Come to Our. Birthday Party! Saturday, June 25. Live entertainment, family friendly activities and more. See Page 3. A Century in Photos

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1 Centennial Celebration re:port Spring 2011 A Community Newsletter from the Port of Long Beach 100 Come to Our th Birthday Party! Saturday, June 25 Live entertainment, family friendly activities and more. See Page 3. inside From the Port Page 2 Harbor Tours Page 2 Green Building Page 6 Community Grants Page 7 Trade Rebound Page 8 A Century in Photos A glimpse into the Port s proud history Page 4-5 Beyond the Waterfront The Port s community partnerships Page 7

2 A Message from the Port Richard D. Steinke Executive Director, Port of Long Beach As you may know, this is a very special year for the Port of Long Beach our 100th anniversary. It s amazing to think how far we ve come, from one small dock in 1911 to one of the world s busiest seaports today. In June 1911, the S.S. Iaqua docked at the new municipal pier and delivered 280,000 feet of redwood lumber from Northern California that was unloaded onto a mule-drawn wagon. The lumber went to build homes in Southern California. Although we started small, Long Beach s early leaders had a big vision. They saw a bustling seaport as a path to economic prosperity and jobs for the generations to come. And they were right. And now we are working to carry that spirit of leadership and innovation into the next century, as a legacy to leave to those who will follow us. Our Centennial is a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect, reminisce and share this proud legacy. I encourage you to join us on June 25 on the docks as we celebrate this amazing milestone. We ll have historic exhibits and screenings of our 100th Anniversary documentary film, carnival rides and Long Beach s own Municipal Band which gives us a wonderful connection to our roots. The Municipal Band, after all, performed at the official dedication of the Port on June 24, Throughout the decades, our city and Port leaders have done what it takes to move the Port forward make the right investments, nurture the necessary partnerships, and stay at the cutting edge of technology. This is your Port, and we want you to be a big part of the celebration. Book Your Summer Harbor Tour Free boat tours to highlight historical places, facts Did you know that the Port s first shipment was redwood lumber from Northern California? Or that oil drilling operations once caused land in some areas of the Port to sink by as much as 30 feet? This year, the Port of Long Beach is celebrating its 100th Anniversary, so our annual summer harbor tours will be chock full of interesting historical facts about the Port, as well as all the usual sights and sounds of one of the world s busiest international seaports. Come join us for what is quickly becoming an annual tradition in Long Beach. The Port of Long Beach s Harbor Tours run through October. The narrated tours last On the Web Go to and click on the Reserve Seats button. If the tour is full, click the Standby button to be added to the standby list. Those on the standby list will be notified by phone if seats become available. about 90 minutes and are free. The tours offer a close-up look at state-of-the-art ships, giant gantry cranes and other big machines. You can reserve seats in advance or join a standby list through the Port s online registration system, Tours will be posted one month in advance on the first work day of each month at 8 a.m. For example, the August cruises will be posted and reservations made available at 8 a.m. on July 1. Seating is limited and spaces go fast, so reserve early. Cordero Appointed to Federal Commission Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero has become the newest member of the Federal Maritime Commission, an agency responsible for regulating the nation s international ocean transportation. Cordero, who has served since 2003 on the Board of Harbor Commissioners, which governs the Port of Long Beach, was appointed to his new position by Mario Cordero President Barack Obama last year and confirmed by the Senate on April 14. He will officially take his seat later this summer. Page 2 Port of Long Beach Spring 2011

3 You re Invited! Come Celebrate the Port s 100th Join us for a birthday party on the docks Saturday, June 25 from 2:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Schedule: 2:30 p.m. Event begins 3 p.m. Premiere screening of Faces of the Port Celebrating 100 Years, a 30-minute Port documentary narrated by actor Robert Wagner 3:30 p.m. Let s Talk Centennial, a panel discussion of waterfront remembrances moderated by maritime reporter George Cunningham 4:15 p.m. Second screening of Centennial documentary film 5:15 p.m. Centennial Birthday ceremony 6 to 8 p.m. Long Beach Municipal Band commemorative performance. OCEAN BLVD Event Site PICO AVE Downtown Long Beach Port of Long Beach 6TH STREET OCEAN BLVD The event will be on Pier E, just south of the Gerald Desmond Bridge, at Ocean Boulevard and Pico Avenue. SHORELINE DRIVE QUEEN MARY Other Highlights: Historic machines exhibits Memory Lane where visitors can share their own stories of the Port Display of historic photos in a hall specially constructed from cargo containers Ferris wheel, carnival rides and games. Centennial Cupcake Contest Free refreshments Visitors are encouraged to bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs and make a fun family day of it. Free parking and bicycle valet. For more information, visit Port Sponsors Popular Community Summer Events The Port of Long Beach is also celebrating its 100th Anniversary as the presenting sponsor of this year s Long Beach Sea Festival, which includes swimming and sailing events, sand-castle building, movies on the beach, and a variety of musical programs. For details, visit The Port is a major sponsor of the Municipal Band, which kicks off its season at the Port s June 25 Birthday Party. In addition, the Port is a major funding partner for the ever-popular waterfront 4th of July Fireworks, and the Long Beach Municipal Band s summer concerts series, which kicks off with the Port s 100th Birthday Party performance on the docks on June 25. Port of Long Beach Spring 2011 Page 3

4 The Port Celebrates a Century The Port of Long Beach is proud to join with the community in celebration of our Cen of the first ship in 1911 (whose cargo of lumber was carried off the docks by mule-draw been a stable provider of jobs for many generations. At 100, the Port is looking to the developments that will support additional jobs and economic prosperity into its secon 1911 Early Years Charles H. Windham, below, a Long Beach mayor and then city manager, becomes known as the Father of the Long Beach Harbor. Purchasing mudflats at the western edge of the city, he establishes the Los Angeles Dock & Terminal Company, with the intent of building a commercial harbor. On June 24, 1911 a proud community celebrates the official opening of the Port of Long Beach. The S.S. Iaqua, above, comes first, bringing lumber to a fast-growing City of Long Beach. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Port expands to meet the needs of Southern California s growing population. The 1920s see the construction of the Long Beach breakwater and many new piers. 1930s-era surveyors, above, work at Pier A, Berth The 1970s brings many changes at the Port, such as the inclusion of women (such as the Port surveyor at left) into what had been an almost exclusively maledominated field. President Ronald Reagan visits the Port to sign the Export Trading Company Act of In 1997, the Navy base at Pier T begins redevelopment, opening in 2002 as the Port s largest shipping terminal. Page 4 Port of Long Beach Spring 2011

5 tennial. From the arrival n wagons!) the Port has future with sustainable d century and beyond. Share Your Memories! We want to hear from you! For our 100th Anniversary, the Port of Long Beach is sharing oral histories, photos, little-known facts and other glimpses into the past, such as a visit from Elvis and Danny Thomas. Visit polb. com/100years and polb.com/blog. Photo courtesy of the USS Potomac museum in Oakland, The Navy moves into a Terminal Island complex that includes the Long Beach Naval Station and the Long Beach Shipyard. Want to share your stories about the Navy? Go to polb.com/blog. In 1968, the Port of Long Beach completes the Gerald Desmond Bridge, a 5,134-foot-long span that replaces a Navy pontoon bridge. But the bridge was not designed to handle today s traffic volumes and today is deteriorating. Plans for a nearly $1 billion replacement bridge are underway to increase safety for commuters and ships. Construction of the replacement bridge is expected to begin in 2012, last about five years and generate, on average, 4,000 jobs a year The Green Port Policy is adopted by the Board of Harbor Commissioners in 2005, which institutes an aggressive, comprehensive and coordinated approach to reduce the negative impacts of Port operations. Today, Green Port serves as an ongoing framework and guide for environmentally friendly operations. In 2011, the Port of Long Beach has become one of the world s busiest seaports and a major gateway for global trade, covering nearly 12 square miles, with 10 piers and 80 berths. The Port moves more than $140 billion a year in cargo, which supports more than 30,000 jobs in Long Beach, more than 316,000 jobs in Southern California and more than 1.4 million jobs nationwide. Port of Long Beach Spring 2011 Page 5

6 Port s Green Building Reaches for Gold Pier G structure is the harbor s second LEED-qualified Construction crews have completed a new green building in a Port of Long Beach shipping terminal that demonstrates the Port s commitment to environmentally sustainable redevelopment and operations. With a host of features that save energy and water, the new Operations Building built for Port customer International Transportation Service (ITS) is the first of several new structures at Pier G that will boast stateof-the-art sustainability. As part of its Green Port Policy enacted in 2005, the Port set a goal that all new buildings it constructs will meet at least the silver-level standard of the U.S. Green Building Council s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The Security Command and Control Center, which opened in 2009, was the Port s first LEED-certified building. Port engineers are aiming for gold certification with the new Pier G structure a step above the silver that the Port had committed to, and the second-highest achievement for a green building. The three-story, 30,000-square-foot steel-framed Operations Building is designed with the latest in features that save power and water. The new Operations Building at International Transportation Service s Pier G shipping facility is expected to be the second LEED-certified building at the Port. These features include highperformance building insulation, high-efficiency lighting, along with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that reduce energy usage by 35 percent. High-efficiency plumbing fixtures and other features reduce water usage by 45 percent. The building also includes strategic use of daylight, an exhaust system that improves indoor air quality, and personal climate controls at about half of the workstations. Preferential parking is reserved for carpools and low-emission vehicles. During construction, the Port recycled demolition materials and used recycled-content building materials and cleaner fuels in the construction equipment. Green buildings not only improve the environment, but have realworld, practical benefits. With this building, our customers are better served, and the community On the Web Find out more about the Port s sustainable construction practices and the LEED features of the Pier G Operations Building at can see that we are investing in long-term environmental improvements, said Port Executive Director Richard D. Steinke. Page 6 Port of Long Beach Spring 2011

7 Beyond the Waterfront Port partnerships support key community events Port awards $5 million in grants The Port recently awarded $5 million in grants to fund 10 health programs that will directly help the people most affected by air pollution from the goods movement industry. The funds will pay for projects that will educate families on asthma care, screen at-risk populations for respiratory illness, build a cardiovascular disease diagnosis laboratory, provide air filters and more. Recipients include local hospitals, clinics, health groups, and health agencies. Local high school students participate in the L.A. River cleanup as part of the Port s service learning educational outreach program (above). The Port recently sponsored Snow Day at Whaley Park (right), and the Port s pace car was a visible presence at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April (below). With input from a five-member advisory committee representing the community, industry and a regulatory agency, Port staff made recommendations to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, which approved the grants in April. The recipients are: St. Mary Medical Center The Children s Clinic Long Beach Dept. of Health and Human Services Long Beach Comprehensive Health Center Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (UCLA Breathmobile) Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma BREATHE California of Los Angeles County Miller Children s Hospital Long Beach Cambodian Assn. of America Westside Neighborhood Clinic On the Web For a detailed list of recipients and projects, go to www. polb.com/healthgrants. For more information on the Port Mitigation Grant Programs, go to Port of Long Beach Spring 2011 Page 7

8 Board of Harbor Commissioners Nick Sramek President Susan E. Anderson Wise Vice President Dr. Mike Walter Commissioner Mario Cordero Commissioner Thomas Fields Commissioner 925 Harbor Plaza, P.O. Box 570, Long Beach, CA (562) Postal Customer PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LONG BEACH, CA PERMIT NO 5069 We want to hear from you! Please give us your feedback in a short readership survey at Port Trade Rebound Boosts Economy Increased cargo is bright spot for region International trade has seen a quick turnaround from the recession. Increased cargo at the Port of Long Beach is putting thousands of people back to work in a variety of jobs throughout the goods movement industry. The Port ended 2010 with the largest single-year cargo growth in its history. The gains continued into the early part of 2011, giving the Southern California economy a much-needed boost. This was a tremendous rebound, and it happened much faster than predicted, said Port Executive Director Richard D. Steinke. Best of all, the additional cargo has brought back thousands of Port-related jobs throughout the supply chain. Rebounding faster than any other U.S. seaport, Long Beach moved about 25 percent more containerized cargo in 2010 than in Imports rose about 24 percent, and exports were up more than 15 percent. The trade rebound meant increased work for longshore workers, truck drivers, warehouse staff, logistics professionals and more. Business activity generated by the Port of Long Beach supports more than 30,000 jobs in Long Beach, more than 316,000 jobs in Southern California, and more than 1.4 million jobs nationwide. Cargo is on the move at Matson Navigation Co. s Pier C shipping facility. Port cargo increased by nearly 25 percent from 2009 to 2010, which brought back many jobs. To continue to provide sustainable job growth into its second century, the Port is preparing for the next 100 years with nearly $4 billion in improvements to its facilities, including the replacement of the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge, and many projects to cut pollution under its Green Port Policy. Those who built and developed this Port over the past 100 years had the foresight to see what a strong economic asset it would be for our community, Steinke said. We On the Web Visit projects to learn more about Port infrastructure projects. For updates on the Port s latest cargo volumes, go to are continuing that tradition as we look to the future and build a great Port for the next century.