10. CSULB picks a new mascot
The Beach. The Dirtbags. And, the Sharks. After receiving backlash over its former mascot Prospector Pete, the university picked a new mascot, the Sharks, after a months-long process that included a student vote. The term 49er will still also be used, but only as a nickname referring to the year the university was foundednot the Gold Rush of 1849. And the Dirtbags moniker is only used for the baseball team. Following? Though one chapter has closed, its likely the universitys identity crisis hasnt ended yet.
After years of study and calls from environmental groups to tear down the breakwater that took waves away from Long Beach, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in late November determined removing parts of the 2.2-mile barrier was not feasible. City officials said the results of the study, more than a decade in the making, put to rest the citys long-time question of whether tearing down the breakwater, which was built by the U.S. Navy in the 1940s, was possible. The Army Corps instead proposed a reef restoration plan that is estimated to cost $141 million.
Metro completed a major renovation of its busiest and oldest rail line, formerly known as the Blue Line. The southern portion of the now-named A Line from Long Beach to Compton was shuttered on Jan. 26 and reopened in late May; the northern part from Compton to Los Angeles reopened in early November. The New Blue project, which cost $1.2 billion, included safety and other modernization improvements.
Not often do stories about things that didnt happen make this list, but a series of terrorist threatsone at Bixby Park, one at a hotel in East Long Beach, and another at Cal State Long Beachshook the citys nerves. In April, the FBI arrested Mark Domingo, a 26-year-old Army veteran from Reseda, on suspicion of trying to bomb a weekend rally that turned into a counter-protest of a white-nationalist demonstration that never materialized. In August, police arrested Rodolfo Montoya, 37, of Huntington Beach, after authorities said he made threats to attack his workplace at the Long Beach Marriott. And in October, CSULB police arrested Prateek Devulpally, 18, who they say confessed to sending a shooting threat from another students email account.
The Post broke the news in February that the Los Angeles Angels were in talks to bring the Major League Baseball team to Long Beach and build a stadium on a 13-acre waterfront lot next to the Long Beach Arena. The City Council held a closed session in March, but the closest the two sides came to a deal was a two-page term sheet outlining a broad vision for any ballpark. In early December, the Angels announced they had reached a deal to stay in Anaheim. In response to that news, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said the negotiations alone had raised the profile of Long Beach, and the city looked forward to future plans for the so-called Elephant Lot in Downtown.
Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce, who represents the Downtown and Alamitos Beach areas, announced in November she would not seek a second term in March after a series of stories in the Post detailing her potential conflicts of interest. In May Pearce told the Post she received payments for consulting work from one of the principals at Urban Commons, the company that operates the Queen Mary, for work in the cannabis industry. A consultant hired by the city to investigate the report found that she indeed likely had conflicts and should recuse herself from votes dealing with the ship, cannabis and other related areas. The Fair Political Practices Commission is also investigating.
The icon of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, is in trouble. This year brought revelations that its operator, Urban Commons, was in danger of defaulting on its lease for failing to make critical repairs; an inspector described the ships condition as possibly unsalvageable; and an audit of the companys finances showed the ship lost roughly $6 million in 2018, and may be unable to sustain operations. Meanwhile, a company affiliated with Urban Commons launched a public offering on the Singapore Stock Exchange in hopes of raising $566 million; the offering lost significant value following reports about the ships condition.
On Oct. 29, a gunman started shooting into the backyard of a Rose Park home where 25 to 30 people had gathered for a Halloween-themed birthday party. Three people were killed and nine were injured. A day after the carnage, police chief Robert Luna described the shooting as one of the worst hes seen in his 34 years at the department: I cant remember an incident where we had this many victims, he said. The dead included Maurice Poe, 25, of Long Beach; Melvin Williams II, 35, of Gardena; and Ricardo Torres, 28, of Inglewood. The shooter or shooters remain at large.
The city of Long Beach collectively grieved when a family of three was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Bixby Knolls on Halloween night. Joseph Awaida, 30, died at the hospital shortly after the crash; his son Omar, 3, died the following night, and the boys mother, Raihan Dakhil, 32, was taken off life support on Nov. 3. An outpouring of vigils, memorials and fundraisers ensued in the following days; more than 7,000 donors gave to a pair of online fundraisers in the familys name that raised over $400,000. The 20-year-old driver of the SUV, Carlo Navarro, stopped at the scene and cooperated, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter.
Whether it be a renaissance or gentrificationwhichever description fits your perspectivethe massive changes brought on by development in Long Beach cannot be disputed. This year saw the completion of two significant projects: A new Civic Center and library, a $1 billion transformation of the Downtown core; and the long-delayed 2nd + PCH commercial complex, which replaced the storied SeaPort Marina Hotel. Another significant project for the Downtown area was the completion of a major expansion of the Aquarium of the Pacific. The city has some $3.5 billion worth of development projects in the pipeline; if the building continues, Long Beach will be a much different city at the close of the next decade.
The rest is here:
The top 10 stories of 2019 in Long Beach - Long Beach Post
- Seabean Symposium-Live Blogging - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Alvaro Jaramillo Talks Gulls at 2010 Space Coast Birding Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Fall Sunset on Anna Maria - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Fort Myers Beach Photos Revisited - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Reinier Munguia Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Wilderness Matters - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Raptor Project Brings Winged Predators to Space Coast Birding Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Sandscupting Festival on Fort Myers Beach - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- David Allen Sibley to Deliver Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival 2010 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims & Paddle Florida on the Suwannee River - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico, Central America - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Port Charlotte Beach Park, Port Charlotte, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Kent in South Beach, Miami – Budget Beach Hotel in Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Key West, Florida Dog Beach – Where Pooches Can Play - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Startling White Sand of Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Palm Island Beach, Cape Haze, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A Surfer’s Paradise at Punta Morena Beach, Cozumel - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Sand the Color of Olives: Papakolea Beach, Hawaii - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Visiting Indialantic Beach? Check out the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Beach - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Say Good-bye to Manatee County Public Beach Pier - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Eco-tourism Field Trips at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Birding at Sea: Pelagic Birding Aboard the Pastime Princess - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Video Clip - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Gulfster’s Surf Trip to Puerto Rico - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes, St. Petersburg, FL - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims: An Outdoorsman to Follow - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- How Big is This Wave? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Birders: Making a List and Checking it Forever - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Hunting Island State Park – Dog Friendly Beach in Beaufort, SC - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Beach Hotels in Ocean Park, Washington - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- San Diego, CA – Ocean Beach Dog Beach - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Best Beaches for Collecting Sea Glass - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Swimwear in 2010 combines key trends - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- S-Turns Beach in Rodanthe, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Wiped Out By Nor’easter - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- In Awe at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Summertime in the Outer Banks, North Carolina - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Panama City Beach May Not Welcome Spring Breakers in 2010 - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Bahia Honda Beach near Key West, Florida - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Regarding Florida Beach Ownership - December 14th, 2009 [December 14th, 2009]
- Historic Sites of Canaveral National Seashore - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Myrtle Beach Building Boardwak Along Beachfront, Adding Amenities - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Barrier Island Center Upcoming Events 2010 – Melbourne Beach, Florida - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Florida Wildflowers & Plants – Space Coast Birding Festival Field Trip - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Jellyfish in Long Beach Aquarium - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Heron Island in Great Barrier Reef under new management - December 21st, 2009 [December 21st, 2009]
- Sunset on Longboat Key - December 23rd, 2009 [December 23rd, 2009]
- Pishing With Pete at the Space Coast Birding Festival - December 23rd, 2009 [December 23rd, 2009]
- Summer is Over, but it Lives on My Hard Drive - December 25th, 2009 [December 25th, 2009]
- 800 Pound Beachball to Drop Over Panama City Beach, Florida on New Year’s Eve - December 27th, 2009 [December 27th, 2009]
- Birding by Ear and Habitat with Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore - December 27th, 2009 [December 27th, 2009]
- Prevention of Overfishing of Coral Reefs Reduces Occurrence of Coral Diseases - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Florida Screech Owls Encouraged by Nest Boxes - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Cayo Costa Photo Memories - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Family Activities at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - December 31st, 2009 [December 31st, 2009]
- BeachHunter’s Top 10 Beach Photos in 2009 - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Viera Wetlands is a Premier Birding Destination in Brevard County - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Here are a Few More Florida Summer Beach Memories. - January 3rd, 2010 [January 3rd, 2010]
- Lake Morat Puts the Beach in Swiss Beaches - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Smoking Banned at Beaches Around the Country - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Identifying Gulls – A Field Trip to Brevard County Landfill - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Victoria and Albert Museum in London Sponsors World Beach Project - January 7th, 2010 [January 7th, 2010]
- Does It Snow in Florida? - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Sun, sand and history found in Bodrum, Turkey - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Winter swimming rules at Den Haag’s beaches. - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Boats, Kayaks and Birds - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal, Mexico - January 11th, 2010 [January 11th, 2010]
- A Hidden Gem – San Agustinillo, Oaxaca, Mexico - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Penguins on the Beach at Betty’s Bay - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Robert Amoruso Photography Workshops at Space Coast Birding Festival - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Scuba Diving with Bull Sharks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- California Beach Tradition Threatened - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Who’s Going to the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival? - January 15th, 2010 [January 15th, 2010]
- Getting Away From It All in the Dry Tortugas - January 16th, 2010 [January 16th, 2010]
- History of the Bikini - January 19th, 2010 [January 19th, 2010]
- Conservation and the Economics of Birding - January 20th, 2010 [January 20th, 2010]
- Landlocked Swiss Hit the Beach at Lake Zurich - January 21st, 2010 [January 21st, 2010]
- Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag Beaches - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]
- A beach of sorts in old Dun Laoghaire. - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]
- Beach Sunrise Memories - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]