On Feb. 6, 2016, current 4th dist. Councilman Daryl Supernaw organized a ceremony honoring Dr. Clark by placing a plaque at the SE corner of Bellflower Blvd./Stearns St. (a shopping center not far from the Los Altos neighborhood where Dr. Clark lived.)

The event was attended by all then-former LB Mayors except former Mayor Bob Foster inexplicably absent. Attending were retired Mayors Eunice Sato, Ernie Kell and Beverly O'Neill along with incumbent Mayor Robert Garcia. Former Mayor Kell has since passed on.

LBREPORT.com was (to our knowledge) the only LB news outlet to provide extended video coverage of the proceedings. The event speaks for itself.

For VIDEO of the podium remarks of the Mayors, including comments by Dr. Clark, click here.

LBREPORT.com provides a photo gallery below. Our full coverage is here.

After receiving many compliments and kind words (including good natured verbal jabs from his political nemesis Ernie Kell), Dr. Clark came to the podium and quipped, "Fortunately or unfortunately, everything's been said that was worth saying."

[Scroll down for further.]

Crowd assembles at SE corner of Bellflower Blvd./Stearns St.

Dr. Clark chats with LBCC Board Pres. Doug Otto

Caucus: Foregroud: Retired Councilwoman Jackie Kell, incumbent Councilman Roberto Uranga; background LBCC Trustee/former Councilman Jeff Kellogg, retired Mayor Ernie Kell

Retired Mayors Beverly O'Neill and Eunice Sato]

Retired Mayors Kell, Clark, Sato, O'Neill and incumbent Garcia

Cake displays plaque to be placed at Dr. Thomas Clark Plaza

LBCC Board of Trustees Pres. Doug Otto

LB Harbor Comm'r/retired LB Councilman Doug Drummond

Retired Assemblywoman/retired Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal, retired Mayor Beverly O'Neill, retired City Manager Jerry Miller, retired Councilman Evan Anderson Braude

Retired Mayor Beverly O'Neill

City Prosecutor Doug Haubert

Retired Mayor Ernie Kell

Councilman / former LBCC Trustee Roberto Uranga

LBCC Trustee / retireed Councilman Jeff Kellogg, LBCC Trustee Dr. Virginia Baxter

Dr. Clark -- once again -- speaks at a public podium.

Retired Mayor/Councilman/LBCC Trustee Dr. Thomas Clark

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At the event, Dr. Clark 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 also said it was a good decision (during his 1960s-70s Council tenure) to help downtown and cited the now-former downtown mall as well as building a then-new City Hall and then-new Main Library [that LB's incumbent Mayor/Council tore down, partially gave up for private development and outsourced for operation without seeking 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."

In addition to the Queen Mary vote, Dr. Clark's electoral legacy included fierce opposition to Proposition 13. He was a leading spokesperson in opposition to the Howard Jarvis petition-initiated measure, urging votes for an "alternative" measure backed by various City Halls (which failed passage.)

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Dr. Clark also joined in a fateful Council vote that with nearly no serious public discussion (on a single Council vote) approved a city management recommendation not to renew a lease for the operator of the Cyclone Racer roller coaster, the Pike's main visitor draw. Then-city management told the Council [without serious scrutiny at the time by LB's then-dominant Press-Telegram) that the action was necessary to accommodate a planned roadway. (Recent GPS satellite imagery indicates that wasn't true and the attraction could have remained.) The Council action hastened the demise of LB's shoreline amusement area, clearing it for private developers to exploit. Today it's the site of a commercial development with a number of retail stores and eateries, a planned hotel, parking structures, an Ferris wheel adjacent to the Aquarium. (Santa Cruz and San Diego restored and preserved their historic shoreline amusement areas which continue to draw visitors.)

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At the 2016 event, Dr. Clark concluded by saying: "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.

At the 2016 event, Dr. Clark greeted us warmly. "We shot video and photos. We'll have it up on LBREPORT.com today," we said. He nodded and said, "Well good, Keep it up." We added that some LB officials attending the event didn't care much for us. Dr. Clark smiled and reiterated, "Keep it up."

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