Whaley Park Christmas, Kumon opens and Bellflower Blvd re-do

Sunday December 3rd is the Annual

Whaley Park Lighting of the Letters

The Lighting of the Letters tradition returns this year on December 3rd to the Los Altos Village neighborhood adjacent to Whaley Park (North)  with a 3rd Annual Lighting of the Letters community kick-off event marking the return of  giant letters spelling out  holiday greetings. 

In the 1950's during the holidays residents living around Whaley Park North each displayed one giant letter that combined spelled out around the perimeter of the park the holiday messages of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

1950's vintage Whaley Park letter

Why the tradition was lost and what happened to most of the old letters remains a mystery. As the years went by, enough people still remembered the old tradition as the occasional random letter was found as the homes changed hands over the years, keeping the mid-century Whaley Park Christmas Letters story alive.

Fast forward to the 21st Century. In 2015 former LB Airport

City Prosecutor Doug Haubert

Commissioner and now Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert (and long-time 4th District resident) had an airline called Kalitta Charters consent to settle 13 LB Noise Ordinance violations for $54,000. Separate from the first Consent Degree fines that go to the Long Beach Library Foundation, the 2015 Kalitta agreement funds went to the Long Beach Community Foundation to establish and administer two community funds that would directly benefit the airport impacted neighborhoods in the 4th and 8th Council Districts. 

In the 4th District, the fund created is called the Los Altos Charitable Giving Fund (LACGF). Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw was asked to recommend a committee to plan and oversee LACGF projects. The eventual Los Altos resident committee members, Michele "K" Kreinheder, Bill Marshall and Joe Mello met and quickly decided to bring back the Whaley Park Christmas Letters tradition.

To contribute to the Los Altos Giving Fund click on: LOS ALTOS

In 2015, a kick-off  event at Whaley Park took place announcing the plans to bring back the holiday letters with displays of one of the original holiday letters and a prototype of the new letters. In 2016. the new letters were installed and neighbors from all over Los Altos Village showed up to see the new letters, hand made by the  Long Beach Area Council of Boy Scouts.

New Whaley Park Letters made by the Long Beach Area Council of Boy Scouts

The LACGF committee in cooperation with Councilman Supernaw's office and the Los Altos Village Neighbors organize the event.

Los Altos Village's own popular Santa will return again this year as will the bounce house, holiday music and other family fun. Neighbors are encouraged to bring cookies and treats to share.

A box to collect unwrapped toys for the California Children's Services Programs to distribute to needy families will also be available at the Lighting of the Letters event.

Los ALtos Village t-shirts

Los Altos Village neighborhood shirts and flags will also be available with proceeds going to support Los Altos Village Neighbors. 

Los Altos Great Mex displays neighborhood flag

Lloyd Whaley developed the planned community neighborhoods of  East Long Beach including Los Altos Village and Park Estates (originally called Los Altos Park Estates). Whaley also planned and built the Los Altos Shopping Center .

Other Whaley developments include the neighborhood of Country Club Manor in North Long Beach and the Galaxy Tower on Ocean Blvd in Bluff Park.  Whaley donated land for numerous public uses around Long Beach including Whaley Park, the Los Altos Public Library, Los Altos Park and Scherer Park.

The Lighting of the Letters event will begin at 3:00 pm at Whaley Park (North) on Sunday December 3rd and continue until the letters light-up at dusk.

To contribute to the Los Altos Giving Fund click on: LOS ALTOS 

Kumon Math & Reading Center opens in 

Los Altos Center North

A  Kumon Math & Reading Center has opened up at the Los Altos Center North  in the upstairs of the Trader Joes/Amazing Comics section building in Suite 208.

Los Altos Center Kumon Center Grand Opening ribbon cutting from Councilman Supernaw's weekly newsletter 

Kumon's is an after-school academic enrichment program.  The Kumon program to motivate students and instill a love of learning.  The advance at your own pace program is individualized for students who either in need of catching up or enrichment. 

For more information click on: KUMON@Los Altos Village

Bellflower Blvd's 2.1 million dollar mile

Starting Monday November 27th, construction on the Bellflower Blvd's $2.1 million mile is set to begin.  The City of Long Beach in conjunction with 3rd District Councilwomen Suzie Prices' office will be  repaving and reconfiguring Bellflower from PCH to Atherton Street including the area known as the Iron Triangle- the PCH/7th Street/Bellflower Blvd. intersection.  The 3rd District project will stop at the 4th District line which is the Boulton Creek flood channel right before the YMCA.

3rd District Councilwomen Price

Prices' office announced the project in Spring of this year. The project had been delayed because of street construction inside of CSULB that caused CSULB students to enter the campus by way of Atherton Street.  The delayed construction will now impact Third District residents traveling to the Los Altos Village shopping centers and restaurants for the holidays and 4th District residents traveling south to the Marina Pacifica Shopping areas during the shopping season.

  

The bulk of the $2.1 million funding for the 1.1 mile stretch is being paid for by federal and state monies with Long Beach funding $211,000 of the project. 

At least one lane of Bellflower Blvd. and reportedly 25 parking spaces on Bellflower will be eliminated as bike lanes protected by "bike bollards" will be added to the street. Those green bollards have been controversial not only in Long Beach but in Los Angeles.

For more information click on BIKE BOLLARDS