Long Beach Landmark: Long Beach Airport
LONG BEACH AIRPORT THE ART DECO FLYING CIRCUS By Lindsey Goodrow Long Beach Airport is undoubtedly one of the easiest, quietest, and cleanest airports to travel through. It is the 10th busiest airport in California and one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world. Long Beach Airport (aka, Daugherty Field) is not only culturally significant to Long Beach but historically significant - its rich history beginning in 1911. Before the Long Beach Airport had walls, it was simply a runway along the sea. Long Beach, a city named after its 4-mile stretch of sandy shoreline, was noticed by Calbraith Perry Rodgers while he was flying around in his Wright Model Ex. Rodgers was an aviation pioneer with an adventurous spirit. He became interested in aviation at a time when the industry was only in its infancy and took flying lessons directly from Orville Wright. After just 90 minutes of “lessons”, he was officially a pilot. Soon after he earned his wings, he heard of the Hearst Prize, a $50,000 prize offered by William Randolph Hearst to whichever pilot would be first to fly from the East to West Coast in under 30 days. Rodgers left Sheepshead Bay, New York in his small pusher biplane on September 17, 1911. Missing the deadline by 19 days, Rodgers landed his weary wheels on the long shore of Long Beach on December 10, 1911. Deadlines aside, this was still a monumental day for the pilot as well as aviation in general - the landing drew a crowd of 50,000 spectators, marking the beginning of Long Beach’s fascination and appreciation for aeronautics. For ten years following this historical landing, planes used the beach as a runway. Pilots would have to wait for low tide to take off and land these flying machines. The area surrounding the historical site was leased out by Earl Daugherty, a Long Beach aviator, as a space to perform flying stunts for paying spectators as well as open a flying field for his flight training school. Barnstorming became quite popular at this time. Also called flying circuses, these events were designed to impress spectators and show them just how magnificent flying could be. The only frontier left was the sky, and they were conquering it! This form of entertainment included a variety of stunts, such as spins, dives, loop-the-loops, and barrel rolls. Meanwhile, aerialists performed feats of wing walking, stunt parachuting, midair plane transfers, or even playing tennis, target shooting, and dancing on the plane's wings. Other stunts included nose dives and flying through barns, which unfortunately often led to pilots crashing their planes. Earl Daughtery, a fellow wing walker himself, understood that there was a great future in aeronautics, and convinced the Long Beach City Council to build the very first municipal airport in 1923. The Council purchased 150 acres of land near the intersection of Spring St. and Cherry. The airport we know today began its air transportation services on November 26, 1923. Oil was discovered on Signal Hill around the same time, leading to exponential growth and prosperity. The 20s were roaring in Long Beach. The airport quickly expanded by another 255 acres to keep up with demand. Hangars and administrative buildings were built to attract the attention of the military as well as private jet owners. The airport further tempted the military to set up base on their facilities by offering an astonishing deal of $1 a year to use their space. The Navy and Army were flattered and took the deal, setting up a Naval Research Air Base and Army Air Corps on this vast property. Since Long Beach Airport had such a strong military presence, it became an important site in the 1940s. At the beginning of WWII, the Civil Aeronautics Administrations took control of the airport for the war effort. For the remainder of the war, this 500-acre airport oversaw the training of pilots, acted as a base, and had a ferrying division that included a squadron of 18 female pilots, led by the commander and Long Beach local, Barbara London After the war ended and wartime contracts were all dried up, the airport returned to its usual commercial flying. Around this time, the WPA (Work Progress Administration) funded a project to give the airport a much-needed makeover. Grace Clements, a 28 year Long Beach-based artist, was commissioned to create murals and mosaics throughout the terminal. Her art depicted aviation, navigation, zodiac, and constellations. Her beautiful work was placed throughout the airport terminal with seven mosaics in all, composed of 1.6 million tiles in 32 colors. The Long Beach Airport was officially declared a historical landmark in the 1990s. When the terminal was recently renovated - a $136-million improvement project - it was important to Long Beach and its citizens that the space maintained its Streamline Moderne Architecture and Art Deco appeal. The facility was modernized in a way that is a true testament to its aviation history as well as being made more convenient and accessible to all future flyers. Painting by: Jamie Tablason
Local Business Highlight: Poplinen
Poplinen Building a Brighter Future with Poplinen BY LINDSEY GOODROW When Desiree Buchanan launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2018, she wanted to create an eco-friendly, ethically sourced, and all-size inclusive clothing brand for women. The incredible success of the campaign is proof that people expected more from their clothing, and so Poplinen was founded. The name Poplinen is a clever combination of the fabrics poplin and linen. Poplin is a strong, crisp fabric made from cotton, while linen is a versatile, absorbent material made from hemp. Both are incredibly sustainable. Poplinen, the brand, looks to their name to ensure their ongoing commitment to creating wardrobe staples that look good, last for generations, and make the world a better place. WHERE IT STARTED Buchanan always wanted to make a difference in the world. After growing up in the Los Angeles suburbs, she moved to New York to attend a nursing program at NYU. However, the day job she acquired to continue living in an expensive city would lead her down a very different career path. She was offered a fantastic opportunity to be an editorial coordinator for the editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest, thrusting her into the exciting magazine world. She learned from great minds covering all things culture, fashion, and design. She can recall editing countless stories of horrible working conditions in fast fashion factories abroad, leaving her with a deeply unsettling feeling. As the future of print media became uncertain with the domineering expansion of the internet, Desiree realized it was time for another career shift. The only constant in life is change, and Buchanan embraced change throughout her early career. She landed a job at a new startup making huge waves in the eyewear industry called Warby Parker. Although this business was just in its infancy when Buchanan started working there, she was amazed by the startup's ability to impart real change in the world. The experience opened her eyes to launching her very own startup, where she could turn her dreams of making a difference in the world into reality. With experience ranging from editing stories on fashion to learning the ups and downs of a startup business, Buchanan launched her very own clothing business. Poplinen seeks to “champion women everywhere through sustainability and inclusivity to positively impact the planet, fellow neighbors in need, and equality for all.” HOW IT’S GOING The last few years have drastically changed how we shop retail — probably forever. Not only did the pandemic force companies to become more accessible online, but people started caring more about their chosen retailers' ethics and brand purpose. They wanted their purchases to reflect their values. While we remained socially distant in our respective homes, we started looking for ways to support businesses we believed in by shopping for their products online. Poplinen, an online retail shop committed to creating ethically sustainable and inclusive clothing for women, was able to adapt to these difficult times. When face coverings were first announced as a potential protectant against Covid-19, Poplinen did not hesitate to produce organic cotton face masks. This became a pivotal moment for the company, allowing them to grow exponentially all while staying true to their values. Since the launch of Poplinen in 2018, the business has expanded from selling dress shirts made from poplin and linen to producing head-to-toe fashion made from earth-friendly fabrics (with low-impact dyes), including Tencel™, Organic Cotton, Modal, Organic Linen, and some dead stock salvaged from local fabric stores. They also ship all orders with recycled and compostable mailers. We live in a time where we should ask ourselves why we should settle for anything less than a brand that has integrity, respects the environment that it operates in, treats its people fairly, and respects the world we all live in. Poplinen aims to make the world a brighter place in its practices, including being eco-friendly, partnering with local factories that pay fair wages, extending sizing, and donating 1% of every sale to Step Up. Founder Desiree Buchanan WHERE IT’S GOING What started out as a dream on Kickstarter turned into a proud labor of love. Poplinen wants to change the way we view fashion: that it shouldn’t be fast and expendable but cherished and long-lasting. Poplinen is “for women who expect more from their clothing and demand better for their lives and the environment”. To start making the world a brighter place to live in, enter WHIPPLE15 for a 15% discount at check out when you’ve completed shopping for timeless pieces at poplinen.co.
First Annual Snow Day!
FIRST ANNUAL SNOW DAY HOW A LOCAL REAL ESTATE GROUP MADE IT SNOW IN LONG BEACH. By Lindsey Goodrow Families and friends put on their mittens, scarves, and ugly sweaters to join The Whipple Group in celebrating their first annual Snow Day, on Sunday, December 5th. The Whipple Group created a magical winter wonderland to spread joy and cheer to the community they proudly serve. Smiling faces walked carefully down a snowy path to find a festive gathering next to Santa’s Workshop. Hot chocolate was poured into cups for children waiting in line to see Santa and libations poured out for their parents. The cocktails not only warmed up adult guests, but paid homage to the neighborhoods that The Whipple Group serves, such as The Rancho-ho-ho Estates, Signal Hill Sour, Belmont Shore, Mez-Cal Heights, and the Rose Park. A DJ booth built ten feet in the air and wrapped like a giant present kept the spirit jolly as the speakers pumped out all the classic holiday tunes. There was an exciting variety of games and contests to get involved in, including sledding, an ugly sweater contest, and making your own snowman using toilet paper and bows. Alan Gomez of Commodity took home the gold for the ugly sweater contest in his bright red suit which was covered in fir trees, holly, and llamas. Snow Day’s main attraction was the thousands of pounds of fresh snow, which guests were invited to sled down and play in. As the Southern California climate is unlikely to see real snow, the Whipple Group ordered snow to be brought in, just for the event. Long Beach Ice transported giant blocks of ice on their freezer truck beds to the Snow Day site and then loaded the cubes into a giant ice crusher. This machine then shot the crushed snow through a tube, falling wherever the hose aimed. Children watched in fascination as ice cube after ice cube was crushed into powdery snow, piling up into a giant snow hill. They then grabbed their plastic sleds and took turns flying down it. To document the evening, Mario Orlando walked around capturing every magical candid moment. Guests could also take their own pictures in a photo booth that was set up right next to Santa. Beatrix Whipple, CEO and Realtor of The Whipple Group, enjoys putting on joyous events such as this because it allows families and friends to take a much-needed break from the stress of the holiday season and come together to enjoy each other’s company. The Whipple Group and the community they serve will be looking forward to the next Snow Day, set to take place next December. About The Whipple Group Beatrix Whipple and her caring team are in the business of making life-changing decisions easy and fun, which is why they have nearly 200 five-star client reviews on Zillow, earning them Premier Agent status. The Whipple Group is listed in the Top 5 of Long Beach Post’s “Best Of” in the Real Estate category as well as in the Top 10 Real Estate Groups on Yelp. These local professionals serve Long Beach, Lakewood, L.A. and Orange County from their offices at 2883 East Spring Street in Long Beach. From this central location, they offer area residents a full range of real estate services, including buy/sell representation, property valuation, comprehensive home marketing, and strategic negotiation between finance professionals, escrow companies, and all parties to a transaction. Beatrix Whipple Lic#01355505Keller Williams Pacific Estates Lic#01917184 " data-provider-name="Vimeo">
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