thedrifter
02-24-07, 07:54 AM
On the waterfront
`One Book' recalls port's WWII glory
By Kristopher Hanson, Staff columnist
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:02/06/2007 12:00:00 AM PST
This year's choice for Long Beach Reads One Book carries special significance to the port complex and those who toiled there during the dark days of World War II.
The "Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw details the American experience before, during and after the war, a conflict which transformed local ports into arteries for the machines, supplies and people needed for victory in the Pacific.
From 1941 to 1945, dockworkers, shipbuilders, merchant marines and Navy personnel worked around the clock, building, repairing and supplying the awesome U.S. naval fleet that helped end Imperial Japan's reign of terror over Asia.
The story of America's involvement in World War II is incomplete without mention of the local men and women who built the Victory ships, submarine chasers, landing craft, patrol boats and rescue vessels at long-gone plants like Western Pipe and Steel and California Shipbuilding Corporation.
"It's a lesson on our city, our people, our past and being proud of who we are," said Peter Bostic, who heads the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, which sponsors the annual "One Book" campaign.
Throughout the war, the Navy maintained a base on Terminal Island from which multitudes of young men were sent off to fight.
For many, their final vision of America would be Long Beach, San Pedro and the the bustling port complex in between.
To honor these enlisted and civilian heroes, the week-long "One Book" campaign, beginning March 18, will include presentations on the port's role in Navy and merchant marine activities, testimonies from those who worked there and presentations on the World War II-era waterfront.
Events include photo exhibits at the Long Beach Museum of Art and Main Library and a USO-type show aboard the Queen Mary on March 25.
"One Book" encourages people across the city to read a selected book and then join in discussions and presentations on the book's topic.
This year, Long Beach Unified School District's entire 11th grade class will read "The Greatest Generation" as part of its U.S. history course.
To learn more, visit www.lbplfoundation.org.
Cash cow
Profits are up, debt is down and growth remains strong.
That was the overall assessment of economic activity at the Long Beach Harbor Department in 2006, where net income jumped 8.3 percent, to $154 million, from the year before.
Overall, the Harbor Department generated about $330 million for the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.
The port makes money through rental agreements with shipping companies, dockage and wharfage fees and oil operations.
Although oil pumped nearly $58 million into port operations for the year, the harbor was forced to spend about $50 million to drill new wells, make repairs and pay for the cleanup of a former petroleum disposal site on Pier A known as the "bug farm."
Meanwhile, the good economic news should make City Hall bean-counters happy; the city takes 10 percent of port income to fund waterfront projects.
In the past, harbor revenues have funded construction of the Convention Center, Long Beach Arena and Belmont Pool.
Kristopher Hanson can be reached at kristopher.hanson@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1466.
Ellie
`One Book' recalls port's WWII glory
By Kristopher Hanson, Staff columnist
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:02/06/2007 12:00:00 AM PST
This year's choice for Long Beach Reads One Book carries special significance to the port complex and those who toiled there during the dark days of World War II.
The "Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw details the American experience before, during and after the war, a conflict which transformed local ports into arteries for the machines, supplies and people needed for victory in the Pacific.
From 1941 to 1945, dockworkers, shipbuilders, merchant marines and Navy personnel worked around the clock, building, repairing and supplying the awesome U.S. naval fleet that helped end Imperial Japan's reign of terror over Asia.
The story of America's involvement in World War II is incomplete without mention of the local men and women who built the Victory ships, submarine chasers, landing craft, patrol boats and rescue vessels at long-gone plants like Western Pipe and Steel and California Shipbuilding Corporation.
"It's a lesson on our city, our people, our past and being proud of who we are," said Peter Bostic, who heads the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, which sponsors the annual "One Book" campaign.
Throughout the war, the Navy maintained a base on Terminal Island from which multitudes of young men were sent off to fight.
For many, their final vision of America would be Long Beach, San Pedro and the the bustling port complex in between.
To honor these enlisted and civilian heroes, the week-long "One Book" campaign, beginning March 18, will include presentations on the port's role in Navy and merchant marine activities, testimonies from those who worked there and presentations on the World War II-era waterfront.
Events include photo exhibits at the Long Beach Museum of Art and Main Library and a USO-type show aboard the Queen Mary on March 25.
"One Book" encourages people across the city to read a selected book and then join in discussions and presentations on the book's topic.
This year, Long Beach Unified School District's entire 11th grade class will read "The Greatest Generation" as part of its U.S. history course.
To learn more, visit www.lbplfoundation.org.
Cash cow
Profits are up, debt is down and growth remains strong.
That was the overall assessment of economic activity at the Long Beach Harbor Department in 2006, where net income jumped 8.3 percent, to $154 million, from the year before.
Overall, the Harbor Department generated about $330 million for the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.
The port makes money through rental agreements with shipping companies, dockage and wharfage fees and oil operations.
Although oil pumped nearly $58 million into port operations for the year, the harbor was forced to spend about $50 million to drill new wells, make repairs and pay for the cleanup of a former petroleum disposal site on Pier A known as the "bug farm."
Meanwhile, the good economic news should make City Hall bean-counters happy; the city takes 10 percent of port income to fund waterfront projects.
In the past, harbor revenues have funded construction of the Convention Center, Long Beach Arena and Belmont Pool.
Kristopher Hanson can be reached at kristopher.hanson@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1466.
Ellie