The 3rd District news & updates
May | 2021
Upcoming Events
City of Long Beach Council Meetings
Tuesdays @ 5:00PM

Friends of Bixby Park Monthly Cleanups
Saturday May 8th, 2021 @ 9AM-11AM

2021 API Leadership Awards
Deadline: May 13th, 2021

Edison International Lineworker Scholarship Program
Deadline: May 19th, 2021

Community Meeting on Long Beach Non-Profit Organizations
May 20th

Belmont Heights "Last Saturday of the Month" Drive-Thru
May 29th, 2021

2021 Propeller Club of LA-LB Scholarship Application
Deadline: July 30th
Councilwoman Suzie Price
Greetings!
Happy May! Have you noticed that everything around us is opening back up? It’s an exciting, yet fast paced time for every sector in our community. Here are some highlights: 

There is so much happening all around us in District 3 and our economy is quickly getting back on track. We do have a long way to go, however, so please continue to support your local businesses as they build their work forces back up and resume their operations.
We are working closely with neighborhood associations on their priorities as we resume some level of normalcy in the city. Many people have asked us about concerts and we are working hard to determine when we will be permitted to host concerts again, and under what conditions. Please continue to look at our regular email updates to learn about what activities are opening up. We want to make sure we are following all precautions as we start to open up our community engagement efforts.
The Long Beach Convention Center is currently housing migrant children who are going through the reunification process. Starting in late August, however, they will start to host meetings and events, which is very exciting for the City. The COVID pandemic has severely impacted convention and tourism in the city and our hope is that the opening of the economy will bring back much of that business, even if it is reimagined and includes more “virtual” components.
The Port of Long Beach is seeing higher container volumes than in the past, which supports the belief that consumer demand for goods is at an all-time high.  As the Chair of the newly created Port, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was pleased to hear from the Port’s Executive Director, Mario Cordero, at our meeting last week. He discussed the positive impacts of our newly built bridge and other infrastructure projects, which have paved the way for big ships with large cargo volumes to call on our port. The congestion you see along the water is a sign of just how many big ships are waiting to unload at both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.
Our District 3 team is back to work in our city offices. We have been working on some active projects over the past month. We have two new play areas being completed along the bike path on the beach. They are at the Junipero and Granada concession stands. We opened the Junipero playground last month and saw a high level of interest. We recently had to close it temporarily to do some necessary warranty work on the structures. We hope to open it soon. We also have new basketball courts at Junipero which are being used on a daily basis.

Our construction for the new Recreation Park playground will get underway very soon. It’s going to have a skate component! We also expect to see the start of construction for the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel project this summer.
I am running around everywhere nowadays. I have been hosting coffee meetings at Ubuntu, meeting with residents and city staff every day, and conducting site visits to various business corridors, parks, and beaches around the clock. I can tell you that there is lots of positive buzz in the air. More than I have felt in over a year. Hallelujah! I am happy to report that many residents stop me to declare, “we are on other side” of the pandemic and we are all working together to keep it that way by promoting vaccinations and taking necessary precautions. 

I wish you all the best in the coming month. Please reach out anytime if you want to talk to me. My personal email address is: suzie@suzieAprice.com.

In friendship and gratitude,
Suzie Price
3rd District Councilwoman
3rd District Community News
Long Beach Enters States Yellow Tier
Last week Long Beach, along with all of Los Angeles County, officially entered the State's Yellow Tier. This is the least restrictive of the State's required tiers, and means encouraging progress is being made on reducing the spread of COIVD-19. This means a number of changes to the state required guidelines on business operations and gatherings.

For more information on the Yellow Tier changes to various business types, and activities click the link below:
COVID-19 Update
  • 53,082 total positive results 
  • Increase in 25 cases since yesterday
  • Seven-day positivity rate: 1.3%
  • 3.1 seven-day case rate per 100K population
  • 932 fatalities
  • 35 Long Beach residents hospitalized with COVID-19
  • 25 total COVID-19 hospitalizations in area hospitals (Long Beach Memorial Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center, College Medical Center, Lakewood Regional Medical Center and Los Alamitos Medical Center)
  • Approximately 51,792 recovered (Please note that, for low-risk patients recovering at home, recovery data is self-reported) 
  • 783,325 total tests conducted
  • Information as of May 6

For more details and graphs, click the link below:
Mother's Day
The month of May brings many celebrations, including Mother’s Day taking place on May 13th, 2021! Whether you are staying in or going out, here are a few activities we suggest to celebrate with an important woman in your life:
Indoors: 
Bake some sweet treats 
Host an at-home spa day
Make breakfast in bed
Create a few crafts
Host a movie marathon or game night
Outdoors: 
Have a day at the beach
Go on a walk or have a family picnic at a local park
Support a local long beach restaurant for Brunch or Dinner
In all these activities, we encourage you to follow the current Health Orders and maintain safe social-distancing practices. You can find more information here. We hope you have a happy and healthy Mother’s Day this year!
Mollie Wilson
3rd District Legislative Assistant
Belmont Shore Beach Parking Lot Improvements on the Way
As we enter the summer months, where our beaches become more active and our nights are warmer to be out, Councilwoman Price has been working with our Public Works Department to make sure our beach parking lots are safe and secure. With the goal of reducing any kind of nuisance activity that may occur in the overnight hours, a gate is being added to the entrance to the Granada parking lot to stop cars from being able to enter once the beaches are closed. This project has been a priority for the Councilwoman because we want to make sure these locations do not create attractive nuisances for the community and lead to additional problems in the area. This project is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
Jack Cunningham
3rd District Chief of Staff
Beach Concession Stand Playgrounds
For those of you with kids or grandkids, or are just young at heart, our beaches have some fantastic new attractions. First, at the Junipero Beach Lot a new playground was opened with slides, climbing equipment, and swings. Additionally, last weekend at the Granada Beach concession stand, a fun new water play feature was opened where kids can pump water through a series of small rivers and pools and play with boats and build sand castles. If you have not checked these out yet - please do, they’re really great! Playgrounds and other facilities like these are great ways to activate our open spaces along the beach. Not only does it create great reasons to bring people to the beach and enjoy our coastline, but it also creates areas that are active spaces with lots of people present meaning there is less opportunity for bad activities to occur. Public spaces or any community is safer when there are more people present and using an area actively.  
Jack Cunningham
3rd District Chief of Staff
Davies Launch Ramp Improvement Project
If you enjoy boating you may be interested to know that the Davies Launch Ramp off of 2nd Street near PCH is getting some major investments and improvements. In addition to the heavily used launch ramp being replaced, the restrooms and wash stations will also be getting replaced. On top of that, the parking area is getting improvements including electric vehicle charging stations, and the current dock will be getting replaced too. All in all, a great series of improvements are being proposed to the California Coastal Commission later this month and, if everything goes well, we will be on track to be able to move forward with these projects.
Jack Cunningham
3rd District Chief of Staff
Earth Day 2021
The Long Beach community came together this Earth Day to take time to clean up various parts of the city and Council District 3! From Aquarium of the Pacific’s virtual educational event to the Peninsula Neighborhood Association and Alamitos Bay Garden Club’s gardening event, many local groups hosted events to make the Long Beach community a greener place. Check out more events below!
Naples Bayside PTA Family Event with the 5th grade community service team with planting.
Friends of Belmont Shore Beach Cleanup
Belmont Heights Community Association Neighborhood Litter Clean-Up

Mollie Wilson
3rd District Legislative Assistant
Bayshore Library and 3 Others Begin Reopening
As we begin moving out of the COVID-19 restrictions, we are seeing the reopening of a number of libraries including our only public library in the Third District - the Bayshore Library.

Starting Tuesday, May 18, Billie Jean King (BJK) Main Library, Bay Shore, Mark Twain, and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Libraries will re-open to the public for visits up to 30 minutes long. Book stacks will be open for browsing, and public computers and printing services will be available.
  
These four libraries will be open during the following hours:
 
Bay Shore, Mark Twain, and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Libraries
Tuesdays, noon to 7 p.m.
Wednesdays, noon to 6 p.m.
Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
 
BJK Main Library
Tuesdays, noon to 8 p.m.
Wednesdays, noon to 6 p.m.
Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Seating areas, study, and community rooms, and in-person live events and classes are not yet available. Long Beach Public Library will phase in more services over time when deemed prudent and safe for all. More information about other library services is available on the Library website at www.lbpl.org or by calling 562.570.7500.
Long Beach Public Library Launches Chromebook and Mobile Hotspot Lending Program Thanks to a Partnership with Verizon and the Library Foundation
The Library has launched its new Tech To-Go lending program to help local families bridge the digital divide. 1 in 4 Long Beach households lacks a reliable internet connection and a 2019 report by the City's Technology and Innovation Commission showed that 45% of those residents rely on the Library to connect to the Internet. The Library Foundation is proud to be a part of the community benefit partnership with Verizon that made this program possible. As part of the program, Verizon provided the Library with 100 MiFi devices with features geared toward students and $50,000 to the Library Foundation to purchase Chromebooks.

3rd District and City Community Events
Community Meeting on Long Beach Non-Profit Organizations
May 20th
On May 20th, 2021 at 5:30 PM via Zoom I will be hosting a community meeting with the Executive Director of Long Beach's The Non-Profit Partnership, Michelle Byerly. This community conversation will focus on educating Long Beach residents about the amazing non-profits we have operating all across our fantastic city, as well as how residents can get involved. We are lucky to have a very active community of residents driven to make our city its very best as well as a huge number of organizations doing important work to help make progress on almost every topic you can imagine.




Link to Community Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86350957859
Meeting ID: 863 5095 7859
Call in Number: 1 669 900 6833

I look forward to seeing you there and participating in this great discussion.
Background on Michelle Byerly
Michelle is the Executive Director for The Nonprofit Partnership, and has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years in Southern California. She began her work at TNP in 2016, and is passionate about advancing the mission of organizations in the community, and providing support as they learn and grow for greater impact.
 
Michelle holds a BA in Social Science from UC Irvine, and A Master’s in public administration from Cal State Fullerton. She has served in various roles in her nonprofit career, providing direction and supervision in the areas of social services, education, fundraising and youth and family programming. From these experiences she grew to have a passion for working in collaboration with the nonprofit community. Following 11 years with the YMCA of Orange County, Michelle is honored lead The Nonprofit Partnership, building the capacity of nonprofits so they can make positive change in their communities. With a particular focus on fostering collaborations to bridge connections in the community, Michelle is excited about leading TNP as they grow and evolve to meet the needs of organizations and advocate for the sector.
Call for API Leadership Award Nominations
Deadline: May 13th
In honor of National Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month, I am excited to announce that I am holding my first ever 34th District API Leadership Awards Event!
California is the most diverse state in the country - a fact that allows our economy to flourish in every industry - from the agriculture and beauty industries to entertainment and construction. API Americans account for about 16% of the state's population and continue to be among the fastest growing racial and ethnic groups in the state. In fact, California is home to about one-third of the nation's API population.

The 34th Senate District is home to the Vietnamese community known as "Little Saigon." In addition, because my district spans both Orange and Los Angeles Counties, I am also privileged to represent the populations of Cambodia Town in Long Beach, and Thai Town, Little Bangladesh, and Koreatown in Los Angeles.

These distinct neighborhoods and communities across Southern California serve to bolster the state's diversity economically and culturally. They provide a hub of activity by which to both educate people about the world and maintain long-held ethnic traditions in an ever-changing environment. These enclaves also help to nurture and sustain some of America's most dynamic organizations, upcoming leaders, and rising stars. 
In celebration of API Heritage Month, I am excited to announce that nominations are now open for the inaugural 34th District 2021 API Leadership Awards. These awards will recognize API community members who have made significant contributions to their community in multiple categories including: outstanding organizations, unsung heroes, community leaders, emerging leaders, and lifetime dedicators.

The 34th Senate District API Leadership Award Event will take place towards the end of May with further details to follow. Nomination forms for these awards are live and can be found on my website, my social media pages, or by clicking here.

Many of us have been shaped or influenced by a person of Asian Pacific Islander-descent who has either blazed a path for others, improved their community, or who has regularly gone above and beyond in their daily life. I look forward to recognizing some of Long Beach and Orange County's most impressive API leaders. 

For more information about this or any other matter, don't hesitate to call my office for assistance. 

Col. Thomas J. Umberg (Ret.)
Senator, 34th District
Edison International Lineworker Scholarship Program
Deadline to apply:
May 19, 2021 3:00 pm CT
Edison recently launched its first scholarship to increase diversity among SCE’s craft lineworkers, with an initial focus in 2021 to increase Black representation within our lineworkers’ teams. They believe a diverse applicant pool and workforce that reflect the communities they serve make for better business. As part of our commitment, they developed a four-year, $1 million program to provide scholarships of up to $25,000. Applications are being accepted through May 17.
 
You can find their Energized Edison story on the scholarship program here. Anyone interested can visit www.edison.com/eixlineworkerscholarship and find the application. The scholarship award will include tuition and targeted support services while students are enrolled at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College for the Powerline Mechanic Certificate and Class A license programs. 
 
Vichet (Vic) Nol
Government Relations Manager
Local Public Affairs
Friends of Bixby Park Monthly Cleanups
May 8th, 2021
Event:   Monthly Cleanup
When:   Saturday, May 8, 2021
Time:    9:00AM-11:00AM
Where:  Bixby Park 130 Cherry Ave. Long Beach, CA 90802
 

FOBP is reestablishing our Park monthly cleanups. Join us at the Bandshell in Bixby Park.  Meet new friends and neighbors while making a difference at our local neighborhood park. A little bit of your time can make a big difference. 

Stick around afterward and enjoy the Farmers Market!
 
Gloves, bags and pickers, will be provided...
all you need to bring is your mask and a smile under it!
Together we will practice litter picking and social distancing!
 
Thank you for helping make Bixby Park a great place to visit! See you then!
-FOBP
Belmont Heights "Last Saturday of the Month" Drive-Thru
May 29, 2021
Join Belmont Heights Community Association for a "Last Saturday of the Month" food collection! 

Every month they collect food for a different local food pantry. Additionally they also collect a different household item that goes to different organizations in need. 
 
Their next collection is on Saturday, May 29th from 9 to 11 am in the parking lot of the Belmont Heights United Methodist Church. 

Will Cullen
 Vice President
Belmont Heights Community Association
562-881-4530 
www.mybelmontheights.org/
facebook.com/mybelmontheights/
2021 Propeller Club of LA-LB Scholarship Application is Open!
Deadline: July 30th
As we approach the end of the academic year, I want to highlight a great opportunity for graduating high school seniors in the City of Long Beach and surrounding cities! The Propeller Club of Los Angeles-Long Beach is offering scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000 to graduating high school seniors.
 
This scholarship is open to high school seniors currently attending schools located in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, San Pedro, Wilmington or Carson and to students of all intended majors.
 
Scholarship Requirements are: 
  • 500-word essay on a selected essay question
  • List of your most important school activities, community service, and work experience
  • Unofficial high school transcripts
  • Two letters of reference; one from a teacher or counselor and one from an adult who is familiar with your schoolwork and activities 
 
Click here to complete the online Scholarship application
 
 
The deadline to complete the Scholarship application is Friday, July 30, 2021. 

If you have any questions regarding this, please email jenn@propellerclublalb.orgWe hope local students will take this opportunity to begin their journey after high school!
Business Spotlight
Brittaneis Noel – Infinite Beauty Supply
Women running their own companies. We love to see it. Brittaneis Noel is one of those women! She wasn’t going to let the pandemic stop her from opening her dream business and we are thrilled it is in the Third District. Infinite Beauty Supply opened in February of this year and is located at 4028 E. 7th Street. Bri has been working hard to create her dream ever since. The inspiration for Infinite Beauty Supply was actually born from a belief that “Beauty is infinite and comes in all forms, shapes and sizes.” Her goal being, “to spread that infinity to the community by acknowledging women as well as men so we can all celebrate our inner beauty.” Bri supplies wigs, hair accessories, skin and hair care products, makeup and way more than just beauty supplies, which include boutique clothing, purses, jewelry and other quality items. I had so much fun seeing all her products.
As she continues to spread joy to her customers of all shapes, sizes, and colors, Bri’s goal is to “Bring awareness to the fact that everyone’s beauty is always present,” and she is just here to “Make it a little bit easier to find!”

Infinite Beauty Supply is open Monday through Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM. For more information, visit www.yourinfinitebeauty.com or call (562) 843-7643. You can also find the store on Facebook and Instagram.

Infinite Beauty Supply
@infinite_beautysupply
4028 E. 7th Street, Long Beach
Lisa West
3rd District Director of Business Relations,
Programming and Outreach
Artist Spotlight
We Got This: Art in the Time of the Pandemic
The City of Long Beach has an incredible artist community, and it’s valuable that the city supports the art community.

Long Beach Airport partnered with the Arts Council for Long Beach in the fall of 2020 and received more than 135 submissions from local women artists. The 20 pieces chosen for this exhibit express hope, shared community, respect for frontline workers and an acknowledgement of the challenges we face.

Funding for the project was provided by the Airport’s allocation of the City’s Percent for the Arts Program, which sets aside one percent of capital construction funds for the arts, and in coordination with the Arts Council for Long Beach’s Keep Arts Working program.

What’s even more exciting is that two District 3 residents were selected. Congratulations Linda Sperry and Bob Senske, both artists have been featured in the past newsletters for Councilwoman Price’s “Artist of the Month”.
Linda Sperry - Choose To Be Kind
At the onset of the pandemic, a sign caught my eye that read “Choose to Be Kind.” This has been my mantra through the past eight months, so it is fitting that I chose this as the theme of this watercolor and ink painting. At the same time, I gave thought to what accomplishments have taken place this year while our world has been turned upside down. Long Beach’s new iconic “Bridge to Everywhere” immediately came to mind. In my artwork, I feature masked Long Beach citizens representing the diversity of our community as they take a celebratory stroll together on the new bridge as a plane flies overhead with a banner urging everyone to “Choose to Be Kind.”
I am a Long Beach watercolor artist who enjoys plein air painting of landscapes, cityscapes, and people of all ages interacting with the outdoor environment. I enjoy the challenge of watercolor painting with its unexpected surprises, its creative color combinations and the company of fellow artists in plein air settings. Instagram - @lindaspery
Bob Senske
Robert Senske, Jr. is on display at 21 different locations at the Long Beach Airport, including the baggage claim area. A fourth generation native of Long Beach and self-taught artist, Senske has been publishing his original acrylic paintings of the Long Beach waterfront for over 35 years. His work has been honored by the American Society of Marine Artists, and Senske is renowned for his detailed land and seascapes.
Did You Catch Suzie In April?
Arbor Day Tree Planting
Budget Oversight Committee Meeting
Welcoming Colossus Bread to Belmont Shore
Beach Concession Stands at Junipero Beach
Crow's Cocktails of Naples Reopening
3rd District Neighborhood And Association Meetings
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association - AHIA Meetings calendared Quarterly. Please visit their website for more information.

Belmont Heights Community Association
2nd Wednesday of each month
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Belmont Heights United Methodist Church

Belmont Shore Residents Association
2nd Thursday of each month
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Bay Shore Library

Bluff Park Community Meeting
Please check their website for meeting details

Friends of Belmont Shore
First Thursday of each month, 6:00 - 8:00 PM via Zoom
Visit their web site for the zoom link

Friends of Bixby Park
Please check their website
Greenbelt Heights Neighborhood Association
All neighbors welcome!
Regular meeting: 3rd Tuesday at 8pm-9pm
917 Bennett Ave., LB
2nd Sunday neighborhood clean-up at 9am

NW Belmont Park Community Watch
Approximately every 3 months as determined
Third District Field Office
Email Carleton Carlson for meeting confirmation at CarletonCarlson@aol.com 
 
Peninsula Neighborhood Association
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club

Stoneybrook Villas Association Meeting
3rd Wednesday of each month
7:00 PM - Clubhouse at 500 Bellflower Blvd

Do you have a community or neighborhood meeting that you would like to add to the 3rd District calendar? Email: District3@longbeach.gov