On Thursday, community volunteers and the Long Beach Firefighters came through again to help fill over 100 bags filled with items for newborns and educational materials for their moms in my annual Community Babyshower. Great community involvement! Thanks everyone.
On Saturday, residents, staff and I, associates from Wal-Mart and Public Works planted 12 new trees in the Rancho's area on Premium. Great team work and involvement from the residents, who after having 17 diseased trees removed by the City, got together to move ahead getting replacements, which we got from the City Office of Sustainability. Thank you!
Today, I marched the entire length of the Gay Pride Parade with Councilman Robert Garcia. Yes, I can and yes, I did!
Ran home (actually was driven there) and changed my clothes so I could head over to Carpenters Center at CSULB and give the commencement address to the class of 2011 from Charter College. Charter prepares students for careers in health care, law enforcement, business and technology. The Center was filled as 200 graduates received their diplomas.
I shared with the graduates how I had been reluctant to accept the speaking engagement since yesterday was supposed to be the end of the world. I thought maybe I was invited because the school thought I'd be the only elected official in Long Beach left behind. I also pointed out that while the end of the world would have spoiled their graduation...it would have wiped out their student loans -- to which I received a lot of applause. It was fun to watch people starting their careers and celebrating their accomplishments. I am glad I said "yes."