Bits 'n' Pieces

$13 Million Interstate 405 Settlement Agreement

The City of Long Beach has reached a $13 million settlement agreement with Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for various corridor safety and traffic mitigation improvements related to the Interstate 405 (I-405) Freeway improvement project in Orange County. OCTA has proposed widening of a 16-mile stretch of the I-405 freeway from State Route 73 in Orange County to Interstate 605 in Long Beach.

The litigation, which was filed by the City of Long Beach in July of 2015, alleged that the proposed I-405 widening project would cause serious traffic impacts in Long Beach and that Caltrans and OCTA had failed to properly analyze or mitigate these impacts in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project. The traffic improvements provided for in the city’s settlement agreement will adequately address the traffic and safety issues posed by the project.

Under the agreement, the city will receive a robust package of traffic mitigation projects valued at just over $13 million. For most of the projects, Long Beach will serve as the implementing agency, which means the City will be primarily responsible for constructing the traffic improvements using funds supplied by OCTA or Caltrans.

The $13 million in incoming funds will be used to enhance portions of Willow Street, Los Coyotes Diagonal and Bellflower Boulevard, as well as portions of State Route 22 (SR-22)/Studebaker Road, 7th Street and Pacific Coast Highway. The specific locations were selected based on traffic studies and data showing impact from the project on those specific locations.

The $13 million in funding is contingent on OCTA and Caltrans proceeding with their I-405 widening plans. The Long Beach corridor improvements will proceed once the settlement funds from OCTA and Caltrans have been received.

Veterans Day Parade Honors Grand Marshall Wini Carter

The 21th Annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade is a premiere Southern California event, drawing upwards of 25,000 parade attendees and an estimated 140-plus entrants. Former Vice Mayor and Parade Chair Val Lerch stated that, “The Parade Committee is proud to honor Wini Carter for service as this year’s Honorary Grand Marshal.” She is 98 years young.

In 2014, she was appointed by Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster as a Commissioner for the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission where she is still active. Lerch said of Carter, “We are constantly looking for an Honorary Grand Marshal who has served their country and the community of Long Beach. Wini has done both with honor.”

The 21st Annual Long Beach Veterans Parade will be held on Nov. 11 with a 10 a.m. start; it runs down Atlantic Ave. from South Street to Harding Street and typically takes about two hours.

To learn more about the parade route, visit www.lbveteransdayparade.com.

3 File for City Council Seats

Rich Dines and Corliss Lee have filed for the 5th District Council race in April 2018, challenging Stacy Mungo, and Gordana Kajer has filed in the 3rd District Council race, challenging Suzie Price.

Dines is a former Long Beach Harbor Commissioner and a port manager at Los Angeles Harbor responsible for directing rail cargo and is a lifelong Long Beach area resident. Lee is a 24-year resident of east Long Beach, retired aerospace manager and self-described community activist. Kajer is a 30-year resident of Long Beach, a small business owner and property manager as well as a long-time activist on environmental issues facing Long Beach.

‘First They Killed My Father’

About 200 people gathered for a private screening of the new Netflix film “First They Killed My Father” and discussion with the film’s Director, Producer and Co-Screenwriter Angelina Jolie and Co-Screenwriter and Executive Producer Loung Ung, at the Aquarium of the Pacific recently. The film is the adaptation of Cambodian author and human rights activist Ung’s gripping memoir of surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1978. The story is told through her eyes, from the age of five, when the Khmer Rouge came to power, to nine years old. The film depicts the indomitable spirit and devotion of Loung and her family as they struggle to stay together during the Khmer Rouge years.

Attendees asked questions and listened intently from inside the Aquarium’s Ocean Theater as Ung and Jolie each spoke. “We are proud to be in the city with the largest Cambodian population outside of Southeast Asia. We have a long history of working with our local Cambodian communities and have honored outstanding members of the community with our Heritage Award, including survivors of the genocide,” said Dr. Jerry Schubel, Aquarium of the Pacific president and CEO.

“It is important for the public to know about the history of Cambodia and to continually engage our local residents and that is why we worked with Netflix and our local Cambodian communities on this screening. We are grateful to Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung for being here to listen to and speak with the residents of Long Beach,” Schubel said. The film is Cambodia’s Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.

The screening held at the Aquarium was part of a three month campaign to screen the film with Cambodian communities in United States and Canada. Screening locations included campus cultural centers, The Khmer Legacy Museum and the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial. All screenings included a post-film Q&A or panel discussion. The aquarium was selected based on its relationship with the Cambodian community in Long Beach.

City Selected for 2018 Amgen Tour of California

AEG, owner and presenter of the Amgen Tour of California, announced that the city of Long Beach, on May 13, 2018, will host the first stage of the seven-day men’s cycling event. The race will travel north from Long Beach, with ten other California cities hosting through the finish in Sacramento.

2018 will mark the 13th edition of the race which has gained recognition as America’s premier cycling stage race. Some of the world’s best cyclists will compete along over 600 miles of highways, roadways and coastlines. The race is designed to cover a variety of terrain, allowing different types of cyclists opportunities to excel throughout the week depending on their specialized skillsets.

This is the first time in 11 years that the race will visit Long Beach and is the 11th consecutive year the event has featured an international platform for both men’s and women’s racing. The Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race empowered with SRAM, will run concurrently May 17-19 and will cover three stages solely in northern California. The cycling events are the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar.

Cycling fans can watch the race along the course for free or experience it as a VIP from an all-inclusive hospitality tent. To learn about exclusive opportunities, visit amgentourofcalifornia.com/vipaccess or call (213) 742-7145.

LGB Named Top 10 Airport

Long Beach Airport (LGB) has been named a Top 10 airport in the United States by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine for the third consecutive year, climbing four spots to No. 3 on the list from last year. LGB continues to be recognized nationally as a unique and welcoming airport, providing a first-class experience for all travelers.

Of the 300,000 Condé Nast Traveler magazine readers who voted, some noted that Long Beach Airport’s historic terminal reminds them of the glamour of flying, while the modern concourse provides a lavish experience at a very attractive price point.

“We are very honored to receive this recognition and we’re so pleased that travelers nationwide have continued to take notice,” said Airport Director Jess L. Romo. “This recognition is a reflection of our strong guest satisfaction and encourages us to strive to be the best.”

This year, LGB was also awarded USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice award for Best Airport Dining for the second straight year. These acknowledgements motivate LGB and its business partners to continue offering a first-class experience for its guests.

Second Annual Civic Innovation Summit

The City of Long Beach’s Innovation Team (i-team) is hosting the Second Annual Civic Innovation Summit in celebration of Long Beach Innovation Month (InnovateLB). The summit will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Molina Center, 200 Oceangate, 200 Tower, 15th Floor.

The event will bring together government employees, city officials, university faculty and students, entrepreneurs and community members to recognize the outstanding efforts around the use of open data, local government support and facilitated design processes.

The Civic Innovation Summit will start with a TedTalk-style keynote from Dan Hart, president of Virgin Orbit, followed by an expert panel of thought leaders across different sectors who will share their stories and experiences on inspiring a culture of innovation in their respective fields.

To learn more about the Civic Innovation Summit and to RSVP, visit: innovatelb.com/summit.