At her final Community Coffee event, Rae Gabelich (right), who is just completing two terms as councilmember for the 8th district, introduced her successor, Al Austin (left), with whom she shares common goals for the district.
Staff Writer
Rae Gabelich, who is just completing two terms as councilmember for the 8th district, hosted her last Community Coffee last Saturday at the Expo Arts Center in Bixby Knolls. Fighting back tears, she told the approximately 80 people in attendance that her eight years on the Long Beach City Council were a “wonderful ride.”
She opted not to run for reelection as a write-in candidate early this year and endorsed Al Austin in his bid to become her successor. Austin, who won the election on April 10, also attended the Expo gathering.
Gabelich noted that in the two months since Austin was elected, she and her staff have not been taking it easy. “On the contrary, there is still a lot going on in the 8th district and in the city that I would like to update you on,” she said.
The outgoing councilmember first described several improvements and repairs to the Scherer Park facilities, including plans to dredge the pond in order to clean it out. “Also, a group of residents through the Neighborhood Leadership Program is working to create a native serenity garden north of the swing sets for people to come and relax,” she said.
Gabelich also mentioned other 8th district park projects now in the works, including the development of the Deforest Wetlands area along the Los Angeles River north of Del Amo Boulevard.
Gabelich said she is glad that her more-than-eight-year effort to remove graffiti and repaint the railroad bridges in the district has finally borne fruit. “We got the Long Beach Boulevard Bridge painted a couple of months ago,” she said, adding that work on the other bridges at Del Amo Boulevard and Atlantic, Orange and Cherry avenues should start within the next two months.
Gabelich also briefly described fun events scheduled for the 8th district this summer, which will include: three free Municipal Band concerts at Los Cerritos Park on three successive Wednesdays beginning at 6:30pm, July 11; the 7th Annual Bixby Knolls Dragster Expo and Car Show on Saturday, July 14; the Rancho Los Cerritos free summer concert series beginning with a performance by blues great Bernie Pearl at 5pm on Sunday, June 24; and free movies beginning at dusk at Scherer Park on Monday, July 9 and at Grace Park on Monday, Aug. 6.
During her approximately 20-minute speech, she also admonished everyone to attend the upcoming budget meetings at City Hall. “We are going to have budget cuts that are so significant they are going to impact all of us,” she warned. “You have to let the city council know what is important to you.”
Later, Gabelich invited Austin to address the audience. “We share a lot of common goals,” she said. “He has seen the work that has been done and wants to continue the progress we have made in the past eight years.”
Austin began by thanking the audience members for coming to the meeting. He also praised Gabelich for supporting him in his election campaign and for her cooperation in the transition period. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” he said, explaining that Gabelich was informing him on the way to get things done in City Hall and on the issues that are important to 8th district residents. “On July 17, I will be able to hit the ground running,” he added, and he thanked Gabelich for her eight years of hard work and many successes. “I know this community will never forget what she has done for the district and for the entire city,” he said, to which the audience applauded loudly.
Austin then reiterated one of the themes of his election campaign. “My focus will be on continuing the preservation of our neighborhoods and improving their quality,” he said. “Obviously, I am going into a situation with one hand tied behind my back because of the city’s budget being the way it is. The reality of the situation is that I won’t have the same resources that my predecessor had.”
The councilmember-elect noted, however, that dwindling city revenues need not spell the end of progress in the 8th district. “The answer is right here,” he said. “It is going to require us— the community— to be more engaged and more aware of what is going on in our neighborhoods and to stand together to be a voice to make sure City Hall knows what is important to us.”
Austin then stressed that in the past several months, many residents told him that public safety is their number-one concern, followed by infrastructure issues and parks and recreation programs, including increasing the amount of green space in the district. The councilmember-elect then pledged that he would do everything in his power to ensure that City Hall makes those three items its top priorities. “Those things will be my main focus,” he said.
In his closing comments, Austin said he is looking forward to taking office, and he invited everyone to attend the swearing-in ceremony at City Hall on July 17.
After Austin’s comments, Congressmember and former 6th District Councilmember Laura Richardson, former 8th District Councilmember Jeff Kellogg, and former 9th District Councilmember Val Lerch took turns praising Gabelich for her integrity, hard work and dedication during her eight years in office.
Local resident Rita Cardenas submitted a written statement thanking Gabelich for all her accomplishments but asking that no more of Scherer Park be converted to dog park areas. Gabelich noted that there are no plans to increase dog areas in that park.
Later, other residents thanked Gabelich for her many accomplishments in the district during the past eight years.
