(Sept. 24, 2005) -- Surrounded by friends, family and supporters outside LB's historic Bembridge House at Drake Park, 1st district Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal has announced she's seeking re-election.

"All of you are the reason that I ran for office in the first place and you're still the reason that I want to run and continue what I've started in these last four years," Councilwoman Lonwenthal told cheering supporters.

Among her accomplishments, she cited "an expansion of park space, and all of you who live anywhere near Drake Park can see it is beautiful, it is better utilized than it was before, it has a recreation center that has been renovated..."

Pointing to areas behind the Bembridge House toward the L.A. river, Councilwoman Lowenthal said, "[M]any of you know that all of that vacant land down at the bottom there is going to be ours very soon. We're in negotiations for something like 23 acres...that will create then a Chavez [Park] to Drake [Park] Greenbelt." She also cited smaller parks including Peace Park, Molina Park and the Organic Garden (6th/Pacific).

LBReport.com posts extended excerpts of the Councilwoman's Sept. 23 campaign kickoff address below.

The Councilwoman said a shopping cart control ordinance will be coming to the City Council in the next few weeks. "Shopping carts have been a blight in our neighborhood. I've tried very hard to work with the Chamber on that and I will look forward to having you there at that [Council] meeting," she said.

Among quality of life successes, Councilwoman Lowenthal pointed to a new requirement that ice cream trucks sell only food-related items, not replica guns, tobacco, or fireworks, a measure she said was supported by Stevenson Elementary School's principal and parents. She also cited a Council ordinance letting the City fence vacant lots considered nuisances, and noted that a recently passed ordinance deals with loud parties. "Last year, the police department had 16,000 calls for service for noise. Now I don't know about you, but I want those cops out there chasing gangsters." she said to applause.

Among those we spotted at the event [not a complete list, titles for ID purposes]: LB Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero, LBCC Board of Trustees member Dianne McNinch, downtown area advocate Phil Appleby, LB Redevelopment Agency Boardmember Rick Meghiddo and veteran neighborhood activist Don Darnauer.

Councilwoman Lowenthal's reelection campaign also rolled out a list endorsers that includes LB Harbor Commission president Doris Topsy-Elvord and Harbor Commissioners Mike Walter and John Hancock, LB area Assemblymembers Betty Karnette and Hector DeLa Torre, L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Signal Hill Councilman Larry Forrester, LB School Superintendent Chris Steinhauser and LBUSD Boardmembers Mary Stanton and Stevenson Elementary School Principal Gonzalo Moraga.

Also attending was a contingent of endorsing Lowenthals: State Senator Alan Lowenthal, son Josh Lowenthal and LB School Board president Suja Lowenthal.

Councilwoman Lowenthal, a 36-year LB resident, served seven years on the LB Unified School District board before winning election to the 1st district Council seat which became vacant in 2001 after Jenny Oropeza won election to the Assembly.

Her campaign release quotes County Supervisor Knabe as saying, "Bonnie is a strong leader for our communities. I am looking forward to participating with her on issues of local and regional importance such as transportation and public policy."

Neighborhood activist Don Darnauer said, "She's made mistakes but she's learned and she's corrected herself. She's for the community, more than she ever was so I really commend her for the things she's been doing, so I'm behind her."