Bits 'n' Pieces

Community Seminar on Urban Coyotes

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Animal Care Services (ACS) Bureau will host a community seminar to educate Long Beach residents on coyotes within the city, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12, 6-8:30 p.m. at the Wardlow Park Community Center, 3457 Stanbridge Ave.

Speakers that will convene at the seminar include representatives from ACS, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and researchers from the Loyola Marymount University Center for Urban Resilience, that are currently conducting a coyote study for the city.

The free seminar will cover several topics, including:

• Coyote behavior
• Attractants
• Deterrent methods
• Pet safety
• State response
• City management plan
• Details and updates regarding the ongoing coyote study

“There will be an opportunity for the community to ask questions at the end of the presentation, so I hope families that are impacted by or want to learn more about the issue will attend this seminar and take advantage of the expert knowledge that will be present,” said Ted Stevens, manager of Long Beach Animal Care Services.

Coyotes have been an ongoing issue in Long Beach and the surrounding area for several years and it affects every area in the city. In response, the city engaged Loyola Marymount University to conduct a study on the habits of the coyotes in the city, assist in updating the city’s Coyote Management Plan and assist with community outreach efforts.

The City of Long Beach is dedicated to the well-being and safety of all residents. Dealing with “urban” coyotes is a complex issue and education is the most important factor in learning to co-exist with them.

Schipske Running for 34th District State Senate Seat

Former Long Beach City Councilmember and Community College Board Trustee Gerrie Schipske today announced her candidacy for the 34th State Senate District. Schipske, a Democrat, is running to unseat Republican Janet Nguyen.

In her campaign announcement, Schipske released the following statement:

“We need leaders, now more than ever, who are committed to creating positive change. I am running for State Senate to fight for the working families in our communities, protect the character of our neighborhoods, nurture small business, support our public schools and restore constructive leadership to California’s 34th Senate District. I will bring all my experience – as an attorney, nurse, former city councilmember and college board trustee – to bear on the challenges my constituents confront.”

Gerrie Schipske was born in Long Beach and raised in Orange County where she attended Fullerton and Golden West colleges as well as the University of California, Irvine. She represented Long Beach’s 5th District, much of which overlaps Senate District 34, on the City Council for eight years. In 2013, President Barack Obama’s White House named her as one of seven “Champions of Change for Open Government.”

Schipske is a healthcare and ethics attorney, a registered nurse practitioner and a faculty member at California State University, Long Beach. She was elected to the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees, and she was the first registered nurse appointed by the Senate Rules Committee to the Medical Board of California, where she served nine years. Schipske was also one of the first members of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, and a member of the KCET public television community board. She also served as the assistant director of the Youth Development Program in Santa Ana and as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County.

New App for Hotels

Schwag, which launched in 2014 as an app designed to connect Long Beach residents with local businesses, has rebranded and is now partnering with several local hotels to create an added service for its guests.

The new Schwag is the only marketing tool that targets hotel guests wanting to experience local restaurants, bars and attractions all from the convenience of their smart phone. By having the ability to reach more than 60,000 hotel guests monthly, Schwag provides a direct link between local businesses and the city’s thriving tourism industry.

Participating hotels include the Hyatt Regency and its sister property Hyatt Centric The Pike, The Westin, Long Beach Marriott and the Holiday Inn at Long Beach Airport. Hotel guests, which average a combined 61,000 per month, are given instructions on how to download and use the app upon check in with further information provided in each guest room.

“Schwag adds value to our guests’ stay,” said Arthur J. Rosales, director of sales and marketing for the Long Beach Marriott. “And the app recommends quality dining options and things to do in Long Beach.”

Dining partners offer up-to-the-minute information and specials, and include George’s Greek Café, Gaucho Grill, Alegria Cocina Latina, Hamburger Mary’s, L’Opera and Thai District. Shoreline Village, the Aqualink Water Taxi and Sunseeker Tours have also partnered with Schwag to reach Long Beach’s tourism market. Schwag is nearly at capacity for dining and attraction partners with only 10 spots remaining. Currently the company is reporting a 19-percent system-wide conversion rate for its partners.

Schwag’s founders recently secured a second round of funding from investors. The company plans to expand to other tourism markets next year.

Housing LB, NextGen Announce Partnership

Housing Long Beach and NextGen California announced a partnership to register and engage voters year-round in Long Beach, as part of the NextGen California 2017 Voter Registration and Civic Engagement Program. The statewide program will amplify Housing Long Beach’s efforts to expand and deepen their capacity to register voters and sustain long-term voter engagement efforts in 2017 and beyond.

Housing Long Beach will be working to register youth under the age of 25, as well as Long Beach’s communities of color – all of which are renter-majority communities. Currently, 60 percent of Long Beach residents are renters and less than half are registered to vote.

NextGen California’s 2016 Voter Registration Program registered more than 800,000 California voters across the state. Housing Long Beach has engaged in past voter registration drives and voter education programs. Most recently, the organization was involved in voter registration, education and turnout for the Los Angeles County ballot initiative, Measure H, which created funding for homeless services and passed with nearly 70 percent support.

“Civic engagement is at the foundation of what Housing Long Beach does, and building ‘people power’ is critical to creating policies that benefit our communities that are under duress from high housing costs, which is just about everybody at this point,” said Josh Butler, executive director of Housing Long Beach.

Red Cross Needs Donors

The American Red Cross urges eligible donors of all races and ethnicities to give blood to help ensure a diverse blood supply for patients in need.

Some blood types are unique to certain racial and ethnic groups, so a diverse blood supply is important to meeting the medical needs of an increasingly diverse patient population.

Patients who need repeated transfusions, like 11-year-old Tymia McCullough who has sickle cell disease, must have blood that is matched very closely. Patients are less likely to have complications from blood donated by someone with a similar ethnicity.

Donors of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as all blood types, are needed to help patients fight sickle cell disease, alpha thalassemia and other illnesses. Make an appointment to give blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). To help reduce wait times, donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities include:

• Oct. 1: 7:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter, 3150 E. 29th St.
• Oct. 2, 3 & 4: 12:45 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter
• Oct. 5: 1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Fremont Elementary, 4000 E. 4th Street
• Oct. 6: 8:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter
• Oct. 7, 8, 9 & 10: 7:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter
• Oct. 11: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Long Beach City College, 4901 E. Carson Street
• Oct. 11: 12:45 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter
• Oct. 13: 8:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter
• Oct. 14 & 15: 7:45 a.m. – 2 p.m., American Red Cross Greater Long Beach Chapter