D5 Community News: End of April Updates

End of April Updates

Happy Friday, District 5! As we wrap up April, there continue to be plenty of ways to enjoy a beautiful spring day while engaging in community.

I hope to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, April 27th, as we join the Bixby Strollers in an “offsite” stroll, beginning at 7:30am, sharp, from our District 5 Field Office at Wardlow Park! The three-mile walk will take you on a tour of the neighborhood around the park and will conclude with some light refreshments back at the Field Office. All are welcome, regardless of your neighborhood, whether you’re a first-time or seasoned Stroller.

You can continue to enjoy the fresh air throughout the weekend by taking part in the City Nature Challenge. Help Long Beach stand out in this international competition by simply taking and submitting photos of our local plants and wildlife at one or both of two participating locations right here in CD5. Tomorrow, visit Willow Springs Park to join your fellow community scientists for workshops and activities, or head over to Rancho Los Cerritos for a guided tour or for their evening Blacklight Event. No need to stop there; there’s even more nature to experience across Long Beach, like with Saturday’s Cherry Blossom Festival at 2nd & PCH, or next weekend’s guided Nature Walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands. Follow the links or see the flyers below for more details!

In the spirit of appreciating our planet, you can also do your part by dropping off e-waste or old tires at one of the Conservation Corps of Long Beach’s recycling events tomorrow. Help get these tricky materials recycled properly and keep them from being dumped on the streets and out of landfills. Speaking of cleaning the streets, see the flyer below for a regular schedule of neighborhood cleanups in CD5! Those interested in volunteering are always welcome to help keep our communities clean and free of trash. Want to volunteer but your area’s not on the list? Reach out to our office and we can help connect you with resources and supplies to start your own clean-up group!

As you plan for next weekend, as always there are tons of activities to consider throughout CD5 and all over Long Beach. You can join Bixby Knolls in celebrating Cinco de Mayo at First Fridays! Then on Saturday, May 4th, you can join the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association for their 3-mile Fun Run, or stop by the Michelle Obama Library for this year’s Festival of AAPI Books (FAB). See the flyers below for more details and even more things to do in the coming weeks.

Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, May 7th at 5pm in the City Hall Chambers. A list of items of interest will be included in a future newsletter. I encourage you to attend or watch online.

As always, I am grateful for your continued engagement with me and my office, and I look forward to seeing you out in the community.

The work continues,

Megan Kerr, Councilwoman

Long Beach, District 5

Upcoming Events &

Community Meetings

Long Beach Police Department

News & Updates

East Division DUI Checkpoint on Friday, April 26

On April 26, 2024, the LBPD will conduct a Driving Under the Influence (DUI)/Driver License (CDL) checkpoint from 6:00pm to 2:00am in the East Division area. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road. The LBPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Economic Development

News & Updates

Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover & Grant Program

The Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover & Grant program is a new program designed to propel small businesses towards success and sustainability. This initiative offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to connect with essential business support resources and undergo comprehensive workshops aimed at crafting new business and marketing plans. The program will assist 25 small business owners with support services, workshops, and $10,000 in grant funding to take their small business to the next level.

The City’s Department of Economic Development will lead the Level Up LB program and oversee all program activity, with coordinated support from local partners within the Inclusive Business Navigators program. Businesses selected to participate in the program will be provided with technical assistance and resources to evaluate their business plan and financials, sales metrics and benchmarks, and identify strategies to reach the next level of growth.

Additionally, business owners who participate in the workshop series and complete their business and grant investment plans will be eligible to receive $10,000 in Level Up LB Grants that can be used for equipment upgrades, technology upgrades, employee training and retention, facility improvements and marketing.

Applications are available now until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. For more information about program eligibility requirements, visit longbeach.gov/levelup. Additionally, find out more about the Inclusive Business Navigators program at longbeach.gov/biznavigators, or receive assistance and information about these programs through the City's BizCare Hotline at (562) 570 4249 or 4Biz@longbeach.gov.

Technology & Innovation

News & Updates

Community Survey & Workshops: TID 26 Strategic Plan

Long Beach is pleased to announce the release of a community survey and workshops as part of our efforts to develop the Technology & Innovation Department’s (TID) short-term information technology strategic plan, TID 26, to have in place by the end of 2026 to achieve the City's 2030 Strategic Vision.

TID 26 aims to build and protect our communities' trust in the City, provide the City with data for technology service improvement, and improve equitable access to technology for Long Beach's diverse communities.

We value your feedback and want to hear from you! Complete the TID 26 survey before May 17th. See the flyer below for more information.

Animal Care Services

News & Updates

Animal Care Services Fosters Needed!

Fostering saves lives. Whether you volunteer to care for a litter of un-weaned orphaned kittens or give a dog a break from the stress of the kennel, you are making a difference in an animal's life. Fostering fills a critical gap.

As we approach the busiest season for our Animal Care Services (ACS) team, please consider lending your home to an animal in need! Change an animal's life by becoming an LBACS Foster today! Email petfoster@longbeach.gov and/or visit the ACS Foster page to learn more and apply!

Health & Human Services

News & Updates

Mobile Access Center - Updated April Schedule

The Mobile Access Center (MAC) vehicle is a form of street outreach that allows staff to begin the intake process on the street with people experiencing homelessness beyond the City's Multi-Service Center (MSC). See below for their current schedule.

California Dept of Transportation

News & Updates

CalTrans Seeks Comment on Draft Environmental Document for Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has begun the public comment period for the Vincent Thomas Bridge (State Route 47) deck replacement project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment (Draft EIR/EA), which includes results from technical and environmental studies, staff recommendations, and construction staging options, among other information and data. Public comment will last 90 days, ending on July 15, 2024.

This public feedback opportunity is part of the project’s environmental phase, determines a project’s potential environmental and community impacts. Public feedback gathered during this 90-day comment period will be evaluated by Caltrans staff to help inform staff decisions and recommendations for construction staging and detour routes, among other project operations.

In addition, Caltrans welcomes public input at any time, regardless of whether the public comment period is open. However, public comments received after July 15, 2024, will not be included as a public record in the final environmental impact report.

Learn more about the project and how to comment by visiting the project website.

CA Ocean Protection Council

News & Updates

Call for Nominations: Tribal Scientists for Offshore Wind Environmental Monitoring Guidance

The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF), in partnership with the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), is soliciting nominations for tribal scientists to contribute to the development of environmental monitoring guidance for offshore wind.

OPC and CMSF invite nominations for tribal scientists with expertise in one or more of the following subject areas: (a) Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles, (b) Fish Ecology, (c) Seabirds and Bats, and (d) Habitats and Ecosystems (including oceanographic and atmospheric conditions), as well as cross-cutting topics including (e) Data Integration and Sharing, and (f) Climate Change.

For more information on eligibility and the nomination process, please view the official call for nominations. Ideally, nominations should be submitted by May 31, 2024, but OPC will review and accept nominations on an ongoing basis throughout the two-year project.

Other Local Events:

Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine to Celebrate Older American’s Month During May

The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will celebrate Older American’s Month, recognized nationally each May, by offering a wide variety of free activities throughout the city for adults ages 50 and above.

During the month of May, adults ages 50+ can enjoy a wide range of events and activities taking place throughout Long Beach, including art workshops, basketball and swimming competitions, field trips, enrichment activities, dinner and dance, job fairs, and a talent show.

LEARN MORE...

24th Annual KJLH Women’s Health Expo Celebrates 35 Years of Black Infant Health Program

The KJLH Women’s Health Expo, one of the largest health events for women in Southern California, will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the Long Beach Convention Center (300 E Ocean Blvd.).

The annual event will be sponsored by the Black Infant Health Program (BIH) Long Beach/Fresno. This year’s Expo will highlight the BIH Program’s significant 35-year milestone of unwavering commitment to providing culturally affirming services to Black women, birthing persons and their families across California.

LEARN MORE...

Long Beach Airport Sets New Passenger Traffic Record

Long Beach Airport (LGB) has reached a new milestone, setting an all-time monthly record for the most passengers to board flights from LGB during its 100-year history.

A total of 182,382 passengers departed from LGB in March 2024, surpassing the previous record of 178,836 enplanements set in July 2018. Measuring enplaned passengers is the industry standard because the majority of airport revenues are generated directly or indirectly from enplaned passengers.

LEARN MORE...

City Announces Grand Marshals for 2024 Long Beach Pride Parade

The City of Long Beach announced today the grand marshals for the 41st annual Long Beach Pride Parade, taking place Sunday, May 19, 2024. This year’s parade, with the theme Rhythm and Rainbows, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon.

Led by the grand marshals, Long Beach Pride Parade will feature over 130 participating organizations, business and stakeholder groups showcasing a variety of vibrant and engaging floats and displays.

The parade will commence at Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue then travel along iconic stretches of Ocean Boulevard to Alamitos Avenue in Downtown.

LEARN MORE...

New Solar Canopies Shine Among Sustainability Efforts at Long Beach Airport

Underscoring the City of Long Beach’s commitment to environmental stewardship, two large solar canopy installations were recently installed and are now fully operational on top of the parking structures at Long Beach Airport (LGB), where City officials gathered today for Earth Day to celebrate the completion of the sustainable project.

The new panels at LGB are part of the Citywide Solar Project, a Department of Public Works program to install solar canopies at 11 locations throughout the City.

LEARN MORE...