September 2010 - Development Services

English as Second Language Classes
On September 1, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 & 30, 2010, the Willmore Police Center provided
English as Second Language (ESL) classes in partnership of Friend’s House Literacy
Center and volunteers. This class for beginning English speakers is provided free of
charge to participants. Approximately one hundred and twenty-five (125) students
participated in this month. The lessons focus on learning basic English for every day life
including ABCs and 123s, personal description, food, family relationship, weather, colors
and more. Every day, the students receive an important vocabulary word with definition
and pronunciation. It’s very remarkable how elder adults and new immigrants have the
enthusiasm to learn a new language.
This is a one-year class conducted every Monday and Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30
p.m. at the Willmore Community Center located on 910 Daisy Avenue. These classes
have been provided since 1994 to the present thanks to the support of Neighborhood
Services Bureau and Friends’ House Literacy Center, a non-profit organization.
For more information about the ESL classes and the Willmore neighborhood,
contact
Teresa
Gonzalez
at
(562)
570-1146
or
[email protected].
please
e-mail
Meet Commander Joseph Stilinovich
Willmore Community Police Center
On September 1, 2010 the Willmore CPC hosted a community meeting to meet the Long
Beach Police Department South Division new Commander.
Commander Joseph Stilinovich, newly appointed Commander to the Long Beach Police
Department’s South Division, gave an overview of the division and area.
In addition, Corinne Swart, Long Beach Police Department Analyst, provided with a
slide show presentation with updated crime statistics and Mary Antunez, Police Services
Specialist, presented information about Community Oriented Public Safety.
More than forty-five people including community leaders and business owners had the
opportunity to exchange information and discussion directly to the Commander and his
staff with translation assistance provided by the Neighborhood Services Bureau.
With this meeting, the Willmore residents had the opportunity to meet Commander
Stilinovich and his staff to work together to improve the quality of life and how to live in a
safer neighborhood.
Willmore City Heritage Association representatives presented retired Officer Jerry
Lomeli with an award as the Honorary Sheriff of Willmore City to thank him for his many
years of service to the community as a patrol officer and later assisting residents at the
Willmore Community Police Center.
For more information, please contact Teresa Gonzalez at (562) 570-1146 or e-mail
[email protected].
Social Service Grant Supports
Connecting the Unconnected: Computer Lab Opened
The Social Service Grant Program (SSG) was first established in 1986 by the Long
Beach City Council to encourage the development of innovative programs to address
unmet and emerging social service needs of low-income Long Beach residents. The
program also serves to supplement critical health and social services for underserved
populations that are presently under-funded. The Social Service Grant Program is
supported by Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and
administered by the Neighborhood Services Bureau. In FY 2010, $200,000 was
available in support for this program for nonprofits.
The City of Long Beach’s Social Service Grant of $9,986.00 and matching funds paved
the way for nine computers and a heavy duty printer which are being used by low income
and homeless lab users through a project entitled “Connecting the Unconnected: A
Computer Lab”. Christian Outreach in Action (COA)’s new computer lab is a shining
example of their growing efforts to address the needs of their clients.
Opened in the Spring of 2010, the goal is to make sure that each client has an email
account and can use the Internet. The lab is open four afternoons a week from 2:00 p.m.
– 4:30 p.m. and plan are underway to extend into evening hours with a focus on Spanishspeaking clients on Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Another lab open is to
all on Tuesday evenings. Individual assistance is available and no experience is required
for computer access.
Volunteers range from computer science students at CSULB to an Information
Technology Manager interested in reaching out to the community. A technology-savvy
COA transition house client coordinates the computer activities. The advisory committee
has representation from Long Beach’s Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment
Network and a long-term goal is to connect lab users with that advanced job
placement/skill training agency.
City of Long Beach, Social Service Grant
Connecting the Unconnected: Computer Lab Opened
(Continued)
So far, some of the users have reached out to relatives they had not contacted for years.
Others have learned how to access and fill out needed forms from various organizations
and others use the lab to look for work positions. Interviews have occurred through the
resumes written and the contacts identified through computer searches. All of these
factors underscore that the lab has helped provide more options and possibilities for the
clients of COA.
A beautiful plaque sums up the COA computer lab’s purpose:
Connecting the Un-Connected
This computer laboratory is dedicated to the men, women and children of Long Beach
who come through these doors for the help that we are dedicated to providing for them.
With the tools in this room you can continue to learn, communicate and even teach
others. May you use these resources with wisdom.
The lab welcomes volunteers and new equipment is welcome. Guests are welcome to
visit COA.
For more information on the Christian Outreach in Action or the Connecting the
Unconnected Computer Lab, please contact Dixie Dohrmann at (562) 432-1440 or via
e-mail at [email protected].
You can visit them online at
www.coalongbeach.org For more information on the City of Long Beach Social Service Grant, please contact
Suzan Simaan at (562) 570-5087 or e-mail [email protected].
Home Improvement Rebate Program
September Home Makeover in the Spotlight
The Home Improvement Rebate Program provides a maximum reimbursement of up to
$2,000.00 per parcel to property owners of single-family and multi-unit buildings in ten
Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) areas and three Housing Assistance
Program areas to improve the exterior of their properties. The eligible improvements
include exterior paint, window replacement, front door replacement and rehabilitation,
fascia/trim replacement and rehabilitation.
This program is funded through the
Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Community Development Block
Grant and Set-Aside Redevelopment Housing funding and administered by the
Neighborhood Services Bureau.
Before
After
When the homeowner submitted her reimbursement paperwork for a $2,000 rebate for the
improvements made to her home in the South Wrigley Neighborhood Improvement
Strategy area, she stated that her house looked beautiful! The work completed included
exterior paint, new garage door, a front screen door and new window trim.
The homeowner decided to invest an additional $7,000 to improve her property and was
genuinely pleased with her decision. She now has renewed pride in her property and has
received many compliments from her neighbors.
For more information about the Home Improvement Rebate Program, please contact
Karen Pruett at (562) 570-1010 or e-mail [email protected].
Hellman Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
Franklin Classical Middle School
Parent Orientation Day
ESL Program
On Thursday, September 2, 2010, Franklin
Classical Middle School’s new Principal
Maria Pilar Perossio and staff hosted an
orientation session for parents of more than
three
hundred
new
students.
The
English/Spanish presentation included a clear
and specific outline of the school’s
regulations, policies and expectations for
Franklin Classical Middle School students.
Franklin Classical Middle School is working in
collaboration with the City of Long Beach’s
Neighborhood Services Bureau, the Long
Beach Public Library Foundation and Long Beach Public Library to provide for
second year in a row the English as Second Language (ESL) program and laboratory at
the school.
The Neighborhood Services Bureau’s Gonzalo Sanchez attended this event to
introduce the ESL program and laboratory and to inform parents about community
improvement programs, services and opportunities available in the community. Six
parents signed up for the ESL class during the event.
The City of Long Beach’s Neighborhood Services Bureau and the Anaheim Street
Community Police Center gave a warm welcome to Principal Maria Pilar Perossio and
Assistant Principals Angelica Gonzalez and Wendy Sowinski to the Hellman NIS
Area.
For information about the Hellman NIS area or ESL program, please contact Gonzalo
Sanchez at (562) 570-1114 or e-mail [email protected].
Signs, Banners,
Shopping Carts and Graffiti
Removed from the Corridors
Neighborhood Services Bureau staff make patrols of several business corridors to
remove illegally posted signs, report abandoned shopping carts, and report graffiti in an
on-going effort to maintain a beautiful city.
In FY 2010, the Neighborhood Services Bureau successfully removed 6,954 signs from
the city’s public right of way and reported 598 shopping carts for retrieval. Three
hundred and thirty three properties (residential, commercial and public property) that
had been vandalized with graffiti were referred to the Graffiti Abatement Hotline at
(562) 570-2773. Thirteen signs and banners, which had code violations, were reported
to Code Enforcement.
For more information, please contact Juan Bucio at (562) 570-1100 or e-mail
[email protected]. For the North Long Beach area, please contact Chantara
Nop at (562) 570-8280 or e-mail [email protected].
Anaheim Street Community Police Center (APC)
MacArthur Park/Whittier School NIS Area
Neighborhood Clean-Up
On Saturday, September 18, 2010, the Neighborhood Services Bureau’s Anaheim Street
Community Police Center (APC) and residents living along the 1300 block of Gaviota
Avenue sponsored a neighborhood clean-up in the MacArthur Park/Whittier School
Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area.
The event took place from 8:00 a.m. to noon at
1320 Gaviota Avenue. Nine tons of trash, debris
and household furniture were removed from the
area. Fifteen residents and business owners
participated in the event. They came out to work
together to improve the physical appearance of
their neighborhood.
For more information about the MacArthur Park/Whittier School NIS Area, please contact
Bryant S. Ben at (562) 570-1691 or e-mail [email protected].
Hellman Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
Franklin Classical Middle School
Back to School Night
On Tuesday, September 28, 2010, Franklin Classical Middle School hosted its “Back to
School Night” event. The Neighborhood Services Bureau and other community
agencies hosted informational tables during the event.
The event provided an excellent venue to inform parents about the School’s English as
Second Language (ESL) laboratory program for adults offered through a partnership by
Neighborhood Services Bureau, the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and
Franklin Middle School. Sixteen parents registered for the ESL program during the
event.
Additionally, information about the City of Long Beach Anaheim Street
Community Police Center (APC) and Neighborhood Services Bureau programs and
services were distributed among attendees.
Community outreach events presented at local schools are part of the APC’s efforts to
increase public safety and promote neighborhood improvement programs in the Hellman
NIS Area and South Division’s neighborhoods.
A special thank you to Franklin Classical Middle School Principal, Maria Pilar
Perossio for extending the invitation to NSB and APC staff to take part in this important
community event.
For more information about the Hellman NIS area or ESL program, please call Gonzalo
Sanchez at (562) 570-1114 or e-mail [email protected].
St. Mary Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
Neighborhood Clean-Up
On Saturday, September 11, 2010, residents living along the 1000 block of Olive Avenue
and the Anaheim Street Community Police Center (APC) sponsored a neighborhood
clean-up in the St. Mary NIS area. The event took place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at
1061 Olive Avenue.
Twenty-nine community members took part in this community improvement effort.
Additionally, eight Community Service Workers assigned by the City of Long Beach
Prosecutor’s Office Community Service Program provided valuable support for the
event. Three Long Beach Poly High School students participated and completed
hours of their forty hours of mandatory High School Community Service.
This event provided an opportunity for community
members to work together to improve the visual
aesthetics of the alley located between Olive Avenue
and Myrtle Avenue from 10th Street to Anaheim Street.
Volunteers collected nine tons of trash, debris and
dumped items and completely filled one industrial size
dumpster. Five property maintenance violations
were identified during the event and referred to the
Code Enforcement South Division.
Special thanks to resident Thomas Hamilton for hosting the event and providing light
refreshments and hot dogs for all the volunteers.
For information about the Hellman NIS area, please contact Gonzalo Sanchez at (562)
570-1114 or e-mail [email protected].
Willmore Community Police Center
at Safety Youth Fair
On September 18, 2010, the Willmore Community Police Center participated in a
Youth Safety Fair at Drake Park. The Community Partners Council (CPC) organized
this fair. Park staff conducted a workshop for youth title, “THE STAR IN YOU” to help
participants to discover the potential in each youth and how they can reach their goals.
For the parents, the event provided valuable information in violence prevention and
character education. Twenty-five parents and twenty-eight youth attended the forum
and learned simple techniques to better communicate in a productive and safe place for
youth and parents.
The Willmore Community Police Center supported this project in the planning process,
and outreach, engaged non-profits organizations and other City Departments and hosted
a booth with information about the Willmore Community Police Center and
Neighborhood Services Bureau programs and services.
The Long Beach Fire Department donated more than 200 hotdogs. Friends’ of Drake
Park, a non-profit neighborhood organization, donated hundreds of books for the
children in the neighborhood. It was a full day of fun, music, skateboarding activity, and
arts and crafts and a drawing opportunity for all the neighbors to enjoy that wonderful day.
For more information please contact Teresa Gonzalez at (562) 570-1146 or email
[email protected].
Willmore Community Police Center
Raising a Reader Program Kick-off
On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, the Willmore Community Police Center in a
partnership with the Long Beach Library Foundation and the Long Beach Public
Library held the 12th session of the Raising a Reader Program. Twenty families
signed up for this excellent program and about thirty-two kids will be reading beautiful
books. This is a twelve-week program to prepare children for kindergarden and
contributes to early literacy. Spending quality time reading with kids helps to start a
reading habit as a family.
Parents make the difference in giving their children the necessary skills for school success
from the very beginning and it is a powerful motivation when children reach school. The
Raising a Reader Program provides a fun and unique book bag. Part of this educational
program includes a field trip to the library to explore a variety of books for children, obtain
library cards and learn about library services available for the entire family.
This community literacy program is provided through the Long Beach Public Library
Foundation, Long Beach Public Library, and City of Long Beach Neighborhood
Services Bureau’s Willmore Police Center.
For more Information about the Raising a Reader Program, please contact Teresa
Gonzalez at (562) 570-1146 or e-mail [email protected].
Neighborhood Clean-Up & Tree Planting
In Remembrance of 9/11
On September 11, 2010, the Neighborhood Services Bureau assisted the Sixth
District Councilman Dee Andrews in their 9/11 Commemoration clean-up working with
residents of Pine Avenue, Locust Avenue and 20th Street in the South Wrigley
Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area to help maintain their streets and
alleys.
Volunteers removed nine tons of trash from the streets and alleys. Residents learned
about the Neighborhood Services Bureau resources such as the Neighborhood
Clean-Up Assistance Program, Urban Forestry Program, the Long Beach Gang
Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (LB GRIP) program and the Code
Enforcement Department during the resource fair held after the clean-up.
In remembrance of 9/11, volunteers planted 18 trees on Pine Avenue.
Neighborhood Clean-Up & Tree Planting
In Remembrance of 9/11
(Continued)
Councilman Dee Andrews commemorated a tree and invited residents to work together
to maintain a clean and safe neighborhood. Families shook hands with Councilman Dee
Andrews, officers of the Long Beach Police Department West Division and the Long
Beach Fire Department. The children who attended had fun playing at the Mobile
Recreation Park.
For information about the South Wrigley NIS area, please contact Juan Bucio at (562)
570-1100 or e-mail [email protected].
Cherry-Temple Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
West East-Side Community Association (WESCA)
Orizaba Park - Neighborhood Clean-Up #115
On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the West East-Side Community Association
(WESCA), hosted their 115th monthly neighborhood clean-up in Orizaba Park with
Neighborhood Services Bureau, 4th District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell, the
Long Beach Police Department, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and
Litter-Free Long Beach.
Before
The clean-up volunteers met at Orizaba Park, on Orizaba
Avenue between Anaheim Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
Thirty volunteers including WESCA member -- and
Community Development Advisory Commissioner -- Jan
Ward, Councilman Patrick O’Donnell and his staff, Society
of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Los Angeles, Constance
D. Oden known as “Connie, Community Services
Supervisor” from the Department of Parks, Recreation and
Marine, Hermanos Unidos from Cal State University of
Long Beach, AmeriCorps and local regular volunteers
Roger Burgess, R. Mike Wilson, King Head were out early
on the neighborhood streets, park, sidewalks and alleys in a
united effort to clean up the Cherry-Temple Neighborhood
from illegally dumped items, hazardous material, trash and debris.
After
Cherry-Temple Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
West East-Side Community Association (WESCA)
Orizaba Park - Neighborhood Clean-Up #115
(Continued)
In addition, 4th District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell, commemorated WESCA for its
115th neighborhood clean-up, making WESCA the longest active neighborhood clean-up
organization in the City of Long Beach and for the valuable contributions made to the
Fourth District. Parks, Recreation, & Marine were leading free activities, including
board games, arts & crafts for the kids enjoyment.
The Neighborhood Services Bureau, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, and
Long Beach Police Department volunteered to ensure this to be a safe and successful
event. Over 15 tons of trash and debris were collected on this sunny day. Four graffiti
spots were called in to the Graffiti Hotline at (562) 570-2773.
Cherry-Temple Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
West East-Side Community Association (WESCA)
Orizaba Park - Neighborhood Clean-Up #115
(Continued)
Following the clean up, a free barbecue was provided to all volunteers and the community.
A special thanks to the Long Beach Police Officers Association (POA) who cooked
two hundred hot-dogs and Casey Carver who
takes charge of the barbeque and to additional
sponsors Kym and Phil Cloughesy, Sandy and
Bernie Stinton and Sandy Fox. This was a
wonderful opportunity for neighborhood residents
to meet each other and discuss concerns and
solutions to issues affecting the Cherry-Temple
Neighborhood.
The barbecue has been
instrumental in generating community grassroots
involvement in making this Long Beach
neighborhood a better place to live.
For more information about the Cherry-Temple Improvement Strategy (NIS) area,
please contact Griselda Barba-Perez, the Cherry-Temple NIS Coordinator at (562)
570-6049 or e-mail [email protected].
Hellman Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
North Alamitos Beach Association (NABA)
Community Improvement Forum
On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, NABA, working in collaboration with the Anaheim
Street Community Police Center (APC), held its monthly community improvement forum
at the Long Beach Senior Center.
Guest speakers included Mark Magdaleno,
newly appointed Second City Council
District Office Field Deputy, who provided
a very informative report about events and
activities taking place in the second district.
LBPD, South Division, Lieutenant Joe
Cook provided the group an overview of
safety and crime trends for his south division
neighborhoods. He informed the audience
that garage burglaries are one of the most
common crimes in the area. He encouraged
everyone to keep his or her garage locked
all the time. Additionally, Lt. Cook offered
community leaders and business owners in
attendance the opportunity to exchange information about their safety concerns.
David Woods, South Division, Code Enforcement Inspector, provided a Hellman NIS
area Community Code Enforcement (CCE) Program monthly property maintenance
update and addressed numerous questions regarding property maintenance and code
violations.
Forty-one property maintenance reports were filed at the meeting.
Gretchen Swanson of “Taking Back Seventh Street” presented a nice slide show
outlining how concerned residents and business partners are working together to improve
7th Street between Redondo Avenue and Alamitos Avenue. Tony Damico and Angela
Escamillas of Long Beach Time Exchange (LBTE) discussed how Long Beach
residents could “bank” volunteer hours with LBTE and exchange those hours for work to
be done later at their homes or for their organizations.
Hellman Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
North Alamitos Beach Association (NABA)
Community Improvement Forum
(Continued)
Burbank Elementary/Rose Park Restoration Faire, Latin American Parade/Festival, NABA
Beautification Boundaries Grant, and 1900 East Beverly Way neighborhood clean up and
other important issues were also discussed. This community improvement forum is part of
APC’s efforts to make the Hellman NIS Area safer and improve its livability. NABA and
the APC gave a warm welcome to Mark Magdaleno.
Special thanks to David Clement, Neighborhood Leadership Program Alumni, and
NABA’s President for putting together and facilitating the event. The next NABA
community improvement forum is scheduled for Wednesday, October 27, 2010, at the
Long Beach Senior Center.
For more information about the Hellman NIS Area, NABA and CCE please contact
Gonzalo Sanchez at (562) 570-1114 or e-mail [email protected].
Lower West
Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) area
Neighborhood Clean-Up
A very successful clean up was held on Saturday, September 11, 2010, to eliminate trash
and blight in the Lower West Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) area. This cleanup was organized by the Madres Unidas Group and community members from the area,
which consist the Census Blocks Group 5729.00 where 85% of the residents fall into the
low/moderate income category. Event boundaries were from Santa Fe Avenue to 710
Freeway and from Pacific Coast Highway to 20th Street. Public Works’ Environmental
Services Bureau provided a powered rear loader refuse truck to collect and compress
illegal dumped items at the alleys between these boundaries and collected more than
nine tons of trash.
The volunteers focused their efforts at the Paseo de las Mariposas Court that includes a
beautiful but neglected mural that was covered with weeds and trash. Thirty-four
neighborhood volunteers participated in this neighborhood clean-up. The Lower West
residents will continue working together to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood.
For more information please contact Teresa Gonzalez at (562) 570-1146 or e-mail
[email protected].
North Long Beach Neighborhood Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area
Neighborhood Clean-Up
On Saturday, September 11, 2010, staff from the Neighborhood Services Bureau (NSB)
organized a neighborhood clean-up within the North Long Beach Neighborhood
Improvement Strategy (NIS) Area. The event took place at 6900 Muriel Avenue from
8:00 a.m. to noon.
Fifty-three volunteers came out to support this effort. The volunteers, with the support of
NSB staff, collected nine tons of trash, debris, and large items.
For more information about the North Long Beach NIS Area, please contact Chantara
Nop at (562) 570-8280 or e-mail [email protected].