Newsletter #70: Earth Day Bixby Knolls, Prescription Drug Take Back Event, LA River Clean Up and more!

Issue: # 70

April 22, 2016

From the Desk of Councilmember Al Austin II

Dear Eighth District Residents and Friends,

I would like to thank the residents of the great Eighth District for the trust you have placed in me to serve another term as your Councilmember.

Our democratic process provides a great opportunity to engage in a discussion of ideas, and I had the pleasure to speak personally with many residents throughout our district on the progress we are seeing in our community. This hard-fought campaign allowed our residents to hear the values and ideas from three strong candidates and express their choice with their votes.

The Eighth District is truly a microcosm of the City -- rich in diversity with strong neighborhoods and vibrant business corridors. I am looking forward to continuing my work to improve economic development, neighborhoods and park space in the Eighth District and throughout the City.

It is an honor to serve Long Beach.

Sincerely,

AL AUSTIN II

Upcoming Events

Earth Day Bixby Knolls

Saturday, April 23, 2016

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

3737 Long Beach Blvd.

Come out and celebrate Earth Day in Bixby Knolls!

What will you find at Earth Day Bixby Knolls?

Environmental exhibits, kids' activities, earth-friendly vendors, green products & demonstrations, delicious local food vendors, free mulch, an e-waste and paper shred collection, a free bike valet and FUN for the whole family!

See the flyer for details.

Get in the Game at North Library

Saturday, April 23, 2016
1 p.m.

North Branch Library

5571 Orange Ave.

As part of Long Beach Public Library's celebration of National Library Month, North Branch Library's community room will be transformed into a mini-carnival of fun games! Come join the fun!

Dream Catcher of L.A. Wild Wild West 4th Annual Casino Night Fundraiser

Saturday, April 23, 2016
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Breakers Ballroom

210 E. Ocean Blvd.

Join local non-profit, Dream Catcher of L.A. for their 4th Annual Wild West Casino Night fundraiser: "an evening to enjoy fine spirits, ace-high chow, classic saloon games and the best company around -- not to mention fun and fabulous prizes!"

Dream Catcher Therapeutic Riding Centers is located in the Eighth District. Its mission is to improve the lives of children and adults, including veterans, with cognitive, physical and emotional disabilities through the benefits of therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-assisted activities, while serving the therapeutic riding profession through training and education.

The facility is a Certified Center Member of PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) offering Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies.

For more information, call 310-350-1311 or email [email protected].

Open Conversations on Community Arts Leadership

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Uptown Business District Office

5643 Atlantic Ave.

The Arts Council's monthly Open Conversations event will focus on community arts leadership and engage attendees in a conversation about the role artists and cultural organizations play in community development.

Questions will be raised such as, 'How do we build and create coalitions of stakeholders that use the arts to collectively benefit the entire community in a long-term, sustainable way?'

The event features three speakers - local artists Duke Givens, June Kaewsith and Sayon Syprasoeuth, who will share how they raise awareness of community issues through their art.

The event takes place at the Uptown Business District office, located at 5643 Atlantic Ave. Parking is available in front of the office and in the City lot on the corner of Atlantic and South.

Please RSVP to [email protected].

The Great Los Angeles River Clean Up / La Gran Limpieza!

Saturday, April 30, 2016
9 a.m. to noon

Lower River:
Compton Creek @ Artesia Station

Compton Creek @ Del Amo Station
Golden Shore Marine Reserve

Willow Street Estuary

Come celebrate Earth Day/ Earth Month by spending the morning cleaning up part of the Lower Los Angeles River as part of Friends of the Los Angeles River's 27th Great Los Angeles River Clean Up!

For details on the clean up locations, visit https://folar.org/cleanup/#Register.

To participate, you must fill out a waiver here.

DEA National Pharmaceutical Take-Back Event

Saturday, April 30, 2016

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

2801 Atlantic Avenue

(enter main parking lot entrance off of Atlantic Ave. and exit onto Long Beach Blvd.)

The Long Beach Police Department is once again joining forces with Long Beach Memorial Medical Center to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Pharmaceutical Take-Back initiative, along with several other law enforcement agencies around the nation.

This initiative seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft through the collection of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Previous events the department hosted yielded hundreds of pounds of pharmaceuticals and we are hoping this event will be just as successful.

The event will offer a drive-thru service that is free and anonymous. Drivers never have to get out of their vehicles and can simply drive up to a disposal bin. The driver of the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 100th participating vehicles will be awarded a pair of Aquarium of the Pacific tickets.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medications that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the United States is increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to their availability. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medications, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away ... both potential safety and health hazards.

Once collected, the unwanted pharmaceuticals will be turned over to the DEA who will safely destroy the drugs. For more information regarding the National Take Back Initiative, visit www.dea.gov or contact the Long Beach Police Department's Drug Investigations Section at (562) 570-7221.

First Fridays Spring Awakening

Friday, May 6, 2016
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Atlantic Avenue between Bixby Road and San Antonio Drive

Come on out and enjoy the music, art and great sense of community that are the hallmarks of every First Friday in Bixby Knolls!

Long Beach Lawn to Garden Tour

Saturday, May 14, 2016
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Front Yards around Long Beach

Don't miss this once-per-year FREE opportunity to visit over 30 newly transformed California-friendly gardens. See a tremendous variety of beautiful plants and landscape designs, and speak with the "expert" homeowners about how they designed, installed and maintain their highly successful Lawn-to-Garden project. Registration is FREE!

In the News

Councilmember Austin Appointed to Lower Los Angeles River Working Group

Councilmember Austin has been appointed to represent the City of Long Beach on the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group.

Councilmember Austin was nominated by Mayor Robert Garcia and appointed by the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, John Laird.

The Lower LA River Working Group was established through state legislation (AB 530) that was authored by Assemblymember Anthony Rendon and approved last year. The group is responsible for developing, through watershed-based planning methods, a revitalization plan by March 2017, that addresses the unique and diverse needs of the Lower Los Angeles River and the communities through which it passes.

Mayor Garcia will also serve on the Lower LA River Working Group as the representative of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments.

Housing Authority Project Based Housing Waiting List to Open on May 2, 2016

The Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach (HACLB) will be accepting applications for its Project Based Communities starting Monday, May 2, 2016, and the waiting list will remain open until further notice. The HACLB administers the City's Project Based Rental Housing Assistance Programs in support of specific developments located throughout the city.

How to Apply: You may complete an application online at this web address once the waiting list has opened. Please call the Automated Information Telephone Line for more information: (562) 570-6309.

If a computer, tablet or smart phone is not readily available to you, please visit one of our satellite locations listed here to complete your online application.

Update on the Long Beach Airport FIS Feasibility Study Meetings

The Long Beach Airport and their consultant team led by Jacobs Engineering held the final of two community outreach meetings on Wednesday regarding the Feasibility Study for a Federal Inspection Service Facility (FIS) at the Long Beach Airport.

In early 2015, JetBlue Airlines formally requested the City of Long Beach to apply for an FIS Facility to allow international flights to arrive in Long Beach. In July 2015, the City Council voted 6-3 (Councilmembers Austin, Uranga and Supernaw opposing) to request the Long Beach Airport to conduct a feasibility study.

While Councilmember Austin voted against conducting a feasibility study for a potential customs facility, he did request that community outreach be included as part of the scope of the study, resulting in the two meetings that took place on March 30 and April 20.

The scope of services for the study includes a market analysis, the capability of the airport to accommodate an FIS facility, financial feasibility, economic impact to the local and regional economy, an assessment of Environmental Impact Report, security risk assessment, and the project administration and communication.

In addition, the City Attorney's office will be conducting a legal assessment of potential risks to the existing Long Beach Airport Noise Compatibility Ordinance, which provides limits on the hours and number of flights at the Airport, based on noise impacts.

Completion of the study is expected to take about 5 to 6 months, at which time the City Attorney will then complete the legal assessment. The entire report will then be presented to the City Council and the public this fall before the City Council will make any decisions on providing further direction on the request for an FIS Facility.

To view the presentation from the community meetings and listen to an audio recording of the April 20 meeting, visit the Long Beach Airport website.

Reminder: Long Beach Public Library Amnesty Program

The Long Beach Public Library is offering an Overdue Fines Amnesty Program until the end of April, to coincide with National Library Month. Fines will be forgiven for all overdue materials to the Long Beach Public Library.

Recovering overdue materials increases the availability of materials for circulation, and reduces material replacement costs. There are approximately 15,800 library items that are overdue that adds up to $267,932 in City property. Approximately 65 percent of these items are teen and juvenile materials. The decrease in revenue due to the amnesty program is expected to be fully offset by the recapture of a substantial amount of City property.

National Library Month is a great time to see what's new at your local library. For more information about National Library Month and the Overdue Amnesty Program, visit www.lbpl.org or call 562-570-7500.

Photos from Around the Eighth District

Councilmember Austin presents Wini Williams Carter with a certificate of recognition on the occasion of her 97th birthday

Councilmember Austin with Jonathan Gesuale, Lori Gast, Michael Mugel and Kristin Ambrose of Red Mountain Retail Group at the grand opening of The Knolls Shopping Center

Councilmember Austin with Henry Schnur from Crunch Fitness

Councilmember Austin presents a certificate of recognition to Mike Brown of Trader Joe's

Elizabeth Preston holds a free Tai Chi session at Bixby Knolls Park in celebration of Earth Day

Eighth District Spotlight


	Veronica Maggiore (left) with Wini Carter

This week we shine the Eighth District spotlight on Veronica Maggiore , who has been an intern for our office since January.

Veronica, who is in the process of getting a Master of Science degree in Gerontology at CSULB, has been helping coordinate our twice-a-week Senior Activities at the Expo Arts Center.

In addition to going to school and interning for our office, Veronica works for the Long Beach Unified School District in the Child Development Center as a bilingual office assistant. She also serves as the vice president of the Sigma Phi Omega's National Gerontology Academic Honor and Professional Society.

Veronica will complete her Eighth District internship next week, but says she will be back to help out with future senior weekend events.

Veronica is passionate about elder population issues and working toward the implementation of policies that better serve to help keep seniors healthy and independent.

She says her favorite thing about the internship has been the relationships she has developed with the seniors. She has loved seeing them come out and get involved in the Senior Activities program.

Thank you, Veronica! We will miss you!

Did You Know ...?
Free Street Trees Available Free street trees are now available through the City of Long Beach Office of Sustainability. Interested homeowners, business owners and neighborhood groups can find out about eligibility requirements to have a free tree planted by visiting www.longbeach.gov/sustainability/programs/tree-planting or by contacting Jason Gallup at [email protected].