Son's killing led Long Beach mother to action

Sandi Shadden was known for standing strong in the face of adversity. From dealing with the untimely death of her son to her battle with cancer in her later years, Sandi always chose to stay and fight in the city she loved.

[Matt]

LB is OUR community. Let us take it back from these thugs.

[Carson Resident]

Thank God for people like her. God Bless her soul.

[Lekeyth]

May the family be strong and continue in the foot steps of Sandi.

[Parent]

R.I.P. Sandi, she is a great example to follow.

[wise up]

Matt wrote:

LB is OUR community. Let us take it back from these thugs.

Wrong. Your community belongs to real estate developers who have more money than you'll ever see in 3 lifetimes. They dictate behind the scenes how a city operates. In return, they pay for the privilege in any way they can, and they have the money to do it. They may make a few concessions to smooth out ruffled feathers of special interests, also with deep pockets, but they run things. You just live there, and never know of half the things they do behind the scenes. Local politicians know that people like you come and go, but real estate developers are forever.

[Mike Ruehle]

Four days after moving into my home in 1993, William Shadden was murdered 300 feet away. His murder followed a year of complaints by residents about gangs infesting the Belmont Shore beach areas and the beach parking lots after nightfall. City Council and the police did little at that time to address residents’ complaints until after William Shadden was murdered.

However, immediately following William’s murder, the beach areas and beach parking lots were closed after nightfall by City Council to prevent the gangs from congregating there. Similar to the recent Melody Ross murder, it wasn’t until AFTER the tragedy that the Mayor and City Council took steps to prevent similar murders. Why must someone have to sacrifice their life before our city leaders decide to address the problem?

In the 15-years following William Shadden’s murder, there have been few if any murders in our community. Yet, in the past year, we have suffered several murders, shootings, aggravated assaults and rapes, many more than the previous 15-years combined. The signs are clear that crime is escalating. Yet, our city elected leaders reduced the number of police in Long Beach by 100 officers in September to balance the budget. They are willing to sacrifice the publics’ safety.

The same elected leader who were so quick to eliminate 100 police officers then have the gall to use the publicity created by the murder to advertise they are contributing personally to the memorial of the person murdered. It wasn’t bad enough they reduced police protection. It was their use of the media to hype their donations in anticipation of an upcoming election that really was despicable.

How many more murders need to take place in our city before residents vote out Mayor Foster and Councilman DeLong and instead elect candidates more interested in improving the quality of life for Long Beach residents rather than improving the bank accounts of their wealthy developer friends?

[Enough]

Mike Ruehle wrote:

Four days after moving into my home in 1993, William Shadden was murdered 300 feet away. His murder followed a year of complaints by residents about gangs infesting the Belmont Shore beach areas and the beach parking lots after nightfall. City Council and the police did little at that time to address residents’ complaints until after William Shadden was murdered.
However, immediately following William’s murder, the beach areas and beach parking lots were closed after nightfall by City Council to prevent the gangs from congregating there. Similar to the recent Melody Ross murder, it wasn’t until AFTER the tragedy that the Mayor and City Council took steps to prevent similar murders. Why must someone have to sacrifice their life before our city leaders decide to address the problem?
In the 15-years following William Shadden’s murder, there have been few if any murders in our community. Yet, in the past year, we have suffered several murders, shootings, aggravated assaults and rapes, many more than the previous 15-years combined. The signs are clear that crime is escalating. Yet, our city elected leaders reduced the number of police in Long Beach by 100 officers in September to balance the budget. They are willing to sacrifice the publics’ safety.
The same elected leader who were so quick to eliminate 100 police officers then have the gall to use the publicity created by the murder to advertise they are contributing personally to the memorial of the person murdered. It wasn’t bad enough they reduced police protection. It was their use of the media to hype their donations in anticipation of an upcoming election that really was despicable.
How many more murders need to take place in our city before residents vote out Mayor Foster and Councilman DeLong and instead elect candidates more interested in improving the quality of life for Long Beach residents rather than improving the bank accounts of their wealthy developer friends?

You are despicable for taking up space on an article about a wonderful lady to vent you anti government rant.

[sickening]

Enough wrote:

<quoted text>
You are despicable for taking up space on an article about a wonderful lady to vent you anti government rant.

How dare you take up space to try to defend those who may share responsibility for the increase in violent crimes in what used to be the generally safe area's of this city.

[citygirl]

The police cannot control the amount of crime going on. It is not all up to them. Another issue is the exploding population. The developers are just one group who profit. There are just too many people too safely manage, and the number is rapidly increasing. In memory of Sandi and her family, keep fighting, keep learning.
See www.numbersusa.com , Californians for Population Stabilization, and Refugee Resettlement Watch just to get started. USA is going backwards and becoming an overcrowded, polluted, corrupt third world country.

[so sad]

citygirl wrote:

The police cannot control the amount of crime going on. It is not all up to them. Another issue is the exploding population. The developers are just one group who profit. There are just too many people too safely manage, and the number is rapidly increasing. In memory of Sandi and her family, keep fighting, keep learning.
See www.numbersusa.com , Californians for Population Stabilization, and Refugee Resettlement Watch just to get started. USA is going backwards and becoming an overcrowded, polluted, corrupt third world country.

Rich white people just have cognitive dissonance galore when it comes to hispanics. In the building where I live, some construction guys were doing some work, and left a mess they never bothered to clean up. Discussing it with the manager, she quickly voluteered this illegal hispanic woman they have on call to clean up all the mess the construction workers made. She said she'd have her clean it up without hesitation. It was a big mess they left. I felt really bad about it. The woman hardly speaks any english, is always nice, and always stuck doing the crappiest work in our building. Our other illegal maintenance guy I saw going through our garbage to get bottles and cans for deposit.
Our own employee's are digging in our own trash! I live in an upscale building, and the management folks have no clue of how they're exploiting the hell out of these people. It's not much better than indentured servitude.
If you asked these people, they'd all proudly say the voted for Obama, while they don't think twice about these people they exploit. These people aren't even the slightest bit aware of the social ramifications of allowing so many hispanics in at once. They just like to brag about "reasonable" pay to their indentured servants. It's a pathology. Like Nazism. They celebrate the gain, ignore the pain.

[citygirl]

Yes and no they are exploiting. These people may work for cash, then only partially declare their income, or may actually work for low wages. If there are children, the woman declares herself as "single." They can then through the children get such things as WIC, subsidized housing, food stamps, Medi Cal, etc. A handicapped child provides an additional bonus. Illegal immigrant labor is sort of a replacement for slave labor, but is subsidized through the welfare system. The benefits flow until the children reach a certain age, by then the parents are aging, probably fortyish and no longer so desirable as workers. They can be discarded. In order to buy a house, the illegal alien checks the "citizen" box on the paperwork, and thus avoids a background check. In my old hispanic immigrant neighborhood, there was a lot going on with stolen cars and car parts, hot stereos, etc. Altogether, this forms a parasitic economy. Without the child connection, yes the worker may be wholly subsisting on the wage, and they are often cheated.
True, these Obama supporting, liberal talking people like cheap cash labor! Such labor comes from other countries as well, such as the Phillipines. Big families, big chain migration.

so sad wrote:

<quoted text>
Rich white people just have cognitive dissonance galore when it comes to hispanics. In the building where I live, some construction guys were doing some work, and left a mess they never bothered to clean up. Discussing it with the manager, she quickly voluteered this illegal hispanic woman they have on call to clean up all the mess the construction workers made. She said she'd have her clean it up without hesitation. It was a big mess they left. I felt really bad about it. The woman hardly speaks any english, is always nice, and always stuck doing the crappiest work in our building. Our other illegal maintenance guy I saw going through our garbage to get bottles and cans for deposit.
Our own employee's are digging in our own trash! I live in an upscale building, and the management folks have no clue of how they're exploiting the hell out of these people. It's not much better than indentured servitude.
If you asked these people, they'd all proudly say the voted for Obama, while they don't think twice about these people they exploit. These people aren't even the slightest bit aware of the social ramifications of allowing so many hispanics in at once. They just like to brag about "reasonable" pay to their indentured servants. It's a pathology. Like Nazism. They celebrate the gain, ignore the pain.

[Carlos]

This lady sounded like an amazing person! I wish I could have had the pleasure to know her. God bless her soul and her family.

[StayAtHomeMom]

I thank you Mrs Sandi Shadden for all that you've done for our city and I will continue the fight to rid our city of the "TERRORIST" that exist among us !!!!!!!!!! Help me fight the fight, and not one more citizen is to die !!Have a great day in our city, I will !

[Robert Reilly]

Tom and Sandi have been great friends to Long Beach. They have worked from their hearts to make our community a better place for all of us. I know Tom will miss Sandi very much. May the Shadden family find comfort and peace during this difficult time.

[Michael Cagliano]

To a most couragous and lovely lady. My utmost respect and sincere sympathy to the Shadden Family.

[Nikki Lewis]

May God Bless her Beautiful Soul. I never met this woman, but it would have been my pleasure.

[CHS]

RIP Sandi. You were always very nice to me.

[CHS]

Mike Ruehle wrote:

Four days after moving into my home in 1993, William Shadden was murdered 300 feet away. His murder followed a year of complaints by residents about gangs infesting the Belmont Shore beach areas and the beach parking lots after nightfall. City Council and the police did little at that time to address residents’ complaints until after William Shadden was murdered.
However, immediately following William’s murder, the beach areas and beach parking lots were closed after nightfall by City Council to prevent the gangs from congregating there. Similar to the recent Melody Ross murder, it wasn’t until AFTER the tragedy that the Mayor and City Council took steps to prevent similar murders. Why must someone have to sacrifice their life before our city leaders decide to address the problem?
In the 15-years following William Shadden’s murder, there have been few if any murders in our community. Yet, in the past year, we have suffered several murders, shootings, aggravated assaults and rapes, many more than the previous 15-years combined. The signs are clear that crime is escalating. Yet, our city elected leaders reduced the number of police in Long Beach by 100 officers in September to balance the budget. They are willing to sacrifice the publics’ safety.
The same elected leader who were so quick to eliminate 100 police officers then have the gall to use the publicity created by the murder to advertise they are contributing personally to the memorial of the person murdered. It wasn’t bad enough they reduced police protection. It was their use of the media to hype their donations in anticipation of an upcoming election that really was despicable.
How many more murders need to take place in our city before residents vote out Mayor Foster and Councilman DeLong and instead elect candidates more interested in improving the quality of life for Long Beach residents rather than improving the bank accounts of their wealthy developer friends?

Bill Shadden was a friend of mine. I'd like details about what you've alleged above about the "hyp[ing]" of donations (dates, types of hype, etc.). Sounds fishy to me.

[Bruce]

My condolences to Mrs. Shadden's family and friends. I would hope that people take this encouragement to think about taking back our neighborhoods. It would be wonderful to see large groups of adults walking around the neighborhoods, smacking the living crap out of these little banger brats.

[Wilson Teacher]

The first words that come to mind when I think of Sandy Shadden are kindness and class. Sandy is truly one of the nicest ladies I have ever had the opportunity to know. Bill and I were friends and neighbors going back to our playing days for the Kiwanis T-Shirt League Yankees. Through the devastating sadness that came with Bill's death, Sandy maintained her class and composure and showed us a dignified way of dealing with the loss of her son and our friend. I have thought of Bill often this past week in the wake of the Melody Ross murder. I learned to cope with tragedy through Sandy's example and am passing along that example to my Wilson students. I'm going to miss the warmth of her greetings whenever we saw each other. We the community are better because of people like Sandy Shadden. Bless you, and to Tom, John, Laura, and the rest of the Shadden family.