Recommendation to approve naming the Social Hall or Kitchen at the Cesar Chavez Community Center in Honor of Mrs. Ruth Ricker.
Thank you. So we're going to take up item number 28 next. Item 28 is a communication from Councilwoman Gonzalez, Mayor Garcia and Councilmember Urunga. Recommendation two Request that the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee consider. Renaming the Senior. Meals Program at Cesar Chavez Park. The Ruth Reichl Senior Meals Program. Thank you, Councilwoman Gonzalez. Yes, I would like to first thank Mayor Garcia, who is not here, but Councilmember Suranga as well, for joining me on this item. As many of you know or may have known in previous meetings and discussions, we've talked about Ruth Recor. She was a strong and passionate person whose advocacy changed the lives of many, not only here in Long Beach, but really across Southern California. She long advocated to see the affordable housing was in place for many seniors as well as the senior meal program. I would often spend many times with her at the coffee shop right next to Village Treasures. Now Dollies, that was her favorite spot. And we would talk about the senior meal program. And when she passed away, I thought, what a perfect program to reinstate at Chavez Park, but what a perfect person to name it after. I also want to acknowledge Don Darren, our who is here from our senior advisory commission and Barbie as well, and many of the community members who have long supported Ruth in her life and also afterwards. I would also like to acknowledge her amazing family here. Juanita Ricker, who is Ruth's daughter, Jason Ricker, her son Macksville, of course, owner of Village Treasures on Broadway, Carolyn Christian Hines, Gayle Wilson, Julie Nemechek and Wynn Collins. I want to thank you all for being here and supporting her. And so, with that said, this program is currently in place at Chavez Park and it is serving many seniors in our area, especially those who happen to be of incomes that are lower income. And with that said, I want to just thank everyone for being a supportive as possible with this. I ask my colleagues to be all be supportive of this as well. But the contributions of Ms.. Ricker on behalf of older adults across the city of Long Beach should not go unnoticed. She was truly, truly a community leader who fought for the reinstatement of this program. And now here we have it. So thank you very much. Thank you. Next, we have Councilmember Elanga. I mean, for support of Councilmember Gonzalez's motion. And I hope that this moves forward. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Angie. Yes. Also, you know, as chair of the Housing and Labor Committee, you know, I will be very, very excited and happy to have this. You know, when we do bring it up to make sure that this, you know, go into full operation. We want to thank you guys for being here to support this item. Thank you again. Thank you, Councilmember Pearce. Yes. I also want to thank my colleague for bringing us forward. I had the opportunity to meet Ruth on several occasions and so it's great to be able to name something that brings such value to our community. And so thank you very much. Great job. Thank you. And I'll just I'll just add what an honor this is for your mother and congratulations to you and your family. And you have my complete support. And thank you, Councilmember Gonzalez and our mayor and councilman, your angel, for taking a lead on this. And I do encourage the whole council to support this. Is there any public comment on this item? Good evening, Don. Darn. Our vice mayor and council members. I just wanted to make a couple comments regarding Ruth. She was on the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission with me. She was the little girl that I tell you. She had a lot of spunk and energy and she come up with all kind of ideas and she'd make sure they followed up on. And that just explains the kind of person she was and why we should be honoring her with this. We're so glad to have this this senior meals program going. And I think I hope it's going to continue because we need support on this. And I'm so glad that we're going to honor her with this name. Also, we were talking about having a tree planted in her honor and also in the Chavez park there. But I just wanted to make a point of of what a grand lady this is and her her the children that she's raised. They're great people. You just can't believe what a wonderful family this was. No. As I see her leave this earth as she did. And I really admired her. And I just want to support this. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Counsel. Name's Jason Berger. I'm son here of my sister. And I just want to thank you. Thank you, leader. I know one mother put a lot. Of work in with with you. And Mayor Garcia, and so I just really want to thank you for that and no vanity at all. But that you know, and you know, I'm as humble as my mother. We're all as humble as she was. So we just appreciate the thought. Thank you. Thank you. And makes me the boss. Good afternoon. I also knew Ruth not very well, but at every committee community event she was there. Our Wilmore Heritage meeting. She would show up at the for the need or whatever it was need to be supported. She was a lady with a lot of class and greatly missed. And I wholeheartedly support this. And I mean, we should be outside of the statue, but a tree. Definitely should be at Cesar Chavez. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Okay. Rabbi Pete from California, greater vote, Republican like local Republicans, but more Republican. So that's good. She has a good name, it seems like I don't know her, but she had to have had a good name in order to be there, unlike some other people that shouldn't even be here. Who's asking? Councilman Woman Anything about what I don't want to hear about? Nothing, she asked, respectfully. That's off topic, brother. Hey, this is the topic. This is a good one. Been on time. I'm on topic. I'm talking about the name and this is topic and I'm here. Listen, you guys are here to listen. You guys are getting paid by the people, so I don't need my conversation guide. I'm a tell you what's on topic. It would be off topic if she would resign and she wasn't here. That's what I'm saying. That's the. Last time. What do you mean? Warning. You need to stay on topic. This is not general public comment. So hey, I don't already mixed. I'm talking about this and now you're going to tell me what to say? Is that what you're going to do? Can you give me my time back? You want to play hardball first? You told me I couldn't do something that the man said was legal. And. Okay, going here, you're going to start telling me stuff that I can do and I can't do. Just off winging it, because that's what you did. Now you're going to stop me. Yeah. Now she's glad because I'm not on her and I'm talking to you now. But like I said, she shouldn't be here. I'm sick of seeing. Her for your time. Sorry. So. So we'll take it back behind around Councilwoman Gonzalez. Or city attorney, would you like to go first? Thank you. Councilmember Gonzalez, the the issue, I think, has become this is a new thing in naming a program, and it's as part of a park program. It probably should also include a referral to the Parks and Rec Commission for their discussion and whether and how. You decide. That. But I would hope that you would amend your motion to send it to Parks and Rec Commission also. Absolutely. We will definitely do that. And since this is a the first time that we've done this, I appreciate the amendment. And I would just say that just to have the last word about Ruth, because this is really about Ruth, is that she was a very forward thinking person. And I know that she would be very happy if we that we're obviously reinstating this. I want to once again thank the family for being here. I know that she lives definitely in each of you and her humbleness and her gratitude for community. And thank you again. Thank you so much for the public comment. Members, please cast your vote. Motion case. Thank you. Next, we'll have item number 29, please. Congratulations. We'll have item number 20.