| (Feb. 6, 2016) -- Current and former Mayors, Council members, citywide electeds, LBCC Trustees, VIPs and residents gathered at the SE corner of Bellflower Blvd./Stearns St. on Saturday Feb. 6 for a ceremony thanking longtime retired Mayor/4th dist. Councilman/retired LBCC Trustee Dr. Thomas Clark for his decades of service to the City.
Dr. Clark, elected to the LB City Council in 1966 served for thirty years (including three terms as Mayor when the office was held by a Councilmember.) He then won election to LBCC's Board of Trustees where he served for 16 years. 4th dist. Councilman Daryl Supernaw organized and hosted/MC'd the event. LBREPORT.com has extended VIDEO and photo gallery below. [Scroll down for further.] |
  |
| Four other Long Beach Mayors (in addition to Dr. Clark) attended the event: retired Mayors Eunice Sato, Ernie Kell and Beverly O'Neill and incumbent Robert Garcia. All spoke except Ms. Sato, who looked very well and healthy; a 4th dist. Council office staffer told us she was offered the opportunity to speak but declined.
For VIDEO of the podium remarks of the Mayors, including comments by Dr. Clark, click here. Among other civic figures attending (not a full list): LB Councilman/former LBCC Trustee Roberto Uranga (spoke); LBCC Trustee/Board Pres. Doug Otto (spoke); LB Harbor Commissioner/former Councilman Doug Drummond; City Prosecutor Doug Haubert (spoke); City Attorney Charles Parkin; City Manager Pat West; LBCC Trustee/former Councilman Jeff Kellogg; LBCC Trustee Dr. Virginia Baxter; LBUSD Boardmember Megan Kerr; retired Assemblymember/retired Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal; retired Councilman Evan Anderson Braude; retired City Manager Jerry Miller and PressTelegram Community Liaison Director/Editor Emeritus Rich Archbold (spoke). LBREPORT.com has a photo gallery below. After receiving the many compliments and kind words, Dr. Clark came to the podium and quipped, "Fortunately or unfortunately, everything's been said that was worth saying," reminisced and thanked his colleagues and constituents. "I never had any idea of running for political office...and we had someone elected from this district and I thought he was terrible." Dr. Clark noted that when he was on the Parks Commission, "we had acres and acres of property" and sought a bond issue from the City, which voters approved...and the area is today El Dorado Park. He said it was a good decision (during his 1960s-70s Council tenure) to help downtown; he cited the now-former downtown mall as well as building a then-new City Hall and then-new Main Library [that the incumbent Mayor/Council are now tearing down without having sought bids for a seismic retrofit.] Dr. Clark said that during his first Council term, the Council faced an immediate decision on whether to buy the Queen Mary and he said "at that time the newspaper had quite a bit of influence, I think they were the ones that pushed for it.." Dr. Clark said he agreed to it and the City was able to purchase it for $3 million "and then we brought it back and about $60 million later we had the ship," adding "it is a good proposition if you eliminate the original cost and I think it has been an asset to the City." Dr. Clark concluded: "This is really a great city. Sometimes we don't realize it until we look around and see what's happening in the rest of the world. It's been a real pleasure for me to serve on the Council and then to serve on the Board of Trustees..." And the crowd gave Dr. Clark a standing ovation. A plaque will be placed in the SE Bellflower/Stearns plaza area declaring the area as "Dr. Thomas Clark Plaza." The plaque's wording (authored by LBCC Trustee Otto) reads in part: "No one in Long Beach history has given more for a longer period of time than the Honorable Tom Clark."
[Scroll down for further.]
Further as we receive it.
blog comments powered by Disqus Recommend LBREPORT.com to your Facebook friends:
Follow LBReport.com with:
Contact us: mail@LBReport.com |
     
 Hardwood Floor Specialists Call (562) 422-2800 or (714) 836-7050  |
