Photos by Matt Cohn.

Long Beach has been the home of thousands of war veterans and decades of Veterans Day parades. For the last nineteen years, North Long Beach has hosted the parade, and Saturday's edition was an excellent example of why Northtown is a great host for the event.

The intersection of Atlantic and Harding has become a shrine of sorts for those who have served in the military: At the northeast corner (which is the southwest corner of Houghton Park), an Army "Huey" helicopter marks the memorial for the scores of Long Beach soldiers who died in the Viet Nam War. Directly across the street, a huge mural celebrates Long Beach veterans, male and female, from all branches of military service (see photo gallery below). It's the perfect step-off point for a Veterans Day parade.

On Saturday, the parade route on Atlantic Avenue was lined with appreciative spectators, many waving small American flags. Among the marching bands, equestrian units, city officials and civic groups such as the Lions and Rotary clubs, parade-watchers could get glimpses of living history, like World War II veteran Howard Genrich (driving a vintage Model-T race car) and co-Grand Marshals Allan Kobrick and Clifford A. Chaffee, both 100 years old, both WWII vets.

On October 31st, 2015, over 50 Engineering and Scientist, Collegiate and Professionals were present at Houghton Park for an annual education walk. The AWFE is a grassroots program in which NSBE members go door to door in underserved Black communities and hand out information on college, scholarship information, SAT/ACT preparation tools, NSBE and share information on the benefits of majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers. Councilmember Rex Richardson joined NSBE on their "Walk for Education" throughout the 9th District, collaborating within the spirit of education and compassion.

The list of engineering schools that participated in this walk are: Californian State University- Long Beach – Leading efforts, University of California – Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Californian State University – Los Angeles, University of California - Irvine, University of California - Riverside, Californian State University - Pomona.

Long Beach was one of just fourteen new 2014 additions to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ highly sought-after Innovation Team grants. In conjunction with local groups, it has whetted its engagement chops by “taking the pulse” of the community through compelling, well-attended events like its People’s State of the City. Further, it has gained experience with online engagement through its Go Long Beach app, which was among the first in the country for a city of its size. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Council Member Rex Richardson’s community website, which is one of the best district online portals that we’ve seen.

The transformation of North Long Beach is open to any and everyone with ideas. Whether its submitting an idea for an intercultural mural that unifies community, or addressing the problem of food deserts with community garden designs for open lot spaces - the opportunities end where you stop thinking.

Creative Corridor Challenge Phase II: Via FaceBook

Participatory Budgeting Assembly at Church One - Friday, November 6th, at 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Roadmap to the Renaissance: Community Infrastructure Meeting - Monday, November 9th, at 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

With no more than a few tweaks in discretionary spending, the Long Beach City Council approved the city’s Fiscal 2015-16 spending plan Tuesday night.

That approval includes funds totaling $2.7 billion, with most of that amount restricted to specific funds including Harbor, Water, Airport and Tidelands. The General Fund, where police, fire, library and most other public services are budgeted, totals $412 million.

The Creative Corridor Challenge is a community effort to beautify North Long Beach.

Long Beach residents got a small glimpse into the future of transportation at Houghton Park Saturday morning as they viewed Teslas, electric motorcycles and a prototype of an electric bus that will soon be ferrying people around the city.

The Long Beach Drive Electric celebration was the first in what local advocates and leaders hope will be an annual showcase of electric vehicles and emerging green technology.

Houghton Park in North Long Beach is getting a full makeover for the first time since it was developed nearly a century ago.

The heavily-used park is a community fixture, serving as a meeting place, center for activities and a safe route for students walking home from Jordan High School on the park’s north end. Residents, however, say the park and North Long Beach as a whole have been ignored for years. City Councilman Rex Richardson, who represents the area, is leading a community initiative to revitalize the park through equipment upgrades, grounds improvements, more parking and other initiatives.

“We have had great community turnout thus far during this process,” Richardson said after a meeting Saturday to discuss the plan.

By: Greg Yee, Press-Telegram

Our 4th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz & Blues Festival was a blast. The sound of renaissance filled the air as Houghton Park was filled with friends and family seeking quality music and time with each other. Although we may have run out of space on the dance floor, there was a surplus of good energy and community spirit to compensate. Halle Johnson, Brown Suede, Joe Colderon Trio, Boxcar 7, DW3 and Headliner, Tito Puente Jr. hit this stage in memorable fashion, keeping the spirit of Latin Jazz & Blues alive. An estimated 2,500 people were counted in attendance, indicating the love and support we have for this annual effort.

Our 4th Annual Uptown Latin Jazz & Blues Festival was a blast. The sound of renaissance filled the air as Houghton Park was filled with friends and family seeking quality music and time with each other. Although we may have run out of space on the dance floor, there was a surplus of good energy and community spirit to compensate. Halle Johnson, Brown Suede, Joe Colderon Trio, Boxcar 7, DW3 and Headliner, Tito Puente Jr. hit this stage in memorable fashion, keeping the spirit of Latin Jazz & Blues alive. An estimated 2,500 people were counted in attendance, indicating the love and support we have for this annual effort.