Bits 'n' Pieces

Legislation Proposed to Keep CHLB Open

Assembly member Patrick O’Donnell (D – Long Beach) introduced AB 2591 in an effort to keep Long Beach Community Hospital open. Sponsored by the City of Long Beach, this bill seeks an extension for seismic compliance at the hospital.  

“The city is committed to Community Hospital,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We thank Assemblymember O’Donnell for authoring legislation to provide our community with more time to identify a viable solution that will allow us to keep the only co-located acute and psychiatric care facility in Long Beach open, while also meeting state seismic requirements for hospitals.”

Long Beach Memorial, MemorialCare announced at the end of 2017 the intention to cease medical services at Community Hospital by June 30, 2019. There is an active earthquake fault line beneath part of the hospital and the facility must be upgraded to meet seismic-safety requirements by 2020.

“Community Hospital is an important asset to the east side of the city,” said Councilmember Daryl Supernaw. “Our constituents have spoken loud and clear – We need to explore every opportunity to keep this hospital open.”

The bill now awaits referral to its first policy committee.

PV Business Owners Honored

Parkview Village will honor over 100 years of combined neighborhood merchant service with the dedication of Lew Bodell Lane and Richard Brown Way on Friday, March 2, at 9:30 a.m. Two Parkview Village thoroughfares will be named in honor of two beloved businessmen who shaped the quaint and charming atmosphere of Parkview Village since the 1950s.

Lew Bodell opened Bodell Shoes on March 1, 1959. According to his son Richard, who now oversees operations, “This is a unique location and my father understood that in order to build a successful business, location is a key factor. Parkview Village was a great location for my dad to begin building relationships with the community.”

Lew Bodell’s goal was to provide access to quality comfort footwear with a high level of customer service. Lew valued his individual customers and built his business by investing the time and effort to identify their needs. Although Lew retired in 2008, his philosophy still defines Bodells Shoes. New employees are trained in the art of fitting professional footwear, including always measuring both feet, with a passion for customer satisfaction.

Jack’s Shoe Repair has been a cornerstone of Parkview Village for over 60 years. Proprietor Richard “Jack” Brown, a master cobbler, was quoted in the 2017 Long Beach Business Journal as having worked on more than 10 million shoes in his lifetime. Peanuts – his majestic, long-tailed parrot – was a 35-year fixture at Jack’s Shoe Repair and one of the family. In addition to appreciating the quality of Richard’s craftsmanship, customers always looked forward to Jack’s quick smile and words of wisdom.

Richard’s unexpected passing on Dec. 22, 2017 shook the Lakewood Village community and ignited an outpouring of love. Customers placed cards and letters at the entrance of Jack’s Shoe Repair and social media sites were flooded with heartfelt tributes.

“We want to honor all of the successful businesses in Parkview Village by recognizing these two influential business owners who anchored merchant services for the surrounding neighbors and modeled the viability of a long-range business plan in Parkview Village,” said Ben Efraim, principal of Parkview Village.

Preservation Awards Benefit

Long Beach Heritage will salute Preservation’s Past and Embrace its Future at the 13th Preservation Awards Benefit on Thursday, March 8, aboard the Queen Mary.

Honoring the past, recognition is given to the 50th anniversary of the Queen Mary’s arrival in Long Beach, the 40th anniversaries of the Long Beach Preservation Ordinance, the establishment of the Cultural Heritage Commission and the National Trust for Historical Preservation Partners in Main Street Program.

While celebrating the successes of the past, recognition will be given to the collaboration of the old and new for the future development of our city. According to the National Trust website, re-urbanism is a nationwide trend in which cities are experiencing “a remarkable renaissance and young, diverse families are choosing to live, work and play in historic neighborhoods.” Many of this year’s preservation awardees showcase the movement.

The Excellence in Architecture and Urban Innovation Award will be presented to Michael Bohn AIA and Alan Pullman AIA of Studio One Eleven for their complementary use of both old and new buildings to re-energize urban spaces.

Preservation Awards which include restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive re-use, craftsmanship, infill and conservation will be awarded to the following:

• The Rowan Bradley Building for owner Ron Hodges extensive preservation of the unique Art Deco architecture by Krempel and Erkes in 1930.
• The Hotel Royal, 431 East Broadway, built in 1823, for its continuous preservation as a hotel.
• The 1920s home at 312 Elliot Lane for the careful preservation of its Spanish Revival Architecture.
• Immanuel Place, designed by W. Horse Austin in 1922 as Baptist church for its adaptive reuse to a senior living complex.
• The Streamline Moderne building, at 210 the Promenade, for its restoration. Designed by Schilling and Schilling in 1933 it was originally the Barker Brothers Annex. Recently, it was the Home of the Blue Café.
• St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, for craftsmanship in the accurate renovation of the steeple built in 1924 by Soule and Murphy.
• Craftsman Village Park for the transformation of an empty lot, where a dilapidated building once stood, into a beautiful green space which complements the homes in the Craftsman Historical District. A Contextual Infill Award.
• The Frank Brothers Collaboration developed by the California State University Museum. The Frank Brothers showroom was well known for its Mid- Century Modern design aesthetic. The collaboration included a Mid-Century Modern home tour and partnered with Cara Mullio and Jennifer M. Volland for the publication of Frank Bros.: The Store That Modernized Modern, with Nancy Frank.

The public and friends of preservation are invited to the event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction of unique, decorative items and gift certificates from local venues and restaurants. Dinner follows at 7:15 p.m. in the elegant Art Deco ballroom of the Grand Salon. There is a no host bar. Music will be provided by the Jazz Angels.

Tickets are $125. Parking is complimentary. For tickets or additional information, please call (562) 493-7019 or visit www.lbheritage.org.

Event proceeds assist Long Beach Heritage in its preservation efforts.

New Dines Endorsements

Rich Dines’ campaign for Long Beach City Council announced the endorsement of Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

In 2014, Patrick O’Donnell was elected to the California State Assembly to represent District 70, which includes the cities of Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro as well as Catalina Island.

In 2016, Janice Hahn was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to represent District 4, comprised of over 30 cities including Long Beach, Signal Hill and Lakewood.

“Rich Dines is a leader. He will ensure that our budget is balanced and our tax dollars are spent in a responsible manner,” said Assemblymember O’Donnell. O’Donnell previously served as a member of the Long Beach City Council and was instrumental in delivering the city’s first budget surplus in over a decade. In addition, he enacted a “rainy day fund” policy, which requires the city council to set aside reserves in anticipation of tough economic times.

For a full list of endorsements, please visit www.richdines.com/endorsements/

Seaside Health Plan Names Ferrer as New CEO

Maribel Ferrer, an operations executive with more than two decades of experience in leading managed care teams, has been named chief executive officer (CEO) at Seaside Health Plan, part of MemorialCare. Ferrer has been the chief operating officer (COO) of Seaside Health Plan since November and replaced Wendy Dorchester, who retired at the end of December. Ferrer has assumed CEO responsibilities as of Jan. 1, 2018.

Prior to coming to MemorialCare, Ferrer was the executive director, Medi-Cal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families & Medicaid Expansion of L.A. Care Health Plan – the nation’s largest public operated health plan, servicing more than two million members in five health plans.

Price Receives Support from Association Presidents

Long Beach City Councilwoman Suzie Price is proud to be supported by neighborhood association presidents from around the community. Maureen Neeley of the Belmont Heights Community Association, Ted Brodeur with the Park Estates Homeowner’s Association and Dick Gaylord with the Friends of Belmont Shore are joined by Michael O’Toole from the Naples Improvement Association and Kristi Fischer with the Del Lago Homeowner’s Association as supporters of Councilwoman Price in her campaign for re-election.

Councilwoman Price has received overwhelming support from community leaders in the Third District. Price has spent the past three and a half years working alongside these individuals and the members of their neighborhood associations to bring progress to every corner of the district.

Power 4 Youth Announces Leadership Transition

Power 4 Youth announced that founding Executive Director Val Parker will be leaving her position with the organization March 1. The board of directors has selected Long Beach native and former Power 4 Youth mentor Maryam Diaab to succeed her as executive director. Parker will remain active in the organization to provide support through the remainder of the school year.

Parker joined Power 4 Youth, initially a project of the Presbyterian Church, as program coordinator at the program’s inception in the fall of 1999. As program coordinator, Parker worked with local schools and volunteers to carry out Power 4 Youth’s mission of making the difference in the lives of at-risk students through caring, consistent, mentoring relationships. When the agency was incorporated as its own non-profit in 2008, Parker was promoted to executive director, a position she has held since then.

Under her leadership, Power 4 Youth has grown to be one of the premier mentoring programs in Long Beach, serving over 450 students since its start. “I’m very proud of the organization Power 4 Youth has become, and I know it has a great future. I think Maryam is the ideal person to lead the program into this new chapter”

Diaab joins Power 4 Youth with a rich and diverse background of working and volunteering in the Long Beach community. She is a graduate of the Leadership Long Beach program, has served on the boards of the Fairfield YMCA and the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and is actively involved with CCEJ and many other organizations that promote social justice and educational equity.