November 2009 Archives
Travis Brooks from the City of Long Beach Department of Community
Development plans to discuss forthcoming alley repairs with the Belmont Residents Association meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Bay Shore Library. He will discuss the alley-repair project, including the schedule and impacts, and will respond to questions from the audience.
All residents of Belmont Shore are invited to attend the BSRA's monthly
meetings held the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Bay
Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Avenue. The BSRA represents homeowners and
renters in the Belmont Shore area.
Development plans to discuss forthcoming alley repairs with the Belmont Residents Association meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Bay Shore Library. He will discuss the alley-repair project, including the schedule and impacts, and will respond to questions from the audience.
All residents of Belmont Shore are invited to attend the BSRA's monthly
meetings held the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Bay
Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Avenue. The BSRA represents homeowners and
renters in the Belmont Shore area.
Congressional candidate Peter Mathews plans to host an open house from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at his campaign office adjacent to the Sipology Coffee Shop, 446 E. Broadway. Mathews, a college instructor, is challenging Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, in the 2010 Democratic Primary. Guests are asked to RSVP as a courtesy but are not required to. For information, visit www.mathewsforcongress.org or call 562-438-0505.
The city is staging an H1N1 vaccine clinic for high-risk groups in the Long Beach City College Gymnasium, 4901 E. Carson St., from 9 am to 4 p.m. Dec. 5
Parking is available at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Conant Street and Clark Avenue.
Due to ongoing national vaccine shortage, the H1N1 flu vaccine will continue to be provided to:
- Anyone age 6 months and 24 years
- Caretakers of infants under 6 months
- Health care workers who come in direct contact with patients
- Pregnant women
- Adults from 25 to 64 year of age with a high risk medical condition, such as asthma.
DOWNEY -- Financial incentives aimed at jolting an electric carmaker into locating a production line on public and private land steeped in Space Age history won swift City Council approval Wednesday.
Officials agreed to offer free rent, building improvements and other inducements that a real estate investment group can use to lure Tesla Motors to 57 acres of the old NASA site now used for film and TV production by Downey Studios.
A deal with Tesla, which is looking for a location to build its battery-powered S sedan, could return automobile manufacturing to Southern California for the first time since General Motors pulled the plug on its Van Nuys plant in 1992.
"I am physically exhausted, I am emotionally drained, and it absolutely feels fantastic," said Mayor Mario Guerra, who has participated in six months of negotiations with Tesla and Downey Studios' parent, International Realty Group, or IRG, and its financial backer, Pacific Coast Collateral Partners.
The council's 4-0 vote -- Councilwoman Anne Bayer was absent -- does not mean Tesla will locate in Downey, but it does move the deal closer, Guerra said.
Tesla, whose spokesman said there would be no comment before the meeting, is also in negotiations with the Boeing Co. that could bring the car production line to the former 717 factory in Long Beach.
In addition, Tesla deals have already fallen through in San Jose and Albuquerque, N.M.
"There still remains work to be done, but every major obstacle seems to be done," Guerra said.
The city would also waive a requirement that IRG build a learning center stipulated in an earlier agreement with the city.
[TAG1]Staff Writer Paul Eakins contributed to this report.
[TAG1]john.canalis@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1273
Officials agreed to offer free rent, building improvements and other inducements that a real estate investment group can use to lure Tesla Motors to 57 acres of the old NASA site now used for film and TV production by Downey Studios.
A deal with Tesla, which is looking for a location to build its battery-powered S sedan, could return automobile manufacturing to Southern California for the first time since General Motors pulled the plug on its Van Nuys plant in 1992.
"I am physically exhausted, I am emotionally drained, and it absolutely feels fantastic," said Mayor Mario Guerra, who has participated in six months of negotiations with Tesla and Downey Studios' parent, International Realty Group, or IRG, and its financial backer, Pacific Coast Collateral Partners.
The council's 4-0 vote -- Councilwoman Anne Bayer was absent -- does not mean Tesla will locate in Downey, but it does move the deal closer, Guerra said.
Tesla, whose spokesman said there would be no comment before the meeting, is also in negotiations with the Boeing Co. that could bring the car production line to the former 717 factory in Long Beach.
In addition, Tesla deals have already fallen through in San Jose and Albuquerque, N.M.
"There still remains work to be done, but every major obstacle seems to be done," Guerra said.
The memorandum of understanding OK'd by the council allows Downey to offer $8.7 million (unadjusted for inflation) in economic development incentives over a 15-year period at the site used by NASA and defense contractors off of Lakewood Boulevard and Columbia Way.
That package includes $6.9<TH><TH>million in waived rent on 20 acres owned by
the city, $1.8<TH>million in federal grant money for roof repairs to buildings at the site and $250,000 to shelter a full-scale space shuttle mockup that city officials consider an important artifact from its space race history. Sections of space shuttles and Apollo program capsules were made in Downey.
The city would also waive a requirement that IRG build a learning center stipulated in an earlier agreement with the city.
"There is only upside to this deal," Councilman Roger C. Brossmer said.
Tesla would employ an estimated 1,200 workers, but City Manager Gerald Caton estimates as many as 4,400 additional jobs would be generated from related economic activity.
"We think it will have a significant impact," he said, adding that his staff is using conservative forecasts.
In return for its investment, Downey expects direct revenues of $11.76 million from taxes on business licenses, utilities, sales and property.
As far as sales taxes, those figures depend on whether Tesla builds a dealership in Downey or makes Downey the point of sale for online transactions, Guerra said.
The S sedan would retail for about $50,000 after expected tax incentives and $57,000 without them.
If approved, the plant would use fewer than 1 million square feet in and around Downey Studios, where films from the "Spiderman" and "Iron Man" franchises, as well as many others, have been made, officials said. The fate of Downey Studios, and whether it would run a scaled-down operation, remains unclear.
Councilman Luis Marquez said the project is significant because it will mean not only high-tech jobs but "green jobs."
Guerra added that the building would be among the cleanest manufacturing plants in the nation.
IRG and Pacific plan to bring Downey's offer into negotiations with Tesla.
The memorandum of understanding approved by Downey council should speed up negotiations, said Tom Messmer, senior vice president for IRG.
"This clears the way for those short strokes close to the hole," Messmer said.
He declined to provide an estimate for when the deal would be completed.
Tesla is expected to keep its headquarters in San Carlos, in the San Francisco Bay area.
Tesla is expected to keep its headquarters in San Carlos, in the San Francisco Bay area.
Though some have said Long Beach is out of the race, City Manager Pat West said Tesla representatives toured the 717 site last week, which means there may still be hope to get the automobile plant.
"The decision hasn't totally been made yet," West said.
While Long Beach can offer an enterprise zone -- which gives state tax breaks to businesses -- at the site, it doesn't own any land and cannot offer free rent as Downey can..
"For us, I just wish we were in a situation where we had the land to negotiate with Tesla, instead of sitting on the sidelines," West said.
Downey is able to offer nearly $500,000 a year in free rent, Guerra said.
The 717 site, which is also being eyed for a possible movie studio, sits entirely on Boeing property.
A Boeing spokesman declined to comment on negotiations Wednesday night.
Though it has only sold about 1,000 cars, Tesla plans to expand by raising cash in two ways. It is expected to receive a $365 million loan from the U.S. Department of
Energy and is considering going public.
[TAG1]Staff Writer Paul Eakins contributed to this report.
[TAG1]john.canalis@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1273
DOWNEY -- Financial incentives aimed at jolting an electric carmaker into locating a production line on public and private land steeped in Space Age history won swift City Council approval Wednesday.
Officials agreed to offer free rent, building improvements and other inducements that a real estate investment group can use to lure Tesla Motors to 57 acres of the old NASA site now used for film and TV production by Downey Studios.
A deal with Tesla, which is looking for a location to build its battery-powered S sedan, could return automobile manufacturing to Southern California for the first time since General Motors pulled the plug on its Van Nuys plant in 1992.
"I am physically exhausted, I am emotionally drained, and it absolutely feels fantastic," said Mayor Mario Guerra, who has participated in six months of negotiations with Tesla and Downey Studios' parent, International Realty Group, or IRG, and its financial backer, Pacific Coast Collateral Partners.
The council's 4-0 vote -- Councilwoman Anne Bayer was absent -- does not mean Tesla will locate in Downey, but it does move the deal closer, Guerra said.
Tesla, whose spokesman said there would be no comment before the meeting, is also in negotiations with the Boeing Co. that could bring the car production line to the former 717 factory in Long Beach.
In addition, Tesla deals have already fallen through in San Jose and Albuquerque, N.M.
"There still remains work to be done, but every major obstacle seems to be done," Guerra said.
The city would also waive a requirement that IRG build a learning center stipulated in an earlier agreement with the city.
[TAG1]Staff Writer Paul Eakins contributed to this report.
[TAG1]john.canalis@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1273
Officials agreed to offer free rent, building improvements and other inducements that a real estate investment group can use to lure Tesla Motors to 57 acres of the old NASA site now used for film and TV production by Downey Studios.
A deal with Tesla, which is looking for a location to build its battery-powered S sedan, could return automobile manufacturing to Southern California for the first time since General Motors pulled the plug on its Van Nuys plant in 1992.
"I am physically exhausted, I am emotionally drained, and it absolutely feels fantastic," said Mayor Mario Guerra, who has participated in six months of negotiations with Tesla and Downey Studios' parent, International Realty Group, or IRG, and its financial backer, Pacific Coast Collateral Partners.
The council's 4-0 vote -- Councilwoman Anne Bayer was absent -- does not mean Tesla will locate in Downey, but it does move the deal closer, Guerra said.
Tesla, whose spokesman said there would be no comment before the meeting, is also in negotiations with the Boeing Co. that could bring the car production line to the former 717 factory in Long Beach.
In addition, Tesla deals have already fallen through in San Jose and Albuquerque, N.M.
"There still remains work to be done, but every major obstacle seems to be done," Guerra said.
The memorandum of understanding OK'd by the council allows Downey to offer $8.7 million (unadjusted for inflation) in economic development incentives over a 15-year period at the site used by NASA and defense contractors off of Lakewood Boulevard and Columbia Way.
That package includes $6.9<TH><TH>million in waived rent on 20 acres owned by
the city, $1.8<TH>million in federal grant money for roof repairs to buildings at the site and $250,000 to shelter a full-scale space shuttle mockup that city officials consider an important artifact from its space race history. Sections of space shuttles and Apollo program capsules were made in Downey.
The city would also waive a requirement that IRG build a learning center stipulated in an earlier agreement with the city.
"There is only upside to this deal," Councilman Roger C. Brossmer said.
Tesla would employ an estimated 1,200 workers, but City Manager Gerald Caton estimates as many as 4,400 additional jobs would be generated from related economic activity.
"We think it will have a significant impact," he said, adding that his staff is using conservative forecasts.
In return for its investment, Downey expects direct revenues of $11.76 million from taxes on business licenses, utilities, sales and property.
As far as sales taxes, those figures depend on whether Tesla builds a dealership in Downey or makes Downey the point of sale for online transactions, Guerra said.
The S sedan would retail for about $50,000 after expected tax incentives and $57,000 without them.
If approved, the plant would use fewer than 1 million square feet in and around Downey Studios, where films from the "Spiderman" and "Iron Man" franchises, as well as many others, have been made, officials said. The fate of Downey Studios, and whether it would run a scaled-down operation, remains unclear.
Councilman Luis Marquez said the project is significant because it will mean not only high-tech jobs but "green jobs."
Guerra added that the building would be among the cleanest manufacturing plants in the nation.
IRG and Pacific plan to bring Downey's offer into negotiations with Tesla.
The memorandum of understanding approved by Downey council should speed up negotiations, said Tom Messmer, senior vice president for IRG.
"This clears the way for those short strokes close to the hole," Messmer said.
He declined to provide an estimate for when the deal would be completed.
Tesla is expected to keep its headquarters in San Carlos, in the San Francisco Bay area.
Tesla is expected to keep its headquarters in San Carlos, in the San Francisco Bay area.
Though some have said Long Beach is out of the race, City Manager Pat West said Tesla representatives toured the 717 site last week, which means there may still be hope to get the automobile plant.
"The decision hasn't totally been made yet," West said.
While Long Beach can offer an enterprise zone -- which gives state tax breaks to businesses -- at the site, it doesn't own any land and cannot offer free rent as Downey can..
"For us, I just wish we were in a situation where we had the land to negotiate with Tesla, instead of sitting on the sidelines," West said.
Downey is able to offer nearly $500,000 a year in free rent, Guerra said.
The 717 site, which is also being eyed for a possible movie studio, sits entirely on Boeing property.
A Boeing spokesman declined to comment on negotiations Wednesday night.
Though it has only sold about 1,000 cars, Tesla plans to expand by raising cash in two ways. It is expected to receive a $365 million loan from the U.S. Department of
Energy and is considering going public.
[TAG1]Staff Writer Paul Eakins contributed to this report.
[TAG1]john.canalis@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1273
The Downey City Council voted 4-0 this afternoon to approve a memorandum of understanding that will move negotiations with Tesla Motors, an electric car company, forward. The city is offering a slate of incentives that International Realty Group and its financial backers can offer Telsa as incentives to locate on the old NASA site on Lakewood Boulevard.
The Press-Telegram is planning a story for later this afternoon.
In response to Downey Mayor Mario Guerra stating that Tesla Motors is close to a deal that may locate an electric car plant in his city, Long Beach City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske issued a statement.
The Boeing 717's site is also under consideration as a site for Tesla and Schipske, who represents the Eastside's 5th District, has lobbied to bring the carmaker to Long Beach. In her statement she raises questions about why Downey is close to a deal and Long Beach is not.
Schipske's statement appears in full below:
Gerrie Schipske, councilwoman for Long Beach's fifth district, has been outspoken in her desire to keep alive the possibility of Tesla Motors locating its plant in Long Beach.
She personally contacted Elon Musk, President of Tesla to ask him what the City of Long Beach was doing to encourage his company to locate there. She also mounted a letter writing campaign called "Long Beach -- We Can Do Better Than Downey."
She used her blog to prod Long Beach officials to actively market the City to get Tesla here. So today upon learning that Tesla has signed a letter of intent with Downey to locate a plant which will manufacture 20,000 electric vehicles and produce 1,000 jobs she issued the following statement:
"The taxpayers of Long Beach deserve a full explanation about who or what killed the deal to bring Tesla to Long Beach. How did we lose this revenue producing opportunity to Downey? Long Beach has so much more to offer to a business than most southern California locations -- we have manufacturing space at the Boeing site, nearness to freeways, an airport, a port, railroad, convention center, training programs at our local community college and most importantly a workforce ready and willing to work. We also have an enterprise zone that provides tax credits for employers. And just recently the City announced it won the 'Most Business Friendly City Award' in Los Angeles County.
So what went wrong?
Anyone who has worked in corporate America knows how important it is to develop positive relationships in order to do business, which is exactly what the City of Downey did and the City of Long Beach did not do.
Unlike the City of Downey, which marshaled its Mayor and Council to actively court Tesla through calls, letters, ads and personal outreach, Long Beach apparently treated Tesla as a 'second-class citizen' according to comments made to me and to the press by Tesla President, Elon Musk. (It would be interesting to examine how much time and effort was really expended by Long Beach officials and staff in recruiting Tesla.)
I read the memo Long Beach produced as 'evidence' that it had been on top of courting TESLA --so did the President of Tesla, Elon Musk. He was 'insulted' to use his words. The memo contained disparaging remarks about him -- comparing him to the failed car designer Delorean and pointing out that there was a pending lawsuit against Tesla (as if the City of Long Beach doesn't have numerous suits against it) which was shortly after dismissed. Additionally, the memo had an attachment -- the one and only letter sent to Tesla from the City of Long Beach -- and it was to invite Tesla to exhibit their car at a proposed electric vehicle mall in Long Beach. As Mr. Musk said to me over the phone regarding that letter: 'there wasn't an invitation to build cars there.'
Not one to cry over split milk, I would like to congratulate the City of Downey for getting Tesla, and thank them for helping to keep these important types of jobs in the region."
Tesla Motors is close to a deal that would bring an electric car assembly line to Downey's former NASA site, Mayor Mario Guerra said Monday.
Guerra's statement cast doubt that Tesla would build its S sedan at another site under consideration, the old Boeing 717 plant in Long Beach, but those close to negotiations said Long Beach remained in the running as late as last week and they have not heard otherwise.
The Downey City Council expects to schedule an emergency session Tuesday or Wednesday to approve a memorandum of understanding with private owners of the former NASA site, International Realty Group, or IRG, and the company that backs it financially, Guerra said.
Some of the 80 acres under consideration belong to the city of Downey, and a package of incentives are being developed to close out a possible deal.
If approved by the Downey City Council, the memorandum could facilitate a lease that involves the property owners and Tesla, Guerra said.
"We are looking at what we'll be able to give to make the deal happen," he said.
The terms of that memorandum were not disclosed.
A Tesla spokesman did not return two calls seeking comment.
In another development, the District Weekly, reported at about 5 p.m. on its web site that Tesla had chosen Downey over Long Beach. The Downey Patriot, also a weekly publication, reported online that a deal was "99.9 percent" certain.
Contacted for a followup interview Monday night, Guerra said the city and private parties involved are indeed close on terms but it would be premature for him to call anything a done deal.
The carmaker would use the old NASA site off Lakewood Boulevard and Columbia Way -- formerly Clark Avenue -- that is now occupied by Downey Studios.
If negotiations go well from here on out, a deal could be secured in 10 days, meaning early December, Guerra said.
Downey and Long Beach are trying to attract the six-year-old company's planned production line -- and an estimated 1,200 jobs -- to industrial properties with aerospace histories. The target date to start building cars is 2011.
The Boeing Co. has been in talks with Tesla about its former 717 site off Lakewood Boulevard. A film studio is also eyeing that location.
Boeing spokeswoman Kathy Spicer said it is Boeing Co. policy not to comment on "potential customers."
Craig Beck, Long Beach's director for development services and redevelopment, said Tesla had discussed the 717 site with Boeing as recently as last week.
He too had heard rumors about Downey being close to a deal but has not been given official word that Long Beach is out of the running.
"We've been working with them since Day One," Beck said. "Long Beach is still committed to Tesla."
In an unrelated report, Tesla Motors plans to go public, according to recent news reports.
Tesla is reportedly considering an initial public offering -- the first for an American carmaker since Ford in 1956 -- to raise cash for its ambitious expansion plans, according to the Reuters news agency.
The IPO would complement $465 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at juicing investment in cleaner automotive technologies.
Though securities markets remain volatile and credit tight, a Tesla IPO would not be unexpected.
In 2008, Tesla founder Elon Musk said that he was considering a public offering in 2009 or 2010.
Tesla produces the low-volume, all-electric Roadster, which retails for $109,000.
The planned Model S, the model that could be built in Downey or Long Beach, would sell in the $50,000 range -- after tax incentives.
Tesla Motors, which is considering building a battery-powered sedan in either Downey or Long Beach, plans to go public, according to news reports.
Meanwhile the city of Downey is close to working out a deal to bring a production line to its old NASA site but has not finalized it, city officials said.
Tesla is reportedly considering an initial public offering -- the first for an American carmaker since Ford in 1956 -- to raise cash for its ambitious expansion plans, according to the Reuters news agency.
The IPO would complement $465 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at juicing investment in cleaner automotive technologies.
Though securities markets remain volatile and credit tight, a Tesla IPO would not be unexpected. In 2008, Tesla founder Elon Musk said that he was considering a public offering in 2009 or 2010.
Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes declined to comment on what he called "rumor or speculation," according to Reuters. Reyes did not return a Press-Telegram call seeking independent comment about the IPO or whether the company prefers either Downey or Long Beach.
Both cities are trying to attract the six-year-old company's planned production line -- and an estimated 1,200 jobs -- to industrial properties with aerospace pasts.
The Boeing Co. has been in talks with Tesla about its former 717 site off Lakewood Boulevard. A film studio is also eyeing that location.
Boeing spokeswoman Kathy Spicer said it is Boeing Co. policy not to comment on "potential customers."
Downey would like to bring Tesla to a mix of private and public land -- mostly the former -- where workers once assembled sections of space shuttles and lunar capsules but is now used by Downey Studios for television and film production.
The Downey City Council expects to schedule an emergency session as early as tonight<NO1>11/23<NO> or Wednesday to approve a memorandum of understanding with owners of the property, International Realty Group and their financial backing company, that could facilitate signing a lease with Tesla, said Mayor Mario Guerra.
The carmaker would use the old NASA site off Lakewood Boulevard and Columbia Way that is now occupied by the studios.
"We are looking at what we'll be able to give to make the deal happen," Guerra said.
An official announcement about Tesla locating in Downey could come as early as the first week of December, Guerra said.
The types of incentives Downey could offer to make the deal happen were not disclosed.
Tesla produces the low-volume, all-electric Roadster, which retails for $109,000.
The planned Model S, the model that could be built in Downey or Long Beach, would sell in the $50,000 range -- after tax incentives.
Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk, will host an open house and toy drive from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at his district office, 12501 E. Imperial Highway, Suite 210, Norwalk.
Residents from throughout the 56th Assembly District, California Latino Legislative Caucus, serves the communities of Norwalk, Buena Park, Cerritos, Santa Fe Springs, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens and portions of Whittier and Lakewood, can visit with the assemblyman, his staff and members of the community.
Attendees are also encouraged to bring an unwrapped, new and safe toy for children up to age 16.
Toys that are donated will be given to children from the Assembly district Dec. 22 at Los Nietos Community Center in Whittier.
For details on the open house or toy drive, or to RSVP, call 562-864-5600.
As the Senate takes up healthcare reform, phones will be ringing in Long Beach.
Volunteers for Organizing for America plan to call active Democrats -- the kind who write letters, make phone calls to members of Congress and stump for and donate to candidates -- and ask them to show their support for a debate on the Senate floor.
Senators are to vote today on whether to formally debate health-care reform. Democrats expect to get the 60 necessary votes to overcome a Republican block.
Callers, who are working Long Beach's 37th and 46th Congressional districts, are asking supporters to contact state Sen. Diane Feinstein and show their support.
"We're asking true believers to call and make a case," said Chris Robson, 64, a Rose Park resident who is leading the cell bank effort in the 37th Congressional District. "We're trying to maintain a presence in all kinds of actions and activities.
"Now that things are focused on the Senate, (that is where) we have focused a lot of our efforts."
Robson said the phone effort has been moving along since House approval of the reforms but will intensify after Thanksgiving and into the home stretch, possibly at the end of the year.
"We have these teams set up to respond when we know when a vote is coming up," said Emily Dulcan, spokeswoman at Organizing for America's Los Angeles-area headquarters in Culver City.
Organizing for America started as Obama for America, which campaigned for Barack Obama and switched gears to support his agenda after he became president.
On the national level, the group has some detractors. A Fox News blogger called Organizing for America videos "propaganda." And the group's efforts to raise money in response to Sarah Palin's book tour and label her as "dangerous" was called opportunistic by the right since she is no longer in office.
In Long Beach, however, efforts are focused on the phone banks. Members make calls on Sundays and Wednesdays. Volunteers also work the farmers markets along the Alamitos Bay Marina and in the East Village Arts District.
When healthcare reform was in the House of Representatives, members called Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, who represents the 37th District.
"Even though Richardson is already on board, our calls amplified and thanked her for taking the position that she took," Robson said.
The 46th Congressional District is represented by a Republican, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. Targeting only Democrats, the group did not call his office.
Outside of town, Long Beach volunteers have met with Feinstein's staff in West L.A. to urge her support for the package, as well as provisions dear to Democrats.
And members from Long Beach have also gone to demonstrations to counter conservative protests.
"We've got people on the ground doing the work," Robson said.
From downtown to uptown to Belmont Shore, there are several small-scale efforts under way this weekend to improve the environment in Long Beach.
Starting things off at 9 a.m., Council members Robert Garcia and Suja Lowenthal plan to participate in an effort to plant trees in and around downtown. Garcia's 1st District and Lowenthal's 2nd both encompass the city core.
"We're doing over 100 trees in downtown Long Beach, which is pretty significant all in one day, including areas that have never had trees before," Garcia said.
The goal is to plant in every open tree well.
Though Garcia and Lowenthal plan to get their hands dirty by planting an aristocrat pear tree on The Promenade and Third Street, the success of the event also relies on volunteers.
Support is also coming from Downtown Long Beach Associates and the city's Redevelopment Agency.
Volunteers will plant until noon.
Over in the Shore, community organizer Justin Rudd is hosting his regular 30-Minute Beach Cleanup -- the 125th consecutive one over more than 10 years -- at 10 a.m. Volunteers can park for free in the beach lots at 1 Granada Ave.
And, finally, those interested in organic produce may head uptown to the new farmers market is opening in California Heights, which is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays on the Longfellow Elementary School, 3800 Olive Ave.
For information, visit LongBeachSundayMarket.com or call 562-528-6259.
California legislators, the governor and other elected officials are facing an 18 percent pay cut in December as the face grapples with yet another crippling deficit.
State Attorney Gen. Jerry Brown ruled that the state's compensation commission can legally cut the pay of lawmakers midterm.
Base pay would drop from $116,000 to $95,000 on Dec. 7. Legislators also receive per diems for the days they work, car allowances and other forms of compensation.
At least one local legislator signaled that she is OK with the pending pay cut.
"I'm not in this for the money - I never have been," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach. "I won't spend a lot of time thinking about this. I'm just going to stay focused on the hard work that needs to get done."
State Sen. Alan Lowenthal said he is leaning against a run for statewide office and will likely complete the remaining two years of his term.
The Long Beach Democrat began exploring a bid for lieutenant governor in January and formed a committee to raise money but said in an interview this week that he is more inclined to finish out his Senate term in 2012.
"I'd rather be in the Senate for the next couple of years," Lowenthal said, "if I was going to have to decide right now."
Work with legislators to solve California's budget crisis -- the state is $20.7 billion in the hole and public colleges are poised for fee hikes -- is his pressing concern.
"I just think I can do more in the Senate," he said. "I am so worried about where we are now."
Lowenthal said he is in a better position to protect "my city," Long Beach, and the others in his district from his position in the upper house.
The lieutenant governor has limited powers. The state's No. 2 serves as president of the Senate and can cast a vote to break a tie. The lieutenant governor also runs the state while the governor is traveling or ill and sits on the state Lands Commission, which has jurisdiction over port-area Tidelands property in Long Beach, and the boards of the California State University and University of California systems.
Though he was close to making a decision, Lowenthal said he was not ready to rule out a run.
The former state assemblyman and Long Beach councilman has never lost a local election, but his popularity has not been tested statewide.
Two Democrats, Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who lives in San Pedro, and Dean Florez of the Fresno area, have announced bids for lieutenant governor in 2010.
The position is currently vacant. Former Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, a Democrat, was elected to a Bay area Congressional seat this month.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not yet appointed Garamendi's replacement but he has said he intends to and the short list of candidates reportedly includes Sens. Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, and Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, and Assemblymen Mike Villines, R-Clovis and Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego.
State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is running the state this week as Schwarzenegger travels.
Some have asked if ailing California even needs a No. 2 position that pays $160,000 a year for a limited range of duties.
The office only takes about 50 calls a day -- mostly from people who cannot reach the state unemployment office, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday.
A new farmers market is opening in California Heights. The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays on the Longfellow Elementary School playground, 3800 Olive Ave. For information, visit LongBeachSundayMarket.com or call 562-528-6259
Working with the California Water Service Co.'s "Operation Gobble," Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, has arranged for distribution of 100 gift checks to charities that serve needy families in Long Beach and San Pedro.
The Thanksgiving gift checks are good for the purchase of a turkey and will go to five area charities: Harbor Interfaith Services, YWCA, and Justice for Murdered Children in San Pedro, Centro Shalom in Long Beach and Soledad Enrichment Action. All serve families in Lowenthal's 54th Assembly District, which includes Long Beach, San Pedro, Signal Hill, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates and Catalina.
Gift checks provide flexibility for the families receiving them, so that if they choose to use them on something other than a turkey, they can do so.
A new farmers market is opening in California Heights. The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays on the Longfellow Elementary School playground, 3800 Olive Ave. For information, visit LongBeachSundayMarket.com or call 562-528-6259
The area where the San Diego (405), San Gabriel (605) and Garden Grove (22) freeways meet in and near Long Beach is often backed up in rush hour. A story in today's Los Angeles Times, however, explains how differently Los Angeles and Orange counties see gridlock solutions. Los Angeles is moving toward an emphasis mass transit and is reluctant to widen the 405 on the county line. Orange County tends be more committed to widening the freeway, according to the Times.
Members of the Long Beach City Council plan to participate in a panel discussion on students, the local economy and where city and campus life intersect at 10 a.m. Thursday at Cal State Long Beach.
"A City and its Students: A Day to Reconnect," will feature Long Beach Council members Gary DeLong, Robert Garcia, Tonia Reyes Uranga, Gerrie Schipske and a representative for Councilman Patrick O'Donnell. (Full disclosure: I went to CSULB and have taught journalism there.)
The focus of the discussion will be on the state and city budget problems and how they impact CSULB students, said Matthew Barnett, secretary for city affairs for the Associated Students Inc., or ASI.
In addition, he added, there are plenty of places where city decision-making overlaps with student life, particularly when it comes to parking near the campus and and traffic.
Students, many of whom live off-campus, were also active in discussions to reroute Long Beach Transit bus service to and from campus and weigh in on public safety, roadwork and related issues.
"I've been really involved in Long Beach politics for awhile now," Barnett said. "And I grew up in Long Beach, so I pitched the idea to bring the council members to hear the students and address student concerns as well."
Barnett brought the idea of inviting the council members to the student body president, Christopher Chavez, who agreed.
The gathering represents a homecoming for Garcia, a CSULB alumni who served in the student government.
"I got my political start at Cal State Long Beach," he said. "It was incredible experience, serving as student body president there (in 2001), and you learn a lot about people ... It first opened my eyes to the good work you can do in public service. Any time I can help out Cal State Long Beach and the student government I am happy to do it."
Though the officials will speak at 10 a.m. various events for "A Day to Reconnect" are scheduled from 9:15 a.m. to noon starting with a meet and greet in the ASI Government Office, USU-311.
The events are geared toward students but open to the general public. CSULB is located at 1250 Bellflower Blvd.
For more information, please contact Barnett at 562- 682-4467 or Mbarnettcsu@aol.com.
A new law written by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, is included in a 600-word write-up on breast-cancer screening in O: The Oprah magazine published by Oprah Winfrey. The law requires those provide mammograms to display inspectors' report of their equipment in conspicuous places so that patients can learn of equipment violations. The article is particularly timely, as the health advocates on Monday revised recommendations for breast-cancer screening.
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Lakewood, has promoted José Delgado, a five-year employee, to district director. The 37th Congressional District office is in Cerritos.
The South Gate native previously served as a legislative assistant for Sánchez in Washington D.C, overseeing foreign policy, Social Security, financial services, housing, transportation and budget issues.
Sanchez has also hired Michael McGourty to serve as a legislative assistant. McGourty most recently served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Wis.
KTLA Channel 5 takes a close look this morning on how a water-main replacement program in Long Beach has decreased ruptures dramatically in the last several years. The Water Department attributes the low rupture rate, about 27 last year, to replacing old copper pipes. KTLA contrasts the situation with the one in Los Angeles, where pipes are breaking everywhere.
Jammin' Music, a music academy in Bixby Knolls, is looking for "10 aspiring young local musicians who show promise on their instrument."
The center will award 10 scholarships to musicians who demonstrate economic need as well as musical potential.
Scholarships will be awarded to 10 youths ages 10 to 17 selected by auditions on Nov. 14 and Dec. 5.
Each scholarship recipient will receive 10, 30-minute private lessons from one of Jammin' Music's instructors. Each instructor has received university-level training.
Scholarships will be offered on violin, viola, saxophone, clarinet, cello, voice, guitar and bass.
Scholarships were made possible by a grant from the Connected Corridor project, the Long Beach Community Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information, visit www.jamminmusic-lb.com. or contact Kerri Hikida at info@jamminmusic-lb.com or 562-881-2865.
Children Today will host its 12th annual Holiday Cheer Wine Tasting & Silent Auction at Arco Center, 300 Oceangate, from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
Holiday Cheer is Children Today's main fundraiser and supports a quarter of the annual budget. Founded in 1997, Children Today operates two no-cost child development centers in Long Beach that serve homeless children.
The event includes live and silent auctions. Items include stays at a farmhouse in Italy, Park City, Utah/Dear Valley, Mammoth and four VIP tickets and accommodations to the 2010 Notre Dame/Stanford Football Game in Indiana. There will also be an opportunity drawing for two, $500 Nordstrom gift cards.
Catering will be provided by Thank Goodness It's Sofia! There will also be wine and music.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Free parking will be provided in the underground structure off of Ocean Boulevard and Maine Avenue.
Tickets are $110 at the door and online at
Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Thursday will receive the body of a Marine killed in action. Lance Cpl. Justin J. Swanson of Anaheim died Nov. 10 while supporting combat operations in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. He was 21.
Swanson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton.
The Swanson family is allowing the public to attend the "Fallen Hero" ceremony. The time has not been confirmed but it will occur between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Councilwoman Rae Gabelich and the Long Beach Department Parks, Recreation & Marine plan to host the opening of the Uptown Dog Park at 10 a.m. Nov. 21. The park, which will allow supervised dogs to run unleashed, is located at the west end of Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Blvd.
The League of Women Voters, Long Beach Area, will host a panel discussion on health-care reform from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 21 at Los Altos Library, 5614 E. Britton Drive.
Panelists were selected to provide different points of view on the issue.
"There should be some controversy and areas of disagreement among our panelists and the audience," League President Phyllis O'Connor said in a prepared statement. "But above all, we expect a thoughtful and civilized discussion of issues that are of vital importance."
The speakers include Ray Jankowski, CEO of Long Beach Community Hospital; Nancy Gomez, regional organizer for Health Access-California; Dr. Mark Dressner, a board certified family physician; and Sean Smith, president of Keenan HealthCare.
Panelists will address a series of questions prepared by the League and written questions from the audience.
The event is free and open to the public.
Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, has endorsed Assistant City Auditor James Johnson in the 7th District City Council race. Lowenthal, a former councilman and assembyman who has never lost a bid for elected office, made his endorsement over the weekend at Necho's, a Westside restaurant.
Johnson is running against Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, who is mounting a write-in bid; Jill Hill of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance; and community activist Jack Smith.
The 7th District includes the Westside, California Heights, sections of the Wrigley and other areas.
Daily 49er Photo Editor Michael Chan Lee sent along this link to photographs he took at the 60th anniversary of Cal State Long Beach's student-run daily.
Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk, plans to distribute more than 100 turkeys to four area non-profits Monday as part of his annual Operation Gobble event.
The effort will begin at 10 a.m. in Norwalk and end at 2 p.m. in Long Beach.
Charitable organizations are pre-selected to participate in the holiday event. The organizations receive turkeys and trimmings for distribution to needy families. The turkeys were donated by the Golden State Water Co.
This year's participants include the Rio Hondo Temporary Shelter in Norwalk, The Hawaiian Gardens Food Bank, Los Nietos Food Pantry in Whittier and Su Casa Battered Women's Shelter in Long Beach.
"The holidays are a time to reflect and remember families who are less fortunate," Mendoza said in a prepared statement. "I want to make sure families who have been struggling know their community cares and wants to help. This program is just one way, if you are able to give back, I encourage you to seek out non-profits that provide food, clothing and shelter during the holidays."
Mendoza will meet with staff at each of the non-profits as he delivers turkeys and food items.
Mendoza's district includes Norwalk, Buena Park, Cerritos, Santa Fe Springs, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens and portions of Whittier and Lakewood.
With demand up, it can be a chore to find a flu shot.
My family and I spent the better part of one weekend driving to grocers, drugstores and retailers -- even a hospital -- in search of advertised vaccinations. Everywhere we went was out of shots.
Google has pledged to make the hunt easier. The search engine is offering maps to locations offering seasonal flu and H1N1 shots.
Visit google.com/flushot and type in your ZIP Code or city and state. H1N1 shot locations pop up in blue, seasonal shots in red. Locations with both seasonal and H1N1 shots show up in a mix of red and blue.
Putting in 90802, the ZIP Code for much of downtown Long Beach, refers searchers to the city Health Department, 2525 Grand Ave. Room 145, where seasonal vaccines are offered to various populations.
Also popping up in red in the downtown Long Beach search is a CVS Pharmacy just over the Orange County line at 921 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach.
A search in Downey pulls up the Downey Civic Theatre, 8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey, which is offering a public H1N1 clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Type in Lakewood, Calif. and the Downey clinic appears.
Google coordinated the effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to news reports.
Some checking of search results is required. Just because a site offers clinics that show in a search does not mean that vaccines are in stock. It makes sense to call ahead.
The swine flu pandemic has claimed about 3,900 Americans -- about 540 of them children, according to CDC numbers released Thursday.
The next city of Long Beach flu shot clinics are 3:30 to 7:30 p.m Tuesday at Wilson High School and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21 at Millikan High.
Downey children and seniors who need roundtrip transportation to get flu shots at clinics or at the doctor can get a free ride from Worldwide Airport Shuttle, a local company. The service is open only to those without other forms of transportation.
The Downey Patriot has the details.
The Long Beach Fire Department and the Salvation Army are holding a food drive to benefit needy families and will continue through Dec. 31. Canned foods are preferred and items stored in glass should be avoided.
Drop off boxes are at each fire stations in the city and at the
Salvation Army, 455 E. Spring St
U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood, was scheduled to give a Veterans Day address this morning at the Cerritos Civic Center.
She provided a copy of her speech beforehand.
Here is the text of her speech:
"I am honored to be here as we commemorate the bravery, sacrifice, and service of our nation's veterans, particularly those right here in our community.
"Those of you who serve, and those who remain behind, deserve our deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. For putting our nation's interests above your self-interest. For defending our Constitution, our country, and our way of life. And for your commitment from the time of enlistment and throughout the rest of your lives. You have earned our support.
"I am grateful that each year, our nation sets aside a day to honor our servicemen and women, who serve both at home and abroad, who volunteer to put themselves in harm's way to protect the freedoms that we take for granted. Certainly, you deserve our thanks every day, but Veterans Day reminds us to give the thanks that we owe daily.
"As a nation, we have been good at honoring our men and women in the Armed Forces with commemorative holidays, parades, and medals. But we have not always been good at fulfilling our promises to our veterans.
"While our warm words of thanks are warranted, they are not enough.
"We owe a sacred trust to every man and woman who wears the uniform of the United States of America. We owe them the best care they were promised, and the benefits and support that they have selflessly earned.
"We must ensure tjat during their service and after, they don't need to also fight bureaucracies to receive GI benefits, healthcare, or pension payments.
"We have an obligation to meet the needs of our returning veterans and their families by providing care and support for both the physical and emotional wounds, as well as educational and employment assistance to help make the transition to civilian life successful.
"I am especially proud that Congress has passed legislation this session that honors those commitments by providing the largest funding increase for health care ever requested by a President or veterans organizations.
"This funding has strengthened health care through the addition of 17,000 new doctors and nurses, more community-based outpatient clinics and new Vet Centers, expanded mental health screening and treatment, and improved access for veterans in rural areas.
"I am proud that the new Post 9-11 GI Bill, which went into effect in August, provides the opportunity for a full, four-year college education, and that this benefit is transferable to family members, including to all children of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, regardless of the length of military service of the parent.
"During these tough economic times, Congress has enacted a military pay raise, tax credits for businesses who hire unemployed veterans, tax cuts for servicemembers and families, disabled veterans relief, stop-loss payments, help for military families harmed by the housing crisis, expanded homeownership opportunities, and tuition assistance and training opportunities for military spouses seeking careers that can be maintained as they move from station to station.
"These efforts are just a few of the investments Congress is making in our servicemembers. We must keep working to fulfill our promises to those who protect of us. We must keep our promises to those who have kept theirs.
"While we may not all agree with a President's decision to use or not to use military force in a given situation, we can agree that those who answered the call of service and sacrifice to our country deserve our support and gratitude. The debt we owe to them is immeasurable.
"Our servicemembers and their families deserve to have all the tools necessary while on active duty, and those needed to resume their lives when they return. I will continue to fight in Congress to ensure that we keep our promises and commitments to you - our nation's heroes.
The Seal Beach City Council has directed its staff to draft an ordinance that would cap election donations at $250. The long-brewing fight over height limits in Old Town led to a tidal wave of donations in the small city's races. The Seal Beach Daily has the story.
The Press-Telegram's Facebook page is up and running. Online Editor Chris Berry, as well as reporters and photographers, are posting P-T stories, photos and other material on the social networking site. Become a fan of the newspaper by typing Long Beach Press-Telegram into the Facebook search window.
California Heights residents have organized a large neighborhood garage sale -- at least 70 houses are participating -- from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at various locations throughout the historic district bounded by Wardlow and Bixby roads and Lime and Gardenia avenues.
The Press-Telegram's Facebook page is up and running. Online Editor Chris Berry, as well as reporters and photographers, are posting P-T stories, photos and other material on the social networking site. Become a fan of the newspaper by typing Long Beach Press-Telegram into the Facebook search window.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, is hosting a free consumer education seminar aimed at teaching senior citizens to avoid scams targeting them.
The workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at El Dorado Park Senior Center, 2800 Studebaker Road.
There will be participants from the California Department of Insurance (insurance scams); the California Department of Consumer Affairs (credit card fraud); the state Public Utilities Commission (telephone and computer scams; the Department of Real Estate (loan modification and reverse mortgage scams) and the Long Beach Police Department.
For more information, call Lowenthal's office at (562) 495-2915.
Justin Rudd is well known for his community activism -- the beach cleanups, dog parades and children's activities that have changed the face of Belmont Shore.
But less is known about Rudd's professional life as a beauty pageant coach, judge and coordinator specializing in interview categories. He has worked with candidates for national and state contests, including Miss USA, Miss America and Miss California.
So it makes sense that Rudd will combine two key roles in his life when he officially takes the reins of the Miss Long Beach Pageant this weekend at The Grand. Rudd's Community Action Team, or CAT, acquired the 59-year-old pageant from the Jaycees earlier this year.
"I was volunteering for the pageant," Rudd said. "It kind of felt like the right time and place. I've always been interested in improving the Miss Long Beach Pageant since I first judged it years ago."
Rudd made several changes. He will continue to award the Miss Long Beach title for women ages 19 to 29 and Miss Teen Long Beach title for contestants ages 14 to 18. But he added categories for "Mrs.," married women ages 21 and up, and "Little Miss" for first- and second-graders.
Rudd is stressing a "natural" look in the Little Miss category. Youngsters are not allowed to wear makeup, teeth caps, lashes, hair extensions, spray tans or other enhancements.
"I want to to make it very clear that's not what we are and not what we do," he said. "I just want it to be a fun opportunity for little girls to be up on stage. They're not wearing swimsuits, they're not wearing evening gowns."
As far as the adult categories, Rudd said unconventional looks, including tattoos and piercings, are OK.
In the interest of inclusion, lesbians who married in the short period while same-sex marriage was legal in California and those who are in legally recognized domestic partnership agreements can compete in the Mrs. category, Rudd said.
In addition to the Long Beach titles, a designation for "Southern California" will be added for a total of eight crowns -- or two per category.
To earn Long Beach titles, contestants must live, work or attend school here. To earn Southern California titles, contestants must live, work or attend school in the region -- Long Beach included.
Competitive categories include a personal interview, evening gown and swimwear (sarongs are OK) for adults. Little Miss contestants will wear casual clothing.
Titleholders are expected to represent CAT at events, including the Long Beach Turkey Trot 5K/10K on Thanksgiving morning, the Dec. 5 Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, the Bulldog Beauty Contest, the National Adult Spelling Bee, the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanups and the Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade.
There is $6,500 in prize money.
Among the judges are Tamiko Nash, Miss California USA 2006 and first runner-up to Miss USA 2006, and Janice McQueen Ward, Mrs. United States 1999.
Past winners, including the first Miss Long Beach, Carole (White) Thurston from 1950, plan to attend the event.
About 35 contestants have signed up so far, but contestants can sign up through the morning of the pageant.
Tickets, which are $20 to $30 and benefit CAT, are on sale at The Grand Long Beach Events Center, 4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach, and at www.MissLongBeach.com or www.MissSouthernCalifornia.com.
The pageant begins at 6 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free. Ticketholders will be admitted to the after-party at The Grand.
St. Anthony High School, 620 Olive Ave., plans to host an open house for prospective students and their families from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Enrollment at Long Beach's only co-ed Catholic High School increased 30 percent this year as the high school welcomed its largest freshman class -- 115 students -- in 10 years.
The 2010 freshman class is on track for a freshman class of 135 students, according to a news release from the college preparatory school. Families are encouraged to apply early to gain admission.
The open house will allow visitors to tour the campus on the edge of downtown Long Beach. Student ambassadors, current students chosen to represent the campus, and faculty will speak with guests.
Application packets and information on financial aid will be available.
Interested students and their families can attend open house or call 562-435-4496, Ext. 1214.
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Lakewood, will honor veterans at the City of Cerritos' Veterans Day Ceremony. The event will take place at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday in the Civic Center at 18125 Bloomfield Ave.
The On Broadway Merchant Association plans to host a cocktail mixer from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wedensday at Paradise, a piano bar at 1800 E. Broadway. For information, call 562-590-8773.
The city's development services department will hold a community meeting for the proposed development on Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway, "2nd+PCH" as it is called, at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Wilson High School Media Center, 4400 E. 10th St.
The project would include 325 residential units, 191,000 square feet of retail, a 100-room hotel, 21,000 square feet of non-hotel restaurant space, a theater, a marine science learning center and 1,440 parking spaces, according to a news release from the Belmont Shore Residents Association, which is encouraging members to attend the meeting to learn more and give their opinions.
Building heights would include a 12-story residential building, as well as two, six-story buildings. The developer is requesting changes to the zoning code for the site known as SEADIP in order to allow residential development, which is currently prohibited, and to allow buildings taller than the existing height limit, 35 feet.
The project requires Planning Commission, City Council and Coastal Commission OKs.
Frieda's Inc., which specializes in gourmet and unusual produce, will be honored at the 25th annual Second Harvest Food Bank's "No Lunch" Lunch Nov. 24 in Irvine. Frieda's Inc., which has been donating surplus produce to Second Harvest for 10 years, will receive the Second Harvest's first Community Partner Award.
At a rate of three to five pallets of produce a week, Frieda's has donated several tons of gourmet-quality specialty produce to the food bank. Frieda's opts to donate rather than re-sell the surplus perishable items to discount vendors.
Erika Oelman, a horticulturist at the El Dorado Nature Center, will host a presentation on planting native landscapes at the next Belmont Heights Community Association meeting.
Oeelman will address soil type and quality, zoning, plant selection and lead a short discussion about pruning techniques. Native plants are generally more drought-tolerant than species not native to Southern California or similar climates.
In addition, the association will discuss upcoming board nominations, commercial corridors in the Heights, the Colorado Lagoon project, the "bike boulevard" on Vista Street, motorcycle noise and "traffic calming, the upcoming newsletter and a membership drive.
Residents -- both homeowners and renters -- who have concerns or ideas about issues in Belmont Heights are welcome to address them as well.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Belmont Heights United Methodist Church, 317 Termino Avenue. Parking is adjacent to the building and can be accessed via Termino. The meeting is down the stairs next to the parking lot.
For more information, visit www.mybelmontheights.org or call 562-438-0682.
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Lakewood, will speak to students and teachers at Nelson Elementary School at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday about cyberbullying. Sánchez has secured federal funding for i-SAFE, Inc., a non-profit foundation, to provide anti-bullying, Internet safety programs and training at Los Nietos School District.
The Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance, or WANA, monthly meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16 at Veterans Park Community Center, 101 E. 28th Street. There will be a presentation on the Kroc Center and the Metro Blue Line Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Plan. For information, call 562-599-1822 or e-mail wrigleyalliance@msn.com.
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens will offer a lecture, "Legends and Lore of Holiday Plants," at 10 a.m. Nov. 21. A wreath-making workshop will follow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All materials, including a 20-inch evergreen wreath, are included.
For the lecture there is a $15 fee for adults or $10 for Rancho members and senior citizens. The wreath workshop is $35 per adult and $30 for Rancho members and seniors. Another option is to pay $45 per adult for both lecture and workshop or $40 for Rancho members and seniors.
Advance reservations are required and can be made online at www.ranchlosalamitos.com or by calling 562-431-3541.
The workshop is expected to sell out, so early reservations are encouraged.
Rancho Los Alamitos is located at 6400 E. Bixby Hill Road. Parking will be available on site.
The Belmont Shore Residents Association plans to host a neighborhood mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Alfredo's Kayak Kafe, 154th Place, adjacent to the handball courts.
Organizers plan to show film clips of Long Beach's past, including shots of the Queen Mary's arrival, the original Pike and Los Cerritos Wetlands. Cartoons will be played for children.
Business on Second Street have provided prizes for the event, which is open to Belmont Shore homeowners and renters.
RSVP by e-mail to bsramail@shoreresidents.org
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck graduated from Cal State Long Beach, according to his bio in the L.A. Times. His major: Vocational arts.
Due to increased demand, the Long Beach Health Department has added another H1N1 flu vaccine clinic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21 at Millikan High School.
This is in addition to the community-based H1N1 flu clinic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Long Beach Convention Center.
The city is only vaccinating people in the following risk groups for swine flu:
- Anyone between the ages of 6 months and 24
- Caretakers of infants under 6 months
- Health care workers with direct patient care
- Pregnant women
- Adults ages 25 to age 64 with a high risk medical condition, such as lung or heart disease
In the early 1990s, I served as editor of the Daily 49er, the student newspaper at Cal State Long Beach. So it's with more than a little Beach pride that I mention the publication's upcoming 60th anniversary.
The Journalism Department, the 49er staff and the CSULB Alumni Association are planning a reunion of former 49er staff members from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday in the 49er newsroom, which is in the SSPA 004. A celebration will follow in the Pyramid Annex from 2 to 4 p.m. Both events are open to the general public.
In addition, the Daily 49er will publish a special edition Nov. 12 that includes past editors' reflections of each decade -- including one by me about the '90s -- and an interview with the paper's first editor, Ted Clucas.
For more information, contact either 49er Editor Joanne Tucker at eicd49er@gmail.com or 562-985-7998 or Journalism Department Chairman Raul Reis at rreis@csulb.edu or 562-985-4981.
Also, if you are a 49er alum and want more information, a bunch of us are on Facebook. Friend us and we'll give you the details.
The Oct. 30 shooting death of Melody Ross has shaken up Long Beach in ways I haven't seen in years.
Maybe it was Melody's age -- 16.
Or her background -- honors' program, track team, daughter of Killing Fields' survivors.
Or the location -- outside of the Wilson High School's homecoming game.
Among those deeply affected by the shooting, and who has the ability to bring the community together to do something to help the victim's family, is restaurateur and downtown activist John Morris.
An uncle of Melody has worked for Morris, who owns Smooth's, off and on for about 15 years.
"This one is closer to home," Morris said.
Morris has planned a "celebration of Melody's life" from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday on Pine Avenue.
The details are still being set, but relatives of the victim and Councilman Gary DeLong, whose 3rd District includes Wilson High, plan to participate.
Pine Avenue restaurants between First and Third streets will donate 20 to 25 percent of their revenue from the evening to a fund established to help Melody's family.
Among the participants are Bouchee's Bistro at Smooth's, as well as L'Opera, Madison, Hooters, Shannon's, Taco Beach, It's a Grind, Alegria and George's Greek Deli.
Morris said downtown is the right place to honor Melody as it is "the melting pot of our city" and Melody had "friends of all races."
He wants to see a big crowd gather in Melody's honor.
"She had love from all over this city, and we want to bring the love," he said.
Councilman Gary DeLong plans to address the Belmont Shore Residents Association from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 12 at Bay Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Ave.
A Long Beach-based sting operation conducted by the state's contractor licensing board with help from the Long Beach Police Department has led to citations for two dozen unlicensed contractors, according to this report in the Los Angeles Times.
The city of Los Alamitos has reported a 17 percent decline in sales-tax revenue in the fiscal year that ended in June. Sales taxes, a major source of revenue for Los Al and many other area cities, dipped about $520,000 in the tiny city. Los Al, however, still has a budget surplus.
The nation's unemployment rate has hit double-digit territory for the first time in 26 years. Labor Department figures released today show 10.2 percent of those actively seeking employment unable to find it. The actual unemployment rate is believed to be much higher, as plenty of people give up on their searches. Republicans are expected to use the data as ammunition in the 2010 midterm elections, BusinessWeek reports. However, the Democratic-controlled Congress voted this week to extend unemployment benefits in hard-hit states, including California.
In case, you haven't noticed that 1980s icon, the Izod shirt, is back in style. And now the preppy brand, known for its alligator symbol, has decided to sponsor the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and its IndyCar Series.
A classic 1965 Volkswagen bus stolen 35 years ago in Washington state was recovered from a shipping container in the Port of Los Angeles, the Daily Breeze reports. Authorities ran the vehicle identification number, or VIN, and found a police report from Spokane, Wash. The van, which is pristine, was headed to The Netherlands. The vehicle had apparently changed hands since it was originally stolen and the most recent owners are not suspects in the case.
The joint news operation of Channels 2 and 9 toured Cal State Long Beach Monday evening to illustrate how state-mandated furlough days are affecting students and instructors. The campus is all but vacant on what would have been a class day had the state not mandated the cuts. Here's the video: http://cbs2.com/video/?id=118411@kcbs.dayport.com
Cal State Long Beach students are planning an unusual protest of state budget cuts to the California State University system from noon to 2 p.m. today on the student union's terrace.
They plan to hold a bake sale, called "Cookies for Cuts," to bring attention to the CSU's financial struggles, which this semester has included teacher furloughs. Campuses throughout the CSU system are participating.
(Full disclosure: I have taught journalism at CSULB.)
The Los Angeles Times reports today that California casinos and card clubs made $10 million in charitable contributions on behalf of state Attorney Gen. Jerry Brown, the undeclared frontrunner in the 2010 race for governor. As they are charitable, the donations are legal, however, The Times points out that Brown's office oversees the gaming industry. Brown says in the story that he has always behaved ethically.
Among the gifts from casinos to Brown is $12,000, the legal maximum, from the Hawaiian Gardens Casino to the AG's campaign coffers.
Mayor Bob Foster today called on the community to help the family of Melody Ross, the Wilson High School student who was shot to death after Friday's homecoming game against Poly High.
Also helping with the fundraising efforts are state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, County Supervisor Don Knabe and Long Beach Councilman Gary DeLong.
Monetary donations are being accepted to help the family with the funeral costs.
"We are doing anything we can do to help ease the family's pain," Foster said in a prepared statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ross family."
"We are doing anything we can do to help ease the family's pain," Foster said in a prepared statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ross family."
Ross, who was 16, was believed to have been an innocent bystander when she and two men were shot by an unknown gunman. The other victims, 18 and 20, are expected to survive.
Also helping with the fundraising efforts are state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, County Supervisor Don Knabe and Long Beach Councilman Gary DeLong.
Donations for the Ross family should be made out to:
Long Beach Education Foundation
Melody Ross Memorial Trust Account (I.D. #33-0357679)
Checks should be mailed to:
Long Beach Education Foundation
c/o Judy Seal
1515 Hughes Way
Long Beach, CA 90810
Third District Councilman Gary DeLong has issued a statement about the shooting death of a 16-year-old girl outside the Wilson High School homecoming game Friday night. He is urging constituents to contribute to a fund in the victim's name. The letter appears in full below.
On Friday, October 30th at approximately 10:00pm the Long Beach community experienced a tragedy. Innocent bystander Melody Ross, an honors student at Wilson Classical High School, was killed by an act of violence.
As the community grieves for this loss, Long Beach police officers are working around the clock to identify and apprehend the criminal behind this tragedy. Long Beach is fortunate to have an outstanding Police Department and I am convinced they will find and arrest the person who committed this crime.
Over the last several days, many residents have contacted me asking how they can help. One way to help is to assist the family with the costs associated with the funeral. Mayor Bob Foster, LA County Supervisor Don Knabe and I have already personally contributed to a fund for the family that was set up earlier today by the Long Beach Unified School District.
Contributions should be sent to:
Long Beach Education Foundation
Melody Ross Memorial Trust Account (I.D# 33-0357679)
c/o Judy Seal
1515 Hughes Way
Long Beach, CA 90810
As one Wilson Mom said "I urge every parent whose child is home safe tonight to send a check, this is our community and her family needs our prayers and our support."
Thank you for your consideration.
Voters in Long Beach Unified and a few other area school districts will go to the polls Tuesday.
The Long Beach Unified school board is asking voters to pass Measure T, a temporary parcel tax that would provide revenue to the school district with the goal of offseting some of the losses caused primarily by state cutbacks.
The initiative would assess properties $92 annually for five years with the goal of raising about $12.5 million a year toward a two-year, $95 million budget shortfall.
Senior citizens age 65 and older could apply for an annual exemption to the levy.
Measure T requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
Proponents believe Measure T could help offset potential teacher layoffs and help pay for smaller class sizes, preserve college-prep courses in English, math and science, protect arts and music programs and save after-school and gang-prevention programs.
Opponents, however, point to tax increases already passed in the LBUSD to finance building improvements and argue that these are not the economic times to put added financial pressures on property owners.
Though renters are not required to pay the tax, some landlords could conceivably pass costs on to tenants without fixed leases.
As this is a special election, the parcel tax is the only measure on LBUSD ballots. The school district includes Long Beach and Signal Hill as well as sections of Lakewood and other communities.
In other school elections, voters will select three new trustees in the Cerritos Community College District and fill three seats each on the ABC, Bellflower and Paramount Unified school boards.
Artesia voters will consider raising their transient occupancy, or hotel, tax from 6 percent to 12.5 percent.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, or to find a polling place, visit www.lavote.net
Former Long Beach Police Chief Tony Batts plans to meet the community at large during a townhall meeting tonight in Oakland, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
"He'll share his vision for improving public safety and working with the Oakland community, and will take questions from the audience about his plans," the Chronicle reports.
The meeting will take place at a local elementary school.
Batts, of course, is the new police chief in Oakland.
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach will host its first ship-commissioning ceremony, a prestigious event for a military installation, early next year.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently gave the OK to commission the Dewey, the Navy's newest and "most technologically advanced" guided missile destroyer at Seal Beach, according to a Navy news release.
Ship-commissioning ceremonies recognize a vessel's entry into active service, giving it the "U.S.S." designation before its name that formally make it a member of the Navy fleet.
The Dewey will be "brought to life," a military term used when a ship becomes active, at an invitation-only event March 6.
The Long Beach, Orange County, and Newport Beach councils of the United States Navy League are sponsoring the ship ceremony. The Long Beach branch of the Navy League worked to bring a commissioning ceremony to the Port of Long Beach in January, when the U.S.S. Green Bay was brought to life in what was once a a Navy town and Pacific Fleet stronghold.
The Dewey will be equipped to fight air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and will feature offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense.
Deborah Mullen, wife of Adm. Mike G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the ship's sponsor. She christened the Dewy at a ceremony at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., in 2008.
The new destroyer is named for the late Adm. George Dewey, who led his squadron of warships into Manila Bay in 1898, destroying the Spanish fleet in only two hours without a single American loss. Dewey became admiral of the Navy, a rank created for him in 1903.
The ship named for Dewey is the 55th of 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers either in commission, under construction or on order.
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach opened in 1944. The base services about 50 Navy vessels a year.
Congressional candidate Peter Mathews, a college professor who lives in Belmont Heights, reported strong attendance at a townhall meeting at Ecco's Pizza on Halloween.
Mathews said and others addressed the economy, healthcare, job creation, the environment, alternative energy, the federal deficit, tuition-free college education, crime prevention, Iraq and Afghanistan and other issues.
About 50 people attended, many from the 37th District, which includes Long Beach, Carson, Compton, Signal Hill and Willowbrook.
Mathews is challenging U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, in the 2010 primary.
Long Beach police said Monday that they have not yet made an arrest in the death of 16-year-old Melody Ross, who was caught in the gunfire after the Poly-Wilson football game.
LBPD spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said officers are hoping that witnesses come forward as the shooting took place in a crowded area near the entrance to Wilson, 10th Street and Ximeno Avenue, after Friday's night's football game between the cross-town rivals. In addition to Ross, an advanced placement student who participated in track, two men, 18 and 20, were injured in the attack. The men were not students.
Pratt said many teens carry cell phone equipped with still and video cameras and are hoping that a student at the scene photographed or filmed the shooting, or possibly tensions that led up to it.
"What kid doesn't walk around with a camera or a phone?" Pratt said.
She encouraged parents of students at the game to "talk to your kids."
People with information, or with photos or videos, are asked to call police homicide detectives at 562-570-7244.
