Volume 19 Issue 1 January 2019 City of Bellflower Announces Jim Abbott to Appear at Upcoming BRAVO Awards The City of Bellflower is pleased to announce that Jim Abbott, a former major league pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees, among other teams, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 25th annual BRAVO Awards. The event will take place Thursday, February 7th, 2019 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the Bristol Auditorium inside Bellflower City Hall located at 16600 Civic Center Dr. in Bellflower. The BRAVO Awards recognize individuals based in Bellflower from the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept., the L.A. County Fire Dept., as well as, community heroes who performed outstanding acts of valor, heroism and community service in support of public safety during the past year. Born in 1967 in Flint Michigan without a right hand, Jim Abbott was an All-American hurler at Michigan; won the Sullivan Award in 1987; was the pitcher for the Gold Medal Olympic Team in 1988, and threw a 4-0 no-hitter for the New York Yankees versus Cleveland (September 4, 1993). Abbott played for 10 seasons on 4 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1999. In 2012, he released his autobiography IMPER- FECT - An Improbable Life. Abbott has worked with the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities. Today, Abbott is a motivational speaker in addition to often being a Guest Pitching Instructor during Spring Training for the Los Angeles Angels. "We are honored to welcome Major League Baseball legend Jim Abbott to speak at our upcoming 25th annual BRAVO Awards ceremony. Abbott exemplifies the spirit of the BRAVO awards through his actions both on and off the field and we anticipate an inspiring message from him. We look forward to his visit to the City of Bellflower as we pay tribute to our local community heroes," said Mayor Sonny R. Santa Ines. The BRAVO Awards ceremony is funded through sponsorships from area businesses and individuals and represents one of the City of Bellflower's most prestigious honors. For more info about the program visit www.bellflower.org or contact Kristen Smith at (562) 804-1424 ext. 2267 or ksmith@bellflower.org. City Hall Closed CHRISTMAS EVE & DAY December 24th & 25th NEW YEAR S EVE & DAY Dec. 31st & Jan. 1st (Note: City Hall is also closed Dec 28th) Trash Collection & Street Sweeping Holiday Schedule Trash: There will be no trash collection on the Christmas holiday, Tuesday, Dec 25th, 2018 and New Year's Day, Tuesday, Jan 1st, 2019. Street Sweeping: There will be no street sweeping enforcement on the holiday, Tuesday, Dec 25th, 2018 and New Year's Day, Tuesday, Jan 1st, 2019.
Widening Begins, Steer Clear of Traffic The construction for the Bellflower Boulevard Widening Project began in early January, which includes the addition of a traffic lane in each direction and to lengthen the northbound turn lane onto the 91 Fwy. The project zone will extend from Beach Street south to Artesia Boulevard. During construction, traffic lanes will be minimized to 1 lane in each direction. It is recommended that drivers avoid this area due to the heavy traffic congestion. Drivers are encouraged to use the Lakewood Boulevard and Clark Avenue on and off ramps for access to and from the 91 Fwy as an alternate route. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2019. The Wall That Heals exhibit is a mobile, three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Education Center. For more info visit www.vvmf.org/twth On display March 21-24, 2019 at Simms Park, Bellflower Report a Street Light Outage Online T he quickest way to fix your dark street is to report it to So Cal Edison direct at www.sce.com. Be sure to follow the prompts and fill in the location of the light. You may also call 1-800-611-1911. Raymond Y. Hamada to Represent City Council District 1 On Monday, November 26, 2018, the Bellflower City Council unanimously appointed Raymond Y. Hamada to fill the fifth seat on the dais representing District 1, which covers much of north Bellflower. The City Council Member seat became vacant due to the passing of Council Member Ronald Joseph Ron Schnablegger. Ten residents from District 1 submitted applications to serve as City Council Member with a term ending in December 2020. Nine applicants met the minimum requirements and qualified for City Council consideration. A subcommittee comprised of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem recommended appointing Raymond Y. Hamada and all four Council Members voted in favor. Mr. Hamada was officially sworn in as City Council Member on Monday, December 10, 2018, at the Oath of Office Ceremony. Santa Ines Named Mayor, Garza Pro Tem Bellflower City Council recently reorganized earlier than years past due to the election schedule change which shortened the mayoral term for Ray Dunton by a few months. Sonny R. Santa Ines was selected to serve as Mayor and Juan Garza as Mayor Pro Tem. This is Santa Ines second term as Mayor. Dunton s service will be recognized at the annual Outgoing Mayor s Ceremony. For more info, visit www.bellflower.org.
Work Around Town City of Bellflower 16600 Civic Center Dr. Bellflower (562) 804-1424 ext. 2240 Light Technician I (P/T) $9.39 - $11.42/hr. Applications due: until filled Operate ECT Express 48/96 Light Board and Lycian Model 1209 Followspot. Add or remove lighting instruments and patch the light board accordingly. Focus a wide variety of lighting instruments, and maintain cables and accessories. Counter balance electrical components to maintain an appropriate weight balance. Assist with general civic auditorium operations. Temporary Maintenance Asst. P/T up to 29 hours per week $11.00/hr. Applications due: until filled Temporary Maintenance Assistants in the Public Works Dept to perform a variety of basic maintenance tasks including streets, parks, landscape, and facility maintenance. May not work over 700 hours in 12 months. (www.bellflower.org - full job description) Open Your Business in 2019 Downtown Bellflower is rapidly growing and new businesses are opening soon! Do you have an athome business, online business, or a great idea for a small business and looking to expand? You re just in luck! The City of Bellflower Economic Development Department is now accepting business proposals for Kiosk B. The City currently offers a promotional 2-year lease agreement (6- months free rent/18-months low rent). The City is seeking creative business proposals such as car accessories, customizations, alterations, handyman services, artwork, etc. All applications must be submitted no later than Monday, January 7, 2019 by 4:00 p.m. Applications are available for pick up at City Hall 2nd floor or print out a copy from the City s website at www.bellflower.org It s Easy to Recycle Your Christmas Tree CR&R Waste Management will begin their annual Christmas tree collection recycling service on Wednesday, December 26th and continue curbside pickups through Saturday, January 12th. If your tree is over 10 tall, CR&R asks each resident to cut it in half and place at the curb on your regular collection day. Small trees may be placed inside your green waste cart [if you have one]. Tree collectors will come by on your scheduled collection day. Christmas trees are composted, mulched or even converted into fuel. Trees must not contain ornaments or decorations, stands, tinsel, nails, plastic containers, or lights. Flocked trees, (spray painted white) will be collected but not recycled due to chemical content. For more information call (562) 944-4716 or visit www.crrwasteservices.com Valet Service Begins 2019 As new businesses open in Downtown, the need for more parking is increasing. The City has been exploring ways to improve the Downtown parking experience and is permitting public valet service in the city parking lot located east of Bellflower Blvd., between Oak St. and Belmont St. Valet service will begin on January 11, 2019 and provide service on Friday and Saturday evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. For more info, call (562) 804-1424 ext. 2010 or to print out the Downtown Parking Map visit www.bellflower.org. Fridays & Saturdays from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. $5 per vehicle for 4/hrs $5 for additional 4/hrs Free 20-min spots available Entrance of Oak St.
Free Small Business Workshops and Mentoring SCORE hosts bi-monthly workshops at Bellflower City Hall and SELACO WDB Cerritos S mall business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to attend SCORE s free monthly workshops. Local business experts conduct training across a variety of subjects including starting a business, marketing, business plans, finance, import / export, human resources and more! Workshops are held bi-monthly at Bellflower City Hall located at 16600 Civic Center Dr. Bellflower, CA 90706 or at SELACO Workforce Development Board at 10900 183rd St #392, Cerri- tos, CA 90703. January s workshop Digital Marketing Tips to Help You Kick-off 2019 with a Bang presented by Victoria Byrne is set for Tuesday, January 8, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.orangecounty.score.org Free Brakensiek Library Events in 2019 Brakensiek Library 9945 Flower St. (562) 925-5543 Vision Board Party MON Jan 7 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Enhance your new year s resolutions by creating a visual representation of them. Create the year you want in pictures and then watch it come to life! For adults ages 18-up. Bellflower Book Lovers MON Jan 28 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Start the year off, the book club will begin reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. For adults ages 18-up, meeting monthly at the the library. Adult 101: Nutrition THU Jan 31 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Do you want to eat healthier foods, but you don t know where to start? Come by your library and learn about effective, realistic eating habits. For ages 13-18. Christmas With a Cop Made the Holidays Brighter The City of Bellflower s Public Safety Department in cooperation with Caring Connections held its second Christmas with a Cop event on Friday, December 21, 2018 at Thompson Park. Caring Connections, an organization committed to the well-being and success of students at Bellflower Unified School District, identified 15 students as our key participants. Students and their families enjoyed a holiday brunch, activities, games, and music. Most importantly, attended had an opportunity to open a dialogue and build relationships with law enforcement and public safety personnel. Gifts were purchased, wrapped and presented by the LA County Sheriff s Department personnel. Christmas with a Cop has proven to be a fun, annual celebration for the students, their families, and the community of Bellflower. Event photos: www.facebook.com/ Bellflower-City-Hall