News Archive
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5th Annual Uptown Jazz Festival: Final Lineup
5/27/2016
For the fifth consecutive year, the Uptown Jazz Festival is back! ![]()
The Creative Corridor Challenge: Mural 4 Started
5/27/2016
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District 9 Success Stories: North Long Beach Takes PB to Harvard
5/27/2016
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5th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz Festival
5/20/2016
North Long Beach will feature a taste of southern sounds during its 5th Annual Uptown Jazz Festival, with Goapele and DW3 headlining the show. Goapele, also referred to as the “spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo”, has inspired the world with heartfelt songs like "Closer to my Dreams". DW3 tore down the stage at last year's festival, which we hope to expect this time around as well. Check out a recent live performance of theirs, here. From 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., come out and music, food, vendor booths, a Kids Zone, and much more at this free community event. The free community concert, hosted by Councilmember Rex Richardson, will take place on Saturday, June 11th at Houghton Park. Save the date and share the news! RSVP for the 5th Annual Uptown Jazz Festival in order to stay in the loop with updates! If you missed out on last years' Festival, check out some great pictures from the day here. ![]()
$1 Million Grant Will Enable Health and Human Services to Expand Efforts to Address Obesity in North Long Beach
5/19/2016
$1 million dollars in grant funds were received by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for enhancement of the HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Zone Initiative, an effort launched in in order to foster healthier lifestyles in North Long Beach. Kaiser Permanente was responsible for awarding the funds, honoring a larger part of their HEAL Zone investment to promote healthy communities across Southern California. One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the food and physical activity environments of a neighborhood while also improving the nutrition and exercise habits of entire families. Since establishment in 2007, the City of Long Beach DHHS Childhood Obesity Prevention and Advocacy Program is tirelessly reaching towards that goal.
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Mural 3 of the Creative Corridor Challenge Complete!
5/19/2016
Artist Jose Loza added the finishing touches to the "Twelve Steps" inspired mural, which is still undergoing final naming. Inspiration behind the mural title stems from the Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) Twelve Step program, which is well known for its use in treating addictive and dysfunctional behaviors. The first 12 step program began with A.A. in the 1930s and has since grown to be the most widely used approach in dealing not only with recovery from alcoholism, but also from drug abuse and various other addictive and dysfunctional behaviors. View the artwork today, located at 5881 Cherry Ave (Intercity Fellowship Hall). Also, watch the first Community Paint day of Loza's mural in North Long Beach, here! Read More: New North Long Beach Mural Symbolizes Rebirth; Artist Leaves Interpretation to Viewer ![]()
Hotel Transylvania 2 in the Park and Participatory Budgeting Vote!
5/9/2016
It's Now Participatory Budgeting Vote Week! This years' voting will be accommodated with a movie in the park, this Friday, May 13th. North Long Beach residents are invited out to Ramona Park for a movie and Participatory Budgeting (PB) project voting and a showing of Hotel Transylvania 2! PB Voting will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m, while the movie will is set to start around 7:45 p.m. ![]()
5th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz Festival
5/2/2016
For the fifth consecutive year, the Uptown Jazz Festival is back! North Long Beach will feature a taste of southern sounds during its 5th Annual Uptown Jazz Festival, with Goapele and DW3 headlining the show. Goapele, also referred to as the “spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo”, has inspired the world with heartfelt songs like "Closer to my Dreams". DW3 tore down the stage at last year's festival, which we hope to expect this time around as well. Check out a recent live performance of theirs, here.From 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., come out and music, food, vendor booths, a Kids Zone, and much more at this free community event. The free community concert, hosted by Councilmember Rex Richardson, will take place on Saturday, June 11th at Houghton Park. Save the date and share the news!
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VOTE on How to Spend $250,000 to Improve Long Beach's 9th District!
4/25/2016
Help spread the word! View the flyer in Spanish. ![]()
The Creative Corridor Challenge: Murals Reflecting North Long Beach Community
4/25/2016
Here are the faces of North Long Beach local children that are now part of a mural. We love the amount of community pride that is invested in this design.Thank you Tracy Negrete for your incredible design. Follow our Creative Corridor Challenge Page as we continue to add the remaining murals to District 9!
North LB-based RMD Group Lands TV Show on Discovery
4/4/2016
Ralph and his team will be filming a show called “RMD Design” which is scheduled to air in September 2017, which will bring viewers inside Holguin’s garage in North Long Beach as they push automotive design boundaries to create eye-popping wheels that make car lovers everywhere swoon. This is a great example of how a dynamic and innovative business can locate and thrive in Uptown Long Beach. "RMD DESIGN" brings viewers inside the garage of Ralph Holguin, an entrepreneur who takes pride in creating timeless automobiles, and jaw-dropping experiential advertising for top brands. Join us in congratulating Ralph and RMD Group! ![]()
National Arbor (Earth) Day: HNA to Plant 100 Trees
3/31/2016
Please join Hamilton Neighborhood Association, Long Beach Neighborhood Services Bureau, Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles, and other Community Groups by saving the date, Friday, April 22, 2016. On this date we will be planting 100 trees in and around Hamilton Middle School. Check back for more information as we get closer to the date. ![]()
Let's Go Design A Park, North Long Beach!
3/28/2016
This workshop, organized alongside Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine, will feature innovative input, all of which we hope to be included in what we envision in our parks to come. There will be two different workshop start times: 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Healthy refreshments and snacks will be provided. For more information or in order to RSVP, contact Meredith Reynolds at: meredith.reynolds@longbeach.gov or (562) 570-3165. Let your voice help shape our community by joining the workshop! ![]()
Topping Off the New Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library
3/14/2016
This past weekend we topped off the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library alongside our Mayor, Robert Garcia, and ecstatic community leaders and friends. Check out more photos here. The library incorporates a reproduction of the former Atlantic Theatre's iconic tower into a glass roof accenting the children's section. The original spire, which has been refurbished, was placed atop the tower this past Saturday, March 12th, 2016. ![]()
Principal for a Day at Grant Elementary
3/14/2016
The day was remarkable, as I witnessed how smart our students are, while also having engaged with an involved parent group. Thank you to Grant Elementary for the great opportunity to experience a day in the life of a principal, one of the most critical leadership positions in our youth education systems. Check out some more photos from the day, here. ![]()
Meet the New Uptown Business District Director
3/14/2016
Tasha W. Hunter will manage operations to rehabilitate properties, maintain clean and safe programs, support local businesses, and partner with North Long Beach residents on community projects. Come find out how we can partner with the business district to engage and improve our community! ![]()
Let's Top of the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library
3/10/2016
"Topping-off" refers to the point in time during the construction of a new building when the highest structure or beam is added. For the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, the original spire from the former Atlantic Theatre will “top” the new building. The library incorporates a reproduction of the former Atlantic Theatre's iconic tower into a glass roof accenting the children's section. The original spire, which has been refurbished, will be placed atop the tower. Come sign up for a library card if you don't already have one, and enjoy music, food trucks and your neighbors!
iClip - 9th District Creative Corridor Challenge
3/10/2016
North Long Beach residents worked together in order to bring about mural and landscaping improvements at the Golden State Humane Society. The beautification effort is the first project of Long Beach 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson's "Creative Corridor Challenge", a civic engagement initiative to unite artists, residents, and stakeholders to identify and collaborate on projects that will beautify North Long Beach's corridors. Partnering with the Arts Council for Long Beach, Squeeze Art Collective, The Uptown Property & Community Assoc, and the City of Long Beach Office of Sustainability, Richardson dedicated $50,000 to support community driven projects that include tree planting, mural installations, vacant building and/or lot activation, and public art and utility box beautification. ![]()
#ReadWithRex Challenge and the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library
3/4/2016
It's easy to take the challenge. Add your name below and pledge to do the following: 1. Get a Long Beach Public Library Card 2. Pledge to check out and read no less than 3 books or other educational media items at the new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library when it opens this summer. 3. Share on social media and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to take the pledge! Add a photo and use the hashtag #ReadwithRex 4. Together, we can demonstrate our excitement for literacy and the opening of our new library, while inspiring a new generation of readers and scholars in our community. Join me in taking the challenge! ![]()
Read Across America: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss
3/3/2016
On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016, we celebrated the Birthday of Dr. Seuss, a beloved childhood author his memory still lives on today! In honor of Read Across America, Councilmember Richardson read to students at Colin Powell Academy (150 W. Victoria St., Long Beach, 90805). Students around the country spent Dr. Seuss' birthday in the most scholastic and appropriate way, reading Seuss' books on the beloved writer's 112th birthday! Thank you Colin Powell Academy for allowing me to read with you and launch the #ReadwithRex challenge. We will also be kicking off “Read with Rex” where I will challenge the community to check out and read 10,000 additional books within the first 100 days of the new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library opening later this summer!! ![]()
Diversion Program Finds Funding Source in The California Endowment, Commencing Pilot Program in Long Beach
3/3/2016
The grant request was submitted by Pacific Gateway on behalf of the city, as it and city prosecutor's office both serve as partners in the diversion program. The gap in funding had kept the program on the shelf since last June, but the infusion from The California Endowment will commence year one of the pilot program. “Today is really about The California Endowment really stepping up and helping fill that gap and providing much-needed resources to ensure that this is a comprehensive program that uses both workforce and education as a means for diversion,” said Ninth District Councilman Rex Richardson, who championed the cause last year. PATH and its outreach efforts aim to address those 16-24 year-olds who qualify for mentoring, job placement and occupational training in lieu of criminal prosecution. Richardson based his proposal on science that suggests that youth in that age group have brains that aren’t fully formed, arguing that youthful mistakes should not create a negative lifelong ripple effect. “Young adults make mistakes, and if not given the right opportunities, those mistakes might often lead to loss of life or the loss of livelihood,” Richardson told the Post last year. “Brain science tells us that young adults are distinctly different than adults because their brains aren’t fully developed until they’re 25. So we as a city, we should make sure that our programs and our services and our systems are developmentally appropriate and we respond to young adults in developmentally appropriate ways.” ![]()
Take the #ReadWithRex Challenge
3/3/2016
It's easy to take the challenge. Add your name below and pledge to do the following: 1. Get a Long Beach Public Library Card 2. Pledge to check out and read no less than 3 books or other educational media items at the new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library when it opens this summer. 3. Share on social media and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to take the pledge! Add a photo and use the hashtag #ReadwithRex Together, we can demonstrate our excitement for literacy and the opening of our new library, while inspiring a new generation of readers and scholars in our community. Join me in taking the challenge! ![]()
The Creative Corridor Challenge Installation Series Recap
2/22/2016
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North Long Beach Urban Forest Strategy Survey
2/22/2016
The California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board has found that the right tree can improve air quality as well as provide other benefits such as shade and beauty. With the help of our City of Long Beach, Office of Sustainability arborists, we can find the perfect tree for your street. View here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5TGPQN3 to take the short, 3 question North Long Beach Urban Forest Strategy Survey, which well help us to identify where to plant, and who will help maintain the future green infrastructure that will make its way to uptown. ![]()
The Creative Corridor Challenge Instillation Series Kick-Off
2/18/2016
Join us instead this Saturday, Feb. 20th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as we celebrate the implementation of the first Creative Corridor Challenge mural and beautification project at the Golden State Humane Society (555 E. Artesia Blvd., 90805). We hope to see you there. The launch will highlight 7 art and beautification projects that are scheduled to take place from February to June 2016. The very first mural and landscape project will begin behind the Golden State Humane Society property. ![]()
North Long Beach Online Food Hub Survey
2/8/2016
The goal of this survey is to gain community-based insight on designing a food hub that would best serve the public. Below are links to the online survey. Simply stating your preferences through the survey can bring about a food economy change in North Long Beach, ultimately for the better. English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BYPTSLP Español: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B7VXLLG ![]()
Black History Month Celebration at Long Beach City Hall
2/8/2016
This past Tuesday, February 1st, 2016, Black History Month was celebrated in style alongside other council districts, with council district 8 at the forefront of organizing. ![]()
Houghton Park Community Center Design Update
1/27/2016
The new, Houghton Park Community Center planning continues to move forward! Check out this exciting report, filled with exciting news, facts and easy-to-understand charts. ![]()
Ocean Friendly Rain and Community Garden Project for MLK Day of Service 2016
1/26/2016
Propagation/ planting of trees, shrubs, and drought-tolerant, native plants, application of a paper-sheet and cardboard barrier that will be covered with mulch, construction of bioswales within specified parkway space, and solidification of our ocean-garden as a "Monarch Butterfly Waystation". Monarch Way stations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. The completion of this project also helps reduce our landscape's water-footprint, flooding at the intersection of Gundry and 65th, increased removal of silt and pollution from surface runoff water (bioswales) and supply of ecosystem services, and improved visual aesthetic through creative design. ![]()
Long Beach Community Approves Michelle Obama Library Name
1/22/2016
At least she was Thursday evening in north Long Beach, when a majority of those attending a community meeting agreed that naming a new library there after her was a good idea. More than 150 people gathered Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Houghton Park Community Center to figure out what to name the library at Atlantic Avenue and 59th Street, which is currently under construction. Ninth District Councilman Rex Richardson has spearheaded the campaign to name the library for Obama, and he kicked off Thursday’s meeting by showing the same slideshow and video presentation he’d previously shown the City Council. The council has voted — twice — to support reviewing the name. But others have opposed it. ![]()
28th Annual Long Beach Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Unity Parade
1/18/2016
Today's 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade was a great success. Check out more photos from the day. The audience was on hand for stepping, training, chanting, and an overall demonstration of college bound young men of color from North long Beach and beyond. ![]()
Ocean-Friendly Rain and Community Garden Project for MLK Day of Service 2016
1/7/2016
Volunteers are needed on both days of project implementation. Please contact (562) 570-6137 or councildistrict9@longbeach.gov in order to lend a hand towards the effort. "Demo Day" - Sunday, January 10th, 2016 Shift I: 3 hrs (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) Shift II: Shift II: 3 hrs (12:00 - 3:00 p.m.) "Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service" - Monday, January 18th, 2016 Shift I: 4 hours (8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) Shift II: 3 hours (12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.) ![]()
Create the Future of Your Parks!
1/5/2016
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end around 8:30 p.m. Through participation, residents can ensure that their inputs redirect park funding to areas such as Houghton Park, which is already undergoing Councilmember Rex Richardson's Houghton Park Master Plan.
Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library Naming Proposal Approved by City Council
12/23/2015
The item, which had received plenty of criticism online for its perceived lack of local flavor in the naming proposal, was met with nearly unanimous support from those in attendance. The council’s vote of approval was short of its usual nine votes due to a multitude of issues including illness, a surgery and death in the family that kept council members Dee Andrews, Suzie Price, Stacy Mungo and Daryl Supernaw at home. ![]()
"Let it Snow at the North Pole"
12/22/2015
Over 4,000 people participated and over 2,500 toys were given away. Thanks our partners, SEIU Local 721 and Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine. ![]()
Councilmember Richardson Proposes Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library in North Long Beach
12/15/2015
Richardson has put the proposal on the Dec. 22 City Council agenda. He said that he has talked with a number of neighborhood leaders in north Long Beach, and offered a list of supporters for naming the library after the First Lady, including presidents of 10 Ninth District neighborhood associations, former Ninth District Councilman Steve Neal and Long Beach Unified School District board member Megan Kerr, who represents north Long Beach on that board. ![]()
Let it Snow at the North Pole
12/15/2015
Join us on Saturday, December 19th, as Houghton Park is transformed into the North Pole with lots of toys, cookies, and snow... ![]()
Participatory Budgeting Delegate Training: Recap
12/14/2015
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62nd Annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade
12/12/2015
Houses literally almost out shined the parade street spotlights, but there was nothing present as bright as the smile on residents' faces.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project
12/1/2015
The DeForest Park Wetlands Restoration Project will provide for the development of 39 acres of wetlands, riparian and upland habitat, accessible public trails, and educational interpretation along the Los Angeles River, from DeForest Park to Del Amo Boulevard. Along with the adjacent Dominquez Gap wetlands, the DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project will create almost 3 miles of recreated wetlands along the Los Angeles River, and will be a significant step in completing the 52-mile Los Angeles River Greenway. ![]()
New Fitness Zone at Houghton Park
11/24/2015
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Turkey Giveaway with Congresswoman Hahn
11/23/2015
Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving by distributing turkeys and other items to over 200 local residents. Thank you to Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Andy St. Community Association and Community Grace Brethren Church for collaborating on this event with us. It was a very enjoyable event and we were proud to see our community come together to help those in need. To view more images from the day, visit here ![]()
9th District 2016 Budget Highlights
11/17/2015
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DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project Receives Final Approval from City Hall
11/10/2015
This restoration project will open 34 acres of land for public use, by converting large areas of overgrown vegetation into a river parkway with freshwater wetlands, wildlife habitat, and native plants, while retaining flood control and management properties.
19th Annual Veterans Day Parade & Vets Fest 2015
11/8/2015
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Welcome to Uptown: National Society of Black Engineers Walk for Education
11/5/2015
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Long Beach One of Eight North American Cities Doing Public Engagement Right
10/26/2015
Long Beach was one of just fourteen new 2014 additions to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ highly sought-after Innovation Team grants. In conjunction with local groups, it has whetted its engagement chops by “taking the pulse” of the community through compelling, well-attended events like its People’s State of the City. Further, it has gained experience with online engagement through its Go Long Beach app, which was among the first in the country for a city of its size. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Council Member Rex Richardson’s community website, which is one of the best district online portals that we’ve seen. ![]()
A Great Night for Public Safety
10/6/2015
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The Creative Corridor Challenge: Phase I
9/30/2015
The Creative Corridor Challenge gives District 9 residents and stakeholders the chance to identify and collaborate on projects that beautify and activate North Long Beach corridors. The target corridors in District 9 include Artesia blvd., Long Beach blvd. Paramount blvd., Atlantic ave., Cherry Ave., Orange Ave., Downey Ave., and South St. ![]()
Long Beach Drive Electric Vehicle Exposition
9/14/2015
Long Beach residents got a small glimpse into the future of transportation at Houghton Park Saturday morning as they viewed Teslas, electric motorcycles and a prototype of an electric bus that will soon be ferrying people around the city. ![]()
2nd Workshop for the Houghton Park Community Master Plan
9/1/2015
The heavily-used park is a community fixture, serving as a meeting place, center for activities and a safe route for students walking home from Jordan High School on the park’s north end. Residents, however, say the park and North Long Beach as a whole have been ignored for years. City Councilman Rex Richardson, who represents the area, is leading a community initiative to revitalize the park through equipment upgrades, grounds improvements, more parking and other initiatives. ![]()
4th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz & Blues Festival
8/25/2015
Our 4th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz & Blues Festival was a blast. The sound of renaissance filled the air as Houghton Park was filled with friends and family seeking quality music and time with each other. Although we may have run out of space on the dance floor, there was a surplus of good energy and community spirit to compensate. Halle Johnson, Brown Suede, Joe Colderon Trio, Boxcar 7, DW3 and Headliner, Tito Puente Jr. hit this stage in memorable fashion, keeping the spirit of Latin Jazz & Blues alive. An estimated 2,500 people were counted in attendance, indicating the love and support we have for this annual effort.
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Beach Streets Village Fest
6/6/2015
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3rd Annual 9th District Spring Cleaning Results
4/6/2015
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