100 Year Old Carousel Found in Long Beach

At the foot of Pine St. in Long Beach is a small lane called “Seaside Way.”

It is precisely where the entrance to the old Pike used to be…almost 100 years ago.

Last week I walked by for the first time in many, many years. (It must have been a lot of years because I don’t remember the hill being that steep?) There before my eyes was a sight that reminded me of the deeply buried Statue of Liberty in “Planet of the Apes.”  It looked like the top of the Hotel Coronado in San Diego only instead of being 200 feet high it was only 20 feet high and, alas, its  Victorian beauty was in very sad repair.

It was the top of the old Looff”s Carousel. Looff’s trademark was the overall richness of effect and their carousels gave full interpretation to that spirit. Elaborate embellishments of decorative panels, beveled mirrors, faceted glass jewels, electric lights, colored sandwich glass windows, and its original band organ music surrounded the flying steeds to create Looff’s unique carousel experience.

Here, among all the new high rise condominium projects that dominate the downtown Long Beach skyline, on a small plot of land that somehow has escaped development, sits the 18^th century top of the carousel that ran every day at the old Pike.  (To see and hear a Loof Carousel go to:http://www.beachboardwalk.com/carousel/index.html)

I remember that Carousel well.  It was much larger and more garish than any Merry-Go-Round I’d ever been on and its organ was more melodic than most. I was about 10 years old and, truth be told, a little too old to ride a carousel but it was so easy to get “gold rings” on Looff’s (and thus win another free ride) that we  all would ride it for turn after turn for a quarter.  What a deal!

I hope that someone is restoring that wooden canopy that came off of the old Merry- Go-Round and that it can again be introduced to a new generation of kids.  And I hope the original horses are in storage somewhere.

When I Googled for information on Looff’s I was surprised to find that the Long Beach carousel was not the only one and, in fact, was not the oldest. Many are still working all over the country. One built in 1911 is still operating in Santa Cruz,  a 1909 in Spokane,  an 1895 in E. Providence, R.I.

 According to Wikipedia Charles I. D. Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff built his first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he manufactured many carousels, several roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built California’s famousSanta Monica Pier. He became famous for creating the unique Coney Island style of carousel carving.

All of the existing Looff Carousels are national treasures in this writer’s opinion. Some are officially National Landmarks and/or on the registry of National Historic Places. The quarter rides, of course, are a thing of the past and some now cost as much as $3.   But to ride a horse that is more than 120 years old you should pay a little more.

If any readers know more about the restoration of the Long Beach Looff’s Carousel please contact the writer at wilm@562media.com

 

Michael Monsoor belongs to the Ages

On 29 September 2006, 25-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor was killed during operations in enemy-held territory at Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when he threw himself on top of a grenade in order to save the lives of his fellow SEALS. As described in the final two paragraphs of a Summary of Action (SOA) regarding the circumstances of his death:

While vigilantly watching for enemy activity, an enemy fighter hurled a hand grenade onto the roof from an unseen location. The grenade hit him in the chest and bounced onto the deck. He immediately leapt to his feet and yelled “grenade” to alert his teammates of impending danger, but they could not evacuate the sniper hide-sight in time to escape harm. Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity. The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him.

Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions could not have been more selfless or clearly intentional. Of the three SEALs on that rooftop corner….. he had the only avenue of escape away from the blast. If he had so chosen, he could have easily escaped.

Instead, Monsoor chose to protect his comrades by the sacrifice of his own life. By his courageous and selfless actions, he saved the lives of his two fellow SEALs and he is the most deserving of the special recognition afforded by awarding the Medal of Honor.

In April 2008, Michael Monsoor (who had already been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in a 9 May 2006 incident, when he and another SEAL pulled a wounded team member to safety amidst gunfire) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His funeral, attended by “nearly every SEAL on the West Coast,” was held on 12 October 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. As shown at the end of the tribute video link   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfBb-Jlgn1U as the casket was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, fellow SEALs lined up in two columns to slap and embed the gold Tridents from their uniforms onto the top of Monsoor’s coffin:

(We believe the photograph of the coffin displayed above was actually taken at the funeral of fellow SEAL James Suh, who gave his life in Afghanistan on 28 June 2005.)

The procession went on for nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten.

(“Whats Up” prints memorials to our heroes as we receive them)

Whale Off of Southern California Coast

Seal Beach resident snaps photo of whale from helicopter off of California coast.

Another Attempt at 3 Story Homes?

Michael Bubbe,  the civic leader instrumental in the campaign supporting Seal Beach’s proposition to limit  heights in Old Town to 25 feet  last year, told “What’s Up” that there is another project being brought before the city for taller buildings, in spite of the Proposition Z results.  

Proposition Z, which passed overwhelmingly with 73% of the vote, was thought to put the third story builders out of business once and for all with the 25 foot height restriction.  Apparently an applicant  is asking to exceed the 25 foot height limit on four properties on 10th Street.  This “height variation” will come before the Planning Commission at 7:30 on Wednesday, May 20.  

“What’s UP” tried to contact Lee Whittenberg, Director of Planning for Seal Beach, to  find out how this application would be processed but Mr. Wittenberg will be out of town until May 27, a week after the applicant pleads his case.

Measure Z, which passed with a large majority vote citywide in the November general election, stated that new buildings in Old Town are limited in height to 25 feet.  This means that stairway access routes, elevator housings, and covered roof access structures – all known colloquially as “doghouses.”   According to Mr. Buhbe, all are forbidden because they go above the 25 foot height limit. Nevertheless, the developer is asking for height variations that would exceed the 25 foot height limit on four properties.  

One of the properties in question is on the corner of Central Way and 10th Street.  This is the white frame building on a fifty foot lot across the street from the Methodist Church.  The plan is to bulldoze the old frame building and build two new houses.  Mike Buhbe says “Citizens cannot protect historic buildings but we can work together to ensure that new buildings in Old Town do not go higher than 25 feet, as Measure Z specified.”

Those that choose to can attend the Planning Commission meeting and/or  write a letter expressing their views on the height variation request for the four properties on 10th Street to: Lee Whittenberg, Director of Planning, City of Seal Beach, 211 Eighth Street, Seal Beach CA 90740. You may phone 431-2527, extension 1313, and leave a brief message stating your opposition to projects that violate the 25 foot height limitation.  

Mike Buhbe is asking all those who supported the height restrictions in November to come and support the two story height limit of 25 feet.  Mike  Buhbe’s number is  562-598-2269 or miketwostories@mac.com>

While “Whatsupinsealbeach.com” respects the rights of all citizens to express their thoughts, it should be noted that during the months before the November vote on Proposition Z, local print papers received tens of thousands of dollars in ad revenue supporting the opponents of the height restriction.  Many of whom  who would benefit financially by building structures that exceeding the 25 foot limitation. Even so the people spoke with their votes and  Proposition Z passed with one of the largest majorities of any proposition on the statewide ballot.

The Planning Commission meeting is Wednesday, May 20, at 7:30,  at City Hall on Eighth Street and it is expected that both sides will be well represented. 

Mike Buhbe is asking all those who supported the height restrictions in November to come and support the two story height limit of 25 feet.  

Monthly Beach Cleanup

May 22 2009-11 to 2

On one Saturday per month,  normally from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. meet at the 1st Street Beach Parking Lot (where River’s End Cafe is located), corner of 1st Street and Ocean Avenue in Seal Beach and help us keep trash off of our beach and out of our ocean. Kids of all ages are welcome!

As always, we provide parking passes, garbage bags, protective gloves, drinking water, hand sanitizers (AND certificates if you need one for school credit or community service).

All you need to bring is closed toe shoes and sunscreen! We’re there rain or shine. More questions? Please visit http://www.saveourbeach.org/ or call Kim at (562) 884-6764. Hope to see you in the sand!

The 2009 Monthly Beach Cleanup Schedule:

May 23, 2009-11 to 2

Jun 27, 2009-11 to 2

Jul 25, 2009-11 to 2

Aug 22, 2009-11 to 2

Sep 19, 2009-9 to 2
**CA Coastal Cleanup Day**
2 locations:
1st & Ocean
AND
1st & PCH (Riverbed)

Oct 24, 2009-11 to 2

Nov 21, 2009-11 to 2

Dec 19, 2009-11 to 2

Seal Beach Chapter of Business Kick Off Event

The Seal Beach Chapter of Business Networking International is having its Chapter Kickoff Event on Tuesday, May 19th at 7:15 a.m. at the Sea Port Marina Hotel, 6400 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach. This is a great opportunity for the public to come and learn more about how BNI can help small businesses to grow through word of mouth referrals. The event will include a continental breakfast for visitors and ample opportunity to network with other business-minded individuals in the community. The breakfast is free but donations are welcome. For more information, contact Nat Ferguson at 562-761-7165 or check out

 

 

www.socalbni.com

Seal Beach Real Estate Still in Demand

Seal Beach residential real estate demand continues to grow. Inventory of unsold properties falls.

At the end of April unsold county homes was again less than the month before and new listings were lower than they’d been since Spring of 2006.  Of the more than 10,000 homes unsold nearly 4,000 were “distressed” properties.

In Seal Beach, not surprisingly, the percentage of “distressed homes” was only four and there had been as many as 8 distressed properties in Seal Beach.

There were 360 homes for sale in Seal Beach in March but that number had fallen by April.

Although there are similarities between Seal Beach’s numbers and the county’s, Seal Beach is still a real estate anomaly in the state.  Seal Beach listings do have similar timelines regarding how long they are listed before selling but when one considers the much higher per-foot cost of Seal Beach homes it is understandable they are on the market for longer periods.  

Now that there are fewer homes for sale and more buyers for Seal Beach homes the listing times should clearly shrink, however, Seal Beach can’t be used as an indicator for what we should expect for the entire county.

PNC’s CEO on the “Stress Test” and economy

On Monday, May 12, 2009,  James Rohr, Chairman and CEO of PNC Bank was interviewed on a business show regarding the so called “stress test” that many U.S. banks recently had to go through and his thoughts on the process as well as how it impacted PNC.

In general it seemed (to this reporter) that Rohr thought the stress test was an excellent idea.  It showed “worst case” scenarios for banks;  i.e. “what if the worst possible things happened to your investments, loans, etc.  Could the bank survive?”

In the case of PNC, in order to survive a worst case scenario PNC would need another $600 million dollars.  Rohr promptly made changes in PNC’s portfolio and financial situation to make sure that by year end, or by first quarter of 2010 at the latest, PNC would have that $600 million to survive a “worst possible” situation, should it occur, which no one really expects to happen.

Not being a financial guy I was very impressed with how Mr. Rohr spoke in straight forward language I could understand. If there was a criticism of the  Obama Administration I didn’t hear it.

He said that 2009 was going to be tough for banking in general.  He believes that real estate prices will keep falling; there are many more mortgages that will fail and foreclosures that will follow but he feels that the great majority of U.S. banks will be better off in 2010 and beyond than they have been in the past.

PNC is based in Pennsylvania, however, they have branches throughout the U.S. You can go to their site and find jobs that are available all over the U.S. 

Fountain Valley Car Show at Mile Square

 

Fountain Valley Car Show at Mile Square

May 12, 2009 by Wilm  (Edit) ?Filed under Local News

 

Saturday June 13 the  Fountain Valley Classic Car and Truck Show is coming to Mile Square Park. This unique show has classic autos and trucks submitted by local collectors.  

 

Pete Haak, show event coordinator said it is not too late to register, however, last year nearly 100 were turned away due to space limits on the day of the show.

 

They do have room for over 300 cars this year on two beautiful newly landscaped areas adjacent all grass soccer fields. If you haven’t yet registered, you still may do so if you act quickly. Haak says the first 300 registrants will receive a free color photograph, framed in a glass of their car. ??Some of the car clubs will be placed together if they arrive sequentially. The Early Ford V8 Club will be one of those clubs. A large collection of Ford Woodies is expected. The Early Ford V-8 members should meet at Denny’s Coffee Shop at Brookhurst and Edinger at 6:30 a.m. to enter as a group.

 

The Kiwanis Club will have pancake breakfasts available at Mile Square for a modest charge in the morning.  There will also be several vendors with all kinds of wonderful lunch time foods, water, cold drinks, snacks and desserts.

 

This car show is part of a three day City of Fountain Valley annual Mile Square Park City Festival. There will be carnival rides at the park this year, so bring the kids. Live music will be featured throughout the festival as well. Additionally, there will be a real antique horse drawn steam fire engine on display. This will be an interesting event with lots of unique vehicles coming in that we don’t often get to see.

 

John Perrot is working on the finishing touches of a “new” 1934 Flathead Ford V8 Display Engine and it will very likely make its public debut at this show! The show organizers have dedicated a single car space to the display of the engine. Very few people outside of V-8 clubs and their inner circles know how interesting the real thing is until they see one up close As Henry Built It. This is an authentically assembled engine in a static display.

For a sample of some of the autos that will be there go to  http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatsupinsealbeach/

 

 

 

More Layoffs Pending for Long Beach ?

The administration has been sending mixed signals on the future of the C-17.

In March the President supported continued production for the Boeing C-17 “Globemaster” made in Long Beach. The plane, which has been a standout freighter and “hospital” aircraft for US and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, became operational in the mid ‘90s and was originally scheduled for a production of 120 planes. Last month Secretary Gates said he wanted to cut production of the C-17 and increase production of the Lockheed C-5, a plane that became operational in 1969.

The U.S. now have the lowest mortality rate of injured servicemen and women while being moved from the battlefield to hospitals in our history.  One of the key reasons are Globemasters that are equipped for Medevac transportation; where the wounded are routinely given delicate surgery while being transferred to hospitals in Europe and the U.S.

During normal testing, C-17s set 22 world records, including payload to altitude time-to-climb and the short takeoff and landing mark. The C-17 is one of the very few airplanes in the world that can “routinely” back up under its own power. A great asset when landing at remote air strips with minimum ground assistance available.  (Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV1L-EkK0VY )

The plan to scrap the contract is a decision that ultimately will be decided by congress and if it should be passed it means another 5,000 workers will join the local unemployed ranks that are already suffering, including thousands of dock workers at the ports of Long Beach and L.A..

Reps. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, are part of a small group of Congressional representatives that say if the  program is cut  short  it will be a mistake and will jeopardize national security.

There are pending orders for additional planes from at least two friendly governments; Finland and Sweden.  Local pundits say the proposed cuts reflect “party politics” more than necessary cuts. 

Replacing a 1995 airplane with a 1969 aircraft doesn’t seem to make sense.

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