AHIA Spring 2015 Newsletter - Alamitos Heights Improvement

Spring 2015
Alamitos Heights
Improvement Association
Come to the Annual AHIA Community
Picnic — June 14
It’s back and more fun than ever.
Mark your calendars! Our annual
AHIA picnic, for all of our 800+
Alamitos Heights residents, is
just around the corner. You
won’t want to miss this fun family and community event. Join us
for an energy-filled afternoon
with family and friends and
neighbors, old and new.
The Picnic will be at Alamitos
Heights Park by the Colorado Lagoon between Colorado and Vermont on Orlena Street starting at
12:00 noon, June 14th.
All food and activities are FREE to
AHIA members who have paid their 2015 dues. You
will be able to pay your $30 dues at the picnic
check-In booth. For non-members and guests, the
cost is $10/person. Additional donations are always
appreciated so we can continue this great event
year after year.
The day will kick off with a 1K children's Fun Run
and a 5K run for those wanting more distance.
There will be a delicious BBQ, soft drinks, shaved
ice, fun music, face painting, balloon figure souvenirs, contests, and games for kids and adults. And,
lots of raffles with a chance to win awesome gift
cards and other great prizes. Each family receives
a free raffle ticket and you can purchase additional
tickets to increase your chances.
2015 AHIA Membership—Join Today
Thank you to everyone who has joined AHIA. Thank you also to those who provided an additional donation. Your dues and donations allow us to provide our Annual Picnic (free to all members) and Fun
Run, Lagoon Tree Lighting, extra summer concerts, and the newsletter. All for only $30 for the entire
household. There’s still time to join. Send your $30 check (made payable to AHIA) to: AHIA, PO BOX
14571, Long Beach, CA 90853. And, don’t forget to provide your e-mail address on the membership
form to stay up-do-date with Alamitos Heights email blasts! If you need any additional information, or
have misplaced your membership form, please visit our website.
Visit the website for more information - www.AHIA.info
Page 2
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
President's Letter
AHIA recently hosted the third of its Community
Meetings since September and all have been well
attended, informative, and have sparked keen
discussion, debate, and action items. As a result
of these meetings residents were willing to roll
up their sleeves and work to obtain solutions to
issues that were identified. This outcome
achieved our goal and intent of the Community
Meeting: Stay Informed and Get Involved.
At our first meeting in October, Councilwoman
Suzie Price provided an overview of the proposed 6th Street Bike Path and the Belmont Pool
revision. Mr. Stephen O'Kane gave an overview
of the AES Project (formerly known as the Edison
plant off Studebaker & Loynes).
The next meeting in February addressed overall
traffic patterns in our neighborhood. Mr. Steve
Tweed, for the city of Long Beach, further discussed the elements and timelines for the 6th
Street Bike Path Project and more specifically,
the placement of the roundabouts. As a result of
the lively debate, a group of residents successfully rallied to have an additional roundabout placed
at the intersection of Flint and 6th Street.
At our most recent Community Meeting on April
23, there were two presenters. Mr. Matthew
Faulkner, Executive Director of the Community
Hospital Long Beach Foundation, highlighted the
ongoing improvements within the hospital's
emergency department. Mr. Michael Mais, Assistant City Attorney of Long Beach, provided a
past, present, and future look at the
Spring 2015
Compassionate Use Act Initiative of 1996, which,
through much interpretation, has now morphed
into the placement of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city. Germane to Alamitos
Heights is the potential placement of a dispensary in the “Iron Triangle” (across from Dunkin' Donuts).
There remain numerous issues yet to be answered, specifically relating to the unknown fiscal impact on our city, the impact of staffing on
our police department to oversee security issues
related to high-volume, all-cash businesses, and
the unknown impact on the safety of our neighborhood. I am not disputing the merits marijuana
can have on certain medical conditions, but I am
concerned about potential unintended consequences this industry may have on the place we
call home, unless these issues are sufficiently addressed by our council members.
According to Mr. Mais, over 99% of people attending meetings are in favor of the dispensaries.
I will be emailing the public meeting notices as
they are posted on the City's website to those
who attended the April 23rd meeting. If you
would like to be added to this list, please email
me at [email protected], or visit the City's
website at: longbeach.legistar.com/
Calendar.aspx
We are currently requesting topics for upcoming
community meetings, so please forward suggestions to me at [email protected].
Thank you for your support of the AHIA,
Roberta Smith
Page 3
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
Spring 2015
Calling Community-Spirited Neighbors – AHIA Board Nominations
Would you like to see our streets paved and our
sidewalks repaired? Interested in keeping Alamitos Heights safe? Do you enjoy the Lagoon Christmas Lights and a fabulous Summer Picnic or concerts in the Marina? Would you like to be better
informed of the goings-on in our community? If
you answered 'Yes' to any of these, then you may
be interested in becoming more involved as an
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association volunteer or board member.
ment, publicity & marketing, member recruitment,
community meetings, newsletter, or events, send
an email to [email protected] or regular mail to
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association, PO
Box 14571, Long Beach, CA 90853 with:
It's that time of year when we recruit volunteers
and/or board members. Among our many focuses
are safety, traffic and infrastructure, community
involvement, communication and events. The
commitment is approximately 2 hours per month.
Board meetings are held locally six times per year
on the 2nd Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Volunteer
committees are held on an ad hoc basis depending on the event or project.
Visit our website for more information
If you’re interested in serving as a board member,
or volunteering to assist with website develop-
Name, Position interested in: Board Member/
Volunteer
AHIA event or projects that interest you. Current
community involvement (if any)
Names will be placed on the ballot for voting at
the annual meeting, Sunday, June 14th at the annual picnic.
Deadline for submission is May 31, 2015. You may submit your
own name or a neighbor (with their permission) living in
Alamitos Heights. All board members are elected or reelected each year and may not serve more than six continuous years. All interested persons must be residents of Alamitos Heights and AHIA members at the time of election.
The AHIA
Community Yard
Sale is May 30
Start cleaning out those closets,
drawers, garages and turn them
into cash. Remember your trash is
someone else's treasure. And, for
all you shoppers, you know what great finds can be had right in
your own back yard.
AHIA will post signs and advertise the event. All you have to do is
gather your pre-owned treasures and have fun selling, chat with
neighbors, and even do some shopping.
Don’t forget to obtain a permit from the City, available online:
www.longbeach.gov/finance/business_relations/
garage_sales.asp. If your block gets together, you can get a
block permit for a reduced fee. For yard sale tips and pricing info, check out: www.garagesalestracker.com
Spring 2015
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
There’s Music, Food, Dancing –
Perfect Summer Evening
Page 4
AHIA Summer Concerts is Looking
for Bands
We
This year, we are taking suggestions on
bands. If you know of a band that would be
suitable for this venue, please submit the
following by May 28th to Tanya Wannemacher at [email protected]
Band name
Music genre (jazz, blues, rock, etc.)
Link or CD to hear their music sampling
have yet another year of musical memories at Marina
Band contact name, phone and/or email
Vista Park. Pack a picnic and your dancing shoes and get
ready for the AHIA sponsored summer soirée. Following
the wonderful tradition of the Long Beach Municipal Band Summer Concert series, hosted by the City of
Long Beach, AHIA will once again add two additional varietal bands in August to keep the fun rolling.
This is an excellent way to get to know your neighbors and enjoy a summer evening.
AHIA Sponsored Summer Concerts, Marine Stadium Park: August 6 and 13 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Alamitos Heights 6th Annual
5k Run/1K Kids fun Run
Calling all runners, joggers, and walkers! Sunday,
June 14, 2015 is this year’s 5K run. So get off the
couch and join neighbors for a run through our
beautiful neighborhood! Jogging strollers and
dogs on leashes are welcome. The 5k route will
be available on the day of the run or by email (see
below). We will also have direction markers on
the route. No pre-registration… just show up and
be ready to run/walk!
ners throughout the route with water and letting
runners know which way to go. If you’re available
to help the 5k run (8:45-10:30 a.m.) and/or the 1k
Kids fun run (11:15-12 p.m.), please contact Damian
Medina at [email protected] for more
information. Thank you and Happy Running!!
The 5K run starts at 9 a.m. and the 1k Kids fun run
starts at 11:30 a.m. to finish before the picnic begins. Meet at the corner of Orlena and Vermont,
at the northeast corner of Alamitos Heights
Neighborhood Park or look for our running banner. We could use volunteers to assist the run-
AHIA Newsletter is Going Digital
AHIA Newsletter is changing to provide more timely communication. Every 4-6 weeks, we’ll send email
newsletter covering up-to-date information. We’ll still be sending the hard copy newsletter to homes
twice a year. Get on the email list by sending your email address to [email protected].
Don’t miss out on what’s happening in your neighborhood. Stay connected—stay informed
Page 5
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
Spring 2015
Message from Councilwoman Suzie Price
Welcome to summer! I hope you are enjoying the
longer hours of daylight and all of the outdoor
amenities our City has to offer. On Sunday, April
26th I used my office holder account funds to host
a Third District Spring into Summer BBQ
and concert featuring the bands Dustbowl Revival
and Sawtooth. The event was a smashing success
with over 1,000 people in attendance. A big thank
you to the Long Beach Fire Fighter's Association who grilled over 600 hot dogs and hamburgers, Naples Rib Company who provided baked
beans, salad, and paper goods, local resident Hap
Wood who provided lemonade, and the Port of
Long Beach who provided bottled water. If I am
able to raise enough money in my office holder
account, we will make this an annual event. My
Office holder account monies were used to pay for
our middle school anti-bully workshop in the Fall
and our Small business workshop last month!
Over the last few months the Third District Field
Office was the site of the AHIA Community Meetings where residents of Alamitos Heights met to
discuss two important projects/topics, the 6th
Street Bike Boulevard and Medical Marijuana. The
6th Street Bike Boulevard is a two-mile long bike
boulevard that will extend from Bellflower Boulevard on the east to Junipero Avenue on the west.
This Bike Boulevard will provide an important connection between our East Long Beach neighborhoods and Cal State Long Beach to the Retro Row
and Downtown areas. Approximately 12 traffic circles are planned for the two mile stretch with
placements on 6th Street at Santiago Avenue, Havana Avenue, Ultimo Avenue, and Flint Avenue in
Alamitos Heights. On Saturday, April 25th the City
hosted a design charrette meeting to discuss landscaping for the traffic circles. The City is hoping to
go out to bid for this project in the fall with construction starting in April of 2016. We hope you
stay engaged in the process, in order to sign up for
project notifications please contact my office
at [email protected].
Finally, at the end of March the AHIA Community
Meeting heard from the City Attorney who gave
an update to Alamitos Heights’ residents on the
proposed Medical Marijuana ordinance. Last October the City’s Planning Commission approved a
52-page draft ordinance that goes into great detail about regulations required for potential operators who wish to open a dispensary and/or cultivation site. The proposed ordinance would limit the number of medical marijuana outlets in the City to 18. Due to buffer zones
created by schools, parks, libraries, and licensed
day care facilities the only area zoned
for potential Medical Marijuana retail store
fronts in the Third District would be the iron triangle, which is adjacent Alamitos Heights. In February the City Council assembled a citizen task
force to further study the draft ordinance and I
appointed two local residents Denise Mester, an
attorney, mother, and President of the Lowell
PTA and Sarah Sangmeister, an attorney, mother, and former Long Beach Parks and Recreation
Commissioner. Over the summer this issue is expected to come back to the City Council for a
vote, please share your feedback with me on this
important topic that directly impact the residents of Alamitos Heights.
Thanks you , Suzie Price
Spring 2015
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
Page 6
Mark Your Calendar for Live
Safely Community Event
Councilwoman Suzie
Price is sponsoring
Live Safely, an event
focusing on home
and personal safety
for the 3rd District. It
will be on Saturday
July 11, 2015 from
12:00-3:00 p.m. at the
Recreation Park Community Center, 4900
E. 7th Street. It’s a
family event, with the Long Beach Police Officers
Association grilling hotdogs.
Come to hear brief informational seminars on installing DIY security cameras, Community Watch,
crime trends, how to protect against fraud and
identity theft, using online and mobile banking
safely, and choosing quality door locks. The initial
list of speakers includes LBPD, OneWest Bank,
Kwikset lock manufacturer, Lowes, and Best Buy.
There will also be information on CERT
(Community
Emergency
Response
Training),
Community
Watch, and
child car seat
safety.
Stay tuned
for more information on
this first-time
community
event that
will pay off in
building personal and
home safety.
National Night Out is designed to increase safety, while bringing back a true sense of community. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighbors celebrate in 16,124 communities from all fifty states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide.
Earlier this year, in the spirit of NNO, Sally and
Gary Meyerhofer hosted a casual gathering on
their porch for neighbors on Ultimo as part of
the
block’s
community
watch
program.
The purpose
was to
get to
know
neighbors, exchange ideas, and show a visible
presence on the street to those looking for a target. How does it work? It’s easy. On August 4th,
let your neighbors know you'll be sitting outside,
or go for a walk and meet neighbors. But no
need to wait for NNO, with the weather being
so good, start the ball rolling and host a gathering —build community, increase safety, and
have fun doing it.
Help with AHIA Electronic
Newsletter
We’re taking the AHIA newsletter digital and we
could use some help. Do you know about creating and publishing electronic newsletters? Interested in keeping people informed? Enjoy writing?
Please contact us at [email protected].
If you would be interested in working on our twice
per year print newsletter, we are always looking
for writers and ideas for articles.
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association
Spring 2015
Page 7
Welcome Commander Liz Griffin
Alamitos Heights has a new LBPD
commander. Commander Liz
Griffin recently took leadership of
the East Division Station where
she manages over 100 police
officers and administrative staff
to address the needs of a diverse community.
She joined Long Beach Department in 1992. Since
starting her career she has worked all Patrol Divisions, was a Field Training Officer, Violent Crimes
Detective, Youth Services Detective, Administrative Sergeant, Internal Affairs Sergeant, Watch
Commander for patrol, the Contract Services Lieutenant, the Administrative Lieutenant to the Deputy Chief of Patrol, and the Commander for the Security Services Division. Clearly, she brings a broad
range of experience to the role.
Commander Griffin holds a Bachelor Degree in
Criminal Justice from California State University of
Fullerton, and a Master of Science Degree in Emergency Services Administration from California
State University of Long Beach. Her hobbies include spending time with her family (partner and
two children), softball, hiking, mountain biking,
and camping. She also enjoys photography and
volunteers at community events and fundraisers,
including being a volunteer referee for Long Beach
AYSO and a JV softball coach at Millikan High
School. She describes herself as a servant leader
who believes partnerships are the best way to accomplish a goal.
both the 40-piece ensemble and the 18-piece with
singer after intermission. It is a wonderful family
event and dogs are welcome. Bring your picnic
baskets to a concert by the water under the stars.
Long Beach Municipal Band Summer
Concerts, Marine Stadium Park:
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Long Beach Municipal Band
Launches Its 106th Year
Did you know our Long Beach Municipal Band is
the only city band in America now operating as a
city sponsored band? Our band was actually sponsored in our city council annual budget by the
wisdom of our city leaders that began in 1909.
This year, 2015, is their 106th season of providing
summer enjoyment and performing at special city
events such as the Long Beach Port 100 year celebration in summer 2011. Our city band also played
at the Long Beach Port opening on June 24th 1911.
still remember the welcome band activity
during World War II when our military came
home from defending our nation.
In the band’s long history, there have been only
nine conductors. The current conductor, Larry
Curtis, has led the band for over 17 years. He has
had a distinguished career in university music performance and achieved acclaim as a professional
conductor. Larry has raised the artistic level of
the band performance and broadened the music
presented to cover all venues and interest levels.
Larry has also led an effort to keep the band alive
since the band budget was removed from general funds and has to depend on other city
sources.
Our city band will be at Marine Stadium Park on
Thursdays in July. All concerts are free and donations at intermission are appreciated to help keep
the concerts going. Music themes vary weekly for
Continued on the left
Alamitos Heights
Improvement Association
P.O. BOX 14571
Long Beach, CA 90853
www.AHIA.info
Creating a Community
To g e t h e r
Special thanks to the Alamitos
Heights residents who
contributed to this issue:

Catherine Foster

Gary Morrison

Bill Thomas

Roberta Smith

Tanya Wannemacher
Yesmean Rihbany, Editor
If you would like to get
involved, email
[email protected]
Thank You
Advertisers for
Supporting AHIA
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