Go 5th! Go Cubberly! Go St. Baldrick's!

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Students, parents and teachers of Cubberley K-8 School hosted the 11^th Annual St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving event today, March 16, 2012.  The Fifth District School has been instrumental in its perennial collection of donations to help support childhood cancer research.  

Volunteers attended the event as a “shavee” or barber, with the sole intention of shaving hair off heads to show solidarity with children who have been stricken with various cancer related illnesses.  Several Long Beach Firefighters stepped up and had their heads shaved.

Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske spoke at the event to support St. Baldrick’s worthy cause, and to distinguish the charitable actions of Cubberley’s faculty and students.  “Today, Cubberley stands in unison with St. Baldrick’s to support children who suffer from childhood cancers”, Schipske said.  “Our students, parents and faculty share the same passion in helping children conquer this dreadful disease, and we will continue to lead the nation in attendance for St. Baldrick’s events.”

Cubberley has raised over $480,000 over the last 10 years.  The school has been recognized by Jerry Finklestein, who works with the Jaques Children’s Cancer Center in Long Beach, as the #1 school in the country for the largest student participation in their annual St. Baldrick’s event. This year, 200 volunteers had their heads shaved.  Half of them were children between first and eighth grade.  SuperCuts, with its two Fifth District locations, contributed hair stylists to help sheer the locks off the “shavees”. Total donations received today amounted to $60,000.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers.  Founded in March of 2000, founders John Bender, Tim Kenny and Enda McDonnell turned a St. Patrick’s Day party into a head-shaving event that raised $104,000.  The foundation has grown exponentially, now having raised $117 million.

The funds collected today go directly to the Miller Children’s Hospital and the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center for life saving research and programs for children with cancer.

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Public Works of the Future

The Department of Public Works (Photo credit: Brandon Doran)

Interesting look at public works in the future. Click here to read.

Public works trucks of the future will have to accommodate the limits of budgets and the need to be efficient. That's why this story is so interesting. Many of the suggested improvements are being implemented already in cities across the US.

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Schipske Calls for City Manager to Disclose Fire Department Response Times

For Immediate Release

Contact Office of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske

562 570-6932

Schipske Calls on City Manager to Disclose Response Times for Fire Department – States Concern that Budget Cuts May Have Caused Slower Response Times

March 13, 2012 – Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske didn’t support the cuts to the fire department when they were proposed by the Mayor and the City Manager and now she wants to know what those cuts did to response times.

“The City Council was assured that the cuts to the Fire Department would not substantially impact response times for calls for fire and paramedic services,” says Schipske, “but that’s not what I am hearing from firefighters.”

Schipske reports that the cuts to the Fire Department  included “rolling brownouts” -- taking an engine out of service at a different station each day - or light-force duty at some stations.

Additionally, daily staffing was reduced to an all time low level , down from a high of 137 firefighters in 2008 to the current low of 117.

“Firefighters report that as a result of these cuts, response time has been slowed in some instances where staff and equipment must travel across the city due to an engine out of service at another station,” Schipske notes. “As a Registered Nurse, who did some training with the Long Beach Fire Department paramedics, I understand that every minute counts when it comes to saving lives.”

Schipske’s agenda item calls for the City Manager to disclose the response times since the cuts were enacted. “The City Council needs to evaluate actual response time information to determine whether or not the cuts to the fire department have been detrimental to the public safety of our residents.”

#30

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Re-Imaging Long Beach

Downtown Long Beach, California (Photo credit: Konabish)

I am writing a series of thought pieces on how and why we need to re-image and re-imagine the City of Long Beach. Please check out my website: www.reimaginglongbeach.com and let me know what you think.

It is critical that we focus on how we can improve the economy of Long Beach by attracting the type of job creators that will bring sustainable, quality jobs for our residents. To do this, we need to re-image the City and decide how we want to be perceived.

This is not an easy task but a very necessary and exciting one. Come join me on this journey.