Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 - JANUARY 18, 2015
belmontbeacon.com
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Sworn in for Second Term State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson outlined his ambitious “Agenda for Excellence” for the next four years today in Sacramento as he was sworn in for his second term as chief of California’s public school system and leader of the California Department of Education. “During my first term, we have begun transforming education in California by providing a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood,” said Torlakson. “ But more work needs to be done. For my second term, I want to transform our system to one known far and wide for its excellence.” Torlakson, California’s 27th state schools chief, said that schools have made significant progress during his first term, including achieving a record high school graduation rate of 80 percent. Today, he outlined his plans to work together with teachers, parents, administrators, classified employees, community leaders, and business leaders, to achieve excellence
times as likely to be more engaged in their workplace and the surrounding community upon graduation.” The Center for Community Engagement, housed at CSULB, reports that approximately 12,109 students engaged in some form of Please see page 2
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•Developing an accountability system based on broad measures; •Implementing the Local Control Funding Formula that Please see page 4
CSULB Named to 2014 President’s Community Service Honor Roll California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has earned a place on the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fourth time. The recognition distinguishes colleges and universities engaged in helping solve social and economic problems, achieving meaningful outcomes on be-
half of the regions they serve. “We are delighted to once again be named to the President’s Community Service Honor Roll. When students engage in service, everyone benefits,” said Jane Close Conoley, president, CSULB. “College students who are taught to apply classroom learning to life off campus are nearly three
2014 Statistics Show Lowest Reported Violent Crimes in 42 Years Based on preliminary crime data, Long Beach ended 2014 poised to achieve the lowest number of reported violent crimes in 42 years. When compared to 2013, the 2014 violent crime statistics reflect a decrease of 3.2%, with a 17.8% decrease as compared to the 5-year average. Property crime statistics also showed a 4.8% decrease, and a 3.8% decrease in the 5-year average. The Total Part 1 Crime reduction was 4.6%, and 6.3% as compared to the 5-year average. “This ongoing reduction in crime reflects the City’s unwavering commitment to public safety,” noted Mayor Robert Garcia. “Reducing crime is a priority for the entire City, especially our Police Department and its dedicated employees.” In the violent crime category, the Police Department anticipates that the final 2014 statistics, which will be available later this month, will reflect a 30.3% decrease from 2013 in the number of murders - 23 as opposed to 33 in 2013.* This is the lowest number of murders on record since statistics were first compiled in 1969. Fourteen of the 23 were investigated as gang related. The Homicide Detail solved 22 murders in 2014 with a clearance rate of 95.7%. The number of reported rapes
-Photo by Terry Miller
in California’s educational system. He seeks to do this by: •Continuing to exert independent and strong leadership; •Supporting teachers to help them become the best educators they can be;
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CSULB Community Service Honor Roll Continued from page 1
community service in 201213, including 5,311 who were involved in academic servicelearning. In total, these students logged more than 1.2 million community service hours during that time. It is also believed that roughly 800 CSULB faculty and staff were involved in some kind of community service that same year. “At Cal State Long Beach, we are continually emphasizing our commitment to servicelearning and working together with various community-based organizations in Long Beach and the surrounding area,” said Juan M. Benitez, director, Center for Community Engagement, CSULB. “Many of our students, faculty and staff are from the region and they are strengthening their communities by engaging with their neighbors through service.” Examples of service at CSULB include students, faculty and staff hosting more than 1,000 K-12 girls through the Women In Engineering Outreach Program, as part of a national initiative to increase the number of women working in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and working with Century Villages to develop job skills training programs for its homeless clients, They also helped rebuild the natural physical landscape, re-es-
tablish drainage trenches and remove non-native plants from the city’s Colorado Lagoon and participated in leadership training workshops. According to a report conducted by Volunteering and Civic Life in America, 3.1 million college students participated in 118 million service hours in 2012. Their work provided $2.5 billion in value to communities throughout the U.S. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) strategic commitment to engage millions of college students in service and celebrate the critical role of higher education in strengthening communities. It has administered the award since 2006 and manages the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the American Council on Education and Campus Compact. Established in 1993, CNCS is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs — Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and the Social Innovation Fund — and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
Snow at the Los Angeles Zoo? Apparently! Snow Days for Animals and Guests at the LA Zoo Set No snowstorms are predicted for Southern California but the Los Angeles Zoo expects just such chilly conditions through the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 24 and 25, 2015, during “Snow Days at the Zoo.” Sumatran tiger eyes an edible snowman during Snow The wintery fun ADays at the LA Zoo -Photo by Tad Motoyama features a rare opportunity to watch standards for animal welfare, inquisitive animals exploring the Zoo has achieved renown snowy wonderlands in several as an international leader in habitats, a snow play area for the preservation of endangered Zoo guests including a special species and a conservation censledding hill, elaborate ice- ter for the care and study of carving demonstrations, an in- wildlife. Among its most popuflatable snow globe in which lar habitats are the LAIR (Livguests can pose for family pho- ing Amphibians, Invertebrates, to ops, a scavenger-style hunt and Reptiles), Elephants of through the Zoo for young- Asia, Campo Gorilla Reserve sters with snow-related animal and Rainforest of the Amerifacts and more. All activities cas. The private, non-profit are free with paid Zoo admis- Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assion, which is $19 for general sociation (GLAZA), which has admission (ages 13 to 61); $16 supported the Zoo in partnerfor seniors (ages 62+), and $14 ship with the City of Los Angefor children (ages 2 to 12). No les for more than five decades ticket is required for children and provides funding for and under 2. Admission for Great- operates seven essential Zoo er Los Angeles Zoo Associa- departments, has 65,000 memtion members is free. ber households representing The landmark Los Ange- more than 240,000 adults and les Zoo and Botanical Gardens, children. As evidence of the drawing 1.6 million visitors Zoo's popularity, GLAZA ateach year, is home to a diverse tracts one of the largest memcollection of 1,100 animals bership bases of any cultural representing 250 different spe- organization in Los Angeles. cies, many of which are rare or The Los Angeles Zoo and endangered. Its lush grounds Botanical Gardens is located in on 113 acres feature a botani- Griffith Park at the junction of cal collection comprising over the Ventura (134) and Golden 800 different plant species with State (5) freeways. 5333 Zoo approximately 7,000 individual Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. plants. Accredited by the As- Free parking is available. For sociation of Zoos and Aquari- additional information, contact ums (AZA), whose members (323) 644-4200 or visit www.lameet rigorous professional zoo.org.
JANUARY 12, 2015 - JANUARY 18, 2015 | 3
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New Year Resolution - Use the Library Something is new to discover and learn every day at the Long Beach Public Library. Learn to download an eBook title, be creative, use the Learning Express database to improve test scores, or learn how to write a winning resume. All the library resources help you succeed personally and professionally. Whether you prefer to learn using books, technology, or media, resolve to use the Long Beach Public Library often this year. We look forward to serving you in person at our 12 library locations and through our virtual library. Artists at Main Library: During January and February, at Main Library, three artists display their works. John
Shipp, a former architect, displays colorful eclectic paintings on the upper and lower level walls. In the plaza level display cases, Lethia Cobbs displays dolls sewn by machine and handcrafted using crochet and hand stitching. Mariko Tabar displays very bright flower oil paintings in the case by Administration Offices. Explore Art: Learn to draw, doodle, or paint Wednesdays from 4 p.m. -5 p.m. at Mark Twain Neighborhood Library. For grades 6 and up. Learn about eBooks, Apps, and Tablets: Starting in January, the eBooks, Apps, and Tablets workshop will be held every Saturday from 11 a.m.-12:00Noon in
the Studio at the Main Library. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day All Long Beach Public Libraries will be closed on Saturday, January 17 for the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Our online resources and digital library are open 24/7 for last minute research and downloads by visiting the library's website. While the libraries are closed, attend the 27th Annual Peace and Unity Celebration hosted by the City of Long Beach and Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews, the Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine, and the residents of Long Beach. For more information, visit www.lbpl.org.
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Enjoy a two and a half hour ride into the open Pacific Ocean to search for whales, dolphins, sea lions, and other marine life. Enjoy great family fun in our double deck vessels, which provide outstanding views from all locations. Boarding daily at 12 p.m. and 3p.m. Harbor Breeze is located at #2 at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach. For more information, call (562) 983-6880.
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Violent Crimes at All-Time Low for 2014
Periodontal Exams After Age 50
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and aggravated assaults are expected to show increases when compared to 2013, however, are still below the 5-year average by 7.4% and 8.1% respectively. In the property crime category, reductions were seen in residential burglary (9.7%), auto burglary (7.6%), arson (36.5%), petty theft over $50 (14.4%) and grand theft auto (13.3%). Increases were seen in commercial burglary (4.5%) and thefts under $50 (14%). Police Chief Robert Luna attributed the property crime reductions to an increase in community awareness, participation in crime prevention efforts, and to the professionalism and hard work of the men and women of the Long Beach Police Department. “I am very proud of the efforts and outstanding commitment our employees demonstrate to the community they serve,” said Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, “We will continue to pursue effective crime reduction while building public trust in 2015. We must work together with other city departments and our community partners in a team effort to accomplish our collective goals of keeping our city safe.” In addition, the City will be undertaking a number of initiatives related to policing. Police
Chief Luna stated that efforts are underway to implement a body camera pilot program in the Long Beach Police Department. As part of the Fiscal Year 2015 adopted budget, the city council approved non-recurring funds to support a body camera pilot program. A body-worn camera committee has been underway for approximately one year studying the various operational policies and financial effects of instituting body cameras. To augment patrol operations, the Police Department deployed additional less-lethal equipment. In 2014, the less lethal beanbag shotgun was replaced with the 40-millimeter less lethal launcher and deployed to the Patrol Divisions allowing for increased accessibility to officers in the field. The City will also be enhancing the investigatory capabilities of the Citizen’s Police Complaint Commission, an independent investigative commission, through the addition of an investigator position. The addition of an investigator position will afford the Commission additional resources to conduct investigations and follow-up on complaints and other business addressed to the Commission. In 2015, the Police Department will also enhance communication efforts to better explain
the City’s extensive review process for any and all use of force incidents, as well as enhance educational information for the public on what to do in the event of contact with a police officer. L.B.P.D. continued to partner with law enforcement agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels to leverage available resources to impact crime in Long Beach. The Police Department continues to focus attention on the use of social media as a conduit to improving communication with the community, including the Go LBPD mobile application (www.longbeach.gov/tsd/ golongbeachapps) to streamline the community’s access to the Police Department’s social networking tools. To receive information of news stories, alerts and events, visit: www. nixle.com or www.facebook. com/longbeachpd.ca or @ LongBeachPD_CA on Twitter. The final year-end statistics will be available in mid-January on the Police Department website. * The 2014 total murders include two 2013 homicides that were reclassified as murders by the District Attorney’s Office in March 2014; the 2013 total murders include one 2012 homicide that was reclassified as murder by the District Attorney’s Office in December 2013.
It is recommended by the American Cancer Society that after 50 years of age everyone should have a colonoscopy. The same should be true for a periodontal exam. Diagnosing and treating an early issue has far greater benefits than an advanced diagnosis. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 47.2 percent or 64.7 million American adults have periodontal disease ranging from mild to severe. In adults 65 and older, prevalence rates increase to 70.1 percent. Early colorectal cancer is asymptomatic, as is periodontal disease. Screening examinations are critical to early treatment of both diseases. In deciding who should do your colonoscopy examination, do you go to a family physician or a gastroenterologist? It is equally important in deciding who does your periodontal examination. Do you choose a restorative dentist or a board certified periodontist? Be certain, periodontal disease is a bacterial inflammatory infection that has well-documented effects on our overall health (cardiovascular/ heart disease, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and can be associated with kidney, pancreatic and blood cancers). Be proactive. Schedule a periodontal examination today.
Torlakson Sworn In Continued from page 1
brings spending decisions to local communities, and rigorous new English, mathematics, and science standards; •Updating his A Blueprint For Great Schools initiative to guide the pursuit of education excellence in the next four years; •Continuing to meet the needs of all children, including nutritional, health, and mental health needs.
•Expanding career education programs that bring together high schools, community colleges, and businesses together to prepare students for college and careers; and •Maintaining and increasing investment in our schools, including allowing voters to decide whether to continue Proposition 30 or a similar measure, and providing more funds for school facilities.