange Ave. near Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Long Beach on Monday, March 30.
According to Long Beach Police Department Sergeant Rudy Garcia, officers were dispatched at 2:00 p.m. to the scene at 1940 Lemon Ave. following a shooting.
When LBPD arrived at the scene, an officer found the suspect on a bicycle at the 1200 block of Leigh Ct.
As LBPD officers attempted to detain the suspect, they fled on foot and officers chased them.
The suspect refused to comply, took out a gun and fired at the officers multiple times.
“The suspect sustained critical but stable injuries with gunshot wounds in the upper torso and no officers are injured during the shooting,” Sgt. Garcia said
The weapon was found on scene and LBPD have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Long Beach native Robert Welch.
According to LBPD Sgt. Garcia, there is currently an ongoing investigation of this case.
The world is facing a pandemic affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus, which hit the world by surprise much like climate change has done within the recent years.
Society talks about climate change and lack of effort by the United States to combat it.
Climate change is a relevant topic in society because we witness it in wildfires in the Amazon forest and global warming.
With this in mind, how is the coronavirus health crisis going to impact climate change in the future?
Will this pandemic decrease it or perpetuate it further?
Personally, I believe climate change will be positively affected because greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing due to the coronavirus shutdown.
Greenhouse gas emissions are produced largely through human activity which has affected our planet at an aggressive rate.
Another way the coronavirus may impact climate change is a decrease in air pollutants due to shutdown of many companies.
Society will have cleaner air in this time of self-quarantine when most businesses are closed.
UC Irvine student Sivani Pelluru shared her thoughts about whether the health crisis will impact climate change in a positive or negative way.
“Better because most factories are being shut down and the encouragement of [staying] indoors encourages less transportation so less pollution in the air,” Pelluru said.
Long Beach City College student Julian Javate spoke about his thoughts about bodily responses to COVID-19.
“It will have a significant impact by affecting primarily the immune systems of the population since they are subjected to lower temperatures and causing bodies to experience a change in their homeostasis states,” Javate said.
Both students believe the health crisis will impact climate change in a positive way because of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions which is a huge factor in climate change.
However, other students don’t believe that coronavirus will improve climate change in the world.
Cypress College student Gisselle Figueroa shared her thoughts.
“In my opinion, I’d say that the coronavirus will do neither. Sure it’s an airborne-type virus but it hasn’t helped or damaged climate change,” Figueroa said.
At the end of the day we will have to maintain decorum and wait for the COVID-19 situation to alleviate.
Self-quarantining is the best option in regards to mediating the coronavirus crisis and to help society understand the impact it will have on the environment.
Recent rainfall in the Long Beach area has revealed native amphibians garden slender salamanders that normally go unnoticed.
Garden slender salamanders are native to southern California and they usually hide under debris like rocks or logs, or will use earthworm burrows to hide from predators.
Their bodies are long and slender with their tails sometimes being longer than the rest of their bodies.
Like other amphibians, their diet consists of small insects.
Amphibians do not dwell only in the tropics like most think, but in fact California has many native species.
Daniel Nigro is a professor at LBCC who has been teaching wildlife biology for about 16 years.
“There are quite a few species of slender salamanders in California… I think a lot of people don’t see them because they are so well camouflaged and many people might mistake them as a worm, until they see the cute little face and tiny legs,” the professor said.
Two garden slender salamanders were found together under a log. Salamander’s tails are sometimes longer than the rest of their body. Photo by Jacqueline Crochet.
Professor Nigro also explained what makes slender salamanders so unique.
“It is lungless, and instead uses its moist skin to absorb oxygen from the air. It must stay moist for this to work, so it prefers moist locations. Most other salamanders use lungs,” Nigro said.
The Save the Frogs organization was founded in 2008 by Kerry Kriger, who has a Ph.D in environmental science.
The organization has worked to protect amphibian species all over the world.
Despite its name, Save the Frogs has also saved other animals like salamanders.
“We successfully petitioned the U.S. government to ban the importation of 201 salamander species into the country, to reduce the likelihood of an amphibian disease entering the USA,” said Kriger.
A garden slender salamander was found under a piece of wood in Long Beach on Monday, March 23, after heavy rainfall the night before. Photo by Jacqueline Crochet.
Due to human activity damaging natural environments, amphibian populations worldwide have been rapidly declining.
“Protecting habitat is the best way to ensure the survival of salamanders in California,” said Dr. Kriger.
Dr. Kriger also shared what people can do if they want to help their local amphibians.
“Build a frog pond, do not introduce non-native species, let vegetation grow on part of your property, and go pesticide free,” said Kriger.
I sighed, and anxiously decided to take the only pack of sanitizer wipes I had, now dwindling, with me to the car. I wiped down the steering wheel, the belt buckle, the door handle, and then said a prayer: “Dear God, please don’t let me get the Coronavirus.”
Last week on March 18 was the first time in 6 months I’d done a night of food deliveries, during the worst week of COVID-19 in Los Angeles to date. But like many other Angelenos, I was willing to take the risk, as I was off work, still getting paid, but not enough.
After working solely as a delivery driver in Los Angeles full-time for two years, I knew like other drivers what this week would mean: high delivery volume, lots of miles, and money.
In fact, the gig economy in Los Angeles is a strong one. According to a study commissioned by freelance marketplace Fiverr from market research firm Rockbridge Association, over 400,000 Angelenos are self-employed, and make up 1.7 percent of the local GDP.
Among the biggest sources of self-employed income comes from delivery drivers for companies like Instacart, Caviar, UberEats, Postmates, and Doordash among others.
Yet, the delivery drivers like myself, and the self-employed Uber and Lyft drivers who are keeping Los Angeles running even during the COVID-19 shutdown, have no financial help from government entities being offered at this time.
In fact, as a self-employed individual, most delivery drivers aren’t even entitled to basic health benefits from these multi-billion dollar companies that could help them in case they do get sick.
We can only rely on Medi-Cal and outside health insurance plans that could prove costly.
In addition, customers do not have to tip, and restaurants do not have to rush orders for drivers, leaving drivers vulnerable to lost wages and lost time.
This was the reason I left the self-employed world and joined a giant company that offered competitive benefits.
But, this career move might not be possible for others still relying solely on being self-employed for income.
Flexible schedules, less workplace stress, ability to work alone, and freedom, are all things that I gave up, but that others that are self-employed cannot easily let go of, either for family, school, or personal reasons.
And certainly, the COVID 19 shutdown would not be enough of a reason either.
Immediately the difference was noticeable. The streets were empty, the drive from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles was 20 minutes, and DoorDash was lighting up my phone with calls.
In emails sent out to its drivers, DoorDash promised that “All customer orders will now be marked leave at the door or no-contact by default.” Postmates and GrubHub sent out similar e-mails.
In addition, DoorDash promised, “We’re working to make bottles of hand sanitizer and gloves available to Dashers across the U.S. We started shipping in the markets where the situation seemed most urgent, and we continue to release supplies in more markets as quickly as we can.”
However, as I delivered food after these emails were sent, there was still no option to deliver to doors as of March 20, and no sanitary supplies available.
Had I not already had some disinfectant wipes and gloves on me, lack of access to a bathroom during my delivery route to wash my hands would have put my health at risk.
This was in fact, a sad reality, as I saw countless drivers ask restaurants for hand sanitizer while waiting for food orders. Some had it available, and some did not.
Customers still complained that I didn’t call and wait for them to open the door, even though Los Angeles County is now practicing social distancing, and I was waiting at the door for five minutes.
Customers still requested I, as a driver, input a security code into a filthy box, touch the door handle to a downtown apartment building, touch the elevator buttons, walk down a cramped hallway to the very last door, and deliver their food in person instead of at the front lobby, because “It’s too far.”
Customers still didn’t tip.
And though DoorDash and other companies promised hand sanitizers, contactless delivery, and even financial assistance for delivery drivers infected with COVID-19, these promises are still nowhere to be seen.
As mentioned before, there’s something beautiful about being a self-employed delivery driver, especially during the shutdown.
Downtown Los Angeles is magical with empty streets at night. My delivery pay averaged at about $17-$30 per hour, and I had the freedom that I had lost becoming a regular employee again.
But what I didn’t feel was a difference in treatment. Delivery drivers are still seen, like other low-income workers that are still working during this shutdown, as expendable.
It isn’t just delivery drivers, but gas station attendants, fast-food and grocery workers also.
We have all been ignored up until now. We have all been left to pick up the pieces of a city that is full of rich and influential people, who only see us as servants to help carry out their daily tasks.
After this shutdown, it will most likely go back to normal. No more Instagram posts about appreciating all workers. No more financial assistance to help sick self-employed drivers. No recognition or thanks.
But for now, the COVID-19 shutdown should remind the public to continue the fight towards income equality and to give proper and much-needed benefits to the self-employed.
It should remind us to simply say “thank you,” treat others with respect, and at the very least, leave a tip.
Coronavirus, the pandemic that has killed 23,970 globally and infected 529,591, according to the LA Times as of March 25, calls for urgent changes to our healthcare system.
More accessible testing for COVID-19 and universal healthcare coverage including guaranteed paid sick leave are immediate changes that need to be addressed in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
While countries like South Korea have acted quickly to ensure its population be tested, testing roughly 20,000 people per day, precise numbers for exactly how many people in the U.S. have tested has not been reported.
However, as of March 20, Politico reported that 138,521 tests have been given.
According to The Guardian, between March 8 and the morning of March 11, only 77 people in the U.S. were tested.
As of March 20, reports have announced the potential arrival of at-home coronavirus tests.
Yet, they are ranging in price from $150-200, which is unaffordable for many Americans and also have issues with accuracy.
With testing widely unavailable, COVID-19 continues to spread through contagious people who are unaware they are carriers.
As of late, testing has remained mainly accessible to celebrities and other wealthy people.
Actors like Idris Elba have tested positive for coronavirus, who is able to take the test while exhibiting no symptoms, according to a video posted to his Twitter account on March 16.
“Perhaps that’s been the story of life,” President Trump said during a White House briefing on March 18, when asked about celebrities getting preferential treatment regarding testing.
Besides testing, Americans are faced with the burden of immense hospital bills.
In a Century Foundation article, it is stated, “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the average hospital costs for inpatient admissions stemming from COVID-19 could range from approximately $10,000–$20,000, depending on the nature of complications.”
On March 19, Time.com reported about a patient receiving a final bill of $34,927.43 after testing and treatment.
For people who are insured (and 27.5 million people did not have health insurance coverage in 2018, according to the United States Census Bureau) there are still matters of co-pay, co-insurance, deductibles, and being in-network.
Health insurance is largely tied to employment and the COVID-19 health crisis has left many people jobless, a readjustment to the system is an urgent matter.
For hourly workers who receive healthcare benefits through jobs, there is the possibility of losing benefits if enough hours are not accrued, an ironic consequence of becoming sick and needing said benefits.
According to a Forbes article from March 20 by Jack Kelly, “Bank of America has come out with a frightening prediction—by next week, three million people will have filed for unemployment benefits due to the economic effects precipitated by the coronavirus.”
Whether people have received health insurance through their jobs or not, that is a massive increase in people without the financial means to carry them through a potential health crisis.
For many workers who receive no benefits through their job, like most restaurant workers, many can not afford the loss of income by skipping more than a day of work.
This increases the likelihood of both remaining sick or getting sicker, as well as spreading the illness to others.
One perception of coronavirus is that it only will harm the elderly and the immunocompromised, but what if many young people don’t know if they’re immunocompromised?
How many young people have gotten a comprehensive check-up within the past few years to determine this?
This is not cheap even for the insured and it is unaffordable for the uninsured.
According to the World Policy Center, the U.S. is one of three high-income nations that does not guarantee sick pay.
With a healthcare system that is not supported by the government, hospitals are ill-equipped to handle the increasing number of cases.
Notably, there is a shortage of masks and ventilators could be affected next, being crucial in an illness that attacks the respiratory system.
China was able to rapidly create new facilities to accommodate their growing number of patients.
As of March 17, Spain, the country with the second-highest amount of coronavirus cases in Europe, has nationalized its hospitals.
Changes to our current healthcare system have been heavily discussed particularly throughout the Democratic presidential primary, but seeing how our current system has failed at handling this pandemic will open more people’s eyes to the necessity of socialized medicine.
The ramifications of a broken healthcare system in the US have been exposed and the modifications needed are more pressing than ever.
Health care is a right and the U.S.’s response to coronavirus is living proof.
In correspondence with COVID-19 precautions, Long Beach City College’s Board of Trustees held their first remote meeting Wednesday, March 25, and provided a great deal of new and essential information to students, faculty and employees about the remote-online transitional time period.
COVID-19 updates were reported from various members of administration throughout the remote meeting.
Part of the COVID-19 response team, Vice President of Academic Affairs Kathy Scott gave updates on transition to remote instruction, presented a list of classes that have been moved to online and reported on which classes are currently facing difficulties.
According to Scott’s segment of the presentation 2,012 classes have transitioned to remote instruction that were originally face-to-face classes, 76 are currently in a suspended state and eight classes are still transitioning as of March 25.
Scott detailed California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is considering the extension of spring semester for classes that cannot be maintained remotely, but no decision has been made as of March 25.
Classes like anatomy, nursing, automotive, culinary, and affiliated labs have faced difficulties and adjustments are being worked out.
“Anatomy… They couldn’t take anything home, they have hazardous materials, so [faculty] came into labs with their colleagues, performed the labs, recorded them, photographed them and that’s what they’re using for instruction,” Scott said.
Scott detailed the proceedings in automotive, culinary, nursing and other courses in her presentation.
“Auto, some of the faculty were allowed to take the electric vehicles home so they could do the videos of different operations of the car… Culinary has created cooking videos, putting together ingredient bags for students to pick up to continue their assignments,” Scott said.
In regards to nursing, Scott said,“The whole situation with nursing is very interesting right now because we’re being asked to continue that instruction and possibly, even some classes back on-campus, in a social distancing manner because the need for nurses is so great right now.”
A screenshot from a remote ConferZoom board meeting displays all members in attendance. Long Beach City College board of trustees held their first remote meeting on Wednesday, March 25. Screenshot by Abrielle Lopez.
Scott mentioned resources for faculty on the LBCC website for remote-online teaching, suggestions for creative and flexible instruction, Canvas and ConferZoom tutorials, and support services like a list of staff contact information, amongst other topics. Access the faculty resources web page at COVID-19 Info for Faculty.
Scott credited Dean of Language Arts and Communication Lee Douglas for converting all tutoring services online, as tutors are working remotely to continue aiding students with their classes.
Online tutoring can be accessed at Tutoring, where instructions are detailed on how to make an appointment with new protocol.
All library services are online as of March 25, according to Scott.
“Chat with a librarian, online research orientations and we also have our online databases… So all of the library services continue,” Scott said.
There was brief discourse about Title 5, which requires instructors to reach a certain number of instructional hours before credit can be given and this was in relation to student credits being successfully transferred at the end of the semester.
Scott said instructors are remaining mindful of Title 5 requirements in this time of remote-online instruction.
Lastly, Scott talked about the status for the summer 2020 session, as of March 25.
“We believe that it’s highly likely that we will be fully online for summer… We don’t know what’s going to happen here, with the health situation in the state. We’re going to have to wait and see,” Scott said.
Interim superintendent-president Lou Ann Bynum and president trustee Vivian Malauulu remotely discuss LBCC’s prospective timeline. Long Beach City College board of trustees held their first remote meeting on Wednesday, March 25. Screenshot by Abrielle Lopez.
Vice President of Student Services Mike Muñoz, who provided information on student services like Viking Vaults, a food giveaway service for students in need, transition of services to online, remote counseling, helping special-case students in need and a student helpline that operates as a phonetree.
COVID-19 related resources like travel advisory, prevention tips and resources for students can be accessed at www.lbcc.edu/covid-19-info-students.
The Viking Vault provided 300 bags of groceries to students on Tuesday at LAC and PCC, with the inclusion of a box of cereal, almond milk, bread, peanut butter, jelly, string cheese, tuna fish, and a handful of other nutritional items.
The Viking Vault is set to occur on Tuesdays from noon to 3 p.m., in parking lot G at LAC and parking lot 2 at PCC. Updates are posted on LBCC’s Healthy Vikings social media accounts.
“Our goal is to continue to offer this service on a weekly basis, as well as recognizing that we don’t fully know what the future has in store for us,” Muñoz said.
The Office of Basic Needs is in the process of securing gift cards to grocery stores like Albertsons and Vons to give to students in need.
Showers and other services are provided to students experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness by the Office of Basic Needs.
To fully access the Basic Needs program services, including their COVID-19 website, students can go to LBCC Basic Needs.
Newly appointed interim superintendent-president Lou Ann Bynum, who participated in her first board meeting in this setting, spoke about consequential steps to the status of coronavirus and LBCC’s transition to online and remote.
According to Bynum, no decision has been made for the spring 2020 commencement ceremony, remote-online instruction is currently considered for the summer 2020 semester with no final decision and the registration process for new students, high school and transfer, is being evaluated by the board.
Vice President Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk talked about the COVID-19 health crisis and its prospective effect on LBCC.
“One million Californians filed for unemployment in the last two weeks, so that means one million people in California got laid off. We typically have an inverse relationship when the economy is bad… More students enroll and it’s going to be very interesting to see how that relationship plays out, with the virus and pandemic,” Ntuk said.
Upon item 9.1 when Mike Muñoz discussed student services, Board President Vivian Malauulu inquired about student withdrawals and drops from classes that cannot be sustained for personal reasons and the consequences due to COVID-19.
According to Muñoz, the chancellor’s office held a webinar on Wednesday regarding the COVID-19 response and is expected to release guidance this week.
“We will be able to implement an excused withdrawal process that will not hurt students in terms of their academic standings… There still are some implications regarding federal financial aid… Nonetheless, the excused withdrawal is a much better option for our students than the traditional withdrawal,” Muñoz said.
The next remote meeting of the board is to occur on April 22, 2020 with closed session at 4:30 p.m. and open session live stream at 5:30 p.m.
This guide will inform you of the basic information you’ll need to get through the pandemic, including government benefits and financial strategies.
The federal government is considering multiple legislation and executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has upended society for both the United States and countries across the world.
For employees who experienced reduced hours due to COVID-19, you can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim and get benefits ranging from $40-$450 a week if you’re found eligible.
UI is beneficial because it provides partial wage replacement benefit payments to employees who lose their job or have their hours reduced.
In this case, workers who are momentarily unemployed because of COVID-19 and are scheduled to return within a few weeks are not required to work each week.
However, for each week of benefits received, employees must remain available and ready to work during their unemployment and fulfill all other eligibility requirements.
The California Department of Education and the United States Department of Agriculture has approved a waiver to establish a non-congregate meal service during closures to help children who remain dependent on school for their daily meals.
Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) works as an effective solution in helping children overcome the obstacles that could prevent them from making use of the waiver.
P-EBT is a solution that provides nutritional assistance on an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries for families of school children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches and are enrolled in a school that is closed for at least five consecutive days due to COVID-19.
The State offers families with children who are eligible for free or subsidized meals a pre-loaded EBT card in the mail for each eligible child in a sum no less than the value of school lunch and breakfast depending on how long their school will be closed.
These EBT cards with pre-loaded food benefits could be used everywhere that SNAP EBT is used. The waiver will continue through June 30, 2020. Click here for more information about P-EBT.
WIC usually covers eggs, milk, fortified foods, peanut butter, beans, tofu, fruits, vegetables, canned fish and more. Women who don’t breastfeed are able to receive iron-fortified infant formula. People may also use WIC assistance to buy fresh produce at participating farmers’ markets.
To qualify, people must be pregnant or postpartum and breastfeeding, meet income guidelines that fall at 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines and be evaluated to be at nutritional risk by a health professional.
State residency requirements must also be met for consideration of qualification for the WIC programs.
With almost all districts shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, officials throughout the state put in place plans to provide “grab and go” meals with minimal interaction between workers at the cafeteria, volunteers and struggling families.
A vast variety of school districts affected during this pandemic include local cities such as Long Beach, Downey, Bellflower, Los Angeles, Compton and Torrance. Click here for more “grab and go” locations.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia implemented stricter protocols for the city of Long Beach after mass beachgoers and park dwellers ignored social distancing protocols that were implemented in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garcia tweeted his concerns on March 24, stating “The pier and parking lots to city beaches and parks are now closed. We are taking this next step because there are too many people ignoring social distancing while visiting our parks and beaches. You can still ride your bicycle, walk your dog or go for a run. Please follow order.”
The same day, the city of Long Beach issued a press release stating, “Access is now closed to Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, the El Dorado Nature Center and parking lots at City-owned parks and beaches through April 19 to prevent large groups of people from congregating in public spaces, in accordance with the latest clarification to the state’s ‘Stay at Home’ order and the City of Long Beach’s ‘Safer at Home’ order.”
The amended ‘Safer at Home’ order makes it clear that no more mass gatherings of any number are allowed in the city of Long Beach, whereas before gatherings had been limited to ten people or less.
The press release also stated that, “Additionally, the closure of commercial properties and businesses listed under the City’s order was expanded to include indoor and outdoor flea markets and swap meets.”
Kate Kuykendall, a city spokesperson with the Long Beach Health Department’s joint information center, spoke about the reasoning behind the closures in further detail during a phone interview on March 25.
“The closures are a direct result of large gatherings that occurred over the weekend. The parking lots to beaches, not the beaches themselves, are closed, to try and prevent large gatherings” said Kuykendall.
“People can still go for a run or walk, and exercises that involve body weight are fine, but no gatherings allowed, and sports facilities equipment and exercise equipment are closed too,” she said.
Kuykendall also explained the reasoning behind closing sports equipment, including monkey bars, exercise machines, and basketball courts at parks and beaches.
“There are more opportunities to touch surfaces at parks and exercise equipment at beaches, where it can stay on surfaces for up to 72 hours,” she said.
Parks are now closed due to revised ‘Safer-at-home’ order which was issued in response to the lack of social distancing. Signs like this can be seen all around the city, here at Bixby park. Photo by Veronica Huerta
Although the Long Beach Health Department operates separately and overrides the protocols of the Los Angeles County Health Department, Kuykendall clarified that county and state orders say this closure is in effect until April 19, but it’s hard to say if that will remain.
Long Beach has made some revisions to better align with county and state orders.
The revised “Safer at Home” order, released on March 24 by Dr. Anissa Davis, health officer of the Long Beach Health Department stated, “Existing community transmission of COVID‐19 in the City presents a substantial and significant risk of harm to the health of residents. Currently, there is no vaccine available to protect against and no specific treatment for COVID‐19.”
According to the order, “As of March 24, 2020, there have been at least 28 cases of COVID‐19 and 1 death reported in the City of Long Beach, and 536 cases of COVID‐19 and 6 deaths reported in Los Angeles County. There remains a strong likelihood of a significant and increasing number of suspected cases of community transmission.”
In addition, the Long Beach Police Department has issued new protocols to enforce health orders, and deal with businesses and people who ignore social distancing protocols.
Denise Green, Community Engagement Officer for LBPD, shared the City Response to Enforcement on Health Order through an e-mail on March 24.
The enforcement of health order states, “The City of Long Beach is asking all community members to voluntarily comply with the recent ‘Safer at Home’ Health Department order in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy. “
In addition, the enforcement order states, “California Health and Safety Code 120275 et seq. makes it a misdemeanor crime for any business to fail to comply with a local Health Officer’s Order. This may be punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both. If voluntary compliance cannot be obtained, a citation may be issued to the business staff/representative.”
For people that refuse to follow social distancing protocol, the order states, “If Long Beach police officers are dispatched to a call for service related to non-compliance with the order, officers have been directed to evaluate the totality of the circumstances and work to educate the persons involved to gain voluntary compliance. Enforcement action should be the last option utilized, unless the circumstances pose an immediate threat of violence or other serious public safety concerns.”
Social distancing is our best bet at preventing the spread of COVID-19. Preventative measures are now being enforced to ensure civilians adhere to protocols. Photo by Veronica Huerta
Several people were seen to still be utilizing exercise equipment at Junipero Beach on March 25, and Marine Bureau officers patrolling the area expressed frustration with those individuals, showcasing the increasing efforts and lack of care for social distancing among Long Beach residents.
Jane Gobarty, Superintendent for community information for the Long Beach Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department, spoke about the current situation for park maintenance during a phone interview March 25.
She assured the public that there will still be regularly scheduled maintenance at parks and beaches, that includes cleaning of bathrooms, trash pickup, sanitation, and park maintenance itself.
“So far, they’ll remain closed. There’s currently no determination for whether or not the parks will open sooner than the beaches, or vice versa. We just don’t know,” Gobarty said.
President Donald Trump, in light of plummeting stocks and fear of a recession, expressed his hope to rid the United States of social distancing by Easter.
“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said during a Fox News virtual town hall meeting in the Rose Garden on March 24. “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought.”
For now, Long Beach residents continue to use the beaches and parks for gatherings and exercise. Whether circumstances will change, and social distancing will become a thing of the past, or an essential protocol that remains ignored too long and leads to dire consequences, awaits to be seen.
The stalls at the local harvest farmers market in Long Beach continue to be filled with produce, and crowds continue to gather amidst the COVID-19 shutdown in Long Beach.
The city of Long Beach released a strict “Safer at home” order on March 24 amended from the original order released on March 19.
The new order restricts gatherings of any kind, including gatherings of 10 or fewer people, along with other changes from the previous order.
However, the Long Beach Local Harvest Farmers Market in Bixby Park remained open for business and was bustling with families and farmers alike.
Lee Ostendorf, who has been organizing the market for eight years, spoke about how the COVID-19 health crisis is affecting the market, and how customers are reacting during an interview on March 24.
“We haven’t received any backlash at all, and people are grateful,” Ostendorf said.
Regulations have been implemented for those in attendance, such as being mandated to remain six feet apart from other people. To ensure these guidelines are being followed, chalk outlines have been drawn to help people maintain the social distancing orders. Photo by Veronica Huerta
Though produce and food are considered essential, the Long Beach Health Department has not allowed regular craftsmen and entertainers to attend the farmers market since the shutdown, according to Ostendorf.
“The health department came in last week to inspect and make sure we were following their guidelines, and it was all positive,” Ostendorf said.
“I have to walk around and make sure that people are staying six feet apart. We put chalk lines down, and most people right now do follow the rules,” Ostendorf said.
Claro Rufo, who works as a health inspector for the temporary food facilities of the Long Beach Health Department, regularly inspects the market according to Ostendorf.
Rufo spoke about new protocols that the farmers market must follow along with some concerns he had during a phone interview on March 24.
“On my recent inspection on Saturday and Sunday, I made some observations, and the farmers market is essential,” Rufo said.
“Space is concerning. What we are recommending for the organizers is to space booths apart and space items to increase social distancing and while walking the market, make sure that it is ensuring a minimum of 6 feet for non-farmer members,” said Rufo.
In addition, the public health inspector recommended the market limit the number of customers allowed to reduce overcrowding, also increase the disinfection of surfaces and payment devices, and remove public service items to deter the spread of the virus.
“We have to remind employees to increase the frequency of soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and produce gloves and bags while selecting produce,” said Rufo.
Older regulations for the farmers market, such as removing vendors not part of the certified farmers market according to the CAL Code, still apply according to both Rufo and Ostendorf.
“This is a California certified farmers market, all farmers have to have a certification from the state of California and the county of where they grow, and have a list of what they grow. It enables them to come here and sell. It provides a sense of security,” said Ostendorf.
Rose Rennie, who owns a honey and ginger stand at the farmers market, talked about her sales and the benefits of keeping the market open.
“We are hardly able to keep up bottling our honey. Honey is full of anti-bacterial properties and people know that. During the winter our sales usually go up 30 percent, but people here have been buying like crazy,” Rennie said.
“We are the source, and we’re giving people food directly from farmers to customers, in the open air, not crammed with everyone breathing on everyone,” said Rennie.
Tino Fatteh, who operates Sunny Cal Farms at the Local Harvest market along with Bryson Raynsford, spoke about operating the farm during the shutdown.
Tino Fatteh and Bryson Raynsford both run Sunny-Cal Farms and expressed equal gratitude for the famers market remaining open during this time of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Veronica Huerta
“We’re stoked to be here providing people food for the week people panicked. Now, people are happy out here shopping, they’re mindful. Long Beach is one of the only spots allowing hot food,” said Fatteh.
In addition to giving people a sense of normalcy, the market is an essential, safer way to get the highest quality produce now according to Fatteh.
“What we sell has to be grown in California, which isn’t an issue because 80 percent of agriculture is here. We grow in the San Joaquin Valley, so you’re gonna get the freshest stuff here,” said Fatteh.
“There’s no shortage of food with local farms because we grow everything, and it’s direct to consumers,” said Raynsford.
“The supply line is the issue, no one anticipated hysteria, and creating panic is the worst part,” said Fatteh.
Sunny Cal Farms is so essential to its regular customers, and has been overflowing with new customers looking to shop outdoors, that they have now implemented a delivery line, said Fatteh.
In addition, Fatteh also expressed concerns over a possible stimulus package for small businesses, and whether or not small farm owners will be included in that.
“Will farmers get included in stimulus packages, or will small businesses be overlooked? If you really want to think about it, we’re putting our lives and health on line to get people essential food. We’re just lucky we’re younger,” Fatteh said.
Though Fatteh, Ostendorf, and other farmers operating the market hope it will remain open, some parts of the market might not be so lucky.
Rufo clarified that, though the market will remain open, a final say still has to be given by Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beach Health Department health officer, to determine whether the hot food stands beloved in the market will be able to stay.
For now, the Local Harvest Farmers Market is still operating both at Bixby Park, and at Marine Stadium on Tuesdays and Saturdays at various times of the day, and will continue to do so until told otherwise.
Ostendorf said, “We’ll go back to the way we were. For now, following the guidelines, the people are happy, we’re happy, and just working to bring products to the market.”
Long Beach City College’s Title IX program is a force against sexual violence and police efforts are equally as strong in order to combat the growing issue of sexual harassment, assault, and violence.
Lt. Omar Martinez, LBCC representative of the Long Beach Police Department, spoke about what constitutes sexual harassment, and the involvement of campus police when investigating sexual violence crimes, during an interview on March 11.
“With sexual harassment, the person committing the crime is simply not respecting boundaries, be it a male and female, a teacher to student, student to teacher, or student to student,” said Martinez.
Martinez explained police become involved with cases reported at LBCC if they need to interject and talk to students in violation of student conduct code and assist subsequently.
“A high percentage of students understand to stop bothering someone else once they’re told by the police,” Martinez said.
However, sometimes sexual harassment and violence escalate.
The Clery statistics, an annual safety report of LBCC, indicated two cases of sexual battery in 2017, which according to Martinez, occurred at the PCC and included fondling over the victim’s clothes.
“At PCC, the campus is not as protected as LAC and because it’s across the street from a dense area, issues arise and it spills onto the campus,” said Martinez, explaining LAC is much safer because of its location and campus environment.
Even so, sexual harassment and abuse can occur at both campuses, and it’s the duty of the Title IX coordinators on campus to ensure the proper reporting, investigating, and overall handling of sexual violence cases.
Deputy coordinator Alisia Kirkwood and student conduct specialist Sylvia Garcia of the Title IX program, spoke about sexual violence education, resources and the role of the Title IX at LBCC during an interview on March 12.
“The main resources for victims include CARE services that redirect students through health and mental health services, the Title IX coordinator Dr. Kristin Olson, or the Title IX advocate Deborah-Miller Calvert,” Kirkwood said.
“Sometimes students aren’t ready to report publicly, but they want support for trauma, to ask questions, get options and they may not want to report because the person who did the assault is someone they know,” Kirkwood said.
In these instances, Kirkwood said that students can still make use of resources on campus for support, even if the assault happened outside the jurisdiction of LBCC, such as at a party or anywhere else off-campus.
“On and off-campus, we can still provide support, education and resources through multiple methods of dissemination,” Kirkwood said.
Garcia talked about the climate of sexual assault reporting on campus.
“Luckily there are no big cases of sexual assault on campus, but more people are inquiring, asking more questions and speaking up about abuse and defending themselves,” Garcia said.
According to Kirkwood, since the new deputy coordinator came into office, the Title IX program has done more to reach its goal of intervention, prevention, education, awareness and support for sexual violence, and have worked diligently to raise awareness.
Informed consent is one topic that the Title IX program is working to raise awareness of, as without it, incidents of sexual assault and harassment can arise.
“Informed and affirmative consent are necessary at every phase of a relationship,” Kirkwood said.
In addition, sexual violence prevention and education courses Garcia has worked to bring awareness to topics that need attention, according to Garcia.
These topics include red flags of abuse and healthy relationships, sexual assault 101 and what constitutes assault, and bystander intervention.
Events hosted during Women’s History Month and other times of the year, like Denim Day in April, raise awareness of human trafficking and additionally, events by the YWCA have been established to raise awareness on sexual violence, according to Garcia.
“We encourage these events, and there are now opportunities for student clubs to host their own event with a grant of up to $500. The goal is, we want students to feel empowered and have a voice,” Garcia said.
As for the Title IX program at LBCC, it is ever-evolving and improving according to Kirkwood.
According to Kirkwood, an effort to comply with federal mandates and be sure no one’s rights are violated, the Title IX office ensures it is following up with new changes in law and court proceedings.
“We now have concerns that deal with equity, fairness, and seeking legal counsel,” Kirkwood said.
Increased education on sexual violence and efforts to evolve the Title IX program are paying off, according to Kirkwood and Garcia.
“There is less tolerance for both sexual harassment and general harassment. People know their rights. We’re doing more reaching out, going into classrooms and club meetings,” said Kirkwood.
Changes to the reporting process for sexual harassment and violence have also been implemented.
In order to ensure every student speaks out, students can report a case of sexual harassment through the student conduct website, file an incident report form, and use that form to report an incident of sexual or domestic violence, or to file a CARE report for a student health concern.
Students can call the student affairs office or the student Title IX coordinator Kristin Olson directly.
“A trusted faculty member can be a good point of contact to begin the process, because they’re all mandated reporters too,” Garcia said.
“We need to recognize sexual harassment and domestic violence more than in the months of October and April because it doesn’t just happen then. Education is going to be year-round, to keep up momentum because the more students hear this information, the more they know, the more they speak out, report and seek help.”
According to Kirkwood, Garcia, and Martinez, the culture and awareness of sexual violence and harassment is now helping victims find their voice and helping students to recognize and report abuse.
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