Results tagged “Bonnie Lowenthal” from Press Corps

The grass-roots Long Beach Taxpayers Association at its meeting tonight will hear from Gabriella Holt, CEO of the newly formed Citizens for California Reform. Holt will speak on her 2010 ballot initiative to convert California's Legislature from full-time to part-time. Other local ballot initiatives also will be discussed.

Holt, a Palos Verdes Peninsula resident, was the Republican nominee last year in the 54th Assembly District race. She lost to former Long Beach City Council member Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach.

The free event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ecco's Pizza, 2123 Bellflower Blvd., in Long Beach. The public is welcome to attend.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has endorsed Evan Anderson Braude for the Long Beach City Council, Braude's campaign announced over the weekend.

Braude, a former council member, is one of six candidates running for the open 1st District council seat formerly held by state Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, who is Braude's domestic partner and also has endorsed him.

In a press release, Braude says he and Villaraigosa have similar stances on issues such as supporting "decent pay, benefits, and working conditions for employees in all industries."

While not a local Long Beach political figure, Villaraigosa adds a powerful endorsement to Braude's campaign, particularly because the 1st District has a large Latino population.

His other major endorsements include unions such as the city of Long Beach's largest employee union, the United Autoworkers and the Teamsters, as well as several former city officials and several Assembly members.

A pair of local leaders - 54th District Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal and 37th District Congresswoman Laura Richardson - will join Long Beach hotel workers at a town hall at Cal State Long Beach on Thursday to discuss the city's return investment on tourism, it was announced today.

The forum comes at the heels of a Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy study released earlier this month on behalf of the Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Community, which contends that the city's investment in the tourism industry has not led to adequate returns and has contributed to poverty in Long Beach.

My colleague Kevin Butler writes about it here, as does the District Weekly's Dave Wielenga. (Check out his story here) The town hall will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cal State University Long Beach's Karl Anatol Center, AS 110 (next to library on south side of campus), 1250 Bellflower Blvd.

It's a fiesta in the 1st District this weekend as City Council candidate Bill Francisco Grisolia works to build support for his campaign.

Grisolia, a legal specialist, is running against six other candidates for the 1st District seat vacated by Bonnie Lowenthal, who was elected to state Assembly. The special election will take place April 7.

Grisolia's fiesta will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Cisco Burger, 620 W. Anaheim St. Music group Deep Cover will perform at noon. No reservations are required and the event is free.

If you're interested in local politics, and especially if you're a 1st District resident, here's a chance to talk to one of the candidates one-on-one.

Want to get an early look at some of the candidates vying for the 1st District City Council seat? This week, three of them are planning to officially announce their candidacies.

• First, the Rev. Misi Tagaloa of the Second Samoan Church is to officially announce his candidacy at 7 p.m. Tuesday during a service at Peteli Christian Church, 1204 Plymouth St.
• On Friday, Jana Shields, a linguist and president of the Willmore City Heritage Association, plans to make her official campaign announcement at 7 p.m. at 640 W. 9th St. near Drake Park.
• Robert Garcia, interim dean of student affairs at Long Beach City College and president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance, will officially announce his candidacy at 2 p.m. Sunday at 1255 N. Loma Vista Drive.

Garcia -- taking a page out of president-elect Barack Obama's book, no doubt -- has placed a video invitation to his campaign event on his Web site. Here it is:

 

 

No official campaign events have been announced by the other likely candidates in the race -- attorney Evan Braude, president of the Historical Society of Long Beach and a former 1st District council member; Harvey Cochran, a council gadfly and movie theater employee; and Bill Grisolia, a legal and policy specialist and homeless advocate.

In fact, Braude has yet to definitively say he is running for office. He also happens to be in a 20-year relationship and lives with Bonnie Lowenthal, who represented the 1st District until she took a seat in the state Assembly Dec. 1. What could make the race interesting, or tense in some quarters, is the rumor that most of the politically powerful Lowenthal clan -- Bonnie Lowenthal's sons and ex-husband, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal -- are backing Garcia. If Braude were to run, presumably Bonnie Lowenthal would endorse him in the April 7 special election.

City Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal will be sworn in Monday to the state Assembly, and City Clerk Larry Herrera is on top of things to get that seat filled.

Today Herrera announced his proposed schedule for an April 7 special election, which the council is expected to call for Dec. 9. Under Herrera's schedule, candidates for the seat can begin fund-raising that same day. Then, the nomination period will run from Dec. 29 to Jan. 9, followed by the special election April 7.

Already, five possible candidates have announced they may run to represent the 1st District, which encompasses part of downtown, neighborhoods north and west of there, and part of the Port of Long Beach.

The likely candidates are the Rev. Misi Tagaloa of the Second Samoan Church; attorney Evan Braude, president of the Historical Society of Long Beach and a former 1st District council member; Harvey Cochran, a council gadfly and movie theater employee; Robert Garcia, interim dean of student affairs at Long Beach City College and president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance; and Bill Grisolia, a legal and policy specialist and homeless advocate.

Until the special election happens, Mayor Bob Foster's office will handle 1st District affairs, per the City Charter, though residents of the 1st District will still be able to call the regular district office number for assistance.

In case you missed my column last week, the field of likely candidates for the 1st District City Council seat -- soon to become available when Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal takes office in the state Assembly next month -- has grown.

Now, five people have said they will run or are considering running for Lowenthal's position representing neighborhoods north and west of Downtown.

So, who should we be watching? Though it's early in the race -- heck, the race hasn't even started yet and the runners are still warming up -- a couple potential candidates stand out.

Just to be clear, I am by no means endorsing any candidate. This is just an objective analysis of the field so far.

• One obvious contender is Evan Braude, an attorney and president of the Long Beach Historical Society who represented the 1st District from 1986 to 1994. He has the political experience, local connections and of course, he is in a 20-year relationship with Lowenthal, which I would imagine ought to get him her endorsement. Because term limits were enacted during his second term, Braude can still serve out the remaining two years of Lowenthal's term and serve one more four-year term. Braude has only said he is considering running, not that he will for certain.
• Then there's Robert Garcia, the president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance who professionally has moved up through the Long Beach City College ranks. Formerly the college's director of media and public relations, Garcia recently was named the interim dean of student affairs. Garcia has been very visible in the community and seems well-positioned to build support, though like Braude, he hasn't officially announced his candidacy.

Three other candidates appear less politically connected and may have a harder time getting their campaigns off the ground, but each has his own advantages.

• Last week I reported that the Rev. Misi Tagaloa of the Second Samoan Congregational Church is running for 1st District as well, and though he hasn't been involved in local politics, I imagine having a sanctuary full of backers and possible campaign volunteers will give him the manpower to spread his message -- the political one, not the spiritual one.

Two other announced candidates have a clear disadvantage -- when they announced their intent to run, they weren't actually 1st District residents yet, though both said they intend to move there from their 2nd District homes.

• One is Bill Grisolia, a homeless advocate, musician, former restaurant owner who ran for the 37th Congressional District last year against about a dozen candidates in a race that went to now-Congresswoman Laura Richardson. Grisolia didn't fare particularly well in that race, but at least it gave him some campaign experience.
• The final candidate is Harvey Cochran, whose only real qualification for the 1st District seat is that the gadfly hasn't missed a council meeting in almost two years. He usually makes comments to the council on several issues, eating up anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes of meeting time, often belaboring the point and annoying both Mayor Bob Foster and members of the audience. But his comments also often exhibit a deep knowledge of Long Beach history and city policies. Of course, Cochran too must move into the 1st District, and his admitted mental disability -- he is bipolar and occasionally can be heard talking to himself at council meetings -- may turn off voters.

What do you think, my good blog readers? Who will be a frontrunner in this race? And do you know of anyone else out there considering a run for the 1st District?

 

Local housing advocates are expected to be back at the City Council meeting Tuesday to again discuss Long Beach's Housing Element plan after concerns were raised last month. But a key housing supporter, Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal, won't be at Tuesday's meeting, her chief of staff Niki Tennant tells me.

Lowenthal is in Sacramento for training after voters elected her to the 54th Assembly District last week. She will take office in early December.

Whether council members will suggest adding housing advocates' recommendations to the Housing Element remains to be seen. Advocates say they aren't happy about city staff members' response and feel their issues haven't been addressed after the council last month directed staff to work with them, as I reported in today's Press-Telegram.

I've received some new information after I listed locations to watch the election in the Long Beach area in today's newspaper. Several area organizations and businesses are having election watch parties tonight, many with drink or food specials. The two new ones added to the list are Galaxy Sport's Bar and the Daily Grill. Here's the list:

• Galaxy Sport's Bar, 1810 E. Carson St. in Carson, 7 p.m. to midnight. Free beer with an 'I voted' sticker.
• Daily Grill at 1 World Trade Center in Long Beach, 4 to 11 p.m. The election night specials won't just be at the restaurant's Long Beach location, but at all 24 locations around the county, except Los Angeles International Airport. Voters will get a free appetizer and happy hour prices will be available at the bar until the restaurant closes. Call (562) 753-2170 for more information.
• Smooth's Sports Grille, 144 Pine Ave., 8 p.m. Several groups are gathering to watch the election results, including the Bonnie Lowenthal for Assembly campaign and the Long Beach Democratic Club.
• Palos Verdes Peninsula GOP headquarters at the Promenade on the Peninsula shopping center, 550 Deep Valley Drive in Rolling Hills Estates. 54th Assembly District candidate Gabriella Holt's campaign will be watching the election returns come in.
• Rhythm Lounge, 245 Pine Ave., 7:30 p.m. to midnight, sponsored by The Mombasa-Long Beach Sister Cities Association. Cost is $5 for those wearing an "I voted" sticker and $10 without. There will be light refreshments, music and televised election coverage. Guests can learn more about the organization and sign up for membership. Visit www.mombasalb.org for information.
• Hamburger Mary's, 740 E. Broadway, 6 p.m. Televised election coverage and food and drink specials.
• Michael's on Naples restaurant, 5620 E. 2nd St., 6 p.m. The restaurant will have a "bailout recovery" three-course dinner special for $35, televised election coverage and free pizzettes for voters. Space is limited and reservations are recommended by calling (562) 439-7080. More information is at www.michaelsonnaples.com.
• Shore Books, 3064 E. 2nd St., 5 p.m. The free event will include pizza donated by Nino's Italian Restaurant and live Caribbean steel drum music.

Evan Braude, who served on the City Council from 1986 to 1994, is "considering" running for his old 1st District seat if the current council member Bonnie Lowenthal is elected to the state Assembly next week.

That makes Braude, who is in a 20-year relationship and lives with Lowenthal, the fourth known potential candidate for the position.

"I've talked to people about it, but I haven't made any decision yet," Braude said. "I won't make a final decision until after the (November) election."

Because term limits restricting council members to two terms weren't approved until 1992 during Braude's second term, he can serve out the remainder of Lowenthal's term and still serve another full term as well, according to Chief Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood.

If Lowenthal wins the Assembly seat Tuesday -- she's the favorite in the race -- and if Braude and the other men who have expressed an interest in the council seat go ahead with their campaigns, that will create an odd dynamic in the race.

While Braude is in a relationship and lives with Lowenthal, another person who has expressed an interest in running has connections to her son.

That possible candidate is Robert Garcia, the recently promoted dean of students at Long Beach City College and president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance. He sits on the board of the Long Beach non-profit group Children Today, and is friends, with Josh Lowenthal, Bonnie Lowenthal's younger son.

Endorsements from any members of the politically powerful Lowenthal family -- from Bonnie Lowenthal as the previous 1st District council member (assuming she goes to Assembly); from her ex-husband, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal; or from Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, who is married to Bonnie's older son -- likely would be highly prized in a 1st District race.

The other unofficially announced candidates in the still unofficial race are council gadfly Harvey Cochran, a movie theater employee, and Bill Grisolia, a Long Beach homeless advocate, former restaurant owner and musician.

You may have read my article in today's Press-Telegram about the No on Measure I campaign's struggle to get the kind of face time with Long Beach organizations that Mayor Bob Foster has had.

If you feel you haven't heard both sides of the story about the proposed infrastructure improvement parcel tax, you can listen to interviews with Mayor Bob Foster and Measure I opponent Kathy Ryan of the Long Beach Taxpayer's Association on Art Levine's Straight Talk TV show. The interviews have already aired, but can be seen in the online archives.

For another perspective, check out the Los Angeles Times take on Measure I that ran Monday.

While you're at it, you can also watch Levine's interview with candidates for the 54th Assembly District, Palos Verdes Peninsula Republican Gabriella Holt and Long Beach Democrat Bonnie Lowenthal. The interviews are available online and will air on Charter Communications Channel 3 at 7 p.m. Thursday.

After attending every Long Beach City Council meeting for almost two years, it may seem a logical step that council gadfly Harvey Cochran would try to move from behind the podium and onto the council dais.

Cochran told me late Tuesday night as the weekly council meeting was drawing to a close that he is unofficially throwing his hat into the ring to run for the 1st District council seat. It's unofficial because 1st District Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal first must get herself elected to the state Assembly in November.

Lowenthal, a Democrat, is considered the frontrunner in the 54th District, which is dominated by Long Beach and Democratic voters. She is running against Republican Gabriella Holt, a Palos Verdes Peninsula nurse.

With many people assuming that Lowenthal will move up the political ladder, Cochran becomes the third person to confirm an interest in the seat. However, Cochran doesn't actually live in the 1st District. He intends to move there from his 2nd District home, he said.

Cochran is a unique character, to say the least. The lifelong Long Beach resident works at a movie theater and has mental disabilities that he frequently references in council meetings. He explained Tuesday that he is bipolar.

He is also considered the successor to longtime gadfly Thomas Murphy, who died last year, and often makes long-winded statements to the council on multiple, sometimes up to a dozen, agenda items. This often frustrates the council, particularly Mayor Bob Foster, who tries to move meetings along at a steady clip.

The other two likely candidates, so far, are Robert Garcia, president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance who was recently promoted to dean of students at Long Beach City College, and Bill Grisolia, a Long Beach homeless advocate, former restaurant owner and musician.

A second likely contender for the 1st District City Council seat has emerged, assuming of course that Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal is successful in her bid for the 54th Assembly District in the Nov. 4 general election.

Bill Francisco Grisolia, a legal and policy specialist, confirmed for me tonight during the monthly Beer & Politics event at Gallagher's Pub and Grill that recent rumors are true -- he plans to run for Lowenthal's council seat if she goes to the state Assembly.

Grisolia has long been involved in Long Beach organizations, is an advocate for the homeless, is former owner of the Island Sunfish Grill and is a musician. Though he has many local political connections, the 50-year-old Grisolia has only run once for office in Long Beach, when he was among a slew of candidates last year that vied to replace the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald in the 37th Congressional District. That seat, of course, went to Laura Richardson, a former council member turned state Assembly member.

Another unofficially announced candidate for the 1st District council seat is Robert Garcia, who is the communications director for Long Beach City College.

While Garcia and Grisolia's candidacies rely on Lowenthal, a Democrat, winning the Assembly seat, she is considered a virtual shoe-in in the heavily Democratic 54th District.

Bonnie Lowenthal's campaign has announced that all five members of the Signal Hill City Council have declared their official support of the Long Beach councilwoman's bid for the state Assembly.

"Bonnie will be a dynamic person for all the people of the 54th Assembly District," said Mayor Michael Noll, expressing the sentiments of his council colleagues.  "She is a fighter, and she will do a great job in Sacramento."

 Joining Noll in his endorsement of Lowenthal were Vice Mayor Ellen Ward and council members Larry Forester, Tina Hansen and Edward H.J. Wilson, campaign spokesperson Kay Cooperman Jue said.

 

Lowenthal's supporters, the spokesperson added, span the Assembly district and include Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill, Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Douglas Stern and Avalon Mayor Bob Kennedy.  

 

 The 54^th Assembly District includes most of Long Beach, Signal Hill, a portion of San Pedro, Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.  Incumbent Assembly member Betty Karnette is not running for re-election because of term limits.

 

Endorsements in the 54th Assembly District race seem to be falling predictably along party lines.

Today, Republican candidate Gabriella Holt announced that she has the endorsement of conservative Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. Holt, of Palos Verdes Peninsula, is a registered nurse, teacher and former TV station manager who served eight years on the board of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.

The endorsement adds to other notable ones Holt has racked up, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Women's Leadership Association, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, as well as many state Senate and Assembly members and local officials.

Last week her opponent, Democrat Bonnie Lowenthal, a Long Beach City Council member, announced that she had been endorsed by former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill. Lowenthal also has a slew of other endorsements from state Assembly members, Los Angeles and Long Beach officials, and various labor and other groups.

The 54th Assembly District includes most of Long Beach, Catalina Island, Signal Hill, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and part of San Pedro. Assemblywoman Betty Karnette isn't running for re-election because of term limits.

With two months to go until the Nov. 4 general election, Bonnie Lowenthal, the Democratic candidate for the 54th Assembly District, says she is well-positioned to win.

Lowenthal today released the results of a survey conducted for her campaign that says the Long Beach City Councilwoman has a strong lead over her opponent, Republican Gabriella Holt, a Palos Verdes Peninsula nurse, teacher and former TV station manager.

The 54th District includes most of Long Beach, Signal Hill, Catalina Island, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and part of Carson.

According to the survey, conducted by Goodwin Simon Victoria Research, Lowenthal has support from 52 percent of voters, compared with 30 percent for Holt. Another 3 percent chose Libertarian candidate John Kling, a Long Beach engineer, while 2 percent responded "other" and 13 percent said they weren't sure, the survey says.

The poll of 400 voters was conducted on Aug. 26 and 27 and has a margin of error of +/- 5 percent. Before the June primary election, Lowenthal also released results of a poll that showed her with a commanding lead over fellow Democratic candidate Tonia Reyes Uranga, and Lowenthal ultimately trounced her opponent with about three-quarters of the vote.

Check out the survey results for the entire 54th and for three key cities below:

	LOWENTHAL	HOLT
All voters	52%	30%
Long Beach	54%	27%
San Pedro (LA)	57%	29%
Palos Verdes	50%	34%

 

 

 

 

Long Beach Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal will launch the final stage of her campaign for the 54th Assembly District seat with an open house celebration Saturday at her campaign headquarters.

 The campaign office is located at 2115 Bellflower Blvd. in Long Beach, and the reception is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

"I want our campaign headquarters to be a hub of activity and excitement as we work together toward victory in November," Lowenthal said.

Lowenthal won the June 3 primary election, putting her on the Nov. 4 general-election ballot opposite Republican and Libertarian candidates.

She is seeking the Assembly seat currently held by Betty Karnette, who is not running for re-election because of term limits.

The 54th Assembly District includes most of Long Beach, Signal Hill, a portion of San Pedro, Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Long Beach Councilmember  Bonnie Lowenthal wants to party.

That is, to celebrate the historic nomination at the Democratic National Convention with a watch party at Smooth's in downtown Long Beach next Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Everyone is a delegate, according to Kay Cooperman Jue, a spokesperson for Lowenthal's Assembly race..

The party is set for 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at the restaurant-bar's rooftop area, 144 Pine Ave.  A big-screen TV will be set up, and light hors d'oeuvres with a no-host bar will be provided.

 Some of the most important speakers of the convention are scheduled for Wednesday convention session, including Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential nominee, along with former President Bill Clinton, Sen. John Kerry and former Sen. Tom Daschle.

 

For details, call (562) 494-0900

A 1904 home that had to be moved to make way for Chavez Elementary School has found new life on Daisy Avenue.

Today, the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, the Willmore City Heritage Association and Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal will unveil the 419 Daisy Ave. home, the result of an intense restoration process that began about two years ago.

The heritage association, which bought the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home from the RDA for a buck, restored the abode with the help of old photographs from original homeowners.

The home will be placed on the market at an asking price of $595,000, the RDA released.

"The preservation of this house has enabled us to retain a beautiful example of one of the City's oldest architectural styles," said Cheryl Perry, President of the Willmore City Heritage Association.  "It has improved the neighborhood by filling two blighted lots on the block, and I believe it has encouraged preservation on a broader scale throughout the City."

The event begins at 3:30 p.m.

City Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal will host a Town Hall meeting on the city's budget Aug. 26 at the Main Library's auditorium.

She will have Assistant City Manager Suzanne Frick and other management staff, including Library Services Manager Eleanore Schmidt, at the meeting to discuss the 2009 budget, proposed cuts, impacts on 1st District residents and programs, including Main Library issues.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m., and continues to 6:30 p.m., on 1st District budget issues.
From 6:30 to 8 p.m., the discussion will be Main Library issues.
For more information, contact Lowenthal's office at (562) 570-6919. The Main Library's auditorium is located at 101 Pacific Ave.

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