by Neena Strichart
I have often written about the times I spent as a youth at my local library. These days, with budget cuts, many libraries are facing or have faced reduced hours, staffing or both. Locally our libraries are doing their best to offer as many services as possible, and for that I salute them. To celebrate those institutions on a nationwide level, next week will be observed as National Library Week. According to online sources, first sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the United States each April, typically the second full week. The first National Library Week took place March 6—12, 1966.
In Signal Hill, they have a boat-load of activities planned each evening, Monday through Friday. Festivities include speakers, games and even a showing of the epic film Titanic. Refreshments will be served at each event. Give them a call at (562) 989-7323 for details or see the ad in this week’s issue on page 12. It is my understanding that the City of Long Beach is planning activities next week at many of their branch libraries as well. Check out their website at lbpl.org for details.
On a less pleasant subject, we recently received an email from the Long Beach Police Department regarding drugs at a local high school. Being a product of the Long Beach Unified School District, I found the news to be quite disturbing. Believe me, we were not angels back in the ’70s, but what happened in the particular instance detailed below is mind-boggling. Hats off to the LBPD.
The following information is a complete version of the press release sent to us by the Long Beach Police Department:
On Friday, March 23, 2012, at approximately 8:45am, officers from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) responded to Poly High School after a student fell ill after consuming a brownie laced with marijuana. It was determined that a student at the school sold brownies to several students at the direction of an adult male, and the investigation that followed resulted in three arrests.
At approximately 8am on that day, a 15-year-old male student was escorted to the nurse’s office, after becoming ill and disoriented. An LBPD school resource officer assigned to the school responded and initiated an investigation. Paramedics from the Long Beach Fire Department arrived on scene and transported the juvenile to a local hospital, where he was evaluated and released. Additional officers responded to the school, and the investigation led them to another 15-year-old male student, who had brought several brownies laced with marijuana to school that day to sell to other students. He was located in a classroom, searched, and arrested for possession of marijuana.
As the investigation progressed, it was determined that approximately three other brownies were distributed to students from the suspect. Of those, two students had consumed them, including a 15-year-old female student who appeared to be under the influence and was evaluated and released to her parents. A 16-year-old male was arrested for possession of marijuana, and all the students implicated in the incident are facing disciplinary action by the school.
Detectives discovered that the juvenile that had brought the items to school had purchased them the night prior from a male adult acquaintance who had purchased marijuana and the marijuana-laced brownies from a local dispensary. The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Long Beach resident Guyl Givens, had also sold marijuana to minors as well as the edibles. On Saturday, March 24, 2012, he was arrested on the 3400 block of Gaviota Avenue on various drug-related charges. He is currently in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department and is being held on $70,000 bail.
During the week following this incident, officers from the LBPD Youth Services Section, Drug Investigation Section, Patrol, K-9 Unit, and the Board of Education coordinated a search at the school and randomly searched seven classrooms. The search resulted in the arrest of two students at the school after they were found to be in possession of marijuana, and one was additionally in possession of a box-cutter. In addition, two citations were issued to two separate students for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia
The LBPD, Board of Education, and the Long Beach Unified School District work together in conducting searches routinely in an effort to keep drugs and other illegal items off school grounds and to take appropriate action against those who threaten the well-being of minors in our city.
Anyone with any information about this incident or any other case involving juveniles should contact the LBPD Youth Services Section at (562) 570-1425. Anonymous tips can be sent via text or web by visiting tipsoft.com.
