Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

Residents and business are invited to attend the grand opening of Long Beach’s first parklet at Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, today, Friday, January 20th at Noon.  Long Beach is the first city in Southern California to approve the parklet concept.  Three restaurants have been permitted to construct a parklet in a parking space in front of their business. Each parklet will add approximately 20 additional seats to the respective restaurant and contribute to an active streetscape.  

Read the rest of Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal and Others Host Grand Opening of First Parklet in Southern California

The Downtown Residential Council is comprised of resident leaders from the six Downtown neighborhood associations: Promenade Area Residents Association, Ocean Residents Community Association, North Pine Neighborhood Alliance, West End Community Association, Willmore City Heritage Association, and East Village Association.

Read the rest of The Downtown Residential Council Host Holiday Forum Monday December 19th

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

On Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at Bixby Park, Vice Mayor and Second District Councilmember Suja Lowenthal will deliver the State of the Second District 2011 and share achievements, challenges and goals for the future with residents and business owners. Her remarks will be followed by presentations from community groups, including Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association (ABNA), Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association (BHNA), On Broadway, Craftsman Village Historic District, Downtown Long Beach Association (DBLA), East Village Association (EVA), Fourth Street Business Association, North Alamitos Beach Association (NABA), Ocean Residents Community Association (ORCA), Promenade Area Residents Association (PARA) and Rose Park Neighborhood Association (RPNA).

Read the rest of Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal Presents the State of the Second District 2011

The event is an exciting opportunity to learn more about and support the businesses that are Broadway. The wonderful stores, galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars, services and historical sites along this street make for an eclectic and vibrant destination.

Read the rest of On Broadway Merchant Association Presents LIVE ON BROADWAY!

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, North Alamitos Beach Association (NABA) & the Anaheim Street Community Police Center in partnership with City of Long Beach, Neighborhood Resource Center invite you to a Neighborhood Clean Up on Saturday, June 11th beginning at 9:00 am, Participants will meet at 520 Cherry Avenue.

Brooms, shovels, rakes, trash bags and gloves are provided.  A large dumpster will be available, so you can get rid of items too large for regular trash pick up.

PLUS DIGITAL CLEAN-UP! We will have a team reporting issues via the “GO LONG BEACH” smart phone app, so bring your iPhone or Android phone.  ”GO LONG BEACH” allows users to upload a photo of graffiti, sidewalk damage, broken street signs, or potholes, and then uses GPS tracking technology to instantly report the location of the issue. You can download “GO LONG BEACH” for Android phones from the Droid Market, or the App Store for iPhones. This is a simple and inexpensive way to help beautify our neighborhoods, increase efficiency in the city, and to involve more residents, especially young people.

Read the rest of Neighborhood Clean Up Volunteer Opportunity – Saturday June 11th

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

Join Team Suja for the the Tour of Long Beach on Saturday, May 14th, as more than 3,000 cyclists ride for a cure, with funds being raised for Miller Children’s Hospital.  Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal and her staff  invite you to join them on the tour and get a unique and inspirational view of our great city as you ride through Long Beach parks, scenic neighborhoods and along beaches, inland bays and the downtown waterfront. Tour riders will start the 31-mile course in three waves starting at 8:00am, 8:05am and 8:10am.

Read the rest of Second District Cyclists Invited to Join Team Suja on The Tour

The community tree planting is Saturday from 9am-12pm. Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal will present a short speech by and planting instructions between 9:00 am – 9:30 am. Volunteers should wear comfortable shoes and clothes for the planting.

Read the rest of Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal & RPNA Host a “Community Tree Planting”

Photo by Nathalie Babineau-Griffiths

All seniors are invited to enjoy free pancakes, sausage links, juice and coffee with Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal and Long Beach Firefighters.  Thanks to a wonderful partnership with the Senior Center, St. Mary’s Medical Clinic will be providing free blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) tests.

The Senior Pancake Breakfast and St. Mary’s health screenings is Saturday, March 19, 2011 from 8:00 am – 9:30 am at the Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 East 4th Street (corner of 4th and Orange) Limited parking provided.  Carpooling encouraged.

Read the rest of Vice Mayor Lowenthal to Host Second District Senior Pancake Breakfast

Less than five minutes in length, the survey asks participants to share their experiences with and perceptions of current arts-related programming in Downtown as well as examples of activities outside of Downtown that they perceive to be of interest.

Read the rest of Have 5 Minutes? Share Your Opinion on the Arts in Long Beach

Rescue workers cut a hole into the top of an overturned big rig to rescue the driver on Tuesday.

The Long Beach Fire Department responded to an overturned big rig near 1600 Harbor Scenic Drive on Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters found a large tractor-trailer that had rolled onto its left side and the driver, a male believed to be in his 40’s, was trapped in the cab of the truck. Rescue workers used a reciprocating saw to cut a hole in the roof of the cab so that they could access the driver.  

Read the rest of LBFD Rescues Driver from Overturned Big Rig

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

Dear friends and neighbors,

A Season for Nonviolence, January 30 – April 4, is a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower lives and communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.

On January 9, 2007 my colleagues and I unanimously voted to recognize A Season for Nonviolence annually in the City of Long Beach.  The goal of the Season is to encourage all of us to live our lives by the principles of nonviolence inspired by Gandhi and King.

Read the rest of Councilmember Lowenthal Provides “Daily Commitments to Live By” During “Season for Nonviolence”

Get rid of all your broken or unwanted electronic equipment after the holidays in a fast, convenient way that helps those most in need. We’ll unload your e-waste for you and get you back on the road in minutes.

E-waste includes computer monitors, towers and peripherals, TVs and big screens, DVD players, electronics, cell phones, and digital/LCD clocks.

Sorry, we cannot accept industrial or large scale e-waste or household hazardous waste, fluorescent tubes or batteries.

Read the rest of Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal invites you to the Second District E-Waste Drive

Photo by Urban Artiphax

Friends of Bixby Park, devoted exclusively to the renovation and preservation of historical Bixby Park Long Beach, has partnered with Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine to launch a “Keep Our Parks Clean” campaign, debuting on Saturday, November 20th , with a community park clean up scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. till Noon at the park. The community clean up event will be co-sponsored by Vans, which will provide a “Keep Our Park Clean”-themed banner for the skate park area and host a skate demo at the park. Bixby Park is located at 1st and Cherry Streets. For more information on how to get involved or participate in the community clean up, please call (562) 983-8139.

Read the rest of Friends of Bixby Park To Host Community Clean Up, Launches “Keep Our Parks Clean” 2010 Campaign

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

In cooperation with Second District Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal’s “Leading Youth to Positive Play”, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and Community Recreation Services Bureau present the Grand Opening of the East Village Arts Park After School Program. The event will take place Tuesday, November 2, 2010, from 3 to 6pm. The Park is located on 150 Elm Ave in Long Beach, 90802.

The East Village Arts Park will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 6pm. The program will provide supervised, non-custodial recreational activities for youth between five and fourteen years of age.

Read the rest of Grand Opening of the East Village Arts Park After School Program

Swap Holloween Costumes

We will STILL be swapping all the other stuff – but bring your scarry swap stuff and let it haunt someone else.

Read the rest of The Seven-Ten Halloween Swap For Good

“The Magic of Creation” celebrates our community’s ability to create magic by expressing themselves through art.

As part of a global network of Evolver regional events known as “spores“, this event features a live beat set by Zeroh, screenings of Trade and Row’s Postcard film exchange project, the magical harpist Peter Sterling, the amazing feats of “the comedy imaginator” Eric Buss (seen on Letterman), and a special workshop and interactive performance by the rubbaband band, Lil Big Ups.

Read the rest of “The Magic of Creation” at 2nd CC Gallery, presented by Evolver Long Beach

Rose Park Gazebo

The Rose Park Neighborhood Association seeks sponsors for its Rose Park Heritage Walk. Engraved bricks will be placed in the park walkways and proceeds will benefit work that beautifies, enhances and sustains Rose Park, such as landscaping, repairs, community events, and so forth.

Read the rest of Rose Park Heritage Walk Seeks Sponsors

Second District Residents – Bring your friends and family for a fun and informative boat tour.

Long Beach – Dock 2 – Next to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Rainbow Harbor. Parking available in the Aquarium Parking structure

Read the rest of Free Port Tour for Second District Residents Today!

SEISMIC SURVEY DEMONSTRATION

Please join Vice Mayor Lowenthal for a demonstration activity for residents interested in the seismic survey trucks that will be coming to our part of the city in the coming months.

As you may know, Signal Hill Petroleum has been conducting survey tests with four seismic testing trucks and police escorts traversing areas of Long Beach in an effort to provide a detailed three-dimensional map of the region, including its complex pattern of earthquake faults and deep geology. It could also locate deposits of a possible 2 billion barrels of oil. The mapping, similar to medical ultrasonic imaging, uses acoustic waves to penetrate the earth. Data will be shared with the cities and academia. To create those waves, specially designed vehicles, called vibro-seis trucks, pound the street with devices resembling oversized pneumatic hammers that send out tremors that shake the earth. The trucks typically move in increments of 80 feet and conduct 12 25-second shakes per site.

Read the rest of Seismic Survey Demonstration & Broadway Visioning Community Meeting – September 29

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal

How would you like to see Broadway change in the short term and over the next 20 to 30 years? Would you like to see more pedestrian friendly amenities? Should there be traffic calming measures introduced? Is there a look that you would like to see supported through street signs, lights, bicycle racks, trees and other public infrastructure?

Join Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, Councilmember Gary DeLong, City staff, residents and businesses for an evening focused on developing a vision for Broadway, from Alamitos Avenue to points beyond Redondo Avenue.

The Broadway Visioning 2030 community meeting is Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Bixby Park, Community Room, 130 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, 90802.

For more information about Broadway Visioning 2030, please contact the Second Council District office at (562) 570-6684.

EverythingLongBeach recently spoke with Caroline Aizawa, owner of GST Body LB, via email. They talked about inspirations, challenges and what’s it’s like having a business on Retro Row.

How long have you been in business?:

I just moved into the We Move Studio in April.

Describe your business:

Grace Somatomorphic Technique, GST is a movement technique derived from Pilates and expanded into three-dimensional and dynamic choreography that is creative, beautiful and fun.

Read the rest of GST Body LB Striving to Make Working Out Creative, Beautiful and Fun

Councilmember Suja Lowenthal

Tonight, Tuesday July 27, Councilmember Suja Lowenthal will honor residents, business owners and city staff that have been chosen as 2010 Stewards of the Second District because of their leadership and commitment to the community and the City of Long Beach.

More than any other Council district, the Second District embodies the diversity, cooperation and optimism of Long Beach. These individuals have gone beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives of others. Such contributions are to be commended and shared with all Long Beach residents.

“I am proud of our residents, businesses and city staff who pull together to make local events successful and improve the quality of life in our community on a daily basis,” said Councilmember Suja Lowenthal. “It is my honor and pleasure to work with these individuals in service to our community – they are making a difference!”

Read the rest of Councilmember Suja Lowenthal honors 2010 Stewards of the Second District

At 2:47 PM on the afternoon of July 20, 2010.  Long Beach Fire Department units responded to a report of a vehicle fire at Stevedoring Services located at 700 Pier A Plaza.

Upon arrival Engine 24 found a large forklift-like vehicle, known as a top loader fully involved in fire.  A top loader weighs roughly 75 tons and has a lifting capacity of 40 tons.  The lifting platform was fully extended at the time of the fire and there was a hydraulic fluid leak that left the heavy lifting apparatus dangling precariously atop a stack of 5 cargo shipping containers.  Due to the large collapse hazard, and potential for catastrophic failure of the tires of the vehicle, fire crews fought the fire from a safe distance using large hand lines.

During the course of the firefight, the 2 front left tires of the top lift exploded due to the intense heat of the fire.  The blast was so powerful that it ripped a hole in the side of one of the shipping containers and the shock wave shattered the windshield of Engine 24, which was parked some distance away.  Had fire crews been in close proximity to the tires when this occurred, they would have been seriously injured or killed.

After the main fire was knocked down, smaller hand lines were brought in for final extinguishment. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control within a matter of minutes.

The driver of the loader, who complained of minor smoke inhalation, was treated by firefighters on scene and released.  The cause of this fire is under investigation.  A total of 9 firefighters responded to this incident, which occurred in city council district 2.

Read the rest of Promenade Square Grand Opening Saturday, July 24

The farmer’s market is the cornerstone of the East Village’s thriving local-food scene and a destination for shoppers who seek out the finest in locally grown food. Shoppers will find a variety of high-quality, fresh, seasonal produce ranging from the familiar to the exotic.

Poised as downtown Long Beach’s official ‘weekend city market’, the East Village Farmer’s Market of Downtown Long Beach is a year round certified farmer’s market open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and located on 1st Street between Elm and Linden Avenues (the street will be closed to through traffic).

Free parking is available at the lot on the northeast corner of Broadway at Elm Ave. courtesy of the Department of Development Services. Shoppers are advised to leave their pets at home as animals are not allowed in the farmer’s market. For more information on the East Village Farmer’s Market, go to www.downtownlongbeach.org.

The concept of the East Village farmers market is a cooperative effort between Councilmember Suja Lowenthal, city agencies, community based organizations, and East Village residents in an effort to improve the lives of members of the local community.