LBreport.com Alerts El Dorado Park Estates Homeowners About Coming Impact

LBreport.com has posted an article about the pending impact of Black Hawk helicopters flying out of Los Alamitos Air Station. Click here to read article.

While the City of Long Beach apparently responded to the plan via the Planning department, I am trying to find out why my office wasn't alerted directly so that residents could have weighed in. Apparently the comment period  for this item ends today!

I encourage readers to link to the article on lbreport.com and then follow up with comments postmarked today.

It's like watching sausage being made...

I have attempted not to use this blog to report on the negative stuff that happens being on the City Council.

But a very thoughtful constituent from the 3rd Council district just sent me a copy of an email he sent to Councilman Gary DeLong in response to DeLong's diatribe against the majority of the city council who shot down his scheme to dole out street sweeping services to one of the many businesses he had already alerted would get a chance to bid.

DeLong had threatened in a previous email to "tell" his email list who dared to vote against his proposal. And while he insulted one councilmember last night by characterizing the councilmember's comments as "nonsense" and "disingenious" -- he was a gentleman enough not to call out that particular councilmember in his email blast.

But instead  De Long took a shot at me in his email blast today -- only me -- by stating that "once again" Gerrie Schipske was wrong because I said that street sweeping produces revenue. Despite his knowing that street sweeping does produce revenue because it is linked to street sweeping tickets of cars parked on street sweeping day, he continues to deny the fact and came very close to calling me a liar.

His email with my name in it might explain why I started to get nasty comments in emails this afternoon.

Don't know why De Long thought it was necessary to put my name in his email. But it does appear that more and more when he doesn't get his way he becomes a very angry man and says demeaning, belittling comments about two of the females on the City Council. Guess it was my day (again) to be his target.

Here's the Land Swap Case that Put a Wrench in the Pike Project

Here's the ruling that states the City inappropriately used tidelands for the Pike Project. Now the City needs to find suitable land to give to the State so that it can continue to use the land where the Pike Project is as a commercial and retail development.


California Land Exchange Agreement -

We Love Long Beach Breakfast

We Love Long Beach hosted a breakfast last Saturday at Marshall Jr. High in the 5th Council District. What a wonderful turnout. Great energy.

A breakfast helps build a sense of community and being connected with each other. It may not be the most serious of events, but judging by the turnout and the comments made during the breakfast, many, many people thought it was just what was needed.

Thanks to the Friends of the El Dorado Dog Park who are working so hard to get that dog park built. Ruff, ruff!

Thanks to the hosts and to everyone who attended.

Long Beach Struggled from the Beginning to Fund the Municipal Band

When it formed the Long Beach Municipal Band in 1909, it did so to stop foreign musicians from playing on the local beach and making money. The push for the band was that Long Beach wanted "American" musicians and not Italians and so an ordinance was passed that made the Municipal Band employees under the direct control of the city.

While a tax was eventually passed to pay for the Municipal Band, other means of financial support were explored, including "municipal advertising" by sending the band across the U.S. on a "California on Wheels" tour as detailed in this article from a 1912 OUTWEST magazine.