St3618 october 3 layout 1

Page 1

“Tree of Life” Graphite and digital drawing By Cara Nilsen See page 10

SIGNAL

Vol. 36 No. 18

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october 3, 2014

SERVING BIXBY KNOLLS, CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS, LOS CERRITOS, WRIGLEY AND THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

Construction of new Gerald Desmond Bridge reaches milestone as crews lay foundation

Signal Hill community brainstorms vision for city at third and final Strategic Plan workshop

Sean Belk/Signal Tribune

Photos by Sean Belk/Signal Tribune

A large cargo ship passes underneath the Gerald Desmond Bridge, which will be replaced by a new cable-stayed bridge. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, Port and city officials announced that construction of the new bridge’s foundation has begun. Sean Belk Staff Writer

$1.3-billion Gerald The Desmond Bridge-replacement project in the Port of Long Beach has reached a major milestone with the first visible construction underway after delays that held up work by about a year, Port and city officials announced this week. A total of 350 “piles,” made of concrete and reinforced steel rebar, some of which will reach 175 feet or seven stories underneath the ground, will secure the foundation of a massive, new, cable-stayed bridge that newly appointed Port Chief Executive Officer Jon Slangerup said will last a century and be “the tallest bridge constructed of its kind in the United States.” During a press conference at the construction site on Wednesday, Oct. 1, Slangerup, who was appointed to his position in July, said the new bridge would have two 515-foot towers, stretching higher than the One World Trade Center in downtown Long Beach. There will also be a 205-foot distance between the bottom of the bridge and the surface of the water, allowing the world’s largest cargo ships to pass under-

neath and for terminals to increase productivity and efficiency, he said. Slangerup added that trucks carry about 15 percent of the nation’s cargo over the span, which connects the 710 Freeway with Terminal Island in the Long Beach Harbor. “We’re actually going to start seeing stuff come out of the water, so it’s exciting,” he said, adding that about 50 of the piles have already been completed. “This marks the day that real con-

Bill Kelly, president and chief executive officer of consulting firm Kelly Associates Management Group, leads a third and final visioning workshop on Monday, Sept. 29 at the Signal Hill Community Center to gather input from Signal Hill stakeholders on updating the City’s five-year Strategic Plan. Sean Belk

“This is going to be

Staff Writer

What is the City of Signal Hill’s image, and should it be updated? Should the City have a new signature event? And how can the City harness new technology to better communicate with residents and businesses? These questions and others were brought up during the third and final Strategic Plan visioning workshop at the Signal Hill Community Center on Monday, Sept. 29. A group of about 40 people from all walks of life took part in the brainstorming event, including residents, business owners and community leaders, providing input for the City to develop a new Strategic Plan that would set the City’s goals for the next five years. Signal Hill’s current outdated plan only covers the time period from 2006 to 2011. The Council added the third community meeting after concerns were brought forward that discussion during the second workshop was dominated by perceived potential impacts of Measure U, a citywide tax-oversight measure that failed to pass in the last election. It was also added to receive more input from business owners. Bill Kelly, president and chief executive officer of consulting firm Kelly Associates Management Group, which the City hired last year to assist in the visioning process, asked attendees to provide brief responses on Signal Hill’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, also known as a SWOT analysis. The responses were written on large sheets of paper that Kelly said he would compile into a report for the Council to prioritize in regard to which opportunities would be best for the City to look into for future budgeting. Kelly said he plans to provide a full report to the city manager by late November or early December, after which the Council will conduct a Strategic Plan public hearing, possibly by early next year, when stakeholders will be able to weigh in on the findings and how the City should move forward. At the beginning of the meeting, Signal Hill Mayor Ed Wilson told participants that no ideas or suggestions would be

one of those places where you’re going to want to walk across to see the views.”

–Port Chief Executive Officer Jon Slangerup

struction is taking place, and it’s moving on schedule, and it’s moving forward rapidly.” Pile caps, thick concrete pads see BRIDGE page 15

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia addresses the crowd during a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 1 celebrating the beginning construction of the foundation of a new cable-stayed bridge that will replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge. Also pictured (from left) are: Carrie Bowen, director of Caltrans District 7; Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Doug Drummond; and Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Jon Slangerup.

Weekly Weather Forecast

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Sunday

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Sunny and hot Lo 68°

Sunny and hot Lo 72°

Sunny and hot Lo 73°

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October 3 through October 7, 2014

Monday

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Tuesday

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St3618 october 3 layout 1 by Signal Tribune - Issuu