CALIFORNIA CULTURAL DISTRICT OUTLOOK in THIS ISSUE City Officials Lancaster City Council City Manager R
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NEWSLETTER & ACTIVITY GUIDE SEPTEMB ER | 2017 The BLVD named a CALIFORNIA CULTURAL DISTRICT OUTLOOK IN THIS ISSUE City Officials Lancaster City Council City Manager R. Rex Parris, Mayor Mark V. Bozigian Marvin E. Crist, Vice Mayor 2 & 3 City Experiences Growth and Prosperity Ken Mann, Council Member in the New Millennium Angela E. Underwood-Jacobs, Council Member The City’s third decade: 1997 - 2007 Raj Malhi, Council Member Kit Yee Szeto, Deputy Mayor 4 & 5 Budget Demonstrates Fiscal Strength Cassandra Harvey, Deputy Mayor Balanced budget focuses on new revenue streams Darrell Dorris, Deputy Mayor You’re Invited to Meetings 6 Shop More in Lancaster Lancaster City Council – Fashion is always in the bag at Bags with Rose 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. In April, only the – Smith & Weston specializes in custom jewelry second meeting of the month will take place. In August, November, and December, only the first meeting of these The BLVD Designated a California Cultural District months will take place. 7 Selected for its variety of cultural venues, community events, Lancaster Architectural and Design Commission and arts programming 1st Thursday of the month at 5 p.m. All meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 8 & 9 Fun Times this Fall Lancaster Criminal Justice Commission Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, Celebrate America on The BLVD, 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. All meetings are and a myriad of fall events promise excitement for all ages held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Lancaster Planning Commission 10 & 11 Economic Development Update 3rd Monday of the month at 5 p.m. All meetings are held in Lancaster enjoying a residential resurgence the Council Chambers at City Hall. Agenda review is held on the Monday preceding each month’s meeting at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall . 12 Lancaster: A City@Work Capital Improvement Projects benefit everyone Lancaster Youth Commission 2nd Thursday of the month at 4 p.m. All meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 13 “True Community” Spotlight Learn4Life provides at-risk teens with an increased chance of success Let Us Hear from You We welcome your comments. 14 Public Safety Update Contact City Hall at 661-723-6000 Monday - Thursday from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Responsible driving and working smoke detectors save lives TDD users may call the California TDD Relay Service at 1-800-735-2922. 15 Disaster Preparedness & Rental Housing Rules – City gets ready for “Big One” with Great California Shake Out Hotline Information – Rental units must be licensed and inspected Abandoned shopping cart retrieval 800-252-4613 City special event hotline 661-723-5900 Graffiti hotline 661-723-5985 16 Embracing Diversity Crime Stoppers 800-222-TIPS (8477) Fair housing is all about equal rights for everyone www.cityoflancasterca.org 18 Field of Drafts City Council meeting agendas can be found here. Register online for classes and much more. Plan to attend fifth annual beer festival on November 4 www.cityoflancasterca.org/informlancaster 20 Bark at the Park Inform Lancaster Favorite festival of the hounds is celebrating 25 years www.cityoflancasterca.org/nixle City of Lancaster Nixle Advisories 21-44 Parks, Recreation and Arts Activity Guide www.lpac.org Lancaster Performing Arts Center www.lancastermoah.org Lancaster Museum of Art and History www.streetsoflancaster.com Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix www.lancasterbarkatthepark.org Bark at the Park A message from your CITY COUNCIL As families begin to settle back in to the new school year after a busy summer, this is a good time to reflect on all we have accomplished as well as all we have to look forward to as residents of Lancaster. In this issue, we review the amazing 40 years of growth our City has experienced since first incorporating on November 22, 197 7. The focus is on the dawn of the new millennium, from 1997 to 2007, a time when our economy diversified and new community assets expanded dramatically. We also take a look at how your tax dollars are being utilized here in Lancaster. Read the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget story to better understand the City’s priorities for creating new revenue streams, reducing costs, and improving services. The City recently received exciting news as The BLVD was named one of California’s premier cultural districts. The BLVD was selected due to its diverse array of cultural venues, community events, and arts programming. In addition, we feature the resurgence in residential development taking place in Lancaster as well as a number of capital improvement projects in the works. Learn4Life, an organization which is working tirelessly for at-risk teens, is featured in the new segment “True Community.” Of course, no issue of Outlook would be complete without a full description of all the exciting events happening here in your hometown. We will host Celebrate America on The BLVD shortly after Labor Day, then welcome racers and fans back to the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix later in the month. In October, our canine friends get an event of their own with Bark at the Park , while children thrill at our annual harvest haunt – The BooLVD Halloween & Harvest Festival . November features an event just for grown-ups, our popular Field of Drafts beer festival. Be sure to also explore the full listing of programs, classes, and events being offered this fall by our Parks, Recreation, and Arts Department. We hope you enjoy all the wonderful autumn activities available here in Lancaster. Your City Council ON THE COVER Cover photo by Curt Gideon OUTLOOK is published quarterly by the Lancaster Community Services Foundation. This newsletter is mailed to The BLVD was recently designated as one of 14 households and businesses in the City as a public service. California Cultural Districts located throughout the Incorporated in November 1977, Lancaster is a Charter City state by the California Arts Council. Lancaster’s within Los Angeles County. The City of Lancaster is an equal downtown area has become the cultural hub of opportunity employer. the Antelope Valley. Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Cabral Design: Davis Communications Photography: Curt Gideon, Josh Kline, Dave Mills, and Melinda Rodriguez September 2017 | OUTLOOK | 1 Growth and Prosperity Mark City ’s Third Decade Lancaster experiences a boom in residential real estate, as City focuses on jobs and family-friendly additions to the community As the dawn of a new millennium approached, Lancaster was enjoying a new round of success. Employment was up and the future looked bright. As 1997 began, just over 40,000 residents were counted in the City’s workforce. By the end of 2000, the ranks had expanded nearly 25% to almost 50,000. New single-family building permits shot up to a peak of 2,800 in 2005, as more and more builders and buyers flocked to Lancaster to take advantage of the highly favorable real estate conditions. During this period, the City focused on two key concerns: increasing the number of local jobs and improving the quality of life for all residents. Lance Camper arrived in town in 1997, bringing with it hundreds of new jobs. FedEx also opened its first distribution center in the Lancaster Business Park. That same year the Lancaster National Soccer Center opened, bringing sports tourism to town. The following year, the Big 6 Softball Complex expanded to the Big 8, to accommodate major adult and youth competitions. Job growth continued in the latter years of the 20th century as the Fox Field Industrial Corridor, which encompasses 8,000 acres along the City’s northern border, welcomed its initial companies – Michaels Stores and Rite Aid. Both built huge warehouses, adding hundreds of employees to their payrolls. As the clock struck midnight on the year 2000, everyone held their breath, unsure if the Y2K bug had been vanquished from their computer systems. However, the real shock would come 19 months later as the world was upended by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. 2 | OUTLOOK | September 2017 1997 • The City’s National Soccer Center opens for major tournaments • Lance Camper comes to town bringing hundreds of new jobs with it 1998 • The Big 6 Softball Complex expands to Big 8 in order to accommodate larger tournaments • Michaels Stores’ massive warehouse comes to The events of 9/11 spurred Americans toward a newfound love of the Fox Field Industrial Corridor country and community. During this timeframe the City’s annual 1999 Aerospace Walk of Honor tribute took on new significance. Celebrate • Behemoth Rite Aid Distribution Center opens in Downtown Lancaster brought families and friends together for an the Fox Field Industrial Corridor evening of fabulous music, delicious food, and fun under the summer • Cinemark Cinemas debuts stars. Lookin’ Good Lancaster was created to help engender local pride by 2000 sprucing up Lancaster neighborhoods. In 2001, the City also created the • The first Lookin’ Good Lancaster event is held Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, • Fire Station 33 and Forrest E. Hull Park open a natural habitat in the heart of 2001 the City where students and • The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve opens grown-ups could learn and • The North Downtown Transit Village project makes experience remarkable desert key community services more accessible flora and fauna. 2002 Meanwhile, Lancaster’s housing boom continued, and the City • Signature Fundraising opens in the Lancaster also welcomed new corporate Business Park • City diversifies employment with new call centers residents. Countrywide opened a for both Starwood and Countrywide mortgage service center in the • Lancaster’s first Walmart opens Lancaster Business Park, while Signature Fundraising began operations nearby.