Schipske Proposes Boeing Donate Building and Archives for Aviation Museum Before It Leaves Long Beach

English: MD-21 Blackbird with mounted D-21B Drone Displayed in Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Williams X-Jet Displayed in Museum of Flight in Seattle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Long Beach, CA – September 20, 2013 – Having spent weeks researching her books on Long Beach aviation in the archives stored at Boeing, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is convinced that they need to stay in Long Beach, “preferably in an aviation museum that could be established with a building donated by Boeing before it closes its C-17 plant in 2015.”

“While the announced closure of the C-17 plant in 2015 by Boeing will end this era of Long Beach history, it presents an excellent opportunity for the City to partner with Boeing to create a lasting legacy to commemorate our aviation history and to preserve thousands of archives, photographs and memorabilia that are specific to the history and residents of Long Beach and which are now in storage at a Boeing facility,” says Schipske, who represents the area in which Boeing is located.

Schipske notes that the Boeing archives and photographs not only chronicle the history of Douglas Aircraft, McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing operations in Long Beach, but provide a unique look at our local history during all of those periods in time.

“They have the rosters of employees from the 1940s. The newsletters feature photos and information on the people who worked in the plant – many of whom lived in Long Beach.  Other photographs document how Long Beach workers produced the more than 15,000 planes made at the site. It is an incredible wealth of historical documentation and it should remain in Long Beach,” emphasizes Schipske.

Schipske believes that Boeing should be asked by the City to not only donate the archives specific to Long Beach, but should also be urged to donate a building that could be used as a Long Beach Aviation Museum that could house the archives and more.

“The City of Long Beach has spent considerable time, money and energy in support of Boeing’s efforts to maintain funding of its C-17 by the U.S. Air Force, but unfortunately production will cease in 2015. So now is the time to ask Boeing to help establish a Long Beach Aviation Museum.”

Schipske says there are thousands of retirees from Douglas, McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing who would welcome the opportunity to help establish and docent such a museum. “This could become a major tourist attraction for Long Beach,” pointing to the Seattle Museum of Flight (http://www.museumofflight.org/), where the Boeing Company was started, as an excellent example of what an aviation museum can do for a city. “More than 500,000 people visit this Smithsonian affiliate each year.”

Schipske has placed an item on the City Council agenda for October 1, requesting the City Manager to discuss with Boeing the donation of both a building and the historical archives now in storage.

Related articles

• Boeing To End C-17 Airlifter Production, Close Long Beach Plant In 2015 (losangeles.cbslocal.com)

End of an Era -- Closure of Boeing

English: Commandant of cadets flies new C-17 Globemaster III home: Brig. Gen. Susan Y. Desjardins flies a newly accepted C-17A Globemaster III over the U.S. Air Force Academy cadet area Oct. 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado General Desjardins accepted the aircraft into the United States Air Force's inventory at Boeing's facilities in Long Beach, California, and flew it from the Boeing facility to its new duty station with the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

End Of an Era: Councilwoman Schipske Comments on Boeing Announced Closure of C-17 Line 

Long Beach, CA – September 18, 2013 – Upon receiving news that Boeing, currently one of the largest employers in Long Beach, has decided to close the C-17 line in 2015, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske issued the following statement: 

“This is the end of an era that started in the 1940’s with Long Beach being the home of aircraft manufacturing where the best planes ever built have been produced,” said Schipske, in whose district Boeing resides.

“The production of excellent aircraft for military and commercial use has provided thousands of well paying jobs for Long Beach residents, and has been the heart of skilled trades jobs in our community. I hope that Boeing will provide retraining for their employees for comparable paying jobs in our City.

“The Mayor and City Council have done everything possible to convince the U.S. Air Force to continue to purchase the C-17 aircraft, but they decided not to order any more of them.

“This is an opportunity for other companies in the area to take very experienced, well-trained Long Beach worker and put them to work in tech and growth industry jobs. It’s important to be able to provide new opportunities for these workers while the City of Long Beach has an 11.9% unemployment rate as of August (in California the unemployment rate for the same period is 8.7%), and a 22% poverty rate.

“On the positive side, the C-17 site will most likely be added to the Douglas Park development planned by Sares Regis, which is doing incredibly well. Businesses moving into the development will also be providing good jobs.

“I’m hopeful that Boeing will give the City of Long Beach the historical archives from the early days of McDonnell Douglas manufacturing on the site to the present. It would be a great gift from Boeing to ensure that important history of our City’s role in producing aircraft for our nation and ultimately for the world,” Schipske concluded.

Related articles

• Boeing To End C-17 Airlifter Production, Close Long Beach Plant In 2015 (losangeles.cbslocal.com)
• Boeing to end C-17 airlifter production in 2015 (nzherald.co.nz)
• Layoffs likely in St. Louis as Boeing ends C-17 airlifter production (kmov.com)

Go Long Beach! Technology and Innovation Moves Forward

Tonight, the City council approved reviewing the idea of establishing a technology and innovation commission. The City has done some incredible things in technology, including our Go Long Beach smartphone application, our new online permits and licenses, the use of social media, an open government initiative, an online city contract database, free WiFi initiatives for our parks and libraries and upgrading our technology throughout the city.

To ensure we continue providing cutting edge services to our residents, visitors and businesses, and that we maintain, expand and capitalize on our leadership position, Long Beach will create a technology and innovation commission.

Technology and innovation is needed in Long Beach because we are facing high unemployment (11.3%) and a high poverty rate (22%). These industries are where the new jobs will come from.

Last year, I proposed that the City explore a Clean Tech Zone which would attract these businesses. With this Commission, we can move that idea forward.

We are fortunate that we have had a technology advisory committee comprised of residents who have expertise and willingness to share, who have served for several years. I have asked that these members be allowed to serve on any new commission concerning technology.

Long Beach is seeing a boom in technology . We have We Labs and Long Beach Tech. We have offers from Code for America to help form a “brigade” – wizards who can create applications and software for public use. We have so much potential.

Go Long Beach. Together, we can create jobs and opportunities for our residents.