Our "Demo Day" served as preparation for our "MLK Day of Service", focusing on the removal of dirt, grassroots, and other debris from areas within the field office landscape. Preparation for a potential community garden will also be made, clearing the designated area (rear of District 9 field office) of operation, removal of a tree stump, weeds, and other unwanted fauna.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and commitment to service, our "Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service" includes:

Propagation/ planting of trees, shrubs, and drought-tolerant, native plants, application of a paper-sheet barrier that will be covered with mulch, construction of bioswales within specified parkway space, and solidification of our ocean-garden as a "Monarch Butterfly Way station". Monarch Way stations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration.

Completion of the project will also reduce our landscape's water-footprint, flooding at the intersection of Gundry and 65th, increased removal of silt and pollution from surface runoff water (bioswales) and supply of ecosystem services, and improved visual aesthetic through creative design.

I wanted to take a moment to simply wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Now, stop checking your emails and go make some memories...

Happy Holidays!

The process of naming the new North Branch Library the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library moved forward last night after the city council voted 5-0 to approve the recommendation and to refer it to the council’s Housing and Neighborhoods Committee for further discussion.

The item, which had received plenty of criticism online for its perceived lack of local flavor in the naming proposal, was met with nearly unanimous support from those in attendance. The council’s vote of approval was short of its usual nine votes due to a multitude of issues including illness, a surgery and death in the family that kept council members Dee Andrews, Suzie Price, Stacy Mungo and Daryl Supernaw at home.

Ninth District Councilman Rex Richardson, who brought the item before the council, seemingly laid out a defense to the online criticism the idea had garnered since its announcement about a week ago. In a presentation he showed that of 19 public places in North Long Beach, only 11 percent were named after women or people of color, and of those named after individuals, 63 percent were named after non-local figures.

The community response for the proposed “Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library” name has been overwhelmingly positive, thank you for your feedback! Join me as I introduce the initiative at Long Beach City Council on Tuesday, December 22nd, 5:00 p.m. at City Hall.

SIGN UP: bit.ly/JoinRex

TAKE ACTION: bit.ly/JoinRexFB

This evening we were accompanied by our City Prosecutor, Doug Haubert, who rode with us throughout the 62nd Annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade.

Houses literally almost out shined the parade street spotlights, but there was nothing present as bright as the smile on residents' faces.

On the evening of December 15th, 2015, our office hosted the first PB budget delegate training. A diverse array of North Long Beach residents joined us to begin crafting project ideas into proposals.

We are inspired by the continued engagement demonstrated in our second Participatory Budgeting cycle. Go Uptown!

This morning we celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project at DeForest Park.

The DeForest Park Wetlands Restoration Project will provide for the development of 39 acres of wetlands, riparian and upland habitat, accessible public trails, and educational interpretation along the Los Angeles River, from DeForest Park to Del Amo Boulevard. Along with the adjacent Dominquez Gap wetlands, the DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project will create almost 3 miles of recreated wetlands along the Los Angeles River, and will be a significant step in completing the 52-mile Los Angeles River Greenway.

View more images from the morning here.

This morning, we were thrilled to cut the ribbon on the new Houghton Park Fitness Zone. We were joined by Mayor Robert Garcia, and the Departments of Parks, Recreation and Marine, Public Works, and Health and Human Services in celebrating the grand opening of the Fitness Zone.

This Fitness Zone is the first project to be implemented from the Houghton Park Conceptual Plan that was approved at City Council on Nov. 17th, and was paid for with funding from Kaiser Permanente and our 9th District one-time funds.

The DeForest Wetlands restoration project was granted final approval at Tuesday's city council meeting, November 10th, 2015.

This restoration project will open 34 acres of land for public use, by converting large areas of overgrown vegetation into a river parkway with freshwater wetlands, wildlife habitat, and native plants, while retaining flood control and management properties.

Please help us celebrate at the Deforest Wetlands Restoration Groundbreaking Ceremony on Tuesday, December 1st, at 10 a.m. at Deforest Park.