Related Long Beach Stories

05/07/08 Historic Wetlands Project Complete Along Los Angeles River In Long Beach

Don Knabe. Working for LONG BEACH.

Long Beach Accomplishments

2008

Creating Wetlands along the Los Angeles River

Supervisor Knabe joined other local elected officials for the opening of the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in Long Beach. The $7 million treatment wetlands and spreading grounds project is the latest in a series of regional, multi-benefit projects implemented by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. At peak capacity, the new wetlands will naturally remove pollutants and other harmful chemicals from over one million gallons of storm water every day, before that water reaches the ocean or returns to the ground water supply.

Establishing Reward for Murder of Long Beach Boy

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 reward, at the request of Supervisor Knabe, for information related to the shooting death of an 11-year old boy in the City of Long Beach.

Improving Child Care in Long Beach
In the City of Long Beach, 56 child care providers have agreed to take part in the County's Steps to Excellence Program (STEP), an innovative new child care rating system that will help parents make informed child care choices for their children. The STEP program, launched by Supervisor Knabe in July 2007, is the first program of its kind in California.
 

Synchronizing Traffic in Long Beach
The County has completed the construction of a Traffic Signal Synchronization Project in Long Beach. The $1,022,691 project was financed with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Grant Funds and Proposition C Local Return Funds, and focused on coordinating the timing of signals along Eastern Avenue/Garfield Avenue/Cherry Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Atlantic Boulevard.
 

Establishing Rewards for Three Shooting Deaths in Long Beach
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved three $10,000 rewards, at the request of Supervisor Knabe, for information related to two different shooting incidents in Long Beach that led to the deaths of Dennis Moses, Breon Taylor, and Ikime Sims.

2007

Providing Long Beach with Funds for Projects along L.A. River
Supervisor Knabe presented Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster $5 million in Proposition A funds to restore dozens of acres of historic wetlands, acquire land to be developed into greenspace linking existing parks, and develop other areas into park space.

Modernizing Public Housing Developments in Long Beach
The Board of Supervisors, which acts as the CDC’s Board of Commissioners, approved contracts with M.L. Construction to replace gas lines at the Carmelitos family housing development and with Continental Flooring Company to replace flooring at the 155-unit Carmelitos senior housing complex. The Carmelitos housing community is comprised of 700 units of family and senior housing, an award-winning nursery and community garden, and on-site educational enrichment and family resource centers.

Repairing Intersections Impacted by Heavy Truck Traffic
The Board of Supervisors approved a transportation infrastructure improvement project that is designed to minimize the impact truck traffic has at several congested intersections. In Long Beach the project is in the vicinity of Santa Fe Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway and consists of constructing concrete pavement at the intersection and at the approaches, increasing curb radius at the southwest corner of the intersection, and adding new signing and striping.

Improving Mental Health Programs for the Homeless
The County approved a $500,000 grant to the City of Long Beach to improve and enhance specialized services for homeless veterans in the Long Beach area. The grant includes a specific provision of $140,000 for the establishment of a County-funded mental health coordinator position within the City’s health department to ensure that residents, especially those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have a greater awareness of mental health resources.
 

Legal Services expanded at Long Beach Courthouse
Funding for additional staff and operating hours was provided to the high-successful Self-Help Legal Access Center at the Long Beach Courthouse just eight months after the center opened. The Center’s staff can assist the public in completing legal forms, offer legal options and provide information that helps the public understand court rules and procedures.

Upgrading Traffic Signals in Long Beach
Damaged traffic signals and equipment in Long Beach is being replaced with new equipment. The $1.7 million project is located at the intersection of Del Amo Boulevard and Susana Road, and involves the installation and modification of the traffic signals at the intersection.

Synchronizing Traffic in Local Cities
A new Traffic Signal Synchronization Project has been approved for the cities of Bellflower, Cerritos, La Mirada, Long Beach, Norwalk and Whittier. The project will synchronize 35 traffic signals on Artesia Boulevard between Alameda Street and Valley View Avenue; 15 traffic signals on Central Avenue between El Segundo Boulevard and Victoria Street; and 36 traffic signals located on Whittier Boulevard between Paramount Boulevard and Valley Home Avenue. This project is part of the County’s ongoing program to enhance traffic flow and safety for drivers and pedestrians.

Dedicating the Enhanced Wrigley Green Belt on Earth Day
Supervisor Knabe and the Port of Long Beach sponsored the installation of a decorative gate in Long Beach on Earth Day. This year’s Earth Day was part of a larger Public Works comprehensive project called the Wrigley Greenbelt Project. The goal of this project includes landscape enhancements to help improve the urban air quality and increase health benefits to the neighboring communities. In addition, the proposed water quality enhancements include water retention features to collect, filter and percolate storm flows from the adjacent residential areas.

Funding New Street Lights in Downtown Long Beach
The County of Los Angeles has funded a major portion of a project designed to improve pedestrian safety through enhanced street lighting in parts of downtown Long Beach. The street lighting replacement project will occur on both Broadway and 3rd Street between Pacific Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, with the existing City-owned high pressure sodium lights being replaced with brighter metal halide lights.

Providing New Kitchen for Veterans in Long Beach
The United States Veterans Initiative in Long Beach, located at the Villages at Cabrillo, will receive $800,000 in County funds to construct a new commercial kitchen, which will serve as a location for homeless veterans to receive meals.

2006

Long Beach Celebrates Safe Surrender
Safe Surrender #47 occurs in the City of Long Beach when a baby girl is handed over at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center on Thanksgiving Day.

County begins multimillion traffic synchronization project along Carson Street in Long Beach and portions of Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens. The project is part of the County’s ongoing program of synchronizing traffic signals to improve the flow of traffic on streets and highways.
 

Long Beach Memorial Medical Center receives safely surrendered newborn girl - the third in Long Beach in 2006. This raises the number of newborns handed-over under Supervisor Knabe's Safe Surrender Program to 47 Countywide since the program began in 2001.

Supervisor Don Knabe and the Board of Supervisors approved plans for the construction of treatment wetlands and public use open space located in the Dominguez Gap Spreading Grounds east and west basins in the City of Long Beach. The Dominguez Gap was identified in the 1996 Los Angeles River Master Plan as one of five sites that would provide flood management, water quality, environmental enhancements, and recreational and educational improvements.

Dedicated new Metro Express Bus Service, 577X service from the Long Beach Veterans Hospital to Norwalk Metro Green Line Station to El Monte Bus Station.

Assisted in the procurement of a federal grant to the Sheriff’s Department to purchase a new Homeland Security boat that will commence patrolling our ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as well as the county’s coastline during the 2006 calendar year.

Funded a new self-help center at the Long Beach Courthouse to assist self represented folks with free legal assistance.

Dedicated Bethune Transitional School Dedication – Transitional school for homeless children where they are assessed before placing in proper grade.

Grand Opening of Project Achieve.

Assisted in the implementation of the Long Beach emergency homeless shelter on Oregon Avenue; Supporter of the ongoing operation of the shelter, which operates 58 beds.

Century Villages at Cabrillo, Inc. received County General funds allocated to the Fourth District to construct two new buildings to shelter homeless families at the Villages at Cabrillo.

Supervisor Knabe offers major financial support every year to numerous Long Beach community groups including: Arts Council for Long Beach, International City Theatre, KKJZ, Long Beach Museum of Art, Museum of Latin American Art, Richard Carpenter Center, Long Beach Blast, Mentoring a Touch from Above, California State University, Long Beach Foundation, Long Beach City College Foundation, Long Beach Education Foundation, NCCJ, Disabled Resources Center, Child Net, Rainy Day and Winter Shelters.

2005

Funded mobile dental van serving residents of Long Beach and vicinity.

Highways-Through-Cities Funds disbursement - Funds were used for the resurfacing of the deteriorated roadway pavement on Willow Street between the west city limit and Los Angeles River, Clark Avenue and Bellflower Boulevard, and Studebaker Road and the East City limit.

2004

Opened HIV/AIDS dental clinic at Long Beach Comprehensive Center
Helped open the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services new multicultural Miller Family Health Education Center
Vegetation and debris cleared from flood control channel rights of way in the County's South Maintenance Area in vicinity of Long Beach
Long Beach Courthouse Structural Retrofit Project – Brought the building up to current seismic standards

2003

Joined the Aquarium of the Pacific Board of Trustees.

Water supply and micro-filtration system constructed to prevent seawater intrusion into the groundwater supply.
 

Retrofit of the Carson Street Pedestrian Overcrossing near Long Beach City College to current seismic structural standards.
 

1,232 fire sprinklers installed in the senior housing units of the Carmelitos housing development.

2002

Federal Flood Insurance mandate lifted for residents living near the lower Los Angeles River after successful lobbying efforts by local elected leaders including Supervisor Knabe. Lifting the mandate saved 370,000 impacted residents nearly $33 million in annual flood insurance premiums.

Established first mental health Crisis Intervention Center in Long Beach. Facility is now a model for others that are being created in other areas of the County.

Gave up Long Beach field office within the Long Beach Superior Courthouse in order to build a child care waiting room for the children of parents with business at the court.

Trash collection system installed in storm water drains in Lon Beach and Signal Hill. This system captures trash in storm water and prevents it from reaching the ocean.

Improvements to Woodruff Avenue, encompassing 670 feet of area around Harco Street, in the Long Beach area. Improvements will include resurfacing of the roadway section; reconstruction of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, and a cross gutter; and modification of traffic signals.

Completion of the long awaited Alameda Corridor project. The Alameda Corridor is a 20-mile long freight rail expressway linking the nation's two busiest ports - Long Beach and Los Angeles - to the transcontinental rail yards near downtown Los Angeles

2001

Major effort to reopen Community Hospital of Long Beach.

Facilitated agreement between the County and the City of Long Beach to improve the traffic flow along Lakewood Boulevard from Carson Street to Willow Street. Improvements call for the widening of the roadway, modification and synchronization of traffic signals and installation of video vehicle detection systems.

Opening of Hinchman House which provides mental services to children in several communities including Long Beach.

Inaugurated the new three-car MTA Blue Line trains which increased capacity on the already busy route that extends between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles.

Synchronization of traffic signals on Sepulveda Boulevard/Pacific Coast Highway from Imperial Highway in El Segundo to Studebaker Road in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation dedicated the new Don Knabe Family Learning Center at the El Dorado Neighborhood Library in Long Beach.

2000

Major effort to reopen Community Hospital of Long Beach.