Articles

Naples Island is a small neighborhood in Long Beach, nestled in the Alamitos Bay. Comprised of small islands separated by the Rivo Alto and Naples Canals, this community is the inspiration for Phyllis Poper’s second book of poetry.

Poper, 88 and now living in Leisure World in Seal Beach, lived in Naples for 13 years beginning in 1987.

“It was an enjoyable experience to live there,” Poper said. “There’s so much challenging our country… this was a good time to call attention to something pleasant.”

In honor of the island’s European counterpart, Poper felt “it’d be fun to title the book something Italian.”

The aptly titled “Poesia di Napoli” – drawn from the community’s Italian theme – the publication includes poems and illustrations recounting the year’s events that take place within the neighborhood.

There are 21 poems, written in several types of prose, that paint the picture of gondolas floating down the canals, the streets with Italian names and annual events from St. Patrick’s Day to summer concerts to the holiday boat parade which draws people out of their homes on chilly Southern California winter nights to view the elaborate Christmas lighting and decorations.

Poper’s favorite poem in the collection is “La Bella Fontana,” inspired by the apple of Naples’s eye, La Bella Fontana di Napoli. A sort of local legend in Long Beach, the three-tiered, Neapolitan-type fountain was installed in 1971 in the area of Naples called Bella Flora Park.

Surrounded by large Phoenix palm trees, the fountain was renovated in 2008 with help from the Naples Garden Club, which Poper was a member of.

The poem employs the technique of concrete or shape poetry where the arrangement of the typography forms a picture or emphasizes an element of the poem. In the style of the rolling waters in the fountain, the words of the poem fall down the page. Opposite the poem is a hand-drawn ink and pen illustration of La Bella Fontana, done by Arvilla Luce.

“She did a darling job,” Poper said.

“Poesia di Napoli” debuted in June at Naples Improvement Association’s annual pancake breakfast (also addressed in a poem in the book). It is not sold in local bookstores but there are talks that it may be available through the Long Beach Historical Society, Poper said.

Poper has always enjoyed writing poetry, many of which address the wonders of her surroundings. Her first book of poetry, “Sprouts” (because she was a “spouting poet” and not related to the health-food grocer, she joked), featured a three-page “walking fantasy” of the city that she lived in most of her life, titled “Our Home, Our Hood, Our Long Beach.” A 2004 poem titled “Heavenly Lights” was inspired when Poper realized she could see the International Space Station from her yard.

Her pieces have been published in several collections of poetry and as a member of Leisure World’s Creative Writer’s Club, she has won writing contests for poems and short stories, including Writer of the Year in 2000.

Before Naples, Poper lived in Los Altos with her husband and three children.

Copies of “Poesia di Napoli” cost $5 and can be ordered by mail at 1871 Golden Rain Rd. #26A, Seal Beach, CA 90740. Online orders are available for one additional dollar at ascribeno1@yahoo.com.

Link to story

Signal Hill dealership Boulevard Buick GMC returned to Long Beach last month with the acquisition of Coast Cadillac. The new owners believe the deal will cause a “substantial increase in sales tax revenue for the City of Long Beach.”

Boulevard purchased the Coast Cadillac dealership — now Boulevard Cadillac, located at 3399 E. Willow Ave. — June 9, in light of the current economy.

“We’ve seen a big change,” Ron Charron, one of the owners of Boulevard said. “Our Buick GMC new car sales are up almost 80 percent from last year.”

Charron is confident in the quality of the product, though not many dealerships are expanding their businesses at this time.

“It was still a tough decision to make a major acquisition in this economy,” Charron said. “But I can’t say enough good about GM quality recently. The customers are finally realizing that American cars are not that bad.”

Charron and partner Brad Willingham rotate between the two locations with hopes to “grow it and give back to the community,” Charron said.

The acquisition of Boulevard Cadillac occurred on the heels of the move of the dealership’s collision center from Long Beach back to the Signal Hill Auto Center. Previously a Chrysler dealership, the Boulevard Collision Center is now located next to Boulevard Buick GMC and incorporates energy-efficient paint booths.

Founder Jim Willingham opened the family-owned and operated Boulevard Buick GMC on American Avenue in Long Beach in 1961. Even after their move to Signal Hill in 1993, the owners still seek to treat customers like “they were [their] own mother” and consider their dealer “one of the friendliest places to buy or lease a car.”

The dealership boasts clientele reaching from South Bay Peninsula to Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Skip Dawson’s job is to find money for college.

The title of his free workshop—“How to Send Your Child to the College of Their Choice Without Spending Your Life’s Savings, Sacrificing Your Current Lifestyle Or Just Plain Going Broke”—exemplifies the exact nature of his business, College Planning of Greater Long Beach.

In California, average tuition for a full-time undergraduate can range from an estimated $600 to $30,000 per semester, depending on the type of college (i.e. community college, private institutions, etc.). In Long Beach, Cal State Long Beach’s basic tuition costs $2,303 per semester for full-time undergrads and the total cost of attendance (COA) is over $20,000 including books, room and board, and other fees.
“College is so expensive that families are paying $70,000 to $250,000,” Dawson said. “That’s a new house.”

Over $149 million in scholarships, grants, loans and work-study was disbursed to over 15,000 full-time undergraduates at CSULB in the 2008-2009 academic year. Dawson’s goal is to get this money into the pockets of families—regardless of income or status—sending their kids to college.

After working as a mortgage and insurance broker for over 20 years, Dawson stumbled upon the world of financial aid planning while helping his college-bound nieces and nephews.
“During my research I found there’s a whole sub world of information people don’t know,” Dawson said.

His background in finance helped him discover the secrets to understanding the financial aid process and introduced him to college planning as an entire career. The Lakewood native entered this profession under the tutelage of Ron Caruthers, well-known college planner in Carlsbad.

Since then, Dawson opened his business and has provided planning services for nearly 10 years. He said his work is all about knowing the rules.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required to apply for most types of aid. It calculates an EFC, or estimated family contribution, which is the amount of money a family is expected to supply for college for one year. The amount is based on factors like family size, number of family members in college, family savings and current earnings. Subtracting the EFC from the cost of tuition equals the potential amount of aid received.

Dawson estimates about 75 percent of the FAFSA is filled out incorrectly. The most common mistake that costs families money is “overinflating their net worth,” Dawson said.

“It’s like doing taxes,” Dawson said. “Accountants know how to reduce tax liability and a college planner knows how to reduce the EFC, except the rules are different.”

Dawson examines each family’s financial situation and figures out how to get the maximum amount of aid. Since financial aid doesn’t cover everything, Dawson also educates them about other sources of aid from understanding loans to the family’s own resources.
“Nobody gets off for free,” Dawson said.

The root of College Planning of Greater Long Beach is Dawson’s love of education. A self-proclaimed education junkie, he believes in the importance of any type of education – not just academics.

A graduate of Lakewood High School, Dawson earned his bachelor’s degree in Business and Management Information Systems from CSULB but his education didn’t stop there. Dawson has pursued many fields, like scuba diving and sales, always going to the leading edge of technology.

“Education is top priority for me and the people around me,” Dawson said.

The future holds helping greater Long Beach families to pay for college. Among financial advice, College Planning of Greater Long Beach offers SAT/ACT prep and other personalized services. In addition, Dawson provides free workshops with information about college planning myths, grants, mistakes and more.

“It really is my passion to help people,” Dawson said.

Dawson’s next workshop will be July 13 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Ruth Bach Library, located at 4055 Bellflower Blvd. For more information, visit www.collegeplanningoflb.com or call (562) 366-4803.

Link to story

Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell’s “Breakwater Awareness Month” wrapped up May 24 at Ecco’s Pizza with a meeting bringing the community up to speed on one of Long Beach’s hot topics — the breakwater.

The meeting began with Manager of Government Affairs Tom Modica’s history on Long Beach’s self-funded reconnaissance study. Monica Eichler, the coastal sections project manager of the Los Angeles district of the Army Corps of Engineers – who has jurisdiction over the breakwater – reviewed what would happen if Long Beach’s study produces enough federal interest for a further, more in-depth study (called a feasibility study).

When the floor opened for questions, Councilmember O’Donnell was the first to step up to the mike: “Where are we now?”

“Colonel Magness [commander of the Los Angeles district of the Army Corps] has signed off at the district level,” Eichler said.

Though nothing was confirmed, Eichler said “there’s a pretty good chance” that the Army Corps higher-ups will approve a feasibility study.

The Army Corps has been reviewing the reconnaissance study since February. Modica estimated a response from the Army Corps by mid-June.

According to Eichler, if the Army Corps determines federal interest and Long Beach decides to become a local sponsor, the feasibility study would take about four years to complete. Local sponsorship also means that Long Beach is responsible for half of the $8 million for the study, as well as appropriating the federal funds.

Community members at the meeting were concerned about the length of time as well as the price tag attached to the breakwater. The panel assured that the four years for the study is to ensure correct data and explore every possible, cost-effective solution.

“We’re not reaching into general funding,” Councilmember O’Donnell said. “There are a variety of places to go for the money.”

O’Donnell reassured the audience of his dedication to the issue.

“I believe there is something we can carve out here,” he said.

Breaking down the breakwater

Completed in 1949, the breakwater is federally owned and operated. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has final say over its modification or removal. In the years since the closure of the Long Beach Naval Complex in 1994, the public has pushed to reconfigure or completely remove the structure.

The Army Corps will decide if the results of a reconnaissance study generate enough federal interest. Enough federal interest means another phase of study called a feasibility study, which costs a lot more and takes a lot longer. Once this phase is complete, then comes the construction phase where designs are drawn and contracts are written and eventually, there is action.

Moffatt & Nichol, a local marine engineering firm, started the Breakwater Reconnaissance Study in August 2008 and completed it in July 2009 (the approximate time such a study lasts). Results are available at www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/ga/breakwater.

Essentially, they provided five alternative solutions. Each explores rearranging sections of the breakwater to create up to 300 acres of rocky, hard-bottom habitats and up to 500 acres of kelp reef habitats, however that solution alone – though the most cost-effective – would not improve water quality. Moffatt & Nichol also found that water quality could improve along the shoreline without changes to the breakwater by redirecting the mouth of the Los Angeles River.

Overall, the study concluded that complete removal of the breakwater is not a good idea due to “negative impacts that cannot be effectively mitigated in a cost-effective manner.” And while four out of the five alternatives could make up or exceed the construction costs of the project from recreation alone, they cost more on a cost-per-acre basis compared to a previous ecosystem restoration project, the Southern California Edison Wheeler Kelp Reef. All the alternatives range of about $10 million to $310 million dollars in construction costs.

The Army Corps determines federal interest through one of five missions: ecosystem restoration, in this case. This means the study must appeal to this mission by showing that the ocean’s environment is in trouble and that it can be fixed at a reasonable price.

Despite concerns about funding and time, the community was supportive of any action at all.

“It’s a good thing,” Randy Nordyke, Long Beach resident and surfer, said. “But it’s sad I might not see these changes in my lifetime.”

Link to story

Four years of effort came to a halt May 4 when the Salvation Army canceled development of its Long Beach Kroc Center, a community center aimed to help change underdeveloped neighborhoods.

In an announcement on its website, www.longbeachkroc.org, the Salvation Army said the project is not financially feasible, citing “escalating costs and fundraising challenges” as its roadblocks. The Western Territorial Headquarters board of directors, who voted unanimously to cancel the project, informed local officials of these issues in a letter signed by Chief Secretary William Harfoot.

The letter astonished everyone involved.

“We are all stunned by this announcement,” Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement released by the city. “Perhaps most perplexing, is that many of these issues are coming to the city’s attention for the first time through this letter, leaving years of progress, staff work, cooperative relationships and a considerable financial outlay from the Salvation Army in tatters.”

Members close to the project didn’t find out until they received a letter as well, like Evan Lamont, the Kroc Center Project’s spokesman.

“Everyone here was as blind-sided as everyone else,” Lamont said in a Press-Telegram article.

David Neary, chairman to the advisory board of the Salvation Army, said these issues were new to him and had no idea the project was in danger.

In 2004, the estate of Joan Kroc – widow of McDonald’s entrepreneur, Ray Kroc – left $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army to build a series of community centers across the country. The donation, one of the largest gifts in the nation’s history, designated $76 million for the Long Beach Center. Half the amount was set aside for construction and the remaining $38 million as an endowment for the center’s operations.

However, as a condition of sorts, Kroc wanted the communities to show their support of these centers by raising a significant portion of the funds – $15 million in Long Beach’s case. Four centers have already been opened under the same conditions: San Diego, San Francisco, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Salem, Oregon with upcoming centers in Honolulu and Phoenix.

Major Cindy Foley, the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers’ consultant, stated at least half of the funds had to be raised by Long Beach in time for the board’s Apr. 30 review. Failure to meet that deadline could result in cancellation.

The online announcement affirmed, “The money didn’t come in the way [the Salvation Army] needed it to.”

The letter from Territorial Headquarters also cited this fundraising issue as a reason for the cancelled project.

Another problem described in the letter is the property site: the Hamilton Bowl, located at Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue, is a Los Angeles County flood control basin. The letter stated construction costs originally estimated at $5 billion jumped to $9.2 billion because of the nature of the flood plain.

LBPost also reported Foley said the Salvation Army would not fully own the site, just the Kroc Center building. The adjacent fields and parking lots on site would be under a 99-year lease from the City of Long Beach. Furthermore, the letter states that in the event of a catastrophe, the Salvation Army would not be indemnified from any liability – an “unacceptable financial risk.”

While the Salvation Army seems to have pulled the plug on the community project due to objectionable deals regarding fundraising and property, city and county officials seem open to negotiations and resolutions.

“The one thing that we can’t walk away from are the regional flood control responsibilities,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe said in a Los Angeles Times article. “That is an issue, but it can be overcome.”

“This center is really important for the city,” Mayor Bob Foster said in the same article.

A letter-writing campaign to revive the Long Beach Kroc Center is at www.savethekroc.com.

Link to story

Michael Bauch is creating a new, two-wheeled meaning for the term “going Dutch.”
Bauch’s film, “Riding Bikes with the Dutch,” will premiere at the Art Theatre at 5 p.m. May 9 as part of the Long Beach Bicycle Festival’s bike-themed film festival. Years in the making, the film takes place in the district of Jordaan in Amsterdam and looks deeper into the bicycle culture of the city.

Bauch has worked on numerous documentaries, non-profit and promotional productions over his 14-year career. After college, he interned for the American Film Institute. He shot interviews for a History Channel series titled “Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War,” narrated by Charlton Heston, about World War II espionage and behind the scenes work. But the moment he was nearly mowed over by bikes in Amsterdam got Bauch’s wheels turning.

“I got great experience doing these types of projects,” Bauch said. “And at one point, I wanted to tell my own story and do my own documentary.”
In 2003, Bauch and his wife traveled to Germany to visit family. A one-day layover in Amsterdam turned into three as Bauch, inspired by the city’s bicycle community, filmed an impromptu project titled “Amsterdam: The Bicycling Capital of Europe.”

Later that year he presented the film, less than five minutes in length, at the California Bike Coalition’s first walking and biking conference in Oakland representing the European biking scene. He was also able to sell some raw footage to a company that sold bike parts and to bike clubs. Inspired by the initial success of his small film, Bauch decided this project wasn’t quite finished.

“There’s a lot more to the story that I wasn’t able to cover in this short film,” Bauch said.

In fall of 2007 Bauch, his wife Rachel and their 7-month-old son, Leo, left Long Beach for The Netherlands.

Amsterdam is a city built for bicycles. Its extensive bike path network totals over 400 kilometers (about 248 miles) and about 40 percent of all traffic movements are by bike. Bauch set out to exemplify the “bicycle psyche” of the Dutch. The documentary explores how this culture is very normal in Amsterdam.

Bike riders aren’t seen as left-wing, environmentalist or exercise fanatics, Bauch said. They are regular citizens doing something that makes sense.

Doing a home exchange with a family in Amsterdam brought in key characters for Bauch’s self-funded film. Not only did it help financially, but Bauch interviewed the parents and friends of the Dutch family whose home they stayed in. Other stories include the life of a family who owned the bed and breakfast the Bauchs stayed at during their 2003 visit. The film documents how involved biking is in this family’s life from taking their kids to school to how the young daughter learns to ride a bike.

But where was the story going? Where was the ending? Bauch described his initial view of Southern California’s car culture as pessimistic compared to the lively bike culture in The Netherlands. But upon his return home, the answer was there.

“I was waiting for the plot twist and it has come: Long Beach is stepping up to the plate and making all these changes that make biking easier,” Bauch said, particularly in reference to Long Beach’s speedy installation of the green Shared Lanes on Second Street.

The bikes had followed him home. The film’s goal is to change the perception that people must be extreme athletes to do something like ride bikes and to show that the city of Long Beach is making that lifestyle easier than ever.

“I want to normalize bike use,” Bauch said. “You don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to ride around the block, to run local errands.”
A Covina native – he moved to Long Beach to kayak and ride his bike – bicycling is Bauch’s main form of transportation. Though he considers his situation a bit different because he works from home, biking allows him time to relax while running his errands.

“Forty percent of all car trips in general are two miles or less,” Bauch said. “You don’t have to drive a two-ton vehicle to pick up a toothbrush.”

Bauch’s low-hanging fruit, the goal he wants to achieve is replacing those short car trips with an alternative.

“Riding Bikes with The Dutch” focuses on the importance of the lifestyle rather than the object itself. Bauch doesn’t want potential riders to get stuck on the color, brand or features of the bike. He hopes that viewers, most of whom probably have a bike tucked away in the garage, will pull them out, dust them off and start riding.

“Riding Bikes with The Dutch” premieres at the Art Theatre, located at 2025 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $5 per person and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bauch will participate in a question-and-answer session after the premiere. For more information on the Long Beach Bicycle Festival, visit www.longbeachbikefest.org. For more information on Michael Bauch and the film, visit http://everydaybike.com/.

Link to story

It’s the time of year when the City of Long Beach encourages you toss the car keys and get the bicycle wheels in motion with the 2nd annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival on May 7 to May 9. Riding the success of last year’s event, 2010 aims to draw attention to the city-wide changes implemented as part of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan raise awareness about safety education and a greener lifestyle.

With the expected success of the Long Beach Bicycle Festival, the City of Long Beach traverses closer to becoming “the most bicycle friendly city in America.” According to the League of American Bicyclists, the city has secured or spent over $10 million in grant funding for projects in the Bicycle Master Plan. The league awarded the City a Bronze Level in 2009, recognizing its efforts to develop into a more bike-friendly community.

“The Bike Festival will draw people from all over the city to celebrate cycling in Long Beach,” Sumire Gant, Transportation Planning and Programs Officer for the city, wrote in an e-mail. “Last year we introduced three new pilot projects at the Bike Festival that we would like to consider in the update of the city’s Bike Master Plan.”
The Long Beach Bicycle Festival opens with the Fixed Gear Fest, located on First Street between Linden and Elm Streets in the East Village Arts District. The evening will feature freestyle riders, performances, trick competitions and Gold Sprint roller racing contests. Among the live music, booths, food, clothing and more, the event will kick off with the City Officials Tricycle Showdown.

New to this year’s festival is the Tour of Long Beach on May 8. The 31-mile route, planned by 2000 U.S. Olympian and Long Beach’s Bike Ambassador, Tony Cruz, displays the best of Long Beach. From the ocean, to the parks, to the neighborhoods, amateurs and professionals can tour bike paths and trails through the city. Riders can loop through the course twice totaling 62 miles, also known as a Metric Century in biking terms.

“[It’s] a fantastic venue for non-competitive enthusiasts to explore the many bike-friendly paths and other assets our great city has to offer,” Mayor Bob Foster said in a press release.

Mayor Foster will participate in the tour.

The shorter, kid-friendly Tour of Long Beach Family Ride ushers riders of all ages along the waterfront in a four-mile loop. All registration and proceeds from this event go to the Miller Children’s Hospital.

“Anyone can ride this event,” Festival Director Mark Bixby said. “The course is flat and scenic and it’s all for a great cause. You’ve got all morning to do it, even if you’re going 10 m.p.h., three hours later you can roll back into downtown and there’s a lot of great stuff happening.”

Bixby said 250 riders registered three weeks in advance and a total of 500 are expected to register.

Garnering the attention of the competitive racers is the USA Cycling race, the Bicycle Grand Prix. Professionals and amateurs can join any of eight races, children’s races and a Police, Fire and Armed Services race to compete for more than $17,000 in cash prizes. The 0.83-mile course starts and finishes at Broadway and Promenade in front of sponsor restaurant Wokcano. Participants must be USA Cycling members.

The final day of the festival wraps up with 4th Street in Motion. This event highlights the green lifestyle of biking and alternative transportation. Held on the 4th Street corridor, between Junipero and Cherry Avenues, the festivities embrace a bicycle-themed film festival held at the Art Theatre, vintage bike enthusiasts The Cyclone Coasters, and The Retro Rollers, Long Beach’s roller derby team plus live music, food, a wine and beer garden and more.

The Luther Burbank School is hosting family-oriented bicycle activities and exhibits that include safety workshops and do-it-yourself bike repair.

“We want to encourage people who may not ride a bike now to get more information so that they feel safer riding their bikes in Long Beach,” Gant said.

“It’s critical for kids to learn how to ride safely and commute in a healthy fashion,” Bixby said. “It’s also important to educate motorists how to drive around bicyclists.”

The school’s “Garden of the Mind” project is the major beneficiary of the event’s proceeds and donations.

In the end, the Long Beach Bicycle Festival isn’t just about bringing out the bikes or going green.

“For me, the best part about the festival is seeing all of the kids who participate,” Gant said.

For more information on the festival or to register for events, visit www.longbeachbikefest.org. To stay updated on Long Beach’s biking community, visit www.bikelongbeach.org.