D5 Newsletter: Election Day & November News

(562) 570 5555 | district5@longbeach.gov

Election Day & November News

Happy Friday, District 5! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Halloween. This weekend holds two cultural holidays: Diwali and Día de los Muertos. Though very different from one another, both celebrations often include reflection and spending time with family and loved ones. To those who observe, I wish you warm and meaningful celebrations! As we enter November, Election Day is just a few days away! More on that below, as well as latest updates regarding the Orange Ave. Backbone Bikeway Project, the proposed affordable housing community on Wardlow and Cerritos, and more.

Next Tuesday is Election Day! I encourage you all to take the opportunity to exercise your right and cast your ballot on or before Nov. 5th. As a reminder, you can drop your vote-by-mail ballot in any official drop box, or head to an in-person voting center anywhere in the city. See our voting information section below where we highlighted drop box and in-person vote centers in CD5. To help get voters to the polls, Long Beach Transit is offering complimentary service all day on Tuesday, Nov. 5th! Do keep in mind that Election Day is a civic holiday, and some city services and facilities will be closed, including our CD5 office; read the recent press release for more details.

If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos with the community this weekend, you can start at the BKBIA’s First Fridays celebration tonight, Nov. 1st, starting at 6:30pm. Stroll up and down Atlantic to find art, live music, great deals and more! Then, on Saturday, Nov. 2nd, you can join in the 9th Annual Día de los Muertos Parade, in Downtown Long Beach from 11am – 12:30pm. The free, citywide celebration will be followed by a ticketed festival at the Marina Green both Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3rd. Additionally, on both Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 2nd and 3rd, you can head over to the Hangar at LBX for a two-day pop-up market, complete with more than 50 vendors, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities, all in honor of the cultural holiday.

Looking ahead to next weekend, Beach Streets is back on Nov. 9th! This event, designed to showcase businesses and neighborhoods, is focused in Uptown this year, along Atlantic Ave. and Artesia. Roads will be closed to cars and open to alternate modes of transport like walking, cycling, skating, and the like. As the event falls just before Veterans Day, the Veterans Day Celebration will be held on the same day, along the closed route, at Houghton Park from 11am – 4pm. See the flyers and info block below for more details.

Later this month, I hope you’ll attend our District 5 Aquarium Night! Join my office and fellow neighbors for a free evening at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Wednesday, Nov. 13th from 6:30 – 8:30pm. Click here or the flyer below to reserve your tickets!

Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12th at 5pm in the City Hall Chambers. A list of items of interest will be featured in a future newsletter.

As always, I am grateful for your continued engagement with me and my office, and I look forward to seeing you out in the community.

The work continues,

Megan Kerr, Councilwoman

Long Beach, District 5

Upcoming Meetings & Events

Community News & Updates

City Clerk's Office

Voting Information for Nov. 5 Election

Are you ready for Election Day? Cast your ballot, in person at any vote center or vote by mail drop box on or before November 5, 2024! Below are CD5-specific locations, but check out the full list of in-person vote centers and vote by mail drop boxes in Long Beach! Learn more at longbeach.gov/cityclerk.

On August 6, 2024, the City Council unanimously adopted a Resolution which approved placing three items on the November 5, 2024 ballot, Measures JB, LB, HC. We encourage all voters to do their research on these measures and more before casting their vote. You can visit the City Clerk’s website for impartial analysis, arguments for and against, and FAQs.

To help get voters to the polls, Long Beach Transit is offering complimentary service all day on Tuesday, Nov. 5th! Plan your ride at ridelbt.com.

CD5 In-person Vote Centers

Open Oct. 26 – Nov. 4: 10am – 7pm & Nov. 5: 7am – 8pm

Long Beach City College

Multi-Purpose Room – T1200 4901 E Carson St, 90808 Parking in the PS1 Parking Structure off Clark Ave and E Lew Davis St

CD5 In-person Vote Centers

Open Nov. 2 – Nov. 4: 10am – 7pm & Nov. 5: 7am – 8pm

Dana Neighborhood Library Community Room 3680 Atlantic Ave, 90807

Pan American Park Gymnasium 5157 E Centralia St, 90808

Wardlow Park

Social Hall

3457 Stanbridge Ave, 90808

CD5 Vote By Mail Drop Boxes

Open now – Nov. 5: ballots must be received by 8pm

Dana Neighborhood Library

3680 Atlantic Ave. 90807

Heartwell Park Community Center

5801 Parkcrest St, 90808

Wardlow Park

3457 Stanbridge Ave, 90808

Community Development Dept.

3401 Cerritos - EIR Scoping Meeting Recap & Links

On Monday, October 28th, the Community Development Department held a scoping meeting regarding the proposed affordable housing community at 3401 Cerritos / 1131 Wardlow Rd, to share details about and solicit input on the development of the project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As the first step of this process, an Initial Study (IS), which identifies environmental topics to be further analyzed in the EIR, is now available and open to public review. During this scoping period, open Oct 22 – Nov. 21, the public is invited to submit written comments on what else should be considered for analysis in the EIR. Written comments must be submitted by Nov. 21st at 5pm to the city via mail or email to following contact:

Elijio Sandoval, Planner

City of Long Beach, Community Development Department

411 W. Ocean Blvd., 3rd Floor,

Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 570-6194

LBDS-EIR-Comments@longbeach.gov

An overview of the scoping process that is now underway can be found here, including more information on how to submit your comments. At Monday’s meeting, Community Development staff also shared that the next step in the process will be a community meeting that will be held in January or February of 2025.

For those who may have missed it, the Oct 28th meeting was recorded and transcribed. The presentation slides, as well as an FAQ, can be found on the Community Development Department’s Environmental Reports page, along with the Initial Study, Notice of Preparation, and associated documents.

As this proposal continues through this legal phase, the Community Development and Planning departments will oversee public engagement and commenting. We encourage you to learn more about the ways to make official comment and provide feedback for the public record. Our office will continue to amplify the information that these departments provide during this process.

California Conference for Equality & Justice

Election Community Care & Connection Circles

Join the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) for an online community circle to pause and take care of ourselves as we reach the end of the 2024 Election.

No matter what the outcome is on Election Day, the CCEJ will meet on Wednesday to share and listen, and move into the future as a united community.

CCEJ will be hosting two circles – one for youth and one for adults. RSVP at the links below!

Wednesday, Nov 6th | 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Youth Circle Registration

Adult Circle Registration

Long Beach Veterans Day Celebration

Veterans Day & Beach Streets | Nov. 9

Celebrate, recognize, and honor Veterans at the 2024 Long Beach Veterans Day Celebration, part of Beach Streets Uptown.

Beach Streets returns to Uptown Long Beach on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 11am - 4pm, and features the City’s Veterans Day Celebration in Houghton Park.

Beach Streets, a free, family-friendly event, offers three entertainment hubs: the Library Hub, on Atlantic in front of the Michelle Obama Library, the Artesia Hub, showcasing the new bike corridor and other improvements that are part of the Artesia Great Boulevard Project, and the Veterans Hub in Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Avenue). The Veterans Hub will feature:

Veterans and Community Resources Fair
Live music by The Satin Dollz (with sets at noon and 1:15) and Knyght Ryder (from 2:30 - 4pm)
Flyovers with historic aircraft and a Veterans Recognition Ceremony (at 2pm)
Food trucks and a beer garden
Kids Zone with live entertainment
Flu vaccinations

For more information, go to longbeach.gov/veterans

Public Works Dept

Orange Ave Backbone Bikeway Project - Community Open House | Nov. 16 & 20

Join the City’s Public Works team to learn about the upcoming Orange Ave. Bikeway project that will support Vision Zero and the Long Beach Safe Streets initiative to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in the City. There are two upcoming meetings:

Saturday, Nov. 16th | 2 - 3:30pm

McBride Park Community Center

(1550 Martin Luther King Ave.)

Wednesday, Nov. 20th | 6 - 7:30pm

Expo Arts Center (4321 Atlantic Ave.)

Learn more at longbeach.gov/orangeaveproject.

Office of Climate Action & Sustainability

Community Solar Program

Long Beach residents can now sign up for community solar! This program aims to provide the benefits of renewable energy without the need to install solar panels on individual properties, making it a great option for renters and homeowners.

How does it work? Solar energy is generated on farms and sent to the electricity grid to be purchased by utility providers.

You subscribe to a share of this electricity and receive a credit directly applied to your SCE utility bill. You pay only 90% of the value of the bill credits, resulting in **savings of up to 10%**.

Long Beach Airport

Southwest Airlines Announces New Destination

Earlier this week, Southwest Airlines published its schedule through August 5, 2025. Among the announcements highlighted in its press release is a new, nonstop flight from Long Beach Airport (LGB) to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, beginning June 5, 2025.

This new service is part of Southwest’s increase in redeye flights nationwide. Flights departing from LGB will be scheduled in accordance with the City’s Noise Ordinance.

With this announcement, LGB’s carriers will offer nonstop service to 23 destinations. Also beginning in June, Southwest will increase service to Austin, Chicago Midway, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Orlando (return of seasonal Saturday flight), Reno, and Sacramento.