|
||||
O'Donnell Offers Surfing Lesson To Chamber CEO After Breakwater Statement by Ryan ZumMallen | Archive | 06.21.10 |
+ 11:00am | Undeterred by the recent efforts of Long Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Randy Gordon to persuade the City Council not to approve a feasibility study on the breakwater that would cost the City $4 million, 4th District Councilmember and outspoken reconfiguration advocate Patrick O'Donnell set out this morning to find Gordon and deliver a voucher good for one free surfing lesson from Banzai Surf School. With his surfboard in tow, of course. "O'Donnell, a high school teacher, is confident that after a good lesson, Randy will be bitten by the surfing bug and gain more respect for the effort to increase recreational opportunities and secure clean water in Long Beach," reads a statement from O'Donnell's office. Gordon wrote a letter to city management last week urging them not to support the $4 million study to consider reconfiguration. O'Donnell traveled all around the city this morning on the prowl for Gordon, making stops at Wal-Mart, Big Rec golf course, Shelter Surf Shop and of course, the beach. Eventually, O'Donnell and his surfboard made it to the Chamber of Commerce office, though Gordon wasn't in. He is apparently hasn't given up the search just yet, as his Facebook status continues to update with Gordon-related messages. O'Donnell also made a stop at the field office of 5th District Councilmember Gerrie Schipske, who last week blogged that she no longer supports funding the feasibility study. Schipske wrote that the City cannot afford the study, and suggested putting a vote on the November ballot to ask voters whether Tidelands funds should be used to pay the $4 million. O'Donnell didn't offer her a surfing lesson today. Maybe she'll get hers at tomorrow's Council meeting. Later today, the Army Corps of Engineers is expected to release a report that will likely state their support for beginning a detailed feasibility study that will focus on possible reconfiguration of the Long Beach Breakwater and the benefits and setbacks that may result from such an effort. The study is expected to take up to four years to complete, and will include options for removing portions of the structure and what effects - if any - that may have on local water quality, wave action and potential tourism revenue. From there, it will be up to the City Council again to decide whether or not to proceed with reconfiguration in what will likely be a very costly project. Below are photos of O'Donnell's journey around the city, with captions as posted on his Facebook page.  One man, one surfboard, one gift certificate.  Not here...  Still looking, but we're not going in there! The fight for clean water continues.  Maybe it's a Golf day? Not at the beach! Note: the tractor in the background is cleaning some of the trash off our beach.  Not at Shelter Surf Shop either. No surprise here. The fight for clean water continues!   Made it to the Chamber,  They even validated my parking! No Randy today but the quest for Clean Water continues today and tomorrow... Follow the LBPOST.com on our Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. Click here to read our policy on covering the Long Beach City Council. Disclosure: LBPOST.com co-founder Shaun Lumachi is a government affairs advisor to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Comments
Click Here to Join the Discussion on this Story
18 Comments so far.
Nikol I love this. beth barnes stellar effort councilmember O'Donnell. Thank you for your diligent efforts on behalf of a better LB!!! See you at the CC meeting tomorrow! wow! nice self promotion! Good thinking! Bob O'Donnell, like so many of our public servants can easily spend others money, how much will you put up personally ? Really? I think it is obnoxious. Randy is obviously a lot busier protecting the financial interests of the port and businesses in Long Beach than Patrick is. This affects every resident now, not 10 years from now. If Patrick cared as much about the financial wellness of the city as he does about surfing we would be a ton better off. Perhaps he and Tonia can go surfing now that she has some spare time. MD @Bob: Given that he pays taxes like the rest of us, he'll probably put up roughly the same amount as everyone else. Unless you're referring to the port having to put up part of the study funding, in which case you should stop being a port stooge like Randy Gordon. Re Gordon If the chamber cared about businesses (other than the port) he would support this project. What could be better for the empty storefronts downtown and at the pike than a restored downtown beach. LBD A stupid stunt. Joan Cheers for Re Gordon! A restored downtown beach and a restored LA River is what we need to bring in tourists and as a tourist drawing setting for our historic neighborhoods downtown! Grant Eads Honestly not sure if actions like this help, or serve to undermine the legitimacy of the issue. get informed at mwhbb.com, complete film online now. This is the most comprehensive film about the history of surfing in Long Beach, local surf culture and the facts surrounding the San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration (and Breakwater modification). Don't rely on political posturing and uninformed opinion. Mother Wants Her Beauty Back aims to educate viewers about a timely, controversial environmental issue. CHARLIE Stick to your guns, Randy :>) SUP girl 4 million for waves today, 4 billion gained from waves tomorrow! Dr. Karl I wonder if Randy Gordon is up to taking on the Army Corps of Engineers' recommendation; it'll be interesting! Jon Patrick O'Donnell for mayor! Cynthia As a 3rd generation Southern Californian I am especially annoyed by those who take the condition of our polluted ocean and L.A. River so lightly. Many of you have streamed to our state for a lifestyle unlike where you came from, and one has to ask you, what was the draw... it's the beach right? Well it's time everyone who has soaked up this beauty to take responsibility and protect it. I can only hope that one day everyone here will understand how invaluable a clean and healthy ocean is to all of us, local or not. Support our right to clean water and beaches. Natalie at Red Humpy As a Belmont Shore expatriate, I wholeheartedly support Long Beach taxpayers funding the breakwater study. $4 mil is peanuts when you consider the publicity and tourism that the area will reap. When I take my yearly trip to Cali for spring break, I visit Orange county or San Diego with my kids. As much as I'd love to spend my vacation money in LB and show the family my old stomping grounds, I don't want my three kids to swim in that water, and I want to be somewhere that I can surf. THANK YOU to everyone who is working so hard on this effort! -natalie in Pagosa Springs, Colorado PDQ Randy Gordon on a surfboard?? I'd LOVE to see THAT!!! hey please we just need a water treatment plant at the end of th river. Put the $8 mil towards that. We've done 3 studies with not enough conclusions to move on or determine that the breakwater is feasible. That indicates it is not feasible. what a waste!!!
Archive
LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.
Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.
Ryan's Community
 
Ryan's Archives
Show All Archives |
||||
| About Us | Contact Us | Policies | ||||
