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The Community Learning Hubs will continue to offer free sessions through March for distance learning and after-school activities for kindergarten to eighth grade LBUSD students. The free Community Learning Hubs provide a safe space with high-speed internet for students to complete distance learning assignments during the school day. Youth will also have the option to participate in safe and enriching after-school activities, including academic support, sports, fitness and more. All COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be implemented at the learning hub locations, and participants will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to physical distance guidelines. Participants must bring their own electronic device and lunch. The Community Learning Hubs will be available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., through March, at the following locations: Ernest McBride Park & California Recreation Community Center, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Avenue Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba Avenue Veterans Park, 101 E. 28th Street In-person registration is going on now at each camp location. To register online, please visit our website at: www.LBParks.org.

WOW! Where did January go? As February is now upon us and we learned that the groundhog did see his shadow, fortunately having six more weeks of winter weather for Long Beach is not a huge challenge or discomfort. This month as we celebrate both Black History Month and Presidents Day holiday, we are reminded of our connections to the past with an optimistic hope for the future. Thankfully, all of us on the Parks, Recreation, Marine and Animal Care Services team are beginning to see the light at the end of the COVID tunnel with the arrival of the vaccine and many of the pandemic’s impacts upon the community beginning to flatten out and decline. I am pleased that some of our team members are in line for vaccinations, but their scheduling is still very much determined by the supply of vaccines received by the Health Department and area hospitals. Seeing the City of Long Beach stand up a mega-vaccination site at the Convention Center downtown adds to the more positive outlook we all are sharing. One of the sadder moments during the last month was having one of our own pass away from COVID-19. During the holiday season, Community Recreation Services team member Reynaldo Lagarde died from complications related to COVID-19. Rey’s commitment to providing meals to our senior community truly reflected his dedication and passion for public service. Rey is sadly missed by all who worked with him and knew him as a caring friend. Community Recreation Services continues to offer the popular Mobile RECess programming out in ten different Long Beach neighborhoods where youth are benefiting from fun activities. Virtual programming is being offered along with the After-School Learning Hubs through March. We will be presenting the Youth Strategic Plan this month and believe the plan will prove to be an excellent framework and road map to see enhanced and expanded programs and services for Long Beach youth. Marine Bureau and Parks Maintenance Operations Bureau team members have done an admirable job in dealing with winter storm conditions and efficient clean-up of debris caused by high winds and heavy rainfall. Marine Maintenance has been able to de-install and store away last year’s Trees in the Bay holiday displays. Our overall park system’s land holdings were expanded by 14 acres with the addition of Sunnyside Cemetery recently. This acquisition opens tremendous master planning possibilities in conjunction with adjacent Willow Springs Park and the Municipal Cemetery. BIG news for our aquatics program as the Belmont Pool project goes to the Coastal Commission this month for approval. Other capital improvements across our park system continue to be advanced with notable projects at El Dorado East Regional Park entry gate improvements, the Golden Grove’s improvement completion and El Dorado Park West’s synthetic soccer field and Duck Pond coming later this spring. While our numbers at Animal Care Services is at a seasonal low, we still have adorable cats and dogs available for fostering and adoption into loving homes. Animal Care Services Strategic Plan will be presented at the March 2nd City Council Meeting.  Congratulations to our Park Planning and Partnerships Bureau team for the support at City Council for the Hamilton Loop Vision Plan (CD9). Vision plans have proven to be the best basis for successful grant funding pursuits for capital improvement projects. The Department Strategic Plan effort has been rebooted last month after a yearlong hiatus due to COVID-19. Community surveys are available online in the City’s four languages: http://longbeach.gov/park/business-operations/about/prm-strategic-plan/. Enjoy the winter-time beauty and accessibility of your parks, beaches and open spaces across Long Beach.

Hamilton Loop, a proposed greenbelt and street improvements that flank the north and south embankment of the 91 Freeway from Atlantic Avenue to Cherry Avenue has begun to take shape. Originally one of the priority projects identified in the Uptown Open Space Vision Plan adopted by the Long Beach City Council in 2018, the Hamilton Loop was one of a series of projects identified as opportunities for additional open space and recreation facilities in Long Beach’s Ninth City Council District. The focus on open space in North Long Beach was intended to address the less than an acre of open space per 1,000 residents. The Hamilton Loop Vision Plan, adopted in January 2021, is a guide to the potential future development of Hamilton Loop which proposes to use land along the 91 Freeway embankment to transform available embankment area, streets, sidewalks, underpasses, and intersections in the Hamilton Neighborhood, re-envisioning the freeway’s infrastructure that has long isolated this community. A walking path and small park amenities including seating, shade, fitness and play equipment, dog runs, and garden space was developed through an inclusive community engagement process that evaluated existing conditions and existing bike and pedestrian plans, examined park opportunity tradeoffs, and developed the community-driven vision and implementation strategies. A final draft of the final Hamilton Loop Vision Plan was presented to staff at Caltrans, as the proposed project would require permitted use of the freeway embankment under their ownership. Caltrans staff are supportive of working with the City to allow for the use of the freeway embankment space for the envisioned Hamilton Loop and have agreed to incorporate the design into future freeway projects to further the community’s vision for creating additional open space. The Hamilton Loop Vision Plan was made possible by a $50,000 Healthy Eating Active Living Zone grant from Kaiser Permanente, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services Department, and was supported by the Coalition for a Healthy North Long Beach and the Hamilton Neighborhood Association.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park located at 1950 Lemon Avenue, serves a tight-knit central Long Beach community with generations of park patrons. Youth attend the park today whose parents and grandparents once competed in the park’s youth sports leagues. The park is currently offering in-person after school programs for ages 5-14 Monday through Friday including homework help, crafts, games and special events. Staff looks forward to once again offering events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, movies and concerts, and other events that bring neighbors together. The park offers baseball, softball and soccer fields; a community center, a playground, and a swimming pool. This park was first known as “19th Street Playground,” and was approximately 1.17 acres. The park was dedicated on June 13, 1964, as “19th Street Playground.” But, in 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the name of the park was changed. The first expansion of the park occurred in 1969-1970 from 1.17 acres to 5.86 acres and included a ball field, game courts, tennis court and community recreation center. The Central Facility Center was added to the park in the late 1970’s which includes Heath and Human Services Department programs and offices for the 6th District City Council staff. The park was expanded again from 3 to 8.9 acres in 1980. The improvements included an outdoor swimming pool. The outdoor swimming pool was enclosed in 1996, with restrooms and showers in the Boys and Girls Club (built in the late 1980s), restrooms, staff offices, and a classroom for the pool were completed in 2007. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statue has stood for decades as a proud symbol of courage, hope and leadership. For more information about King Park, call 562.570.4405 or visit www.lbparks.org.

Congratulations to Recreation Superintendent Joy Warren – December Employee of the Month!  Joy has been the driving force behind our Department’s CARE Act programs including Virtual After School, In-Person After School Camps, the Mobile Recess Program and In-Person Learning Hubs. If that were not enough, she oversees the El Dorado Regional Park and Nature Center, El Dorado Park West, Pan American Park, Stearns Champions Park, Wardlow Park, Somerset Park, Whaley Park, College Estates Park, as well as the Adaptive Recreation program, eight school WRAP sites and the Junior Beach Runners program. She recently answered a few questions so we can get to know her better. What’s the last TV show you binge-watched? Yellowstone. My husband was hooked on it and I refused to even glance at the TV because I didn’t have time. I think there was a marathon recently and the TV happened to be on that channel as I walked into living room. Kevin Costner’s character and I locked eyes and well… What’s the best thing you’ve learned in your current position? We have, by far, the most dedicated and passionate staff members in our Department. I have been fortunate to have worked alongside some amazing individuals and as my circle got larger, I’ve just been amazed by the creativity and talent all around. What’s your own advice that you always follow? Work hard, be kind, be humble and help others when you can. It’s not always easy to follow, but I try. What’s one small thing that makes your day better? Prayer. Who inspires you? Professionally, I’d have to say my team. The heart of what we do is serve people and they do it with such creativity and dedication it’s inspiring. Personally, I have to say that my son, nieces and nephew inspire me. They’ve let me hang with them lately and the level of engagement they have with current events, their discourse, outlook I am so impressed. We adults could learn a thing or two from many of our youth today.

What is or would be a good nickname for you at work? You’d have to ask my co-workers, maybe gimpy? I’m always limping around either from an injury or just my old worn knees. What song always gets you onto the dance floor? What song does NOT get me on dance floor? Too many to name. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I’m torn between telekinesis (the pranks I could pull) and teleportation (the airfare I’d save!) Oh wait I’m supposed to use them for good, right? Who would play you in a movie of your life? Not many filipino actors of my age out there…Rob Schneider? Just kidding Meryl? She can play anyone. Using one word, how would you describe your family? Love A genie gives you one wish. What is it? I can’t cheat and ask for more wishes? I wish the Raiders would get a decent defense. Would you rather have a completely automated home or a self-driving car? Self-driving car!! Many Parks, Recreation and Marine employees who interact with the public have been deemed eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines as essential workers. The Department makes the safety of its staff and participants a top priority and follows safety protocols for all activities including in-person after school programs, the Mobile Recess neighborhood recreation program, and senior meal distribution.

Park Maintenance (MOB) staff helps to identify our parks with distinctive wooded flag signs. All signs are designed, manufactured, and installed by MOB staff. Recently new signage has been erected at Grace, Seaside, the Sochi Friendship Grove at Recreation Park and at the Maintenance Operations Yard in El Dorado Regional Park.

PRM’s Marine Bureau Queensway Bay and Beach Maintenance teams work hard to keep our beaches clean. After a storm, debris is raked and sifted to reduce its weight and dump fees. The team recently installed an “In Water Storm Debris Management System”. This is a boom system that traps debris as it is flushed out of the Los Angeles River. A main boom is located north of the South Shore Launch Ramp and runs 800 feet into the open channel. Deflection booms at the mouth of the river above Golden Shore Reserve span 700 feet and deflect debris from the Reserve and into a containment area. This new system is capable of harnessing water velocity as debris flushes out of the river. The goal is to trap the bulk of surface and submerged trash, litter and natural debris and large floating objects. As the rainy season continues, staff looks forward to the system allowing less debris to reach harbors, marinas and beaches, and resulting in a cleaner marine environment for all residents to enjoy.

Dr. John Francis is famous for his 22-year commitment to avoiding all motorized vehicles and 17 years of silence dedicated to learning more about the environment. In 1971, the San Francisco Bay oil spill and its catastrophic environmental damage prompted Dr. Francis to take these measures to affirm his commitment to the planet. His hope was that “everyone would follow” his example and give up their dependence on cars. Dr. Francis soon learned that silence and walking everywhere would not change other people’s minds, so he sought out further education. He earned three degrees, including a PhD in land resources, all while remaining silent and walking across the United States. He broke his silence on Earth Day 1990 and spoke about the lessons he learned while silent. The greatest lesson he said was our need to truly listen to each other.  Dr. Francis believes that the environment is more than just nature and includes how we treat ourselves and each other. For this reason, he encourages us to embrace change in order to grow and become the people that the world needs: “activists… because we are the environment, and how we treat each other is really how we’re going to treat the environment.”

The effects of the first major winter storm on January 30 were handled admirably by both our Park and Marine Maintenance teams. Grounds Maintenance team dealt with large fallen tree branches at El Dorado Park West and Bixby Park. Facilities Maintenance will repair roof leaks at the McBride Park Gymnasium. Staff at Beach and Queensway Bay Maintenance operated large skimmer vessels and kept an eye on the debris berm. The beach berms were fortified while staff monitored beach storm drains to ensure that they were kept clear.