General Muni Elections Ballots Distributed

Yesterday, City Clerk Monique De La Garza announced that the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk has begun distributing Vote by Mail ballots for the Nov. 5th General Municipal Election. Be sure to read your ballot carefully and follow the instructions. In March, 1,281 CD4 ballots were not counted because they were filled out incorrectly. Ballots can be mailed in free of charge or dropped off at any Vote by Mail Drop Box. The Long Beach locations are listed along with the full press release at this link.

CD4 Resident Appointed as LAPD Chief

This morning, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appointed CD4 resident Jim McDonnell as the new LAPD Chief. Jim has served in law enforcement for 29 years as an officer, LAPD Assistant Chief, LBPD Chief and LA County Sheriff. He will now continue his valuable leadership as the LAPD Chief. Thank you to Jim McDonnell for stepping up to serve once again. Also, special thanks to Jim’s wife, Kathy, for providing the family support at this very important time.

Studebaker Road Improvements Update

The City has received the final design documents for the Studebaker Corridor Complete Street Construction Project, which are currently under review. This project contains federal-aid funding which requires Authorization from Caltrans for the City of Long Beach to administer this project. This Authorization is required before advertising and is pending Caltrans review. In the meantime, the project is now preparing specification documents to solicit bids on the City’s Long Beach Buys website. The project team anticipates receiving Authorization from Caltrans in the next couple of months. If the bidding process is successful, the project award will follow, and construction would be estimated to begin in early 2025. Find additional information on the project at this link.

Civic Engagement Panel at LBSA

Last week, the Long Beach School for Adults in CD4 hosted a civic engagement panel. This forum intended to engage and inform adult students about local government. Many of the students identified as Spanish-only speakers, so I asked my Chief of Staff, Isabel Martinez MPA, to attend and present in English and Spanish. We grateful for the opportunity to provide accessible resources to all CD4 constituents. Muchas gracias to CD4 resident and High School Diploma Instructor Karen Connolly for inviting our office to participate. 

CSULB 75th Anniversary Kickoff Concert

We had a great time celebrating CSULB's 75th Anniversary on Saturday in front of the Pyramid. It was very special for our family considering I attended CSULB at the time of the 25th anniversary, and my son, Shaun, attended CSULB at the time of the 50th anniversary. For the 75th, granddaughter Ellie was on stage for the ceremony and celebrated the with the CSULB Spirit Team. As a proud CSULB alumnus, parent and area councilman, thanks to CSULB for inviting me to participate in this milestone event. Go Beach! and Go Fourth!

Cyclops Coffee with a Cop in CD4

On Wednesday, I attended the Coffee with a Cop event at Cyclops Coffee at 1732 Clark Ave. Thanks to all the residents who attended, and special thanks to Cyclops Coffee owner, Steven Than, for hosting. Next door at the Root Parlour salon, owner Shelby Ferreira could not attend because she had a customer. Solution: the cops visited Shelby after the event. Pictured L to R: Lt. Danielle Quiñones, Shelby Ferreira, PRO Brendan Murphy, Officer Johnny Dodson and Charles Ray.

Chris Garner Retirement Celebration

On Wednesday night, it was standing room only in CD4 at Chris Garner’s retirement celebration. Chris is a good friend, CD4 resident and now former General Manager of Long Beach Utilities. The celebration was the culmination of 40 years of service to the City of Long Beach through 6 City Managers and over 40 elected officials. Chris has done it all and will now enjoy traveling around the world with his wife Becky. His dedication and excellence these past 40 years have made him a true city leader. 

"Find Your Boo" Adoption Special at LBACS

Now through Halloween | 7700 E Spring St.

"Find Your Boo" at Long Beach Animal Care Services' Adoption Special for any long-stay animals (those who have been at the shelter for over 30 days) for just $13! This spook-tacular event will continue through Halloween. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to adopt your new furry best friend! Adoption hours are 10 am to 4:30 pm Wednesday through Friday and 10 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday.

Pickleball at El Dorado Tennis Center

Monday - Friday 7 am - 4 pm | Friday nights 6:30 - 9 pm

Join Bridge the Gap Tennis group for Pickleball at the El Dorado Park Tennis Center. Reservations for the courts are $10/hour Monday-Friday from 7 am to 4 pm and $15/hour on Friday nights from 6:30 to 9 pm. Book pickleball courts 7 days in advance. Find more information here or call (562) 425-0553.

FREE At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Limit 4 tests per household | Order link

Place your order now for free At-Home COVID-19 Tests! As of late September, residential households in the U.S. are eligible for another order of 4 free at-home tests. Now is a good time to stock up on tests. To order your free tests and have them delivered by mail, fill out the form at this link. Note, before throwing out "expired" tests, check the FDA's website to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended. Orders will ship free. 

Long Beach Marathon Street Closures

October 4th - 7th | Citywide

The Long Beach Marathon is returning for its 40th year on Sunday, October 6th. The weekend of events begins today, October 4th. Residents and visitors should plan to avoid street closures. Most road closures and detours will be in place at various times on a rolling basis between 5 am and 2 pm on Oct. 6th, unless otherwise noted. The closures generally include both sides of the street. All roads are expected to be fully reopened by 2 pm on Sunday, October 6th. Streets affected in CD4 include the following:

• Clark Avenue, northbound, from Atherton Street to Anaheim Street
• Atherton Street, westbound, from Clark Avenue to Bellflower Boulevard
• Palo Verde Avenue, southbound, from Atherton Street to Anaheim Street
• Atherton Street, from Bellflower Boulevard to Palo Verde Avenue

For a map of closures, visit this link. Read the press release here.

1st Saturday El Dorado Park Cleanup

October 5th | 9 - 10 am | 7550 E Spring St.

Join fellow park-lovers to clean up fishing line and other debris from our beautiful park and lakes. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and wear a hat and sunscreen. All ages are welcome. Youth under 18 must bring an adult. Meet at the parking lot on the left just past El Dorado Frontier in Area III of El Dorado Regional Park at 7550 E. Spring St. Please pre-register by calling (562) 570-1745.

Aeration Project at El Dorado Park West

October 7th - 8th | El Dorado Park - Soccer Field 2

Maintenance Operations will be performing drill and fill aeration next week at El Dorado Park Soccer Field 2. This project aims to improve drainage and introduce oxygen into compacted soils.

Upcoming LBACS Low-Cost Vaccine Clinics

October 7th & 11th | 10 am - 2:30 pm | LBACS - 7700 E Spring St.

Long Beach Animal Care Services and Camp Clinics are hosting low-cost vaccine clinics on Monday, October 7th and Friday, October 11th from 10 am to 2:30 pm. No appointment is necessary, but only the first 60 pets will be accepted. For a vaccine price list and important tips to expedite your visit, please visit this link. Click here for future vaccine clinics at LBACS. 

CD4 Aquarium Night Next Monday!

October 7th | 6:30 - 8:30 pm | 100 Aquarium Way

Save the Date! On Monday, October 7th, CD4 residents are invited to a FREE evening at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The event will take place from 6:30 - 8:30 pm and is open to everyone. Parking will be $8 with validation in the structure across from the Aquarium. To make a reservation, visit this link: bit.ly/CD4AquariumNight24. Please contact our office at (562) 570-4444 or district4@longbeach.gov with any questions.

Next on the City Council Agenda

October 8th | 5:00 pm | 411 W Ocean Blvd.

The City Council meeting will start at 5:00 pm in the Civic Chambers on the ground floor of City Hall, located at 411 W. Ocean Blvd. City council meetings are broadcast live online at: LBTV3.com and on Channel 3 for Charter cable subscribers and Channel 21 for FIOS subscribers. Comments can be submitted by email to: CityClerk@longbeach.gov. Items on Tuesday's meeting agenda include:

• Ceremonials and Presentations: 28th Annual Long Beach Historical Cemetery Tour
• C-3: Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $900, offset by Fourth Council District One-Time District Priority Funds, transferred from the Citywide Activities Department, to provide support for the following: $500 to Huntington Beach Reads One Book in support of a Los Altos South neighborhood block party; $400 to the Historical Society of Long Beach in support of their 28th annual Historical Cemetery Tour; and decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $900 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.
• C-14: Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute Amendment No. 28 to Historical Site Lease No. 24291 with Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation to provide for the annual management fee of $502,136 for lease year 2024-2025. (District 4)

The entire agenda can be found here. To see the schedule and agenda for all upcoming city meetings, click here.

CD4 Queen Mary Night Next Tuesday!

October 8th | 5 - 8 pm | 1126 Queens Hwy.



Save the Date! On Tuesday, October 8th, CD4 residents are invited to a FREE evening at the Queen Mary. Enjoy access to exhibits and open areas of the ship, including the Observation Bar! The event will take place from 5 - 8 pm and is open to everyone, but SPACE IS LIMITED. Parking will be discounted to $10 with proof of registration. Please RSVP at this link: bit.ly/CD4QueenMary. Contact our office at (562) 570-4444 or district4@longbeach.gov with any questions. View the event FAQ at this link.

One Year of District 4 Pizza Celebration

October 12th | 9:30 am - 10 pm | 2123 N Bellflower Blvd.

Celebrate one year of District 4 Pizza on Saturday, October 12th! From open to close, D4 Pizza will be celebrating with $20 pizzas, drink specials, fun photo opportunities, raffles and more! Visit this link for additional information.

FREE Flu Vaccine Clinics in CD4

Multiple locations    

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is offering free flu vaccinations at community clinics throughout the flu season, while supplies last. Two clinics will be held in CD4 at the following locations and times:

• 2800 N Studebaker Rd: Tues., October 15th, 9 am - 2 pm
• 2525 Grand Ave: Thurs., October 17th, 2 - 7 pm

The clinics will be walk-up clinics, with no appointments required; however, people may also schedule appointments by calling (562) 570-4768. Accessible services will be available, including a drive-up option for those with disabilities who are not able

to leave their vehicles. For more information and other clinic locations,

please visit this link.

Trunk-or-Treat at Los Altos YMCA

October 18th | 5 - 7 pm | 1720 N Bellflower Blvd.    

Join the Los Altos YMCA for a spooktacular evening at their Trunk-or-Treat! Get ready to celebrate Halloween with family and friends. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their favorite costumes and explore creatively decorated car trunks filled with treats. Registration is required at this link. For any questions, please email Eric.Akalski@lbymca.org or

call (562) 596-3394.

Towne Center Halloween Event

October 19th | 12 - 2 pm | Regal Promenade - 7575 Carson Blvd.    

Bring your friends and family and join LB Towne Center for their FREE Halloween Spooktacular event on Saturday, October 19th from 12 to 2 pm. The event will feature family-friendly entertainment, including trick-or-treating stations, character meet and greets, balloon twisters, kids' crafts and a live DJ spinning festive Halloween-themed music!

Howl-o-ween Festival at Eldo Nature Center

October 19th | 2 - 6 pm | 7550 E Spring St.   

Join the boo-tiful El Dorado Nature Center on Saturday, October 19th for a hare-raising good time as you trick-or-treat your way along the trails. Visit the animal education village or bounce yourself silly in the Ooh-possum Patch. There will be storytelling and face painting, food trucks and crafts. Parking is free, and there is a suggested donation of $5 per person to support Partners of Parks/ Friends of El Dorado Nature Center at the gate. Dress as your favorite creature and come mingle with ours. For more information, please call

(562) 570-4876.

El Dorado Nature Center Morning Bird Walk

October 20th | 8 - 10 am | 7550 E Spring St.

Whether you’re a new birder or just want to sharpen your skills, join volunteers and staff for Sunday morning walks through El Dorado Nature Center. Pre-Registration is required, please call (562) 570-1745. The programs are free, and parking is $8.

Happy 10-4 Day! 

Much like “May the 4th” is known as Star Wars Day, October the 4th is known by many as “10-4 Day”. The law enforcement radio designation was popularized by Broderick Crawford who played Lt. Dan Matthews in the television series, Highway Patrol. Broderick Crawford was an Oscar-winning film actor who made a successful move to television. If you've never heard Dan Matthews' no-nonsense style delivery, check out the attached video clip. The attached “The signal for “ACTION! TEN-4” graphic was used by our office to promote the Land Use Element community meeting at Whaley Park on 10/4/17. The result was a huge response that required a tent be erected to accommodate the overflow crowd.